Summit Ridge

Situated on Kilometer 58 along the National Highway, the hotel is on the other side of the ridge — the side of the road opposite where the prime view of Taal was. Summit Ridge compensates for this with height: it’s built elevated from the road and rises up to 9 storeys high. The view down the lake is obstructed by the trees across the street on the 4th floor, but it should be clear from the higher level. Each room faces the lake and have a balcony, so even if you can’t see the volcano, you can still enjoy the fresh Tagaytay air. The window actually open in the room, so you can opt to let the mountain air cool the room instead of the air conditioner.

Summit Ridge lobby

Guests with cars can park their vehicle at the hotel’s outdoor parking, or they can opt to park it in the basement, sheltered from the elements. Walking into the lobby, we were warmly greeted by the hotel staff. The lobby was spacious and airy — like all the common areas within the hotel, there was no air conditioning. This allows the guests to enjoy the chill weather visitors flock to Tagaytay for.

View from the 4th floor room balcony. Gigantor and very obtrusive watermark not included.

I was given a gift certificate for a Twin Classic Room, which was good for 2 or even up to a family of 5. Aside from the standard closet with personal safe, personal fridge, twin beds, phone, desk and TV, we were thrilled to see a sofa that can seat 3 (with plenty of pillows!) and I, personally, was elated to see two fluffy pillows on the beds. Being an Internet addict, I was quite pleased to see a wireless router underneath the desk. This ensures that I get a strong wi-fi signal at any point of the room.

Comfy beds and fluffy pillows

The ensuite toilet and bath was roomy: there was enough space for two people puttering inside at the same time. There was no tub, but this means there’s a roomy shower stall (plus, you don’t have to clamber into the tub whenever you have to shower — I hate that!) The shower was the rainfall kind, which was directly overhead. If prefer the handheld shower head, fret not, because they have that too!

Pardon the mess. View from the beds with the TV, personal fridge, sofa, desk and wi-fi router

We rested after our day spent driving from Manila to both ends of Tagaytay. While Sunshine slept, I was torn between checking Facebook and channel surfing on the 32-inch LCD TV. As I told Shine, it’s only when I travel that I get to watch regular TV. It doesn’t help that there’s more than 30 channels to choose from, including Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic and Discovery Travel & Living.

Annie’s breakfast buffet

The following day, we went down to Annie’s, Summit Ridge’s in-house restaurant. It’s run by the same people running Classic Cuisine or C2. The restaurant looked like your typical hotel restaurant, but there was one aspect of this restaurant that I’m sure has endeared a lot of guests: flannel blankets. There were colorful blankets draped over the seats for guests to use in case it gets too chilly inside the restaurant. There was something different in how they do breakfast here too. One might be terribly disappointed to see only breads, fruits, jams, flavored buttered, fruits, cereals, juices, coffee and tea in the buffet. But that disappointment will melt away once the server presents you the plated buffet menu. You are given a choice between American, Continental and Filipino breakfast plates, and you can order as much as you want, and can even modify the contents of each plate. The reason why it’s plated is to ensure the quality of the food; each plate is prepared and cooked individually as ordered. The Visayan choice of the Filipino breakfast was a hit with its beef tapa, fried dilis and danggit, eggs, ensalada and rice, while the West Coast Platter of the American breakfast was also very much appreciated.

Summit Ridge’s swimming pool

After breakfast, we checked out the hotel’s outdoor facilities. There was a garden, which might be used for outdoor functions, and a swimming pool, which might be a great way to cool off in the summer. Right beside the hotel is the Promenade, which is a small shopping complex with restaurants, cafés, fastfood, supermarket, hardware, money changers and even a CD-R King. This is very convenient for guests without cars, since it can be pretty hard to go around Tagaytay without your own car.

The Promenade, Tagaytay

It was then that I realized there is merit in staying in Tagaytay for the weekend: without the need to beat the SLEX traffic, you can take your time to savor the sights, the food and the company of good friends.

Thank you Summit Ridge and Robinson’s Land for the gift certificate! For Summit Ridge rates and promos, visit their website at www.summitridgehotel.com.

Summit Ridge
Km. 58 Maharlika West
General Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City
Telephone: +632 240-6888
Mobile: +63922 852-6800
E-mail: reservations@summitridgehotel.com
Website: www.summitridgehotel.com

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

View from the People’s Park in the Sky

Not that I need much reason to go back — I’ve gone with friends up to Tagaytay on a whim and would go in a heartbeat. The place is overly commercialized and very touristy, but it’s only 2 hours from Manila (1.5 hours on a good day) and you get that much needed change in scenery (not to mention the cool mountain air).

