Archive for Tagaytay Destinations
Josephine’s Restaurant Tagaytay
Posted by: | CommentsJosephine’s Restaurant Tagaytay
“Behold Tagaytay’s glorious vistas while perched on top of Josephine’s lookout perch and experience first-hand the cool climate, clean fresh air, and verdant hills that go on for miles – the perfect setting for that perfect feast. Enjoy life’s happy first times only at Josephine Tagaytay.”
A Real Life Experience At Josephine’s Restaurant Tagaytay
Outlets of restaurant chains in Metro Manila have now overrun Tagaytay City that choices for a meal in the cool mountain ridge (believed to be a volcanic caldera, or the lip of a volcanic crater) city is like choosing from among mall tenants.
Thankfully some unique (by which I mean they are stand-alone, usually local) restaurants remain, although most of these have fast turn-over (I once asked my husband to drive from the rotunda all the way to Alfonso and back looking for a particular local restaurant, not realizing that a Metro Manila chain has taken its place).
It is actually great to just descend on the unassuming nipa huts along the main road and have bulalo (slow-cooked beef shank bone-in, including the marrow, in clear soup). Most of the pre-cooked offerings are homely and showcases the bounty of that area of Cavite.
But sometimes we prefer dining on a grander scale. Sonya’s is a good first choice, but it requires prior reservation, a hurdle when the trip to Tagaytay is on a whim. For Filipino cuisine and when we want more leeway in our ordered food, we usually go to Josephine’s Restaurant, an institution that has withstood the test of time, and changing appetites.
I fist learned of Josephine’s through a friend, a full-blooded Kabitenyo(a), many, many years ago. From then on I have been taking friends, and now family, to the restaurant for reliably good meals.
There is another outlet at Kawit, with an attached resort, but the food there does not compare to what is served in Tagaytay. And of course, the view, and ambience, is different, although that is compensated for by a landscaped surrounding mimicking a fish pond.
In Tagaytay the view is part and parcel of the dining experience. Josephine’s is a prime spot. It sits close to the edge of the ridge, so it has 180-degree unobstructed expanse framing Taal Volcano and Taal Lake in splendor.
Like most Tagaytay restaurants, Josephine’s is all glass walls, with water gently cascading down a stone wall by the entrance. But for a better view, perhaps while waiting for a table or for the orders to arrive, or maybe after a heavy meal, park benches are placed outside for lounging in the back patio. There is also space for open-air parties, and wedding receptions are common at Josephine’s.
I once went there with a group of friends for dinner on a full moon. The experience was so enchanting, so straight out of a dream which you are not likely to forget. Out on the benches at the back of the restaurant everything was bathed in a silvery glow, the moon reflected on the two craters and the placid lake. I could almost hear the tingle of moonlight.
Source:
http://bucaio.blogspot.com/2008/07/josephines-restaurant-tagaytay.html
Tagaytay Highlands
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a real life story or experience of a blogger who experienced the Tagaytay Highlands enchanting atmosphere.
Tagaytay Highlands: Feels Like You’re in a Foreign Land
I spent the whole day today at Tagaytay Highlands in Tagaytay Cavite. It is a posh country club in a sloppy area of Tagaytay City, surrounded by luscious greeneries (mostly pine trees!) and had a captivating view of the Taal Lake.
Tagaytay Highlands is a membership only access country club with many amenities that would surely make a family day worthwhile and fulfilled. There are many things to do when you are in Tagaytay Highlands. First among these things is of course the very famous cable car ride, where you’ll be treated with a nice view of the surrounding area via a cable car that brings you to the highest peak of the Highland Peaks. The ride is slow and yet you’ll be delighted to see the scenic view on a bird’s eye view perspective.
Aside from the cable car, Tagaytay Highlands also has the following amenities:
- a beautifully landscaped swimming pool,
- a sport center where you can play billiards, bowling and other fun activities,
- a fairly new and small animal farm,
- kart racing track,
- a spa,
- golf course
As for gastronomic delight, Tagaytay Highlands has several restaurants and cafes with fine dining experience. Highly recommended is the buffet lunch at the Veranda (expensive though) which would surely challenge your intestinal capacity. You might also want to try Geraldine’s Soda Fountain where the chocolate milkshake is surely a treat. There is also a cinema beside it where old movies are shown.
It was a very pleasant and relaxing place in Tagaytay indeed, although not everybody can afford the membership fee to the country club. A good strategy is to find friends who are members and ask them to lend their membership rights.
Source:
http://www.pinoytravelblog.com/roadtrip/543/tagaytay-highlands-feels-like-youre-in-a-foreign-land
Moon Garden Tagaytay
Posted by: | CommentsMoon Garden Tagaytay – A Perfect Tagaytay Secret Garden
Appropriately enough, in these frenetic times, the place is a pocket of absolute tranquility. It’s filled to bursting with brilliant foliage that seems to tuck themselves into every nook and cranny.
Secret corners are hidden about where old wooden benches share the space with wild flowers and creeping vines. Kick-knacks like ceramic moons and elephants pop up in unexpected place, peeking out in between the plants. Huts with big comfy sofas lie as if floating in the middle of ponds lined with lily pads.
This is exactly the place to be if you need some time to exhale and listen to the crickets – which I think we all do once in a while, even the most boisterous and crowd-loving of us!
Our casita seemed almost overgrown with vigorous vines with big shiny green leaves and unidentified fruit. A wrought iron table and chair sat beside it, right next to a small field of pineapple. I had no troubles settling in immediately for a deep, worry-free nap, lulled by the comforting swish of the ceiling fan.
