Birthday Staycation at Puerto del Sol Bolinao Pangasinan

We have always wanted to go to Bolinao, but the 5 hours drive from Manila and often unpredictable weather have been huge deterrents preventing us from visiting sooner ~

We were glad that we finally had an opportunity to finally visit Bolinao and experience first hand Puerto del Sol ~ for my youngest birthday weekend.

We left Manila at 5:30am and arrived in Bolinao at 1pm.

The road to Bolinao is a combination of both paved and rough road. The travel left us both hungry and tired. I checked the trusted TripAdvisor for recommended places to eat and became excited when I saw a signage directing to Sungayan Restaurant.

Sungayan is one of the best recommended places to eat in Bolinao.

(Will write about our Sungayan experience in a separate review), so yes, we stopped by to  re-charge  before our final stop ~ Puerto del Sol.

Finally arrived ~ Welcome to Puerto del Sol!

The staff were nice and accommodating.  Check-in was fast and efficient too.  The receptionist carefully explained our package inclusions, before ushering us to our accommodation for the weekend ~ the Mansion Villa.

Our birthday boy.

Waiting for our room...

The Mansion Villa is a short walk from the resort's entrance lobby and located right in front of the resort's swimming pool. 

I was completely taken with the resort's well kept garden...  

All that green is truly relaxing!

We were billed in a Mansion Villa (see picture below).  

Our room is about 29-30sqm in size with a private patio and seating area. The room is quite small and basic. 

The TV channel selections were limited (with some of the channels were not children friendly) and wifi really bad (there are limited areas in the resort that will give you reasonable wifi signal.  

The bathroom (the toiletries were mediocre).  It was good that the linens and towels were soft, nicely laundered. 

But these hang ups were no biggie, since we were there for the beach and the pool (with the beautifully trimmed garden, a plus)!

Comfortable bed.

Pikachu getting cozy!  

Sad that there is no real coffee maker/kettle inside  the room.  We were just given a thermos of hot water (note: you can request for additional hot water anytime).  There is also a mini-bar though, items inside were quite pricey (a bottle of beer at P100+).

Our private patio... 

If you are not in the mood to go swimming,  the resort has a gaming area that checked-in guests can use for free. They have pool, air hockey, ping-pong and darts.

Just a few meters walk from the Mansion Villa ~ Beach Bound!

The water does not go higher than your knees though  ~ not very good for swimming, but perfect for beach walks!

And since, this birthday boy has been begging to go swimming since the time we left Manila about 8 hours ago, we just had to go NOW!

Obviously enjoying his swim..

Our room package included buffet dinner and breakfast.

Food is served  at Café Del Sol and

La Playa, Al Fresco restaurant by the beach.

Food were good, but with limited selection.  I think the resort can better.

VERDICT:

The beach and pool are enough reasons to visit Puerto Del Sol.  

We enjoyed our stay. 

The kids had fun and the parents got to relax.

For questions and inquiries, please check Puerto Del Sol website:  www.puertodelsol.com.ph

Amoroma Ristorante Tagaytay ~ Authentic Italian!

 

The place is a bit unassuming from the outside and I would not have dared venture inside, if not for the beautiful reviews I have read from the other bloggers!
 
The inside of the restaurant, however, tells a different story.
There were obvious efforts from the owners to transform the place into a bona fide little Italian restaurant: 

... upon entering using the back door access from the restaurant's parking,  you would we delighted with the sight of numerous Italian Renaissance paintings that adorned the halls, a real working wood fired brick oven is also something you would not normally see elsewhere,  red checkered plaid pattern tablecloths and Italian music at the background would surely complete your dining experience.

 

 

 

 

There is a notice posted by the kitchen window: Orders are prepared fresh, simply put... "you shouldn't eat here if you are already hungry and famished, since it would be a while before they have your orders finished and served". 

 

When our food finally came, there were no frills and plating was almost nil,  honestly not very attractive.  Hohum...

