Kat at Crystal Waves Resort, Nueva Ecija
Philippines

Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort: Family-Friendly Resort in Nueva Ecija

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I’m always up to discovering new resorts a drive away from Manila, so when my fellow blogger Bobby invited me for 3 days stay in Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort in Nueva Ecija, I said yes.

Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort is the first wave pool resort in this province. It’s located in a huge property beside acres of farmland, with 3 different pools and facilities for adventure activities. As such, it’s perfect for those who want to get away from the city but would love to have different options to do as well.

Our experience at Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort

We stayed here for 3 days. We were booked in a Diamond Room, which is a fully airconditioned room with a queen-sized bed, hot shower and complimentary bath items. It’s comfortable and we even had a small balcony where we could choose to hang out.

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Crystal Waves Resort - Diamond Room
Diamond Room.

The bathroom needs more service (the metal hose is rusty, for example), but other than that I’m perfectly happy with our accommodation.

We tried to do every activity in the resort. First, of course is swimming.

Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort in Nueva Ecija
Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort.
Kat at Crystal Waves Resort, Nueva Ecija
Hi there!

I like that the main swimming pool is olympic sized, going deep from 3 feet to 7 feet. It’s ideal for different types of guests. For instance, I prefer to stay in chest-high water while another blogger with us like to do laps on the deeper end.

Group shot at Crystal Waves Resort
Olympic-sized pool.
Kat at Crystal Waves Resort, Nueva Ecija
Cooling off in the olympic-sized pool.
Kat at Crystal Waves Resort, Nueva Ecija
At the olympic-sized pool with the waterslide at the background.

Aside from this, they also have a wave pool which offers 10-15 minutes of fun swaying in the water and a kiddie pool which serves as playground for kids and photo-spot for us adults.

I like that the pools are clean and kept properly and they are huge, so it doesn’t feel crowded even if there are other people around. There’s ample space for everyone.

Our next activity is going to the Adventure Tower. This tower offers ziplining, wall climbing and giant water racing slide activities. I tried the zipline — 200 meter high one way and 100 meters going back. To be honest, I was very scared. I’m not afraid of heights, I’m afraid of losing control, if you know what I mean. However, the staff in the zipline was nice and gave me 5 minutes of pep talk. He also told me that, if I were afraid, I should just look at the cable instead of the view below. That helped a lot and I was proud of this little accomplishment, especially considering  that in a past resort visit, I bailed out on ziplining and left my boyfriend Hali on his own.

Anyway, that’s the extent of my bravado. I left the other activities to my fellow bloggers which they enjoyed.

Crystal Waves Resort - giant waterslide
Water slide.

As for the food, we tried the different dining options in the resort. Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort doesn’t have an in-house restaurant but they do offer food as requested.

We got to try their Boodle Fight, which includes fried rice, chicken satay, pork liempo and veggies. In fairness, the chicken satay tastes close to chicken satay in Malaysia. I love the fried rice since it’s tasty by itself and the mangoes are a nice addition. The crispy kangkong was also good.

Crystal Waves Resort - boodle fight
Boodle fight.

We also had meals at Mang Inasal just outside the resort and bought snacks and beer at the convenience store/carinderia beside it. If you want to have an inuman session, this is an ideal place for you as it’s open 24 hours and the alcohols are cheap (Smirnoff Mule at P50 only).

So anyway, that was the gist of our visit to Crystal Waves Resort.

In summary, here are the things I like about the resort. It’s huge, there’s a lot of open spaces and the adult pools are big as well. It also helps that the resort is located beside a farm, which gives it a relaxing, rural-life ambiance. Aside from swimming, there are other things that can keep you occupied including videoke and adventure activities. Throughout our stay, the staff is friendly and easily approachable. Lastly, rates here are reasonable so it’s a good option for group outing and budget vacations.

I recommend Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort for anyone who’s looking for a pleasant resort in Nueva Ecija.

How to get here

From Cubao, ride a Baliwag bus going to San Jose via SCTEX and tell the conductor to drop you off at Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort (P226 per person). Travel time is 3-4 hours, depending on traffic.

To get back, you can wait for a bus along the highway where you were dropped off (waiting time of 20-30 min). Alternatively, you can ride a jeep to Cabanatuan City (P25) and get off at the bus terminal where you can find buses en route to Pasay or Cubao. The second option is preferable if you want sure seats in the bus.