My friend Sunshine has been to Tagaytay before, but she haven’t had the chance to check out a lot of places. I took this chance to take her to some of my favorite places in Tagaytay. First stop in the trip was the People’s Park in the Sky. I’ve only been here once before, and I was looking forward to going back and exploring more.

The park was formerly known as the Palace in the Sky, an unfinished palace of former President Ferdinand Marcos, which was supposed to serve as a guest house for former US President Ronald Reagan during a state visit. Unfortunately, Reagan didn’t come, and Marcos fell out of power and the palace is now just a shell of its former glory. The palace is empty, save for shops selling all sorts of souvenirs, and the grounds were littered with tourists, cats and livestock. It’s the view that makes people come back, not the palace. Built atop Mt. Sungay, it’s the highest point in Tagaytay and offers stunning 360° views of the plains, lakes and mountains that surround Tagaytay.

What’s in Just Wandering’s future? Passing the time at Bag of Beans with some Tarot readings

From there we proceeded westwards, passing Mendez crossing for an early lunch at the Bag of Beans. This has been an instant hit with me, and I try to go everytime I find myself in Tagaytay. Known for their English pies, the Bag of Bean has a full menu from breakfast specials to hearty entrees. They also have rich desserts that tickle the tastebuds and coffee-based concoctions featuring the locally produced Barako beans. What makes the place endearing though, is not just the food, but also its relaxing ambiance. Set in a makeshift garden, Bag of Beans was able to create an atmosphere that can melt the stress away. Once inside, you won’t even notice that it’s right beside the busy National Highway. The dining area is mostly al fresco, but they have recently expanded to offer more covered dining areas if you don’t want to be too close with nature.

We would have stayed there all afternoon, if we weren’t too conscious of the time. From Bag of Beans, we continued driving towards Nasugbu for Paradizoo. I realize now that we ended up at Residence Inn’s mini zoo rather than the Paradizoo Theme Farm. On the way up to Tagaytay, I remembered this place a friend of mine went to before where she and her nieces fed bunnies. I Googled it, and found out that it was at Paradizoo. There was a map in the site I found, but I wasn’t able to save it on my phone. So as we were leaving Bag of Beans, I asked for directions. The boy who was selling souvenirs told me that it was just down the road, on the left side. I was puzzled by this, because I remember the directions in the map said to turn right at some point. After about 2 kilometers, we saw it on the left side, as the boy said. It bears the same name, rather, the same domain name. Is it a mini version of the farm or is it just a total rip off?

Sometimes you just have to do the touristy stuff.

The entrance fee was only Php 100 for adults. Just inside the entrance were two cages: one for a tiger cub and one for a lion cub. Like all touristy places, you get a chance to have your picture taken with the big cats while feeding them. It’s Php50 for the bottle feeding, Php 199 for the photo if you want to buy it. The great thing about them is that you’re allowed to take photos on your personal camera. The cubs know the routine already, and they will circle you as soon as they’re out of the cage before settling on your lap for the feeding. After the cats, we went through the house where the reptiles are. I pretty much breezed through, not entirely comfortable with snakes and lizards, and emerged outside overlooking the lake.

Zip lines have been a big hit in the Philippines and you’ll be sure to see one in many destinations around the country. Residence Inn has a small zip line and cable car system that takes you from one end of the property to the other. There were shops, kiosks and a restaurant outside, as well as several more cages of animals. Bunnies, birds, monkeys, big cats, goats, miniature horses and even a llama can be found in the property, and you can feed them with fruits or veggies that you can buy for Php 20 a bag. Overall, the experience was okay, but nothing spectacular. Or maybe I’m just too old for it already.

Zipline at the Residence Inn

Being night owls neither one of us slept earlier than 5am. By 4am, both our batteries were running low. We headed back towards Tagaytay’s center to check in at Summit Ridge. In Tagaytay, it’s the accommodation that are facing the lake that gets the most attention. If you’re on the other side of the road, you’d have to come up with something special to entice people. Summit Ridge compensates for this by building a high rise (not too high though, only 10 floors high), and having all rooms face the gorgeous lake. The views were partially blocked by the foliage, but overall, it’s still a pretty sight to see.

