Quick Tagaytay Getaway

Thanks to Deal Grocer (I've blogged about previous deals that I bought at Deal Grocer as well, like my trip to Sumilon island, buffet at Bellevue Hotel Alabang as well dinner and drinks at Holiday Inn), I was able to purchase a deal so that my friends and I can have a quick getaway where we can relax and bond with one another. The deal I got was for a 2 bedroom suite at Crosswinds Resort in Tagaytay. 

On the day of our trip, there was a little hiccup because our transportation at the last minute (Dom’s car) wasn’t available. After a little drama (Jops not wanting to join anymore and us taking a bus going to Tagaytay) everything worked out fine at the end for us to push through thanks to Gracey and Jops. 

Everyone was very excited because this is the first time that all 5 of us will be going out of town. Although it was just a mere 1 ½ hour drive away from Manila, we were uber excited at the thought of us bonding and laughing our hearts out, which is the usual us.  

Since its noon when we reached Tagaytay, our 1^st stop was grabbing lunch at Buon Giorno. Lunchtime on a Sunday and being in a tourist destination, it was obvious that they were full and we had to wait for a couple of minutes before we got seated. Being our usual selves, we passed the time by taking selfies of our own or with all of us, cropping editing and uploading it in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (this made us occupied until our table was already available).

 

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The last time we were there I ordered their risotto and was absolutely delicious so I ordered it again. I got their Risotto Crimoso con Salmone Affumicto e Asparagi (I know its super long and I didn’t want to make a faux pas with the pronunciation so I just said salmon risotto and showed the picture on the menu, whew!), Shrimp Bisque which is pureed shrimp soup and some Fritto Misto de Mare which were mixed fried seafood (breaded seafood) for starters.

 

 

 

Everything that we ordered looked good and it was, hence there are no food pictures because when the food arrived, we just started eating. I think we overdid ourselves and ordered more than we could eat. I was actually almost full already with the bread (which was also yummy) and the appetizers that I barely made it half through my food, which was heavy by the way since its creamy rice. The good thing about it was that we had take-out food that we can bring to our room in-case we get hungry. 

Our lunch wouldn’t be complete ofcourse without us taking “multiple” pictures… again. 

We got a room at the 5^th floor and I think we were the only ones on that floor. The place was beautiful, true you can see that the resort is slowly aging (needs some painting or some aesthetic details of the buildings need some touch-up) but it was still nice (but I wouldn’t call it luxury still). 

We were so excited that get there that we automatically whipped out our phones and started checking in, taking pictures, editing pictures, putting them in collages and uploading in different social networking sites. It was funny because all of us almost had the same pictures anyway, and tagging one another. We were so engrossed with our pictures that we forgot that the pool is only available up until 5PM and that there’s an additional charge of Php 100 for night swimming.

Our room was a 2 bedroom suite complete with a small dining area, living room and kitchen area. The dining area has plates, silverware and glasses for four, both rooms and the living room have TV’s, and the kitchen has a refrigerator, stove, microwave and some pots and pans as well. Only thing was that there was only 1 bathroom. Another was that, when I got the voucher, it said it can accommodate 6 which were true because it was spacious, but the beds can only accommodate 2 people each, which means you’ll definitely need extra beds which are extra charge. Good thing there’s only 5 of us and Dom volunteered to sleep in the couch. Also, what was funny to me was that they are promoting the room for groups (since its 2 bedrooms) but the toiletries as well as the towels were only good for 2 people (extra toiletries will be additional charge). 

 

Wi-Fi is free, which was good. Not as fast as you would want it but it’s essential since signal (particularly Globe) was weak and at times no coverage. 

Again I stressed that you should have a car since you needed to drive to the pool from where we were staying at. Also, extra towels would cost Php 70 each (note, bring your own towels). The pool is not that big, so it was good that there were only a few of us there or else it’ll get easily crowded. It would be a good idea if it was heated. Knowing that it’s Tagaytay and it’s known for having cool weather, the water was chilly (and to think I was thinking of night swimming?!). I got to take a dip in it but since my friends didn’t want to join me, we just ended up talking poolside. 

 

After an hour hanging out, we decided to get some supplies outside since that’s the thing we forgot to do coming in. We were able to find a nearby 711 where we bought the usual supplies which meant drinks and chips. There’s no corkage fee so you can bring as much food and drinks as you want. 

There’s no dining facility at the moment so better eat out or bring in food. During check-in, they will also provide you with a list of restaurants and fast food joints that deliver. Good thing we still had our leftovers from lunch so we had an early dinner then started the party early. A good thing to remember too is that if you’ll purchase bottled beverages, make sure you have a bottle opener.  

It was typical us, just talking about nonsense, laughing our hearts out and just having a good time and bonding. Gracey was the 1^st to call it a night however, the 4 of us weren’t ready to sleep yet. We thought of going to Casino Filipino which was near but since we did some drinking already, we decided to stay in for our safety. We just decided to go out in the cool weather and walk around. The place seems secure since there were guards on duty at our building and the building beside ours. There was also a roving guard that passed by us so we felt safe.

 

We still took pictures, talked and just enjoyed the cool weather and each other’s company. It was already around 12 that we decided to head back and hit the sack too.

For some reason, everyone woke up early and started to prepare. Like the toiletries, the breakfast was only good for 2 people and the buffet will cost 420 each. Don’t expect because there’s only few choices and the menu is really basic (honestly, I think the buffet should only cost Php 150, Php 250 tops with the choices and quality).  Plain rice (not even garlic), scrambled eggs, 2 types of longganisa, soup, some fruits and selection of bread was the menu for the day. Cereals, juices and coffee are also available. Good thing Dom and I used the vouchers and we were hungry or else we would have eaten chips instead for breakfast because of the price and menu.

    

    

   

We left early, around 9AM and check-out was just as easy as checking in. Ofcourse, a Tagaytay trip wouldn’t be complete without bringing home some goodies so we stopped by for some baked ones (can you say buko pie?). We got to Nuvali before lunch and went around for some outlet mall shopping which was everyone’s favorite (that’s why we’re friends!). After that it was another food adventure thanks to Pancake House. 

   

 

After a heavy lunch, everyone was ready to go home and rest since it was a Monday and we still had to work that night. Although short, it was fun because we get to hang-out and share never ending stories. If there’s anything, the trip made us want to plan a weekend getaway at the beach. You’ll read it soon here!