Amenities

Here are the facilities and amenities you can find at the resort.

Swimming pools

Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort has 3 swimming pools you can enjoy.

  • Wave Pool with Jacuzzi
  • Mickey Mouse Swimming Pool
  • Kiddie Pool with Aqua Play Area

The first is a Wave Pool with Jacuzzi. This is a wide pool with a side-to-side wave function that is turned on every hour and lasts 10-15 minutes. This is actually quite enjoyable, especially if you bring an inflatable with you. The pool is kid-friendly as there’s a shallow section and there are animal displays.

Crystal Waves Resort - wave pool and jacuzzi
Wave pool.
Crystal Waves Resort - wave pool and jacuzzi
Jacuzzi.
Crystal Waves Resort - wave pool and jacuzzi
Play area in the wave pool.

Then there’s the Mickey Mouse Swimming Pool. This is an olympic-sized swimming pool that is shaped like the famous Disney character (viewable from above, such as at the top of the Adventure Tower). The pool goes from 3 feet to 7 feet. At night, the pool’s LED lights are turned on and it changes color.

Lastly, there’s a Kiddie Pool with Aqua Play Area, which features a huge water bucket where kids can enjoy a splash.

Crystal Waves Resort - kiddie pool
Kiddie Pool.

Adventure Tower

This is a 50-feet tower which offers different activities:

  • Ziplining – 200 meters one way, 100 meters going back
  • Wall climbing
  • Rappelling
  • Giant water racing slide – 200 meters slide

The Adventure Tower can easily be used on high-peak season. During low-peak season, you might want to inform the staff ahead if you plan on doing any of the activities as the staff then is on-call.

Crystal Waves Resort - wall climbing
Wall climbing.
Crystal Waves Resort - zipline
Karla in the zipline. (Did anyone take a photo of me here, perchance?)

Giant Chairs and Giant Wall Art

There are 4 different-colored giant chairs where you can pose and take pictures.

There are also lovely wall arts featuring floral design and farm life.

Crystal Waves Resort - giant wall art
Wall art with floral painting.

Rates

Here are the current rates at Crystal Wave Hotel and Resort (Updated as of May 2019):

Day tour
(Monday to Sunday, 8AM to 10PM)
Entrance fees:
Adult – P300
Child – P250
Senior citizen – P240

Cottages:
Jade (10-15 pax) – P800
Amber (15-20 pax) – P1000
Overnight ratesOpal Room (double sharing) – P1500
Diamond Room (double sharing) – P2900
Emerald Room (quad sharing) – P4200
Aquamarine dormitory (good for 20 pax) – P12,000
ActivitiesZipline (200 meters) – P200 / (100 meters) – P150
Wall climbing – P200
Rappelling – P200
Giant water racing slide – free

Others:
Videoke rental (until 6PM only) – P700
Grill rental (with 2 bags of charcoal) – P200

For overnight stays, here are the important things you need to know:

  • Check in time – 2PM, check out time – 12 noon the following day
  • Complimentary breakfast is included (choice of silog meals)
  • Additional P550 per head for extra adult

In addition, if you’re an overnight guest you can use the outdoor cottages for free as long as these are unoccupied (especially during off-peak season).

You can book discounted rates for Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort here.

Where to eat

Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort does not have an in-house restaurant but you can order food as requested, including a Boodle Fight (P999 good for 5 people).

Also, there is a small food shack where you can buy cold drinks and snacks.

Crystal Waves Resort - snackbar
Snack bar.

Other options include bringing your own food (no corkage fee) and/or using the grilling stations for BBQ. You can also eat out at the restaurants just right outside the resort (Mang Inasal and a carinderia and convenience store open 24 hours).

Take note that bringing hard drinks inside the resort is not allowed.

Things to know before you go

  • Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort is open Monday – Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for maintenance.

Contact

For inquiries, booking and reservation, you can contact Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort in the ff:

Website | Facebook | Book discounted rooms here

Disclaimer: Thanks to Bobby of Travel Tayo PH for inviting me to this trip and Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort for hosting us! As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you been to Crystal Waves Hotel and Resort? Do you have questions? Let us know in the comments below!

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