We rested and napped, and by 8pm, we were out again for dinner. We explored the shopping center right beside the hotel, but ended up driving elsewhere for the Tagaytay must-eat: bulalo. We went to Leslie’s. Because it was a Sunday night and after the dinner rush, the restaurant was almost empty. We shared a bowl of their original bulalo, and savored the warm broth and tender beef that is perfect for the city’s cool weather. After dinner, we hopped next door for tea and dessert. As we were digging into our cake, the fog rolled in. It was fascinating to see it coming towards us, and seeing our surroundings get hazy. It was a different story on the drive back — visibility dropped dramatically, and Sunshine had to drive with the hazards on. Lucky for us the Summit Ridge was distinctly different, else we’d have driven past it without noticing. The fog lights on the corners of the building helped out make out its shape in the thick fog.

Bulalo: perfect for the chilly Tagaytay evenings

The weekend was for relaxation, so after a full night’s sleep, we took it slow and just spent the morning at the hotel. Breakfast was included with the room, so we headed down to Annie’s, Summit Ridge’s in house restaurant. It was a buffet breakfast, but only the breads, fruits, cereal and beverages were spread out. Turns out they have a plated buffet, wherein you’d have to order a breakfast set from the menu, but you can order for as many plates as you want (but not in one go). This is done so that your food will come out hot and fresh from the kitchen.

Afterwards we walked around the property, mainly to check out the swimming pool. The pool looks inviting, but since it wasn’t heated and the temperature was still pretty low, we just took pictures and walked towards the Promenade. The Promenade is a small commercial complex with shops and restaurant. There’s also a supermarket, ATMs, forex, and salons. There’s even a small bazaar selling local goods from various parts of Cavite. We ended up buying souvenirs, household and personal items, even some plants for the garden. After stowing our shopping in the car, we headed back up to our room to pack up and check out.

Healthy veggie chips from Cavite

We were taking the Aguinaldo Highway back to Manila, but we drove past it to buy pastries to take back to Manila. Loumar’s is another Tagaytay favorite of mine, and like the Bag of Beans, I make sure to drop by the shop every time I’m in Tagaytay. There was no need to check what’s on offer, I already know what to buy: one box of buko tarts, one box of apple tarts. Loumar’s have expanded their products to include English pies (sadly out of stock), and mini cheesecake to keep up with the competition.

Save for the Paradizoo stop, there wasn’t any real rush for us to go anywhere that weekend. I guess that’s the beauty of staying overnight in Tagaytay. While Tagaytay can easily be done in a day, staying for the weekend gives you more time to relax and enjoy the environment. Definitely doing this again!

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Southbound on SLEX

Tagaytay’s location makes it the perfect weekend destination, whether for a short weekend getaway or just a daytrip. Just 1.5 hours from Makati, its perch on the Tagaytay ridge means the city enjoys mild temperature throughout the year. The gorgeous views of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano makes for an unbeatable combination of greens and blues.

We left the house past 4:30am, picking up Hazel along the way. It was still dark, and it felt odd to be driving out at this hour, since we would usually be driving home at this hour. Surprisingly, there was a number of vehicles already on the road. Most are trucks rushing to their destinations before the truck ban starts at 6:00am. We have grossly underestimated the time the sun rises, as the sky was getting lighter and lighter the further we drive south.

Tagaytay Econo Inn view deck

Though the country has woken up by the time we exited in Sta. Rosa, traffic was still light all the way up to Tagaytay. The only problem area we encountered was that stretch from Bicutan to Sucat, where the four-lane South Luzon Expressway merges down to just two (or three) due to the Skyway construction. As soon as you reach the Alabang flyover though, the roads clear up. Travel time from Eastwood in Quezon City to Tagaytay that morning took only 1.5 hours (Quezon City is about 30 minutes away from Makati on a very good day).

The road from Sta. Rosa leads up to the Tagaytay Main Road, where you can turn left to head to the Picnic Grove, People’s Park in the Sky or down to Talisay. Turning right brings you to the many guesthouses and restaurants in Tagaytay. Right across the road though, is the Tagaytay Econo Inn, where there’s a view deck with a couple of cabanas that overlooks Taal. Since it was just 6:30am, we were able to park at the restaurant next door.