They grow their own organic vegetables on the grounds (plants thrive here…as they do all over Tagaytay) and, predictably because of this, they serve an awesome house salad. With something like four kinds of lettuce and seven kinds of vegetables, and two kinds of dressing, it was delicious and fresh and a perfect example of how fantastic salads can be when well-cared-for ingredients are used and a little thought is put into it.
Source:
http://80breakfasts.blogspot.com/2009/07/weekend-escape-moon-garden-tagaytay.html
Moon Garden Tagaytay is a nice bed and breakfast situated in a relatively secluded area. They have a spacious graveled parking area. From the parking area, you follow a small path and enter a small gate into a lush garden. The garden has a mixed Asian and European feel.
The highlight of the place is, obviously, the moon theme. Little moons are scattered here and there: hanging from trees, in pots, etc. You can almost play find the moon or something.
In the center of the garden is the restaurant area. There’s a large dining area where you can find a fireplace (no logs nor fire, though) and a small fountain. There’s also a segregated hut or two for dining.
Just below the restaurant area are the casitas where you can spend the night. The casitas are spaced away from each other so that you can get a reasonable level of privacy and your night of serene solitude in the midst of the garden. I can just imagine how nice that would be. Maybe we’ll give the place a try one of these days.
Source:
http://www.chasingdaydreams.com/2009/02/moon-garden/
Moon Garden, as it is aptly called, is one of the new garden restaurants in the city that is within a pineapple plantation. The theme of the garden complex is introduced by its quaint welcome entry—a black iron gate accentuated by steel cutouts.
Photo: OAP
Upon entry, a lush landscaped plot welcomed us, with sinuous shaded walkways that branch out to lead to different kinds of experiences. One of the walkways led us to a landscaped enclosure that had a single bench oriented toward colorful paintings sitting on a wooden ledge—a perfect place to contemplate. Another walkway led us to a series of thatched Balinese pavilions with generous seating areas that project a very relaxed atmosphere.
At the end of the walkway sat the main dining pavilion from which other smaller, more intimate pavilions branch out. These private huts seem to float above a series of ponds that are also a visual feast because of the way they are carefully filled with water lilies, vetiver grass and other decorative landscaping elements. It was clear that whoever designed the place wanted the visitors to become as relaxed as possible, because of the wider-than-usual sofa sets and the number of pillows on them.
The venue can easily sit about 200 guests, which makes it perfect for a wedding reception. The well-landscaped backdrop, in combination with the sumptuous and fresh dishes that they source from their own livestock and organic farm, will surely make a memorable themed wedding.
Source:
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/life/11125-a-secret-garden-in-tagaytay.html
Visit this page of Moon Garden Tagaytay for more information and photos.
Country Suites Hotel Tagaytay
Posted by: | CommentsCountry Suites Hotel on Tagaytay, is located in a vibrant area with numerous attractions. Guests can enjoy flower patches at Ponderosa Leisure Farms, the Coffee Creek Farm, and Tagaytay Highlands where you can play golf or go fishing.
The hotel features seven country style suites with down pillows, and optional Oxford, Victorian, Thai-Malay, Japanese, and other international themes available. The Verbena Restaurant serves modern Mediterranean dishes in a chic atmosphere, while an expert staff prepares a comprehensive selection of gourmet fairs. The Country Suites Hotel is perfect for travelers that want refined accommodation in a prime location.
Country Suites Hotel Tagaytay – A Real Life Hotel Experience
Country Suites Discovery Tagaytay is a bed and breakfast place which opened in February 2005. But don’t be deceived. Their amenities and service are impeccable, even better than some 1st class hotels in Manila.
My husband and I had just gotten back from an overnight romantic getaway at Country Suites and it was an unforgettable experience. It began with wine and cheese served in our room, the Oxford (73 SQM), the priciest room they have at PhP15,000.00 (roughly USD287). Others cost PhP11,000.00 and PhP10,000.00. Each of the 7 or 8 rooms has a theme.
Some Japanese-inspired, some Thai. Ours was country, with high wooden beams (also evident throughout the hotel), wooden floors, a huge bed, and 2 couches facing each other in front of a fireplace. Yes, a real fireplace. =) It had all the usual amenities of chic hotels, plus more, like milk and cookies at 9PM. Our room had a spectacular view of Taal lake. Breathtaking!
I loved their huge bathroom. The tub can easily accommodate a couple and had a view of trees, greens and the highway. I also liked the glass-enclosed shower. The lavatory and toilets were his and hers, and the toiletry stuff they got in a basket included a razor and loofah sponge. Really thoughtful. The towels are divine. So white and thick! The closets are roomy, and there was a digital safe. Other rooms do not have views as beautiful as Oxford’s, but they do open up to a garden and heated pool.
Country Suites has its own restaurant: Verbena. The menu was impressive! I had lamb baby back ribs and corn-&-cheese fries called polenta. They also had freshly-baked bread. Yummy! The kitchen was white and clean. They had an 8-seater square wooden dining area near the kitchen which was more private since it was separate from the main restaurant area. The centerpiece? Plump red tomatoes!=) Everything from Verbena’s menu, tables and chairs and utensils, showed off class. Even their waiters speak English well. In fact Country Suites’ entire staff speak the language fluently.
Spectacular view. Beautiful bathrooms. Impressive restaurant. High-class every nook and cranny you look.