trip to Tagaytay, part 1

To celebrate our wedding anniversary we went a few days to Tagaytay. Tagaytay is known to be the second summer city of the Philippines and is only 55 km from Manila. The town is situated on the rim of the Taal lake. Taal (pronounced as: Ta-al) is the smallest active volcano in the world. Inside the actual crater of Taal is a lake with a small island. The Volcano itself is situated in an other lake (Lake Taal) on an Island (Luzon).

According to vulcanologist the rim where Tagaytay is situated is a very old crater. So you can easily say that there is an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island.
We have booked a room in a small but very comfortable hotel. The Mi-Jo hotel is situated about 200 m from the main road through Tagaytay. Rooms are very comfortable, clean and with good beds. Prices vary from 1800 and up per night. It is advised to make reservations because the hotel is very much in demand. The staff is friendly and a small breakfast is included in the price. Some rooms have a refrigerator, and all have air conditioners (in case you need it in summer time). The bathroom has a toilet and a shower with hot water.

After arrival (around 1 PM) we went out to have a late lunch somewhere. We ended at G-Point. This bar and restaurant is owned by a Swedish man. He also has a business with the same name in Manila. We were attracted by the sign outside: Eat all you can for 199. And another : Smorgasbord buffet. So we went in and we have met the owner who was there at the time. One of his dishes was: Jansson Frestelse. I was assuming that this was the mans name, but I was wrong. The dish is a specific Swedish specialty. The buffet was great with a lot of variations and very tasteful. Drinks are a little expensive but so what, you’ve eaten for a low price.

After lunch we drove a little around town and take a few pictures of the surroundings and the volcano and the lake.
Coffee break we had at Java Jazz. A small coffee house with very good brewed coffee. Address: 442 Tagaytay-Calamba Road, Sungay West. Along the road you will hardly know it but at the back they have a large exposition area with colorful modern art. They also seem to have rooms for rent but I wouldn’t advise them. We have seen one but it smells a little if it was not used for a long time. But the coffee was really worth stopping.

When we were back in the hotel a large motorbike came there too. It was the Swedish owner from GPoint who told me that he usually stays there when he is in Tagaytay.

For dinner that night we were strolling along the main road, close to our hotel, to find a place to eat. We were not in the mood to go too far so we entered the Cliffhouse, where more than one restaurant was. After looking around we entered Bon Giorno, an Italian cuisine restaurant. There was a good atmosphere inside and they gave us a nice table to dine. After we received the menu, we were surprised about the variation and the affordable prices.
See some pictures from their menu:

soup

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The address: UNIT 4, Cliffhouse Tagaytay, General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, (046) 4132102. During tourist season and in weekends better make reservations if you plan to dine there. They also have a restaurant in Manila with the same name along Shaw Boulevard.

We were asking the friendly waiter if we could have one salad as a starter, but split in two since we are not that big eaters and we had a late lunch. That was no problem at all. So we choose the BuonGiorno?s special. A very fresh mixed salad with a delicious dressing and very nice presentation, just like on the picture. For the mean course my wife ordered the baby back ribs and myself I choose the lamb rack. While having our salad we were wondering if our main course would taste as good as the salad did.
According to my wife the baby ribs were very tasteful, perfect cooked and garnished with potatoes and fresh vegetables. My lamb was superb. Perfectly rose but warm with a delicious menthe sauce, vegetables and potatoes. I?ve eaten a lot of lamb in my life in a lot of restaurants all over the world but this was the best ever. While eating we were saying to each other: tomorrow we come here again. The staff was very good, friendly, well dressed, noticing everything and very attentive.
We didn?t have room anymore for dessert, so we were going back to our hotel to retire and watch some TV before going to sleep.
To be continued here for day two.

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Tags: - Philippines, - Taal, - tagaytay