Tagay Tay

Taal Volcano in Tagaytay is listed in Patricia Schultz's book as one of the 1000 Places to See Before You Die. (There are only 3 places in the Philippines that's listed in the book).

But still, when my girlfriends invited me for a road trip to Tagaytay, I wasn't really excited to go. I mean, I've been to Tagaytay, and I thought, what more is there to see?

A lot, it turns out. There are charming coffee shops, cafes, quaint restos. The cool mountain air(well sort of) lends an exotic and relaxing ambience to the whole area. Sigh, makes me miss climbing mountains, where the fog contributes a certain mystery and mystical allure to the whole experience. Wait, I digress.

Our first stop was Breakfast at Antonio's. Well, I have to admit, I wanted to eat in this resto for quite some time. Practically all the articles I've read about Tagaytay sing praises for the food. So, what's my first impression?

It's white.

The chairs were white, the walls were white. It's bright and...well, white. It feels like what a resthouse should feel like. There's a great view of Taal Volcano. There's a great big painting of yellow bananas in the reception area. The food was great. Price is a bit steep though, but definitely not as steep as the actual Antonio's.

We had pancakes, omelette and a potato with steak dish that starts with "r" that I cannot remember at this time. But it was delicious. :)

The big surprise? Even the restroom had a view. A fantastic view, I might add.

But the biggest surpise for me would have to be Bag O' Beans, this quaint little cafe just a bit across the road from Taal Vista Hotel. It's just a small store if you look at it from the road. The store by the roadside sells Kape Barako, and Coffee Alamid -- Philippine Civet coffee! From what I've read, civet coffee is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The civet eats the coffee beans, and the civet's droppings are brewed to make civet coffee. Hmm, very interesting. :) Right beside the store is a small gate with the stairway leading down to the garden cafe. Very relaxing, very homey, very enchanting. Even if we were already stuffed from eating breakfast, we tried the meat pies (yummy). We stayed and chatted for quite a while (it was that conducive), and on our way out, I could smell the delicious smell of some pork chop inihaw. Hmm. Amoy masarap. :)

Civet coffee for 700 bucks; Big tall mango shake; Fell in love with this bird in the garden

In a roundabout way (we got lost along the way), we also passed by Ilog Maria, the bee farm where, among other items, I got to buy Honey Cider vinegar for my dad. (Well, para masulit naman ang pagpunta namin, medyo nasa looban kasi ito.) They also sell home made shampoo, soap, bee propolis, and other bee-products. You'll feel pampered, and at the same time, healthy. Just check out their website for directions on how to get there. We also passed by Nurture Spa. As usual, the spa managed to relax us all. On our way out, they asked us to fill out some survey forms -- it seems they're nominated as one of Asia's best spas. Well, they do seem to deserve it. Nurture Spa price range: mid-high range. Full body massages range from 900 above. They also offer spa packages.

Well, next time, we're coming back for another road/food trip. In fact, the whole day reminded us of the movie Sideways, where the lead characters went on a road trip through the wine region of California. Well, this isn't California. But still, you can't argue with the charm of Tagaytay.

For more places to visit, check out this Tagaytay map we got from Taal Vista: