TAGAYTAY, A Perfect Rainy Weekend Getaway

Rainy season is officially here. Unless you’ve been underground these past few weeks, you might have noticed that several storms have passed by our country and classes (including work) have been suspended quite a few times already. Yipee?! I suppose so. But knowing the Sexy Nomad, any season is not complete without a little bit of an out of town adventure. (I didn’t call myself the sexy nomad for nothing you know. So I’m going to start featuring here my nomadic adventures. Teehee.)  

Of course I’m not telling you to brave the storm just so you’d get that road trip high you much needed. After all, there are better things to do at home or at a nearby mall (like catching the end of season sales!!!) when the heaven’s  really pouring with NASCAR-like wind speeds. What I’m saying is to wait for the storm to die down a bit and for PAGASA to announce a rainy or cloudy weekend weather at the least.

What’s the perfect spot to visit during a cold rainy weekend? I couldn’t think of a better place than Tagaytay. It’s just a 2-3 hours road trip from Manila. Yet,  once you’re there, you’d feel like you’re so far away from it all — the hustle and bustle of your stressful,  migraine-inducing, caffeine-fueled life in the city. Oh, what freedom!             

As you begin to traverse the hilly roads going to Tagaytay, open your car windows and turn off your aircon (assuming that it’s not raining so hard outside and that you’ve brought your own car of course). Smell those sweet fragrances of ylang-ylang and sampaguita mixed with quaint scents of the growing fruit-bearing trees and pineapples along the road. Notice how much colder it is outside and take this chance to inhale the fresh supply of oxygen in the air (it will definitely do your nicotine-filled lungs some good).

Once you’ve reached that intersection after the public  market (you may prefer to do some food shopping for your picnic later in the afternoon), prepare your digital cameras for some exercise coz the magnificent view of Taal Volcano and ever famous tranquility of the Taal Lake are just around the corner. You can even park your car by the shoulder of the road so you can set up your tripod and do some photo magic. Click..click…click!

Ooohhh, there are so many places to visit in Tagaytay, I don’t exactly know where to start. If you’ve arrived there early in the morning (which I advise),  there are numerous restaurants and cafes you can try:

Ming’s Garden is not just your traditional commercial garden that sells veggies, fruits, flowers and various plants. It’s a breakfast nook as well. So is Sonya’s Garden which has an indoor boutique that sells a lot of native crafts, ornaments and trinkets at quite hefty prices. Same goes for the cost of food in these cafes. Otherwise, there’s always good old Antonio’s or even the not-so-old Viewsite or Cafe Lupe. Their recipes are all delicioso, prices are reasonable and I cannot complain.

Breakfast at Antonio’s

Cafe Lupe 

Sonya’s Garden

Once your tummies have been filled,  head straight to  Nurture’s Spa.  It’s along the direction of  Olivarez Plaza , only you have to pass it and turn left after you see a very visible and nice-looking furniture shop.

Why head there, you ask? Well, aside from the fact that it is located on a sprawling hilly piece of land and its huts are all authentic, meaning all were transported from Ifugao (thus the name Ifugao huts) and that they have several packages and services (Rejuvinating Body Massage, Mango Body Wrap, etc.) to choose from which include set meals for two, Nurture Spa is the only place I know that gives the most relieving and pain-free massage than most. You will practically fall asleep and dream away while getting the service you chose. And their after-massage tea is to die for! It works like magic! All your aches and stresses, physical or otherwise, really vanish! So you see, you have to be there early in the morning  to get the reservation you want — either for that afternoon or the next day. Once paid and you’ve probably made some purchases from their boutique, you can then head to your hotel (if ever you reserved one — try Tagaytay Country Hotel near Olivarez Plaza. It’s near shopping stalls!!!) or look for cozy and affordable hotel accommodations along the streets. There are so many to choose from!
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