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.

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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

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