Even during foggy day, Tagaytay has not lost its charm. It is still a lovely place to loosen up and chill with friends comes weekend. A city of wonder where the elements of nature abound, this quaint place with unspoiled culture has great restaurants, stunning scenery of nature, rolling hills and gorgeous villages.

Indeed, Tagaytay is one of Philippine's most glamorous cities, in the same manner as Florence, or even Sienna, to Italy. Its panoramic view never bores visitors no matter how many times one had seen the place. It has always something new to surprise guests, may it be a latest destination or a newly opened restaurant.

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With its cool weather and breathtaking vista, it is impossible not to fall in love with the natural beauty of this romantic city. And with marketplace junctions almost dangling on the cliff, overlooking valleys, lush greenery and the Taal lake, Tagaytay is one place you would never get tired paying a visit.


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With all the frills of a well-deserved holiday trip that Tagaytay potentially offers, it is the easiest choice of people from Metro Manila to hop in for a quick getaway. Closer to home, the travel does not require a lengthy preparation and elaborate itinerary. You can just pack your things, go there and wander and still enjoy the adventure.

I've been to Tagaytay a couple of times and still never felt weary of its beauty. I still got the feeling of being there for the first time. The element of surprise is always there. Maybe because the place has so much to offer to nature lovers and gourmand travelers.

I love surprises and I am always excited to try new experiences in traveling. I am a DIY traveler who welcomes challenges during my trip, it makes the adventure more exciting and worthy of a book than when the travel is comfortable and luxurious. I like the thrill of discovery, it provides more learning and allows myself to unearth my courage how far I could go.


I am already used to an inconvenient travel. I normally have inconvenience experiences in my trips (got lost in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia, slept in a cot at Saigon airport in Vietnam, soaked up in rain in Hongkong) and I welcomed it as part of the adventure. I am more excited with the learning I would gain out of the discomfort. And this latest Tagaytay weekend escape provided me, yet, with another inconvenient experience - the bad weather condition. Still, I enjoyed the trip. Perhaps because I was with the people whom I love to be with in travel.

This getaway actually had been in the minds of my colleagues long before the weather bureau of the Philippines forecasted an angry monsoon visit in PAR. With the date already fixed, putting it off was not on the cards. And just like most group outings where the initial planning saw a multitude of colleagues joining the trip, then disappear one by one as the date of travel edges closer, we were extremely reduced to a small group when the day finally came. We were only nine (out of almost 20) taking the actual travel.

We left Manila after our shift under a mild weather. The afternoon was not terribly humid but warm enough to feel some discomfort inside the MRT going to Pasay. But when excitement for a fun trip with friends starts to build up somewhere inside your ribcage, the discomfort is nothing but a black pepper accidentally springled into your ice cream. Just take the pepper and enjoy the ice cream. 😝 This is how I would exactly describe my feeling that afternoon while at MRT.

We had our late lunch at McDonalds before hopping in on a bus bound for Nasugbu. And it was half past 3:00 in the afternoon when we left Pasay.  Traffic started getting dense when we reached Imus in Cavite. The anticipated travel time of two hours became three, finally reaching Tagaytay at 6:00 in the evening.

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It was drizzly when we disembarked at the intersection in Mendez. The descent of the twilight fog blended on the splinter of rain, shrouding the environment with a biting cold atmosphere. Still, I was in my usual travel gear - shorts and sleeveless (a travel getup I learned from European travelers 😂

In all my leisure trip, I never wear pants (except in Macau because casino malls required visitors to be in casual/smart attire), I find it uncomfortable to move around with pants, so I always chose light clothes. It also saves my energy from carrying heavy bags. However, it was raining when we arrived in Tagaytay and the night was getting colder so I was compelled to put on my jacket.



Our first stop was at the Skyranch for dinner. But the rain made it difficult to freely explore the area to look for a nice dining area. I could not also think of any fascinating restaurant around this amusement park. Skyranch looks like a wrong place to visit when your only purpose is to eat.

I guess Twin Lakes is more ideal for gourmand travelers because it has an upmarket food strip along its commercial complex. But it was already night time so we stayed at Skyranch with our roving eyes, wondering where to spend dinner.