Taal Volcano and Taal Lake

Pictures shot and taken, the next item in the agenda was to find breakfast. Since it was a Monday, not a lot of establishments open as early as they do on the weekends (when the tourist flock). That’s how we ended up at two places you can easily find in Metro Manila: Pancake House and Starbucks. Food at Pancake House is definitely better than any microwaved foodstuff in the coffee shop next door, but Starbucks’ open-air second floor has one of the best views of Taal volcano and lake. What I love best about this Starbucks branch is that there’s no stuffy airconditioning, just fresh mountain air. The wind can be pretty fierce sometimes though, so it can be freezing up there.

Back to last Monday. We pried ourselves off Starbuck’s comfy couch to drive back to Manila. We waited for 10am before heading back down to avoid the rush hour traffic. There are more vehicles on the road now, but traffic is still relatively light. Of course, we slow down as soon as we pass Alabang due to the Skyway construction, but as soon as we pass Bicutan, the road opens up again and we were soon back in C-5, heading back to Quezon City. We made it with just enough time for Hazel to clock in for her 1:00pm shift. Except she didn’t go to work.

Driving home

This wasn’t the first time we went up to Tagaytay on a whim. Earlier this year, Rey had a similar impulse to have coffee in Tagaytay in the middle of the night. We left QC just past 9:00pm, and was up in Tagaytay at nearly midnight. We stayed until the coffee house closed, driving down the dark roads from Tagaytay to Sta. Rosa at 2 in the morning. Prior to that, it was me and Hazel who went up to Tagaytay. Her brother was spending the weekend there with friends and casually remarked in one of his texts to his sister that we should join them there. We had nothing to do that weekend, so what the heck? We went home to get some clothes and met up at the MRT Taft station, where I previously saw buses headed to Tagaytay and Nasugbu (only to find out later on that there are similar buses departing from Cubao — where Hazel and I originally hanging out. Doh).

Tagaytay really is a welcome respite from the city. It’s close enough to drive to whenever we feel like it, and the view and the fresh air can do wonders for your state of mind. I figure these spur of the moment things are bound to happen more often than not. Well, I’m hoping for more often. We just need to find a better breakfast place.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

The road is long and steep. But the views are worth it. Or is it?

We rented a vehicle that can comfortably fit five, but can take up to 8 passengers (because we were expecting that much joiners). The plan was to leave Makati at 8 am, but due to a nasty unexpected heavy traffic in the Cubao area, we ended up leaving at 9 am (guess who’s late. *annoyed*). The traffic at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) was surprisingly moderate. There were areas where was a congestion, due to the ongoing road works, but it was a pretty pleasant drive south for a Saturday morning.

All you need to survive: Jesus, a chapel and a cellular tower

It was almost 11 o’clock when we got to Tagaytay’s main highway. We turned left from the road from Sta. Rosa to go up to the People’s Park in the Sky. We drove and drove and drove, going up until we reach the entrance. There were several vehicles already parked at the entrance and as we got down, we were met by hawkers selling food, souvenirs and touts for boat rentals in the lake. The entrance to the park was Php 15 per person, and for an additional Php 200, you can rent a jeep for the whole group to take you up to the peak. We opted to walk, as it seemed like a short distance. It *was* a short distance, but it was all uphill, so there was much grunting and complaining on the way up. There were rest stops along the way and you can sit down to catch your breath or take photos of the amazing view.

View from the top

We finally reach the peak and took even more photos. There was a small chapel at the peak, but to reach it, you’d have to go up a flight of stairs. We opted to just stay at the ground level and go around the perimeter of the property. Unlike the Picnic Grove, there’s nothing much that you can do at the People’s Park in the sky. There are no picnic tables, no hiking trails, horses, ziplines or cable cars. On the other hand, there are no touts or hawkers inside the park, and there are less people, which makes it a pleasant alternative to Picnic Grove.

Enjoying Buon Giorno’s fresh fruit shakes while deciding which pasta to order. That’s Rael in the background.

We didn’t stay long in the park, as we had to rush down to get a table to Buon Giorno for lunch. This Italian restaurant inside the Cliff House compound along the ridge is very popular and you need a reservation if you want good seats. Since we didn’t have any reservations, we had to go there before the lunch rush to get good seats outside. The drive down to was fast, and in four minutes, we were already at Picnic Grove. Another five minutes, and we were at the Cliff House. We were relieved to see that the parking lot wasn’t filled yet, but there was a photography club taking photos inside the property. We quickly made our way to Buon Giorno, and upon spying an empty table outside, I zoned in to the nearest server and asked if we can have that table. He asked us if we had reservations, and we told him we didn’t. He checked wit the host, and luckily the table was available, much to the consternation of the ladies who was five seconds too late as it was the last available table.