 

 

Until we took a bite and unanimously agreed that this is by far one of the best pizza we have had... the waiting and the simple plating became forgivable... 

 

 

 

L-R/T-B: We ordered 5 Italian cheese pizza, carbonara, focaccia bread in pesto genovese dip, crab and shrimp stuffed pasta in tomato and cream sauce and creamy mushroom soup (not on photo)

 

 
VERDICT
 
We are happy we decided to stop over for lunch.  Amoroma Ristorante (literal translation "I Love Rome") succeeded in giving us a taste of Rome.
 
Pricing is a bit steep for most Juan, but I think the price was worth it.  We love everything that we ordered and would not hesitate to come back.

When in Tagaytay and if you are craving for authentic Italian cuisine, do not hesitate and seek out Amoroma Ristorante. Highly recommended.
 

Amoroma Ristorante Italiano is located in Tagaytay City.

Address: Calamba Road, Tolentino East, Tagaytay City

Contact Numbers: (046) 696-3582 / (0916) 3829883

Relaxing Stay at 8 Suites Tagaytay

It was a busy work week for me and hubby and needed a quick get-away haven to relax and unwind.

So we got ourselves, what seemed to be a perfect deal from a group buying site and before we knew it: our bags were packed and we were dragging the kids off to 8 Suites by Fat Jimmy in Tagaytay.

Traffic was light and we reached our destination just in time for the 2pm check-in.  There were no visitors when we came in and for a moment it felt like being welcomed to our own vacation home (libre mangarap).

8 Suites is a bit far-off Tagaytay City proper. It is difficult to reach without your own transportation, which also meant it was heavenly peaceful and tranquil. 

 We were pleasantly surprised at how beautiful 8 Suites is. 

And its location overlooking Taal Lake was enough reason to choose this place and stay.

As the name suggests, this bed and breakfast place only has 8 rooms. There are 3 room types: deluxe, superior and premier. 
 
We were ushered to a deluxe room, with 2 queen sized bed that can fit 4 adults comfortably. 

Our room has a balcony that overlooks the majestic Taal Volcano ~ I would honestly not mind to just laze around and do nothing with this view.
  

Our deal came with breakfast, which we opted served at the dining area.   We can't say much about the food as they were just okay.  But that was forgivable, as we did not come here for the food anyway - It was no big deal.     

VERDICT:

• It is a bit costly, but the view is really breathtaking.  If you can get your hands on promos, don't think twice.

 

• The room we stayed in, is decent and clean. Aircon worked well and the water temperature and pressure were very good.

• Food is average. If you want decent meals, you can head to nearby restaurants 5-10 minutes away 8 Suites.  I highly recommend Morielli's and Red Lemon Grill.

• There are no hotel amenities. No recreational activities, game rooms, swimming pool or gym. You can, however, borrow DVDs from the reception area or lounge by the balcony.

We left 8 Suites refreshed and rested. 

We will definitely be back.

LOCATION:

Lot 7, Ridge View Subdivision,

Barangay Iruhin, Tagaytay City

 

Manila Office (T : 655-0194 / M: 0922-8753088)

Tagaytay Office (M: +63(922)874-4088)

Email: eightsuites@gmail.com

Dining with a View at BenCab's Cafe Sabel

 

 We are regular visitors at BenCab's museum residence, whenever we are in Baguio.   My family can't let pass and say no to the maestro's art works.  The lovingly crafted art pieces and paintings in a scenic location is simply awesome.

 

On the ground floor of the museum building is Café Sabel.  The café overlooks a well kept garden with a man-made pond with a bunch of ducks. 

We ordered the house specialties and must say they really are special.  They use farm fresh ingredients, some they themselves grew. We have not had any one wrong order from their menu since we started frequenting the place.  

 

Really no better way to end your museum tour!

P.S. Don't forget to order BenCab's brewed coffee, one the best we have had in Baguio.  Sip and enjoy the view.

Café Sabel is open daily from 9:00am to 6:00pm (except Mondays, Christmas Day & New Year’s Day).