Tagaytay is known for its savory bulalo (a Philippine specialty dish made of stewed beef shanks and its marrow bones, simmered until fats blended on the broth) so we resolved to sample a bulalo for dinner. It was in Tagaytay where this special Southern Philippine dish touted to have been originated and not in Batangas.

While at Skyranch, we asked a tricycle driver where we could possibly find a good place to have a bulalo dinner, he suggested to visit a part in Mendez where bulalo restaurants mushroomed in the area.




It was just a short ride from Skyranch and before thunderstorm could catch us on the road we found ourselves thronging to Bulalo Capital, a two-storey restaurant with a dim, open interior and a plain furniture. For backpackers, this is a good place to wrap up the night with a warm dinner.

At first I thought it was a bar. Or perhaps it was really a resto bar haha! There were sets of drinks and a karaoke lounge. Some sinister thoughts started crawling in my mind because I don't drink alcoholic beverages, not even beer. And my friends might end up grabbing some bottles. Thank God they did not. 😄



I love this group because I shared the same level of fun and interest with them. We are orbiting in the same wavelength. They are easy to go with. They are the kind of friends I would love to go on a long road trip somewhere with a full tank of happiness.

At Bulalo Capital, indeed, we had plenty of fun. Despite the angry weather outside, our appetite remained unaffected, both for food and conversation. And as rain heavily lashed through, our vibrant mood for fun talk and humor was deeply picking up. And we had a warm conversation with lots of laughter that night.



Bulalo Capital offers a wide selections of shared meals, with special sets fit for diners who will come as a group. For this dinner, we chose a set worth Php3,500.00. Inclusive of two servings of bulalo, rice, pancit, fried chicken, shanghai lumpia, two large bottles of softdrinks. And boy, it was enough! In fact, we took home portions of the meal selections we did not finish.

We saved a lot during this trip because we did not book a hotel for our overnight accommodation. We stayed at Aira's relatives who owned a property in Tagaytay. They were so kind enough to welcome us into their home, providing us all the necessary hospitality we could ever think for a typical Filipino family. We had a comfortable stay that night. Thanks to Aira and her relatives for this free accommodation and for welcoming us into their house with so much kindness.


At early dawn, a heavy downpour broke off, which did not subside until morning. And much to my chagrin, it worsened the cold temperature of Tagaytay. When you are on a trip, bad weather is the last thing you could ever think of to happen in the world. It will not only give you a tantamount level of discomfort but also will force you to cancel all your plans dotted in the itinerary to avoid soaking up in the rain. Luckily, we did not have a strict time table, we were just there to strike anywhere and go to wherever we want to go.

The area leading to picnic grove was totally blurry, thank God there was no roadblocks. It was my first time to experience such weather. I have not seen an environment covered with dense fog such as this weekend trip in Tagaytay.





When we arrived at picnic grove, the surrounding appeared as though it had been smothered by a thick smog. A greyish pattern of hues covered the entire area, we almost did not recognize the ferris wheel in front of us.




But the good thing with the atmosphere during this trip, though it was practically foggy, downpour was on and off. It did not go beyond than occasional splattering. It thoroughly subsided when we reached picnic grove. So we still had a good shot taken with the environment.

This thick fog makes you think there was a heavy downpour.[/caption]


Normally, when the weather is at its worst and the cold atmosphere prevents everyone from enjoying the place, people do not come usually to amusement parks or to any outdoor destination to have some dry picnic. I was surprised to see a throng of crowd coming to picnic grove with children in tow. We were fidgeting with other visitors in the narrow eco trail.

Picnic Grove basically is an outdoor park and the usual activities you would normally experience during the visit are related to outdoor adventure - horseback riding, eco trail hike, zip line ride, nature tripping.



We took the eco trail hiking adventure. It was damp but the area did not pose any danger to hikers. It was well-maintained with safety support protecting the trail. In fact, the area can be enjoyed during rainy days even with kids around. Just take extra precautions.



The trail has a lovely rose garden overlooking the wood bridges and verdant tropical scenery. During our visit the baby pink roses were in blooms which added a pretty backdrop to our photos. The trail has also a viewdeck where everyone can stop and marvel at the breathtaking sight of nature.




The Eco trail is a 500-long mile curve surrounding the forest reserve of picnic grove. The tranquil scenery reflects a sense of calmness from deep within. Everyone who loves nature will surely appreciate this area.