Too blue view of Taal Volcano

Lunch was filling and very good. We enjoyed the pastas and the pizza, as well as the refreshing fresh shakes. Tagaytay is one of the places where dining al fresco beats dining inside the air-conditioned area on a hot summer day. The view was spectacular, the air was fresh and the company was simply marvelous. After settling the bill, we stayed in the Cliff House, taking photos of our dolls among the plants in the central courtyard. Our driver picked us up at the carport. He was so concerned about the exorbitant parking rate (Php 100 per hour, but free if you have a validation ticket), so he just dropped us off and he went out again to get lunch outside. We turned left when we excited Cliff House, to go to Sonya’s Garden.

Sayuri at Sonya’s Garden

I’ve only heard of Sonya’s Garden from my sister, who has been going on and on about it since 2004. This is my first time to go there, and I’m happy to finally be able to see it. Lunch at Sonya’s requires reservation, but you can go around the property if you’re buying something from the Panaderia and the Country shop. Sonya’s Garden is every gardener’s haven. I’m not one for gardening, but I appreciate the lovely shades of green and colorful flowers all around. There are plenty of shaded area and benches where you can sit and enjoy the peace and quiet. We stepped into the Panaderia, and our nostrils were welcomed with the pleasant smell of freshly baked bread. Rotch was under strict instructions to buy some cheese hopia, and all of us bought a pack to try it out. The Country shop sells several souvenir items, like organic soaps from Ilog Maria, re-usable shopping bags, jewelry and other trinkets, even fresh greens and veggies from Sonya’s own garden.

One of many nooks in Sonya’s Garden where you can sit and relax

From Sonya’s Garden, we drove back towards Tagaytay and stopped at Bag of Beans for coffee and pie. I’ve been a fan of Bag of Beans since I first went there last year, and I always make sure to drop by every time I’m in Tagaytay. Bag of Beans serve local Barako coffee, and other yummy drinks that go well with their savory meat pies and desserts. As we were getting a table, we met Tita Batch, Bag of Bean’s new manager. She’s such a cheery character, and she personally attends to the guests in the garden cafe. She was so thrilled to see us with our dolls, and she even sat with us to play with them. As we were leaving, she walked us to the deli, where we picked up some fresh raisin bread and frozen steak and mushroom pies.

Something not-so-sweet: Blueberry cheesecake and Frozen chocolate at the Bag of Beans

The vehicle rental was for twelve hours. Taking the traffic back to Makati in account, we had to leave Tagaytay before six in the evening. Our last stop was Rowena’s, upon Camille‘s recommendation. Rowena’s is located along the highway that comes from Sta. Rosa. It’s hard to miss it, as the building is painted a bright pink. Rowena’s is a one-stop souvenir shop in Tagaytay. Aside from buko tarts and pies, they also have cheese tarts, which are mini cheese cakes, chocolate mousse tarts, sylvanas, lemon bars and brownies. They also have a large selection of dried seafood, as well as other native delicacies — barquillos, shing-a-ling, banana chips, and even crispy pili nuts. Aside from the store, they have a small cafe where you can sample the pies that they sell, and eat it in the air-conditioned area or out in the garden.

The Pinky Street contingent. Pay no heed to David.

After sampling the tarts in the garden (that didn’t sound right), we went back inside the store and paid for our souvenirs. The ride down from Tagaytay was as uh, painless as our ride up. Traffic was light to moderate. Traffic in the SLEX was pretty good, as the parts that was closed several months ago are now open. There are areas where traffic build up, but we made it to Makati with time to spare before our rental reached 12 hours. All in all, it was a great day spent with friends. We were able to visit all the places we wanted to go to, without having to rush on each stop (except when we had to go to Buon Giorno).

Rowena’s garden

Here’s a breakdown of our expenses for this road trip, so you have an idea how much you need to set aside for your own Tagaytay day trip. Bear in mind that is a very very generous amount. I went all out and bought a bunch of food stuff for my family.