Please follow the link for BenCab's Museum and Café Sabel location >>>>> BenCab's Museum and Café Sabel.

See also previous reviews on BenCab's Museum and Café Sabel.
 
 

PMA Museum

 

Have you been to the PMA Museum? 

 

Well it was a must go, during our last Baguio vacation for our military wannabes kiddos.

 

The museum is small and outdated. 

 

There is a video presentation in the entrance gallery and mannequins in PMA cadet uniforms from yesteryears.

 

There is model cadet room on display, but that is just about it.  About 85% of the exhibit are photos.  Not very enticing.

 

 

 

 



My boys love  museums here and abroad, and so I was not surprised to hear my youngest quipped, "..so Ma, what happened to the rest of museum?" 

 

We were literally finished 10 minutes, right after paying the P10 entrance fee. The place needs major revamp. 

 

Our PMA Fieldtrip

 

My boys have always been fascinated with men in uniform, with my youngest wanting to be a soldier.  What better way to fuel their dreams but by bringing them to the primary military institution in the country.

 

So in our last Baguio vacation, we found ourselves on a field trip with the kiddos to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

 

 

PMA grounds has been kept pristine clean and refreshing.

 

 

Picture perfect playground with the most relaxing of atmosphere.

 

 

 

One of the highlights of our PMA trip are the model tanks and helicopters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was a bit saddened my boys did not get to see marching cadets. Although we did manage to take glimpses of cadets walking in unison - good enough, hopefully next time we will strike lucky. 

 

 

TIPS:

(a) Drop by the souvenir shops and buy PMA shirts and PMA trinkets for cool "pasalubong".

(b) Visit the PMA webpage and read its history to get better appreciation of your trip.

(c) Head off and check the PMA Museum, it may be small, but still worth the visit. 

(d) PMA is very strict on traffic rules.   Remember to cross the street using the  pedestrian lane and maintain car speed while driving.

(e) Don't wear slippers as these are not permitted inside the academy.

 

SOUL Cafe - Back for More!

We are no strangers to La Union's SOUL Café,

although admittedly it has been a

while since we were last here.

 

Good memories of this restaurant had us wanting to come back again!

 

It has aged a bit, but food remains great (that means delicious and affordable). 

 

Buffet breakfast from our Baguio hotel screwed up our appetite and we ended with a very late lunch

(or a "lurienda").

 



We ordered honey glaze porkchop and pork igado for lunch and pansit bihon for merienda and some  

strawberry crepe with coffee to finish our meal.

 

All our orders are sumptuous - clean plates testify.

I will always love a stop over at SOUL Café. 

 

SOUL Café is located at Mcarthur Hiway, Camp One, Rosario La Union visit their facebook webpage for more details. 

  

Forest House Bistro and Cafe Baguio

 

I had to make sure, that we get in, the famous Forest House Bistro and Café this time!  The last uneventful visit, when we were refused entry (since I underestimated the place and forego reservations) - was truly a bad experience. 

 

I called up Forest House and confirmed a dinner table for four. 

 

We came a little early for dinner and it was a good thing, since parking is limited and could be a nightmare if we came a little later.

 

The place was half full when we came in.  The place is intimate and nicely decorated in cottage-country home motif and lovely eye candy trinkets all over. 

 

There is a small veranda outside,

but view wasn't as terrific as I thought.  

 

 

We ordered the house specialties from L-R/T-B, Forest House wine sauced chicken, mini burgers with fries, fettuccine carbonara and baby back ribs.

 

VERDICT

AMBIANCE - Homey and relaxed, however, I was disappointed with the view. I was expecting more.  BenCab's Café Sabel has by far a more superior view and would choose Café Sabel on the basis of view alone.

 

STAFF - Nice and attentive, but service is quite slow.

 

PRICE - On the expensive side. 

 

FOOD - Good, but not exceptional.  The carrot cake that we ordered was perfect with our Forest House coffee.

 

Next time, we would probably be back for an afternoon coffee or tea, with one of their yummy deserts.