The trail has been supported with wood bridges for a more comfortable walk under the canopy of nature. Lush tropical trees covered the whole area, making the hiking experience practically cool and cozy.




A zip line ride is also available here but none of us expressed interest since it was raining and the misty atmosphere might have a bad repercussion for this extreme activity. We just went on with the hike until we reached the picnic ground. Picnic Grove entrance fee is only Php50.00 with free entry to the eco trail and picnic ground.

The eco trail ends up at the picnic ground with a stunning view of Taal lake. The thick fog however obscured the view of Taal, we saw nothing but a misty view of the horizon.

We intended to visit the Japanese garden after picnic grove. It's a public garden built in honor of the Japanese and Filipino friendship which was established following World War II, a horrific period in history where Japan savaged the Philippines.

Based on my online research it was just right beside the picnic grove, however, to my disappointment, we were told that it was already closed for reasons I could not understand. For someone like me who adored all things Japanese, it was a bit of a frustration.



So we moved back and dropped by at Our Lady of Manaog, next only to picnic grove. We went inside the chapel for some spiritual contemplation. Then met Ms.Joanna Portales outside the chapel.

After some discussion where to go next, we agreed to travel back to Skyranch for our brunch. Actually, we did not have much plan where to go next other than eat 😂. It was almost 10:00 in the morning and hunger pangs started to build up, definitely thinking where to go next, other than a restaurant, seemed out of the question.

We waited for the boys, who had gone somewhere, to join us for lunch. At Skyranch, all restaurants sounded unimpressive when you are trying to balance the flavors and the budget. But we did not have any other options though. It was either we were tired to move a little farther or hungry enough to think of any other pleasing resto.


As with everyone who could not decide where to eat, we ended up choosing an unlikely place a traveler could ever think during an out-of-town trip - fast food. I remember dining also at McDonalds during our Hongkong trip in 2013 and I regretted the decision because it prevented me from experiencing the real Hongkong and discovering the local dish.

But it was all what we could think at that moment, to have lunch and enjoy a familiar food. It was a fair choice for each one of us. But I only chose pasta and mashed potato because I don't like the chicken selections at KFC.

As a travel blogger for 8 years I always find it odd to dine in a fast food when taking an out-of-town trip. It is always an unspoken rule in traveling to try local dishes of the place you are in to delve better into the local culture. But during this trip we were already tired and extremely hungry to think of local dishes to try. 😂



We wrapped up our adventure with a pizza bite at Greenwich in Olivarez, a special treat courtesy of Ms.Joanna Portales, one of our leads.

So cool! We're very grateful with this pizza treat, Thank you Ms.Joanna!!!😘 We left Tagaytay at 2:00 in the afternoon aboard a bus bound for Pasay.

It was a fun adventure with colleagues I love to go with. And despite the fog tempest, I enjoyed the trip. Hope we could embark into another leisure travel somewhere in the days to come!

If there's anything I can rave about this latest "It-place" in Tagaytay, it's the stunning view of the ridge and the relaxing atmosphere!


Twin Lakes estate, a stretch of land spanning across 1,300 hectares of rolling hills and valleys, is currently  creating so much hype in the social media due to its spectacular landscape and breathtaking view of the Tagaytay vista, prompting tourists and Philippine locals to throng to the area to experienvelope and see it for themselves.


It is touted to be the first vineyard resort complex in the Philippines with wine producing community that would surely remind us of Europe's most popular wine-producing regions, Burgundy in France and Tuscany in Italy.   

This breathtaking commercial strip has numerous reasons to stun visitors. With its natural scenery of nature, rolling hills, an unobstructed view of the majestic Taal Lake and exquisite restaurants, no doubt Twin Lakes is an ideal destination for nature and food lovers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the metro. It is also home to a flourishing business center with numerous high-end food establishments lining up the cliff.


One of these food establishments that has been reaping quite a number of praises due to its terrific location above the hill is Starbucks. Dubbed as "The Most Beautiful Starbucks in the Philippines", this branch in Twin Lakes has a good reason to fascinate coffee and likewise not-so coffee lovers. Perched above the hill and surrounded with a manicured garden and LED-glowing white roses in full bloom, the place provides a perfect venue to loosen up while sipping coffee or enjoying frappe! This Starbucks branch is set on a quaint Mediterranean architecture with a homey outdoor feel that truly relaxes tired senses.


