If you happen  to pass by the Libis area, don’t forget to visit the new Eastwood Mall and be amazed by it’s chic layout and great landscape. Once you see it, you’d be reminded of the shopping district in either  Hong Kong and the Venetian shopping area in Macau.

Best time to go to the new Eastwood Mall is early evening so that you can enjoy the lighting fixtures that adorn the landscape and the sprawling high-rise buildings.

And while you’re there, you might want to check out CCA Cravings. They’ve got some good items in their menus. All entrees come with buffet soup and salad. Best of all the staff are are friendly and accomodating.

Don’t forget to order the Warm Chocolate Caramel Cake, you’ll reget it if you don’t.

After a stressful two weeks, what a way to unwind, relax and  spend sometime with the family but a quick trip to the beach. You don’t have to go Boracay to enjoy the sand, the cool waters, and even just the smell of sweet air. You can enjoy it just by driving around 3 hours from Manila heading towards the quiet town of San Juan in Batangas, where Balay Laiya is located.The first time we went here was January 2008. Less than a year had passed and Balay Laiya is still the quaint and serene beach resort that it is.  The water is still clear and very few people still go there.

The sand although not as white as those in Boracay is still pristine.

My favorite spot in Laiya. Reminds me of that grotto in Boracay.

The bancas are still there.

Nothing beats the blue skies and the pristine white clouds. Makes you forget  the stress of city life.

Before we checked-in at One Tagaytay Place, we had lunch at Buon Giorno Caffe and Bistro first. Buon Giorno is a quaint and cozy restaurant located in the Cliff House, Tagaytay City.

Aside from the great food, Buon Giorno also boasts of a nice interior which emits a homy and cozy ambiance. It’s a perfect place for couple’s actually especially if you will eat outside where a nice view of the Taal Lake is a great background to dine and wine.

Anyway, I ordered the Seafood Rissotto,

Wifey ordered the Spinach Raviolli

And the Cream of Asparagus soup.

Boun Giorno is located at

Unit 4 Cliffhouse Tagaytay
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City

Tel# +63 46 413-2102

One Tagaytay Place is a fairly new hotel owned and operated by Genesis Group. They managed Burnham Suites in Baguio which we visited two years ago. One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites reminds me of the hotel where my family stayed in Hong Kong. The hallways and the elevator are small and yet classy. The rooms were nicely done. Nothing fancy but the amenities were great.

Amenities offered by One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites include a pool located on the hotel’s penthouse area. The pool was small but the nice view definitely wins it. There are your usual amenities – function rooms, gym, spa, FREE WI-FI in every room and more.

What really impressed me about One Tagaytay Place are the friendly and accomodating staff – definitely world class.

Contact Details for One Tagaytay Place:

One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites
Barrio Sungay, Tagaytay City
Philippines

Tagaytay Reservations Office

(+632) 584 4111
(+632) 584 4156
(0922) 834 8874
(046) 483 0111
(046) 483 5813 to 17

Manila Sales Office
(+632) 818 8318

How to get to One Tagaytay Place:

One Tagaytay Place Hotel in Tagaytay City, Philippines is located in Barrio Sungay. Just a 90-minute drive from Manila, our Tagaytay lodge is accessible via two major routes: South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Aguinaldo Highway.

If you’re traveling via the SLEX, take the Sta. Rosa Exit and turn right immediately after the expressway tollgates. This takes you to the Tagaytay-Sta. Rosa Road. Drive west, where you’ll pass by Paseo de Sta. Rosa, and travel all the way to the junction where the Tagaytay City Market is located. Turn left at the junction toward Picnic Grove and People’s Park in the Sky. Our Tagaytay lodge, found on the left side of the highway, is about 800 meters from this junction.

From the Aguinaldo Highway, drive straight toward Tagaytay Circle (Rotunda). Turn left toward Picnic Grove and People’s Park.

Was digging up some old photos and found these photos taken when we visited Tagaytay Highlands a few years ago. I wasn’t a blogger yet then. Tagaytay Highlands is an exclusive, for-members-only club house located in the outskirts of Tagaytay.

They have a very nice pool surrounded by lush greeneries. You can also access this funicular.

And here’s a nice view from a restaurant (I forgot the name) on top of a hill.

If you’re into kayaking, you’ll be glad to know that the DOT is now promoting the Philippines as a prime kayaking spots. Check out the full release after the jump.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has recently launched its newest tourism product that features kayaking around the Philippines.

Introduced to major foreign buyers attending the Philippine Travel Exchange ’09 (PHITEX), the new tourism product highlights kayaking adventure in beaches, lagoons, rivers, lakes, springs, and fjords.

“In a country of 7,107 islands, one can only imagine the infinite possibilities of kayaking adventure. Exploring the span of our clear waters surely opens travelers to the unique splendor of our country,” said Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism.
A short video on kayaking in the Philippines was presented to top travel buyers from Asia and Europe, with delegates comprised of tour operators, travel agencies, retailers, corporate planners, alternative tours companies, and incentive travel firms.

