Fave Cars for Fave Destinations IV

MANILA, Philippines - Hidden in the not-so-distant town of Bagac, Bataan is a remarkable collection of 18th century Philippine noble-class houses, bahay na bato (based on an old style of construction designed to withstand earhquakes) and wooden stilt houses. All these were purchased and transferred from different parts of the country and restored to their colonial-period glory in this private property-turned-resort. The collection is owned and handpicked by Jerry Acuzar, who keenly preserves old Filipino-Spanish architecture, hence the historical village resort name, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.

Situated in the midst of a cobblestone plaza are about 22 bahay na bato fully-restored structures, some of which can be rented as hotels while others can be used as conference rooms or party-hosting venues. A property area includes a beach, a batis-style swimming pool, picturesque concrete bridges, and a restaurant-bar. Guided tours of the houses are offered during the day while a leisurely stroll within the compound aboard a calesa is also an option. In the afternoons, performers gather for Filipiniana-themed programs in the open field. It’s definitely a photographer’s haven!

For a roadtrip to this amazing resort, I recommend the Hyundai Elantra 1.8L GLS. With an undeniably chic exterior that adheres to Hyundai’s fluidic design, combined with a good balance of performance, efficiency and drive comfort, this stunning five-seater is a perfect mid-size car to get you to Bataan in style for that shotgun summer getaway. Steering is extremely light, improving maneuverability while passing through small towns. Engine responsiveness is extremely impressive as well,  providing ready power on demand (bound to paint a smile on your face), especially for overtaking on the highway. All the usual comfort and convenience features such as power windows, locks and mirrors are standard while cabin space is quite generous for accommodating extra paraphernalia. Furthermore, the GLS benefits from a full disc brake system and also gets cool extras (compared to the 1.6 variant) such as parking sensors, 16-inch tires, front foglamps, and an upgraded six-speaker stereo.

So take your Elantra GLS, and get ready to get lost in time.