I love going to Tagaytay City. It’s near Makati and the weather is always nice there, plus the breathtaking view of world’s smallest volcano. This city is magical. Families come here enjoying the weather, the food and markets. Yes, Tagaytay is the best place to buy fresh beef. I remember as a child my family would often come to Tagaytay just to buy beef for Bulalo (boiled beef and bone marrow in vegetables). The marrows would be big and delicious and the meat would be tender and very soft to the bite.

If you intend to make that short trip to Tagaytay with your friends or family, do pass by Rowena’s Cafe for lunch, dinner or even merienda. You can also buy your pasalubong from there. It’s a nice quiet pasalubong place with an outdoor restaurant. Prices are close to Manila rates but you get a bit more for what you pay for. For a pasalubong place, their restaurant food was surprisingly good.

This quaint cafe is located along #152 Brgy Francisco,Tagaytay City. You can call/ email them at Tel: (+46) 860 2481 Mobile: +63920 9080318, email: rowenas_tarts@yahoo.com.ph

By the way, their pumpkin soup is really good. Must try!

Here is another coupon for discounts on food when you dine at the wonderful Tower Lounge.

If you’re looking for a good place to relax with friends, family and associates, I highly recommend One Tagaytay Place Hotel and Suites. It is nothing like most hotels in Tagaytay where they capitalize on the view alone. This hotel is an eye-opener for those wanting to rediscover the wonders of Tagaytay.

As most of the beautiful places in Tagaytay are ridiculously overpriced, here’s a hotel that has all the five-star amenities but not the five-star rates. As a result, OTP is the hotel favored by multinationals such as Lawson Software and international organizations like the UNICEF.

Weekends are abuzz with travelers and seminar participants coming in from Manila and other parts of the country, so make your reservations early. Their one-bedroom suites are fantastic! Windows stretching from the ceiling to the floor fill both walls of the corner rooms and each room comes with its own balcony, if you want to soak in the coolness of the weather and sweetness of the fresh air.

In-room amenities are of the same standard as five-star hotels in Makati; in-room safe, LCD TVs, phones, a complete line of toiletries replenished everyday, turn-down service, in-room coffee and tea facilities and a refrigerator. What surprised me is that they have a bidet in every en suite bathroom. I particularly find that to be a big plus.  Every time I travel I always bring a dipper or a tabo. Most hotel bathrooms don’t have the tabo, but OTP realized the need for one and has installed a bidet. Very clever and very ingenious indeed. Kudos to the hotel owners for thinking this one up!

At the top of the 3rd floor is a bridge that leads to their biggest function room and gym. They have packages for every budget. You may contact them through their website.

There is so much to see in Tagaytay after all. It’s more than just eating Bulalo and buying Buco tarts. There are places in Baguio City that have their counterparts in Tagaytay. The weather is just as cool, if not cooler, and the view is breathtaking. Everything in One Tagaytay Place is picturesque and will truly be the best place for a family weekend getaway. Oh, did I mention all rooms have Wi-fi? Yup, and there’s no charge and no passwords needed.

Top 5 pasalubong food from Tagaytay

1. Buco tarts/pies. Who doesn’t love it? This is only evidenced by the mushroom of countless buko pie in and around Tagaytay. So which one to buy? I only go for two brands. Lou-Mar’s and Rowena’s, which happens to have an outlet right smack in front of OTP, so no need to take your car out of the shaded parking just so you can enjoy the delicious buco tarts. By the way, Buco Tarts are little pastry tarts made from coconut and coconut cream, as the word Buco means coconut in Filipino.
2. Pineapple. They’re the sweetest you can find in all the land, land of Cavite that is. It’s cheap and easy to handle. Just put some of them in the trunk of your car and slice them up when you get home.
3. Espasol. Yes I am do guilty of this. I so love espasol, which is a small roll of sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and rolled in rice flour. Yummy!
4. Fresh mushrooms. Yes, you can find this in the markets of Tagaytay, as well as in the mushroom farms along the highway. Stop by for some mushroom burgers and some good-tasting and healthy mushrooms.
5. Fresh honey. Near Tagaytay there is a bee farm called Ilog Maria, that’s famous for selling all kinds of products that contain honey. The owner is more than happy to tell you all about how honey can help you ease your aches and pains.

Just to show how friendly T house staff are. This was taken from the see-through kitchen window of another great Tagaytay foodie haven, the T house. It is also another bed and breakfast place with a wonderful restaurant and equally wonderful spa. With 15 tastefully decorated room, guests will surely be treated to a relaxing and memorable stay.

This was taken as we entered the T house compound.

The general manager of T house treated us bloggers like royalty. There were welcome drinks, snacks and a tour of the facilities. For inquiries (and directions) you may book online (www.thousetagaytay.com) or call them at +63922-884673 (or 0922-8THOUSE). The service, food and amenities will ease your tensions.

The rooms.

And the food.

Our smiles can probably tell you how happy we were.