At the beginning of March 2014 Jacky, Toni, Jo and I visited and stayed overnight at the living museum of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in the province of Bataan.
Effectively it is an open-air heritage park showcasing genuine colonial-era Spanish mansions and villas which have been transported from all areas of the Philippines and rebuilt here with incredible care and attention. All houses chosen were selected for their historical, architectural and cultural value.
Every house was dismantled brick by brick, each one of which was then numbered and transported to this site. During its painstaking reconstruction, each house was subsequently fully restored, incorporating not only its brickwork but also all of its original furnishings.
A stroll around the large property even reveals the presence of some unexpected exhibits in secluded workshops not on display to the general public.
The complex is surrounded by a lush plantation which emphasises the natural beauty of the location.
Beyond the foliage, the entire area is dominated by imposing mountains.
130 employees are continually on hand to maintain the beautiful grounds of the park which are 400 hectares in size, as well as the edifices themselves.
The hotel balconies look down on to an open courtyard below which borders on some of the 27 Spanish villas and mansions.
The building is fronted by huge statues which run the entire length of the balconies.
The various archways around the property afford interesting views of the different mansions.
Some of the buildings are reminiscent of the Spanish architecture which can be seen in Cuba.
The huge courtyards are all paved with large cobblestones.
The building housing the individual hotel rooms is just as stylish as the individual mansions.
The interior design is equally as spectacular.
In this ambiance Toni, Jacky and Jo gladly entered into the spirit of the occasion.
The design of the ground floor tiling can be seen through the cracks in the floorboards from the storey above.
The complex is also adorned by numerous statues.
The old-style windows create atmospheric lighting in the mansions themselves.
Jacky had great fun giving Jo a makeover when preparing to go out.
The hotel facade is beautifully lit in the evening.
Jacky and Toni enjoyed the cultural show and open-air concert.
Our illuminated hotel room served as a scenic backdrop to the musicians.
Jacky positively radiated in the moonlight.
As indeed do the villas themselves.
The musicians in the restaurant even serenaded us with our requested Beatles songs as we finished a magical day with a tasty Mediterranean meal.
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