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.

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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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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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