“Kayaking allows tourists inside secret coves, inlets, channels that lead to stunning views of our mangrove forests, limestone cliffs, unspoiled coastlines and other exciting mysteries around our islands,” shared Eduardo Jarque Jr., Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions.

A book entitled, Kayak Philippines, was also handed out to participants. Apart from kayaking tips and basic paddling symbols, the book showed top sites and trails, which include, Pinacanauan River, Hundred Islands, Cavite-Corregidor-Bataan, Caramoan Peninsula, Northern Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Samar, Siargao Island, and Samal Island.

The Cavite-Corregidor-Bataan features a historic kayaking trail, starting at the entrance of the Manila Bay, passing Cavite, and then Corregidor Island which bore witness to World War II. Tourists can opt to disembark on the island and enjoy a walking tour of sites in Bataan including Mt. Samat, the Shrine of Valor.

The Caramoan Peninsula offers a view of limestones, rugged coastlines, and white sand-ringed islands, complemented by a stunning view of underwater marine life by snorkeling around shallow waters.
For the high-spending market, the DOT offers Luxury Kayaking in Palawan. Known for its idyllic beaches, lagoons and caves, Palawan enjoins travelers to kayak in El Nido and Coron.

Cebu draws attention to paddling in Hilutungan Island and Marine Sanctuary, Sulpa Island, Olango Island and Mactan Island for moonlight kayaking.
Bohol, the frontier of ecotourism, lists several sites for kayaking which include, Banacon Island, Pandanon Island, Dumog and Ubay Islands, Abatan River, and Punta Cruz, which teem with mangrove forest and sandbars. Lagoon moonlight paddling is also offered in Panglao Island.

In Samar, the unspoiled waters of Marabut, and Sohoton Natural Bridge Park are featured. While Siargao has Guyam Island, Sohoton Cove, and Del Carmen Lagoon. Samal Island in Davao is likewise a kayak site, promising reefs, mountains and caves along the way.

Stanie Soriano, Corporate Relations Manager of Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation, (PCVC) DOT’s partner in the project, added that, “These paddling spots can be availed through several tour packages such as the New Adventure-Kayak Hundred Islands, Historic Manila Bay Kayaking Adventures; Luxury Kayaking Safari in Bacuit Bay, Palawan, and Bohol Extreme Packages: Kayamping (Kayak and Camping).”

Chanced upon a Facebook ad of this hotel a couple of days ago and decided to check it out. Believe it or not, this hotel called Thunderbirds Resort is located in the Philippines, somewhere in Poro Point La Union. Rates are very affordable and they have an on-going rainy day promo which is good until end of September.

If you’re looking for a new resort to spend your rainy weekends, Thunderbird Resorts is a pretty good place to visit. We’re planning to visit this resort sometime in November.

Here’s the resorts website. http://thunderbirdresorts.com/philippines

Mark the dates – Sept 4-6. Happening at the SM Mega Trade Hall. It’s time to snag some good travel packages.

Alexandre is a newly opened French Bakery located at 31st St. Bonifacio Global City. I first heard about it from a friend who is a fan of Alexandre’s Facebook fan page. Alexandre  opened a couple of weeks ago and is currently on a soft run.

Owned and operated by Alexandre and his family, they serve freshly baked croissant (bestseller!),  crepe, healthy salads with an unsual dressing made of avocado, lemon juice and some spices, sandwiches made of  perfectly baked baguette and more.

For our first visit to Alexandre we ordered the Salad D Monacco (Shrimp Salad) – Highly recommended for weight watchers. The shrimp is definitely fresh, if I must say so.

Crepe a La Mangue (Mango Crepe)

Chocolate Croissant —- Best Croissant I’ve ever tasted so far. Too bad the chocolate almond croissant was already sold out. That gives us a reason to come back soon.

The Shrimp Salad comes with a basket of several varieties of freshly baked breads…

We also took home some of Alexandre’s bread including a baguette, round wallnut bread and of course two pieces of Chocolate Croissant. For drinks, we’ve had  Cafe Americano and Cappuccino. Not really great but the bread more than compensate for the coffee.

And there’s Alexandre, beside him is my wife and beside her is Alexandre’s wife.

If you love authentic French bread, go visit Alexandre. You won’t regret it.

If you want to follow Alexandre in Facebook, here’s the link to their profile. Alexandre’s website is not up yet. But you can check it out from time to time at this link.

Aside from Corner Tree Cafe, you can also get your dose of healthy meals at Arama located in Bonifacio High Streets, Taguig City. It’s between A Different Bookstore and Larry’s Bar and Cafe.Arama Cafe offers these two set meals that will cost you only Php280.

Here’s the vegemite burger with kamote chips and a nice yogurt dip:

The Spinach Ravioli:

And the Potato Vegetable Soup:

And best of all the organic green salad.