Summer is a time when families and friends troop to the beach or to some favorite hideaway.
The choices for vacationers have become much wider with vacation packages now becoming more popular than ever.
But if you are pressed for time, and you do not want to burn a big hole in your pocket, then a trip by car might be your best option.
There is a nice place in nearby Bulacan that we had the chance to visit a few summers ago.
Called 8 Waves, it is a family-oriented resort hotel and is a little more than a 1-hour drive from Manila.
8 Waves has water slides, numerous swimming pools, water fountains and a huge wave pool at the center of the sprawling complex.
The kids had a blast, and one day was not enough for them to enjoy the wave pool, the slides, and the wading pools. The kids spent an hour in one pool, another hour in the wading pool, another hour playing the fountains, and finally a few hours on the wave pool.
Good thing there is a nice hotel inside the resort as well as a restaurant.
Located in San Rafael, Bulacan the trip to 8 Waves was a cinch, because we left early and took the North Luzon Expressway.
The only downside of the resort that I can remember is its proximity to farms. I am not talking about a few meters, but a few kilometers. There was a few seconds that the air became funky smelling.
It was not at all bothersome, and overall, 8 Waves is a place worthy of a return visit.