One Fine Day with Tatay in Tagaytay

Long-distance is never fun.

When the hubby is too far away and there is no nanny to help me with the kids, loneliness consumes me--whole. Most of the time, we have "Skype dates" and texting/calling throughout the day. And whenever he is home, we splurge a little and really spend meaningful time with the kids.

Last February--on Valentine's , he decided to use his work leave for us and explore Tagaytay City! 

Tagaytay City has been trending recently because of the newly-opened amusement park -- The Sky Fun Amusement Park, which is inside the Sky Ranch, along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway ( Forgive me for the quality of the photos--All taken only from my Samsung Phone camera). 

We have been planning to visit the Sky Ranch but time and distance wouldn't allow it. So when the universe gave me this chance, i grabbed it--with both hands. 

Sky Ranch offers a wide array of dining options that cater to specific hunger needs of the family. These restaurants are conveniently located right in front of the parking space. One of the restaurants there is the Red Engine Diner which was featured in KrisTV.  Rue Bourbon , Leslie's , Dencio's , to name a few. My son was craving for TokyoTokyo's dishes so we settled for it. 

 For a reasonable price of 50 pesos upon admission, you can now explore the whole area. Some said that the entrance was 100 pesos each. Maybe it was our lucky day.

 The weather was lovely and chilly in February so it was really nice to go outdoors. The fee on each ride I think is only 50 which is quite affordable for big families like mine. Regrettably, I wasn't able to try out the rides. 

 Not really a fan of the Merry-go-round. I get dizzy easily. It's an eye thing I hope.

 Pardon our "selfies" galore. This was our moment to shine with hubby. Or should these be perfect for the---hall of shame perhaps?

 The whole place is well-maintained and cleanliness is truly practiced here. The ambiance is perfect. Not too crowded and perfect location for the viewing of Taal Volcano.

 The tall tower on the right side of the photo is the zipline. And no, I didn't try it out for my heart might explode from the overwhelming excitement.

And this , my friend, is the famous Taal Volcano which is still an active volcano that lies in the middle of the Taal lake. We Should really explore all the tourist destinations here in the Philippines. We have gazillions! It is more fun in the Philippines!

After the fun stuff, comes the even more fun stuff -- Hotel hunting!
It's never easy to find a perfect lodging place especially when you got your kids with you.
Mainly, the lodging Should be family/children friendly with squeaky-clean facilities. I'm rather particular with the cleanliness of the room and bathroom!
Forgive me but i have a recurring OC side that only gotten worse when i became a mom.

We chose Taal Vista Hotel because of it's 4-star ratings from Tripadvisor -- my ever perfect companion for reviews of places and such.
Since it was the peak season, the concern for us was the accommodation itself. We we worried we might need to find another hotel but upon arrival and seeing a half-empty parking space, contentment struck me. But later we found out from the receptionist that the only room available was the deluxe which costs around 8000 pesos. It was yet again a gift from heaven that it was down to 5k! Allelujia!

 The shower room was separated from the toilet which was the only downside for me.

 The Deluxe Room is a 30-sqm high-ceiling room with one (1) King Bed. Yes, kasya kami!

 Tables with white draperies for an additional dramatic effect was perfect for some outdoor romance setting. This romantic dinner/accommodation package costs a whopping 11 to 15k!

 The grass is definitely greener on this side. What a sweet-sweet life.

 Because we can't afford this package, did a photo op instead!

I guess, people from other countries are quite fascinated with the history of the Philippines plus they were definitely enjoying their stay here as well.

Back then, Taal Vista was just a lodging place like this. Talk about a major throwback!

 Perfect view of the Taal Volcano!

 The pool. The pool is the main attraction for the kids of course. But as I have said earlier, it was chilly and was hesitant to swim at first. The water was very inviting and my kids nearly plunge into the pool.

 Okay, so the waiting and being patient was the big dilemma. Fortunately, we were alone in the pool maybe because it was really really cold. No soul was brave enough to try the ice-cold poolwater!

 Complimentary buffet breakfast was served as early as 6am. Since my 2 younger kids are not much of a heavy eater--not a threat for them lol, we only paid half price for the buffet for my Eldest.

Before we went home, we decided to buy raw honey along the way. Ilog Maria Honey Bee Farm was on top of our priority list. I heard they get their honey straight out of the beehive. Most honey stores around Tagaytay city get theirs from this farm so might as well visit this place instead. I forgot the exact location but do not follow the directions from google maps because it's outdated. Ask people from the area.
The farm , of course, is not located along the highway. Hubby thought of backing out when he saw the road leading to the farm.

 The farm was huge. This is the store where you can buy products made from honey---from soaps to shampoos--they got everything! And the smell--God--I love the aroma of the place! It was citrus-y..well,more of a lemon-y scent.  You can smell the overpowering lemon scent outside.

Man-made beehives can be seen just outside the store. They have more at the other side of the farm.

 Welcome to honey haven!

 This is the path towards the falls.

I bought a shampoo , a lotion and honey soaps with spearmint for Ayen. They said it can lessen the itchiness of her skin due to Skin Asthma. I was surprised when the lotion was a bit watery and the smell was kind of overpowering. Has a soothing-minty feeling when applied onto the skin.  I bought lavender soaps with honey and oatmeal.
Raw honey in cute small plastic containers cost 175 pesos i think ( I can't find the saved photos. Sad. ).

We didn't go to the falls for it was a long walk from here. Next time though!

If you want to visit Tagaytay City this summer, try to explore other places and please don't forget to visit Ilog Maria Honey bee Farm :)