Pizza and pasta at Buon Giorno costs between Php 200 and Php 300 each. Sonya’s Cheese Hopia costs Php 80 for a pack of 10. Meat pies at Bag of Beans costs around Php 100 each while drinks vary from Php 90 to Php 130. A box of buko tarts (9 pcs) and cheese tarts (6 pieces) costs Php 160 each.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

What has college done to you as a person?

 
We started early. Rather, we tried. We were set to meet up at 8am at Greenbelt 3, but seeing as I was still chatting to Anna D and Mela at 2 am, I had a feeling we’d be starting a bit late. Nevertheless, I left early. I was running on leftover energy from work, and I figured I better get to Makati before I doze off. The plan was to take the MRT then walk from the Ayala Station to Greenbelt. But as I was contemplating the walk, an empty taxi came and I hopped in. It was 7:03 am then. EDSA was pleasantly devoid of traffic. There’s a number of private cars and public busses on the highway, but traffic was light and when I stepped out of the cab, it was only 7:19 am.

How’s this for branding?

 
Most of the group prefered to meet at Starbucks. However, since I was freakishly early and prefer Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s food, I decided to have breakfast there and just head on to Starbucks afterwards. After scarfing down my order of Eggs Ben and finishing one edition of Bounce Magazine, Ming and Mela arrived and we headed to Starbucks where Peter was waiting. While waiting for Anna D to arrive, we tried figuring out how to fit a 35mm film on Mela’s pinhole Holga. Thanks to Starbuck’s tissue and Tazo brochure, I think we were able to do a decent job at it. Here’s to hoping it actually worked lol.

Mela, Peter and Ming at the Kanin Club

 
By 9:30, we were off. As Peter predicted, traffic was starting to build up on the southbound lane. Though it was moving, traffic slowed down in a number of areas, owing to the extensive construction in the South Luzon Expressway. After exiting at Sta. Rosa though, traffic became considerably light and soon enough, we were at Paseo de Sta. Rosa. It was still early for lunch, so we checked out the outlet stores. Speedo, Nike, Adidas, Levi’s and other store have considerable markdowns. I’m just happy that I only have enough money for the day, else I’d have gone on a major shopping spree.

With Anna D at the Kanin Club

 
After scouring all the stores, we settled for an early lunch at Kanin Club. It was lucky we did, because halfway through our meal, people started streaming in and the restaurant filled up. The group let me order, and I ordered my favorites from our previous feast: Crispy Liempo, Crispy Dinuguan, Chicken Curry, Loaded Fried Rice, Tinapa Fried Rice and KC Turon. I was glad to hear their murmurs of delight while eating each dish. Even Ming, who wasn’t Filipino tried and liked the dinuguan. He says he eats something similar to betamax back in Thailand, so eating pig’s blood isn’t anything new. We were so stuffed by the meal that we opted to just have the turon packed and eaten in Tagaytay.

The chosen valley

 
We were all for lounging, and Peter knew just the place. The Cliffhouse is a bit further from the area where Starbucks and Leslie’s is. Though the view isn’t better, the ambiance definitely is. There weren’t that many people at Cliffhouse and there are chairs under huge umbrellas that protects you from the sun and the rain, which makes the place pefect to sit back and relax.

Inside the Bag of Bean’s garden

 
All that lounging around made us all sleepy, so we headed to Bag of Beans to get a shot of caffeine. We were welcomed by six or so kids and teens all vying for our attention and trying to sell us something. After wading through the bodies, we found the stairs that lead down to the garden. It was great being inside Bag of Bean’s garden. It was as if you’re in a different place altogether. Though Bag of Beans was along the national highway, you can just faintly hear the traffic as it whiz by. There are plenty of tables under the shade of trees, and lots of flowers and plants that give the place a vibrant hue. Those who prefer to get out of nature, can opt to sit inside the covered, screened area. Bag of Bean’s specialty was their English pies and local kapeng Barako. I would have loved to try the Barako coffee, but I prefered to cool down with an iced mocha and a beef and vegestable pie.

Aya is not happy with the burger

 
We were quite content to just sit and enjoy the atmosphere and the company of good friends, but Peter had to go home early, so we headed to our last stop. Mela shared that “you haven’t been to Tagaytay if you haven’t eaten a mushroom burger.” I’ve been hearing about this mushroom burger since highschool; a couple of high school friends would always eat at their branch in West Avenue or at their stall inside SM North EDSA’s food court. I’ve never been able to try it, so I was looking forward to trying one though I was already quite full. After all that hype, I was quite disappointed. The burger smelled really great, but it didn’t really deliver. The patty was too small, so when you bite into one, the dominant taste is the store-bought nothing-special burger bun. Curiosity satisfied, we piled back into the car and headed down to Manila.