However, Starbucks is not the only food strip that lined up the edge of the Twin Lakes ridge, there are numerous bistros and restaurants that find its home above the hill, overlooking the magnificent valleys and Taal Lake. Some of these establishments offer the best of Filipino and international cuisines diners can choose on. This makes Twin Lakes a spectacular destination for food lovers and adventure-seekers.


Diners can chill at one of the restaurants and coffee shops, breathe the smoothness of the valleys and enjoy the incredible view of nature. Or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while waiting for the sun to set. Or simply just let hours pass while emptying your mind from toxic thoughts. Twin Lakes estate is a perfect destination for a tired soul. Tranquility at its best! So even if you're traveling alone it doesn't matter, you won't feel isolated.

I visited this amazing complex on my birthday - alone, and had a great moment of "me" time. The view was simply magnificent and relaxing. Everywhere was a charming natural beauty of the countryside that I thought I would never see for as long as I lived in a highly urbanized city like Metro Manila.

Incredible! Simply incredible. Twin Lakes charm is so fascinating I thought I was lost temporarily to its majestic appeal. The stunning view of the valley brought so much relief and helped my thoughts to unload anxiety. I didn't feel the awkwardness of being out there alone, in contrast, I felt a unique calmness within myself. I was able to enjoy my first solo travel on my birthday.

The best time to visit Twin Lakes is in the afternoon when the sun is about to set. It's pretty cool to watch the environment turns subdued without the glare of the harsh sun. The atmosphere is a lot softer and very relaxing. It helps you to slow down a bit. And enjoy more the place and its scenic ground.

How to get there?

Twin Lakes is located along Brgy. Alfonso in Cavite, passing Ayala Serins and Sky Ranch. It's almost on the boundary of Tagaytay and Batangas. And can be reached through a Tagaytay-Nasugbu bound bus or jeep. Travel time is more or less one hour from Olivarez. Jeepney fare is Php20.00. However, if you're coming from Bag of Beans, travel time is more or less 40 minutes.

Additional suggestions if you want to go solo traveling to Tagaytay and experience the best of the city alone. In fact, you can really enjoy this beautiful city in one day following below itinerary:

Disembark at Olivarez/Rotunda and look for jeep bound to People in the Sky, from there, you're free to explore.

1. People in the Sky - don't expect too much here, this is just an abandoned building with rust all over the place, but you can get a perfect view of the Tagaytay vista here. Souvenir shops are also available. Entrance fee is around Ph40.00.

2. Picnic Grove - a spacious ground for people who come as a group. You can brought food here and enjoy the calm atmosphere while having your barbeque. It offers a good view of the Taal lake.

3. Bag of Beans - from Picnic grove, catch a jeepney ride back to Olivarez then look for another jeep bound to Mendez or Nasugbu. Bag of Beans is just along the road. What I like about this place is its fresh and sumptuous dishes. If you're a coffee lover, this restaurant offers one of the best coffee concoctions in Tagaytay, you can choose the freshly brewed too and get the aroma you desired.

4. Puzzle Mansion - If you love art and images and intrigue how mosaic put together to create fantastic portraits then this place is right for you. This can be reached through a tricycle ride. Fare can be negotiated with the driver.

5. Sky ranch - A 5-hectare Leisure park with amenities similar to a playground. Plus a great view of Taal lake. Entrance fee during weekdays is Php80.00 and Php100 during weekends and holidays. Here, you can ride the Sky eye, touted to be the tallest Ferris wheel in the Philippines, ride fee is Php150.00. Sky ranch opens at 10pm on weekdays and 8pm during Weekends and holidays.

6. Twin Lakes - From Sky ranch, you can take a bus or jeep bound to Nasugbu, Batangas. It has no entrance fee but you need to dine at any of the restaurants lining along the cliff to get a perfect view of the vineyard and to explore the ground and  beautiful garden. The best time to visit Twin Lakes is in the afternoon when the sun is about to set.

There are still plenty of areas and parks to visit in Tagaytay but if you're running out of time and taking only a day trip, the above suggestion is the most ideal to experience the best of Tagaytay.

I love Tagaytay!!

