Tagaytay: the quickest getaway near the city

Hello, Sunday!

Since almost everybody goes out on the seventh day of the week, I bring to you all the quickest getaway near Manila. Where else but Tagaytay? With the cool breeze and the serene atmosphere, there's nothing you could possibly hate about it. Well, except the traffic which is so bad during weekends. But come on, it's worth it! Within just 1-2 hours you're back to restoring your peace of mind and, and! Even if it's not that far from the city, it's still a place where you can think, relax, and just chill.

One day of May last year, my friend Gabby and I went to Tagaytay to have a quick escape. It was not even an overnight stay, it was just a day trip but it's amazing how one place can comfort you just by staying on it for a few hours. And we actually had an itinerary, believe it or not. We agreed that we would go to Picnic Grove to do horseback (remember when you were still a kid and horseback was just the best activity you can think of or when field trips felt complete when there's horseback, well we or maybe I sort of wanted to rekindle that spirit so... don't judge it was actually really fun I'll tell you about that later), anyway, to continue the itinerary I told you about, we also planned to have lunch at Bulalo Point which houses the best bulalo in Tagaytay (at least for me), and finally the thing we do best, coffee at Bag of Beans. Tell me, didn't it sound exciting? Admit it, sometimes just a few hours away from the metro is all you need.

So we checked out Picnic Grove for horseback!!! I was so nervous at first because hello, I haven't had it for years. 15 years to be exact. But it was such a thrill trying it again! Our guide took us to a view deck where you will be able to see Taal Volcano and he also took us to other side where the rest house of Willie Revillame was located. Honestly, just a view of the small volcano was enough. Trust me, no matter how many times you've seen it, it still gets you that magical feeling. Remember, it's still the smallest volcano in the world. Never forget that!

The smallest volcano in the world - Taal Volcano

See? Doesn't it give you the magical feeling?

On the view deck with Gabby and our horses

The 'other side' I was talking about

We really enjoyed horseback. P350 for the 1 hour thrilling ride of your life! Small things, honey. If you want, you can also spare P50-P100 as a tip for your guide especially if he accompanied you most of the time, just like mine. He tried taking us as well to the pineapple plantation, but since we're on a tight budget that time and we can't afford an extra P150, we declined the offer and told him we'll try that next time instead.

After that, we hurriedly went to Bulalo Point for lunch. It was just a 15-20 minutes ride back to the city center, and they still had the private huts before where you can dine so we got that. Unfortunately, as per checking on my recent visit to Tagaytay, the huts were not there anymore. Just a viewing deck for all with tables. If you're lucky and it's available get the table on the side closest to the view!

Bulalo

Adobong kang-kong

(I'm sure by now you know how much I love kang-kong haha)

Crispy tawilis

The food was really good! Please drop by Bulalo Point when you're in Tagaytay and feed yourself as much as you want. Most of their servings are good for 2-3 persons so keep that in mind when ordering. You might get yourself more than enough of you can eat, just like what happened to us. Don't worry though you can always take the extra ones home.

After lunch, we proceeded to Bag of Beans to have our usual coffee break and to try the ever famous blueberry cheesecake. The pictures say it all, I believe I don't even have to describe anything. Bag of Beans is the perfect cocol place, the ambiance, the decorations, everything! Don't miss it please. Make a way to fit it in your itinerary. Drop by or whatever just don't forget to go here.

Trust me, you will never go wrong with this cheesecake.

Caramel macchiato

Bag of Beans, Tagaytay

We went home at around 5pm and even if there was a bit of traffic, the tawilis we carried for take out kept us company. It's the nearest getaway available that wouldn't compromise you the feeling of being away from all the negative buzz of life. Next time you're in Tagaytay, don't forget to eat blueberry cheesecake at Bag of Beans, try horseback riding at Picnic Grove, and eat bulalo at... well, Bulalo Point.

Happy travels!

Love,

Faye