After a short rest in Ati-Atihan County Inn, we continued our Aklan escapade as we made our way to Sampaguita Gardens in the town of New Washington. The town is about 8 kilometers from Kalibo. From the Ati-Atihan County Inn, we just told the tricycle driver to bring us to the jeepney terminal going to New Washington. The tricycle fare was 8 pesos per person. The terminal is located in Cardinal Jaime Sin Avenue, the same avenue going to the Kalibo Airport. We had to wait for a few minutes for the jeepney to fill up before we were on our way. It took us only 20 minutes to get to New Washington. The jeepney fare was 15 pesos per person.
Since we didn’t know how to go to Sampaguita Gardens, we asked a tricycle driver in the town center to bring us there. We asked him how much was the fare and he told us it's 14 pesos each. That’s the disadvantage on not knowing anything about the place because when we reached the place, we found out that it was only a kilometer away from the town center. Fare should have been cheaper or we could just have walked. Oh well! Sampaguita Gardens is just along the national highway from Kalibo. If you are getting there by car from Kalibo, you would see the New Washington Municipal Hall on the left and Sampaguita Gardens would just be a kilometer away from it on the same side.
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| A fine dining restaurant but it was close when we were there. |
Some of the guests when we arrived were students from the YES-O Congress that ended that morning in Kalibo. We paid the consumable entrance fee of 50 pesos per person. We could use the 50 pesos stub to buy any food or souvenir items inside. Nice! Mr. Samuel John Butcher who created Sampaguita Gardens is also the creator of Precious Moments artworks. It wasn’t then a surprise when an avenue of angels greeted us as when we entered. We explored the well-manicured gardens first. Being nature-loving, we really enjoyed the scenery of the place. Some facilities though, we noticed, have been closed like the Sammy’s Circus Rides, The Sammy’s Library and Interactive Center for Children inside Sammy’s Showboat, the 43-foot Aquarium, the Oriental Flavors Restaurant, and The Spa.
At the left side end of the resort, we ventured into the Samuel Butcher Mansion which houses a lot of his art collections here and abroad. The mansion was made mostly of wood with large sliding door facing the sea allowing the breeze to enter and a good view of the family’s private swimming pool at the back. We were awed as our eyes feast on the wonderful collections, we could say that the 10 pesos entrance fee to the mansion was worth it.
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| Entrance to Samuel Butcher Mansion |
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| The Library at Samuel Butcher Mansion |
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| The Dining Area at Samuel Butcher Mansion |
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| The Living Room and Receiving Area at Samuel Butcher Mansion |
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| The Upper Floor Bedroom at Samuel Butcher Mansion |
A public pool is located a few steps from the mansion where some students enjoyed their time. There are two pools: one for adults and one for children. Wasn’t able to ask though how deep they were. Beside is the Poolside Restaurant and Bar where some tourist enjoyed their afternoon snacks. Visitors can use their 50 pesos consumable entrance stub here.
From there we proceeded to a wide building which houses most of their standard rooms. These rooms have verandas facing the ocean and balconies facing the Christmas garden and Sammy’s Circus. It would be nice to have an afternoon coffee while enjoying the sea breeze and sunset. To know more about their room prices and other packages, check out my other blog entry on Accommodations in Kalibo.
The last area we visited was Jojo’s Christmas Cottage (JCC). Entrance fee was 10 pesos per person. The Victorian inspired building was a different sight to behold in Aklan. JCC houses the Previous Moments figurines, dolls and other items on the ground floor, more souvenir items and Christmas products on the second floor, and Santa’s Workshop on the third floor.
We definitely enjoyed our short tour around Sampaguita Gardens though it was unfortunate that some of their facilities were not anymore in operation. Kids would definitely enjoy their time here. And being kids at heart, we were not disappointed. Upon exiting, a line of tricycles were waiting for passengers by the road. One driver offered to take us all the way to Kalibo but we declined. We instead took the cheaper way and asked him to bring us to the jeepney terminal. Fare was 10 pesos each. This time, I think we were not ripped-off. The jeepney terminal back to Kalibo is located along the highway near the municipal hall. We were the first passengers, but the jeepney left for Kalibo after a short wait even though it wasn’t full with passengers yet. Upon entering Kalibo town, we passed by Saylo Cuisine along Cardinal Sin Avenue. We had plans to have dinner here though we didn’t know yet its location. So it was luck when we saw it. We got off the jeepney and headed off to an amazing evening meal. I'll be writing about our Saylo experience next time.
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