Greens and blues

 
This is definitely one of the best weekend daytrips I’ve had. Daytrips, though cheap and highly enticing, are often tiring. It involved traveling to and fro in the same day, then having a long list of activities. This Tagaytay daytrip, though short, was enough to de-stress everybody. Can’t wait to go back, guys! Amanda, Anna L., Argee, Angeli and Ain: you better be join us next time!

Directory of places we went to:

Kanin Club
Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Phone: (049) 544-0332
West Gate, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa
Phone: 771-1400
E-mail: kaninclub@gmail.com

Cliffhouse Tagaytay
General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City, Cavite

Bag of Beans
115 Aguinaldo Highway
Mendez Crossing West
Tagaytay City
Phone: +63 46 413 4356, +63 46 413 2724
Mobile: +63920 954 6369, +63920 954 6370
Website: www.bagofbeanstagaytay.com

Mushroom Burger
Tagaytay-Batangas Highway
Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
Tel. No.(046) 413-13-30

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Caine at Verdana Homes’ gorgeous lagoon pool

 
Verdana Homes and Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet changed my mind though. Apart from the plans for a new business center right in the heart of the south, Anton showed us the best that the south has to offer.

Just stay calm and they won’t sting

 
After a short presentation at Verdana Homes Mamplasan’s clubhouse, we set off to our first destination: Ilog Maria Honey Bee Farm. Established by Joel Magsaysay and his family, this is a working farm. The most impressive aspect of their farm is how they’re actively working to lower their carbon emissions. They use energy efficient electrical appliances, utilize solar energy and even store and re-use rainwater. Ilog Maria, aside from producing and selling honey, also sells beeswax candles, mosquito repellants, and organic soap — basically anything they can produce with honey.

Yong & Ver Tatlonghari with their children

 
From Ilog Maria in Silang, Cavite, we headed back to Tagaytay for our first major food stop: Bawai’s Vietnamese Kusina. This unplanned restaurant is run by the Tatlonghari family. Each dish is personally cooked by Bawai — Yong Tatlonghari – herself, and each dish is simply fantastic.

Is that a priest in the beer label??

 
We were all full and content with our hearty Vietnamese lunch, but we were excited about our dessert stop. Just down the road from Bawai’s was Chateau Hestia, a garden restaurant surprisingly made from recycled cargo containers. We were welcomed by one of its owners, Johannes Zegethofer. Chateau Hestia specialize in European cuisine, and they even produce their own wines and spirits. We sampled their sumptuous desserts, and their homemade dalandancello — limoncello made with our local dalandan.

It’s the jolly golden buddha!

 
Satiated with our lunch and dessert, it seemed everybody in the bus drifted off to nap during the long ride to Yoki’s House. A bit disoriented, we stumbled down the bus and through the huge gates. The sight of the 30-foot golden buddha shocked us all awake. It wasn’t that it was huge; it’s quite unlike the buddha we’re used to seeing. While the usual buddha has a smile, this one has a huge grin! Yoki has a huge garden, that includes a hydrophonic garden where they grow different varieties of lettuce.

Class picture: AJ, Ryan, Noreen, Nina and Noemi

 
Next in the list was T House, Tagaytay. I don’t really know how T House should be classified. Is it a bed and breakfast? A guesthouse? An inn? A boutique hotel? No matter how it’s classified, T House lives up to its name — tranquility. There are different clusters of rooms, each decorated accordingly and beautifully. We were welcomed by their staff with a cool glass of the most unique shake I’ve tasted so far: kamias. It has a pleasant flavor and not as sour as you would think.

Welcome to the Kanin Club

 
As the sun was setting, we drove to our final destination: Kanin Club at the Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Anton said we’re going to have a feast, and what a feast! Though we were full from eating all day, we couldn’t stop indulging in all the dishes that they put on our table. Kanin Club gives traditional Filipino dishes a unique Kanin Club twist that made them an instant hit, and guaranteed to make you reach for that bowl of rice.

An awesome sunset to end an awesome day

 
This is certainly one of the best food tours I’ve joined. And this, apparently, is just a sampling of what the south has to offer. The strong sense of community and the proximity to Tagaytay makes living in the south very appealing indeed.

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