CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT TAGAYTAY

It was December of 2014 that my sister, my mom, and our flubby cat had a post-Christmas celebration in Tagaytay. We wanted to experience Christmas season with a cold breezy weather that was not too far from Manila. The fresh air, the greenery, and the high landscapes were perfect to escape the urban living.

How we got there??

I can only share the experience of commuting since we do not own a car.

Buses going to Tagaytay are found along Taft Avenue, EDSA beside SOGO and McDonalds, just below the MRT station. Buses like Erjohn & Almark have trips going to Tagaytay, but you can also ride other buses with a "Mendez" or "Nasugbu" signage. We were not familiar with the road so we asked the conductor to drop us off at Olivarez terminal. The Olivarez Terminal is I think, the main city of Tagaytay. There are a lot of jeepneys, and tricycles that can bring you to different tourist spots, there are also commercial buildings, fast food restaurants, and etc.

The estimated fare was around P100 plus per person, and estimated time of arrival to Olivarez is 2 1/2 hours, depending on the traffic.

Where did we stay??

Photo from Our Awesome Planet

Photo from Philstar

We couldn't just leave our pet baby Kiwi at home, and besides, that year was his first Christmas with us, so we needed a hotel that allowed pets. After rigorous research, I found the perfect place for us to spend our 3 days and 2 nights vacation in Tagatay, at the T House.

Yes, this is our baby boy, ain't he cute???

My mom treats him like a real baby.

T House is a bit far from the city, but it's one jeepney-ride away from Picnic Grove. As soon as we reached Olivarez terminal, we rode a tricycle and asked him to take us to T house. It is beside the Ina ng Laging Saklolo Church. T house also holds/accommodates wedding receptions, and I think with its serene, and beautiful location, an intimate wedding celebration is perfect for that place, and ALL family members are invited (and I mean ALL, including pets, hahaha)

This was the lobby.

This spot where I'm sitting at is perfect for couples who want to cuddle and enjoy the cool breeze.

  

I booked the T house Tranquility room through Agoda, an online hotel booking accommodation that offers discounted price, then I called and confirmed my reservation in T house. It's your choice if you want to call them, but I just had to make sure.

Yes, he's wondering who's that gorgeous creature he's looking at.

And look who's enjoying his stay. hehehe

The room I got was for 2 persons only, it costs around 3,000 per night with free breakfast. Since there's 3 of us, we paid an additional 500 for the extra person which came with an extra bed and free breakfast. We didn't need the extra bed though, as the available bed was big enough to accommodate the 3 of us.

Actually, he's my sister's pet. SHE LOVES HIM SO MUCH, I don't even know where to begin explaining.

The rate was a bit pricey, but it was worth it. The room was air-conditioned, there's cable, a hot shower, and I could not stress enough that THEY ALLOW PETS, and to top it up, no charges were collected for the pets, so technically they're FREE. The inclusive breakfast was also scrumptious!!!

There's also free wi-fi connection, but the internet signal couldn't reached the room, so you have to go out to the lobby for you to use it. But that's all right, it was nice to enjoy the view and play a little sung-ka. They also provided evening complimentary; hot tea and cookies.

Where did we go and what did we do??

We dined in Pamana Restaurant, a classic Filipino restaurant. The restaurant was rich with culinary history, from the old family photo, the classic Filipino furniture, to the menu. People were lining up to dine at this restaurant.

We went to Skyranch, and rode the Sky Eye, the biggest ferris wheel in the country. You can see the full picturesque view of the Taal Volcano, and Taal Lake, and the gondolas are air-conditioned too. The fee per ride was around P150/person.

My sister and I also rode the Sky Cruiser, it's an aerial ride were you control the vehicle by pedaling on air following a track. It could accommodate two riders. The fee was around P100/person.

There were other rides, but we preferred to enjoy the beauty of the scenes and took pictures instead.

And last but not the least, we also went to Picnic Grove, but when we got there, it was already jam-packed with tourists. So we just strolled around, and eat. There are ziplines, and other activities you can try.

On our last day, we ended the trip with a facial and a massage at T Spa in T House.

Photo from Our Awesome Planet

Haayy, what a wonderful wonderful experience it was.

If you plan to go there, be sure to bring a jacket, or cold weather outfits, it's no joke, it really was super cold!! I'm sure there are other scenic views that you can explore, unwind and dine.

Don't forget, ENJOY, and HAVE FUN!!! (smileys, and wink)