TJM Tropical Resort - Batangas

Located in Sito Longos, San Felipe, Cuenca in the province of Batangas, TJM Tropical Resort is a private pool resort tucked deep in the forested area of Barangay San Felipe.

TJM Tropical Resort

TJM Tropical Resort details

Registered as Triple J and M Tropical Resort, TJM Tropical Resort started out as a family vacation house and a farm built around a decade ago. It is not originally for rent. But the owners rarely visit the place. So after a few years, they decided to sell it.

Welcome to TJM Tropical Resort

Inside TJM Tropical Resort

Ella enjoying her first trip outside since the lockdown began.

They found it difficult to sell such a big property, so they tried to offer it for a long-term lease in 2017. On an ocular inspection, a prospective tenant asked the owners if they could sublease it daily. After the ocular, the prospective tenant did no push through. So the owners tried to post it on Airbnb for staycations. The owners received positive feedback from the guests and so they decided to convert it into a resort. It operated as a resort some years after

We stayed in Cabin 4

Inside Cabin 4

The room comes with a rice cooker, stove, and electric kettle

At present, TJM Tropical Resort offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. This private resort is around a 2-3 hours drive away from Manila via the SLEX - Star Tollway highway. Although Batangas is known for its beach resorts, TJM Tropical Resort is a perfect alternative if you prefer pool water from seawater or if you prefer chirping birds and rustling leaves than the sound of the sea waves crashing on the beach. 

TJM Tropical Resort Pools








My family and I visited TJM Tropical Resort and stayed there for a night during our Cuenca-Taal Road Trip 2021. It was my wife who discovered the resort while searching Air BnB for our weekend escape. Since my wife is skilled in budgeting, she discovered that booking directly to the resort via the TJM Tropical Resort FB page is cheaper than other booking websites. 

Team Nicerio visits TJM Tropical Resort








Prior to our visit, TJM Tropical Resort has a 4.4-star rating in Google Maps and has around 2600+ likers on their FB page. What caught my attention was the really eyecatching photos of the pool at night, something that I tried hard replicating. 

Team Nicerio visits TJM Tropical Resort

What made this trip memorable was the fact that it was our first road trip as a family in 2021 amidst the COVID 19 pandemic. During our visit, the management strictly followed and implemented their policies hence, the resort has a scheduled swimming time per cabin. We were allowed to swim only from 7:30PM-9PM and 8 -10 AM the next day.

TJM Tropical Resort Rates:

TJM Tropical Resort Rates

TJM Tropical Resort Amenities

TJM Tropical Resort Rate in Air BnB

TJM Tropical Resort Main House

TJM Tropical Resort Cabin 1 and 2

TJM Tropical Resort Cabin 4


Cabin 1 - P3300+ / night
Cabin 2 - P3200+ / night
Cabin 3 - P3200+ / night
Cabin 4 - P1500+ / night
Whole Guest House - P5600+ / night
Guest House Room 1 - P3300+ / night
Guest House Room 2 - P2500+ / night
Main House - P13700+ night

The standard check-in time is 2PM and the check-out time is 12NN the next day. 

We booked Cabin 4 which was nearest the parking space and the half-court basketball court. Like what I mentioned earlier, we shared the pool with the other cabins and guest houses. Thankfully, it is exclusive to use on a specific hour. However, if you want to swim all day, you might want to book into the Main House. It's pricey buy it can accommodate up to 20 people and you also have exclusive use of the Main House's pool located behind it.  

Guest access

There are a lot of fruit-bearing trees (Mango, Banana, Lanzones, Coconut, Guyabano, Langka, etc.). You may consume these fruits for FREE, provided that you consume it during your stay. If you want to take out some fruits, the price will be subject to the prevailing market prices. The fruits are subject to availability.

Why visit TJM Tropical Resort?

Overall, TJM Tropical Resort is a good place to stay the night just to escape the city. (Don't worry they have WiFi just in case your boss asks you to suddenly submit something.) However, this resort is not for you if you are looking for extreme activities or lap pools. It's simply a place to relax and listen to the sound of nature.

Here's my honest review of TJM Tropical Resort:

Positive points:

1. Very responsive FB page.
2. The staff are visible hence giving you the feeling of security. Aside from that, the staff is very friendly and accomodating.
3. WiFi is available
4. There is a cooking area and dishwashing area. The water heater, refrigerator, and gasul are also provided.
5. There are plenty of trees in the vicinity. There are fruit-bearing trees that, if you're lucky, bears fruits that you can harvest and consume for FREE.
6. There is a store in and outside the resort (just in case you need something). 
7. No corkage for food and drinks that you bring. 
8. You can bring your pets but you can't bring them inside your room. 
9. There are a basketball court and a billiard table that you can use for FREE.
10. The pools are picturesque at night.

Things to improve:

1. Very far from civilization. The road going to the resort is narrow and not well-lit at night.  
2. Limited parking space. 
3. You won't be able to use the basketball court if the parking is full.
4. There are only 2 pools in the resort. 1 is exclusive to the Main House while the other is shared by everyone else. Although it's understandable that you can only use the pool at a specific time during the pandemic, it sometimes gives some visitors the feeling that they don't get their money's worth especially if they are waiting for their turn to use the pool or if they accidentally forgot their schedule. 
5. Mosquitos are abundant from 5-6PM (Don't worry, just stay in your room during those hours, they transfer to other resorts.) 

Getting to TJM Tropical Resort:

 

 By Private Vehicle:

It's highly recommended that you bring your car going to this place. 

If you're coming from Manila drive to SLEX and continue on to Star Tollway. From there, take the Lipa Exit and turn left heading to Cuenca via the National Highway. Continue driving until you pass through Cuenca town proper. Keep an eye out for the right turn toward Barangay San Felipe which is right before the San Felipe Barangay Hall. There are small signboards pointing you in the direction of the resort just follow these signboards. 

Just a heads up though, the road to the resort is mostly one-way and is not well lit at night so you might want to skip that nighttime drive out to Cuenca town and stay in the resort instead. 

Ratings

Crowd

Cleanliness

Overall rating

Location: Cuenca, Batangas, Philippines

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