We had been looking forward to our trip to Batanes, but it was already 07:30 and we were still waiting to board our flight, which had been scheduled for 05:45 but repeatedly delayed due to weather conditions in Basco. I suggested to Ritz that we ought to leave rather than waste more time waiting, although she was reluctant.

Not even five minutes later, an airline employee announced the cancellation of the flight. Hardly an auspicious start to our honeymoon.

After a long detour to the Philippine Airlines ticket office to request a refund, we left the airport with our plans for the following three days in shambles. We needed to find an alternative – one within reasonable driving distance of Metro Manila. Ritz had previously heard of Rancho Bernardo somewhere, and we found that it was located in Bagac, Bataan, slightly less than four hours away. We could still make it there by evening. I was able to book a three-night stay online, and then we set off.

The expressways in Bataan were smooth and free of traffic, and even the ordinary roads were relatively well maintained. Bagac appeared cleaner and more orderly than most provincial towns in the Philippines. We found the resort on a side road not far from the town center. It seemed that we were the only guests there on our first night. In fact, we only saw a handful of other guests throughout our entire stay, likely because the resort was too new and not well-known yet.

All of the buildings in the resort featured elaborate architecture and decor inspired by various cultures.

Our room was somewhat small but still functional. We were provided with fruit juice and a large tray of fresh fruit. Since we had woken up before 03:00 that morning for our failed attempt to travel to Batanes, we decided to stay inside and rest early.

The next morning, we went to breakfast early. Again, there was no sign of any other guests. We opted to eat outdoors but unfortunately, although the outdoor dining area was spacious and shaded, it was quite windy there, making eating inconvenient. For the following two mornings, we ate breakfast indoors instead.

During our two full days in Bataan, we visited the nearby Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and Mount Samat National Shrine. We were also given a tour of the resort grounds by a member of the staff. He gave us a ride in a golf cart to the top of the hill behind the resort, which was still undeveloped.

After the tour, we walked around the garden and the pool area to take some photos, since it was well-lit there at night.

We enjoyed our stay at Rancho Bernardo, especially as we more or less had the place to ourselves. It was a good opportunity to rest before flying to Japan for the main part of our honeymoon.

Next: History in Bataan: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and Mount Samat National Shrine