It could be the city's cool climate or its natural scenery that lures my interest to make a repeat trip, whatever it is, Tagaytay is always a convenient choice for a quick weekend getaway. The place is very ideal, aside from its proximity to Metro Manila, it has so many things to offer -- food, relaxing atmosphere, gorgeous tourist spots and breathtaking view of the romantic skyline at night time.

And yesterday was another day of fun and leisure at the country's second summer destination! It's no longer summer season in the Philippines though but I still love visiting Tagaytay because of its ultra-relieving vistas!

Had been planning for months to dine at Bag of Beans and visit Sonya's Garden to buy herbal plants but kept stalling the idea due to other weekend tasks until yesterday when we finally decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, due to drizzly weather, we're not able to go to Sonya's Garden, so we went to Puzzle Mansion instead.

BAG OF BEANS

Address: 3650 Aguinaldo Highway, Mendez Crossing WestTagaytay City, CaviteTel.No. (046) 413-4356

Truly impressive! I'm referring to its very relaxing ambiance, cool tropical setting and delectable dishes! If there's one coffee shop outside Metro Manila that I would love to spend my leisure time talking with closest friends while enjoying meals, it should be Bag of Beans.

The refreshing environment sets the mood and provides relief, and I love the homey feel that this restaurant provides to diners, quiet, idyllic and relax, as if I was just chilling at the balcony of someone's house, enjoying a home cook meal and having a care-free conversation with a friend

Bag of Beans Coffee Shop reflects an atmosphere of a European restaurant with oriental touches, it has a natural backdrop of lush tropical plants, Asian-inspired furnishing and garden and a classy architectural design. I love the structure of this restaurant, table arrangement is segregated in different junctions that suit the style preference of the diners. My favourite area however is the one on the balcony because it reflects my choice --- homely comfort. The soft breeze that rustles above the trees made the environment more tranquil and soothing.

Basically a coffee shop, Bag of Beans has expanded into a classy restaurant over the years offering international cuisine and pastry concoctions, it has a special buffet section with more food options in bulk sets for diners. The comfort of being at home is visible in every corner of the restaurant where delicate arrangement of tables and chairs are accentuated with ornament details under the heavy influence of an authentic oriental garden.

It has a special souvenir's shop for visitors who may want to bring home goodies, most of the products are organic and freshly made so spending your hard-earned money for pasalubong is not that bad.

Asking if I still love to come back to Bag of Beans some other time, my answer is YES! It's worth of my money!

PUZZLE MANSION

Address: Purok 4 Cuadra St. Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay City, Philippines

Tel.No.+632 661-0019

Operating hours: Monday to Saturday: 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Straddled between the farm area and the uncultivated grassy fields of Brgy. Asisan, Puzzle Mansion probably is one of the most interesting tourist destinations in Tagaytay for visitors who love arts and paintings.

Started as a hobby of solving jigsaw puzzle by businesswoman, Gina Lacuna, Puzzle Mansion houses the museum of the world's largest collections of jigsaw puzzle. In 2012, Lacuna beat Brazilian hobbyist, Luiza Figueiredo, in the Guinness World Records for having the largest collection of jigsaw puzzle.

Originally, Puzzle Mansion, is a tourist inn facility with 11 rooms offering bed and breakfast accommodation to tourists, it has an infinity pool, a function room for special celebrations and a beautiful garden with a wishing well fronting the puzzle collection museum.

There's a puzzle portrait of St. John Paul II placed right at the entrance area of the museum. It was a beautiful feeling having seen the face of the late beloved pope among the portraits. Other famous works of arts I saw among the puzzle collections: Monalisa, Van Gogh Painting among others.

The puzzle collection covers almost all sections of the society from famous people to popular landmarks and paintings of rennaisance artists. Entrance fee is Php 100.00.


The road leading to Puzzle Mansion is not an easy one, though the infrastructure is good and the environment is well-maintained, finding its direction is quite a challenge. Private cars are welcome inside the vicinity of  the Mansion so there's no worry of taking a long walk from the road to the museum but for us who just came hiring a tricycle, we laboured quite really hard trekking the hilly side of the narrow road leading to the museum but the effort was worth it, we enjoyed the experience walking along the windy road.

Tips when visiting Puzzle Mansion: