Tawilis of Tagaytay

Last August 2009 I went to Tagaytay for my yearly vacation with a very special person of mine. We chose Tagaytay because it's near from Manila (it takes only 2 hrs by bus) and it is easily accessible by the public transportation. There are buses from MRT Taft Avenue Station like BLTB or you can ride a van from Starmall - Crossing (corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard) going to Nasugbu, Batangas. Tagaytay is good for everyone: for a couple who wants to relax and enjoy each other, for a family with kids, for a group of friends. Tagaytay offers lots of facilities and activities suit for all ages.

Our choice about the hotel we were going to stay was not easy. Tagaytay offers valuable hotels. The choices were between Taal Vista Hotel, Nurture Spa, Andanita Taj Hotel, The Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Sonya's Garden. We have chosen Taal Vista Hotel because first, the website is well done and usefull and I've read positive comments about it in some blogs and websites;

second, it is along the highway (we asked the driver of the van to drop us in front of the hotel);

third, there was a special price for those who were staying for 2 consecutive nights; fourth, the facilities that the hotel can offer: spa, gym, garden, pool and of course a breathtaking view of the Taal volcano and lake.

Anyway, we arrived at the hotel in the afternoon and a smiley receptionist welcomed us. It was so nice to be welcomed by a crew like them, and while waiting to be checked in we were served a cold mango juice...sarap!!! The room was clean and comfortable. The king size bed with pillows and the bathroom was nice. There was also a bathub to enjoy a relaxing hot bath and we did it!

About the dinner, we have planned to go to Antonio's or Leslie's, but we were to lazy to go out from the hotel. We got dinner in the restaurant of the hotel: they offer a great variety of dishes and the quiet and warm ambience makes the dinner more intimate and romantic with the view of lights around the lake through wide and tall windows.

We ordered, as appetizer, the very famous Tawilis: it's a freshwater sardine exclusively found in Taal Lake. The fish served was fried with atchara (pickled papaya) as side dish.

The main course we ordered was rice with grilled chicken and sizzling bangus (milk fish).

After dinner we went to the garden for a walk and a great talk. The view was awesome: lots of lights from the houses around Taal lake.

The day after we went to Picnic Grove by jeepney (we asked the receptionist how to commute to that tourist spot). There we rode the Tagaytay Ridge Zipline and the cable car. It was fun. After few hours in Picnic Grove we hired a tricycle and we went to the Good Sheperd Convent to buy their specialties like ubejam, bukopie and pilinuts. With the same tricycle we went back to the hotel and along the way back I bought also some bananas and other fruits to bring home as pasalubong to my lovely lola.