Calatagan may not be that famous when we speak of beaches in Batangas, nor a favorite choice for weekend fun. But that was a few years ago. Surprisingly, it slowly rose to fame. Some of the now famous beaches here are the Stilts Calatagan, Aquaria Water Park, Lago de Oro Cable Ski Park & Resort, and Little Boracay to name a few.
amazing Little Boracay
The location of Gingerbread House in Alfonso, Cavite was conceptualized on the story of the siblings Hansel and Gretel who got lost in the woods and later discovered the large cottage made of gingerbread, cakes, and candy owned by a cannibalistic witch.
it was a huge, colorful and beautiful Gingerbread House
For our last day in Boracay, we woke up so early to visit the most photographed spot, Willy’s Rock. I coerced my hubby and our kids to visit this early morning as it is at its best for a memorable photo shoot. We will never leave Boracay without a picture with the famous iconic symbol of the island.
We enjoined my brother-in-law Noel to go to Tagaytay for a Saturday escape from the stiff atmosphere in Manila. He’s been working abroad for so many years and before he leaves for another wonderful opportunity in California, we wanted him to see and explore some of our country’s exciting places to visit.
We chose Picnic Grove, the most visited park in Tagaytay City. We’ve been to this park so many times, but it’s nice to go back again and again because, in every visit, there is an exciting activity to indulge in. We had an exciting ride in zipline the last time we went here. The other new activity is the Cable Car which is ideal for a family ride.
Entrance fee was P50/head. Rion was free of charge since she is one year old.
Noel is from Baguio. The cool climate in Tagaytay was an ordinary thing to him. What awed him much was the breathtaking view of Taal Volcano and the lake. He got so busy capturing photos of every scenic spot that amazed him much.
Horseback riding is the oldest common activity in Tagaytay with the rate of P150 to P200 depending on the size of the horse. Since we already tried this activity in Baguio, no one wanted to do it again. So we headed down and occupied a picnic shed (P150) near the zipline station. We toured the eco-trail and just like our last visit, we enjoyed walking again to the concrete walkway with metal handrails. We savored the moment looking at the panoramic view of Taal Volcano. It took us twenty minutes before we went back to our area.
We let Noel roamed around at the lower part of the park where lots of people flocked to capture a better view of Taal Volcano. While sitting, we enjoyed watching those kites hovering in the blue sky. Later, what was left were those two big bat kites soaring freely and so mighty.
Since it was summer and weekend, the rate of zipline with photo and a mug with a photo too was Php500. Whew! What a price. It was only Pao and Miko who dared the ride again. We waited for their thrilling fly and cheered them up as soon as they were released into the air. Noel was scared to try it and so with my sister Gie. I guess it has something to do with age. Haha!
Everyone was starving when the two teens went back from their activity. We all sat together and eat our yummy snack. Bringing back the traditional picnic activity was really delightful. I was thankful that there’s a park like this that keeps family bonding so alive. An afternoon stay in Picnic Grove is indeed a relaxing family getaway.
There are lots of souvenir stores that sell t-shirts (Ph100 to Ph250), key-chains (Php35), table display (Php75), bags and coin purses (prices depend on sizes and designs). Of course for every visit, it’s a must to buy cute collections. There are also fruit stands where we bought pineapple and banana at affordable prices.
It was almost 7:00 pm when we finally bade goodbye to the park. Noel was very grateful to visit Tagaytay as he shared his valuable experiences on our way home. He appreciated the scenic view as well as the warmth of our family bonding.
I will never get tired of being the organizer in our provincial getaway because my heart is always filled with joy when we are all together in a beautiful place like this. Indeed, It is a rewarding threat to see their happy faces having fun. For the remaining days of my sister and her family here in the Philippines, we will bring them next to Boracay, Albay, and Sorsogon for a more meaningful adventure.
My good friend Alma prided the beautiful beaches in her hometown in Bolinao, the third class municipality in the province of Pangasinan. With this, we opted to stay for the night in Bolinao after my son’s 13th birthday celebration in Hundred Islands. Pao and the kids enjoyed much the sun and water fun and are all excited for another beach getaway.
Clean and shallow waters, so safe even for the kids
The Hundred Islands National Park, the prime attraction of Pangasinan is the first national park and a protected area located in Alaminos. Of the 124 islands, only four are developed for tourism: Quezon Island, Lopez Island, Marcos Island, and Governor Island.
Shen is jumping for joy for another exciting beach getaway
Manila Ocean Park is the country’s first world-class marine theme park. It is one of the chosen field-trip destinations of schools for its marine life education. It is located near Rizal Park in Manila. There are offered packages for the whole family to enjoy.
We were rejuvenated after an hour of rest from roaming around and buying souvenirs and food in Coron town. The sea view from the window of Birang Guest House to where we will stay for four days was so delightfully refreshing. By 4:00 pm, we were fetched by our tricycle service referred by Ate Viring, the owner of the guest house. This is our first day in our dream destination and our initial activities are: to climb the iconic Mt. Tapyas and to swim in Maquinit Hot Spring.
The spectacular view of Calamianes Group of Island as seen from the top
La Mesa Ecopark is within La Mesa Dam Watershed. It is located in East Fairview Subdivision in Quezon City. Thanks to the joint partnership of MWSS, ABS-CBN, and Quezon City local government for turning this neglected area into a well-developed park which is now an ideal spot for communing with nature and indulging in healthful outdoor activities. This is a perfect getaway for a family or group of friends, especially on weekends.
Mama the Queen, the celebrant, and her happy smile
We leaped out of bed as early as 5:00 am because my hubby and I were so excited for our island hopping to Virgin Island. And not only that, we will catch the sunrise. It was a cool refreshing morning as we walked on the shore of Budyong Beach Resort and a little later we stepped into our neighboring resort, the Kota Beach. The tide had just receded and what was left was the fragmenting sandy stretch. The creamy white sand was very fine. We had the beach all by ourselves.
Approaching Virgin Island
