10 things to do in Camp Benjamin

camp benjamin

Summer is already here! It’s that time of the year where every people are looking for a great place to spend their summer memorable with family and friends. If you guys didn’t know, last February, we went to Alfonso, Cavite to spent our weekend in a famous destination there. I’m talking about Camp Benjamin.

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Entrance gate of Camp Benjamin

ABOUT CAMP BENJAMIN

This 4.7-hectare multi-purpose facilty with an adjacent 9.1-hectare integrated and natural farm opened on July, 2011. This is one of the famous one-stop destination in Alfonso, Cavite, not only for Filipinos but for foreigners as well.

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Facilities and amenities in Camp Benjamin

Here are the things you can do inside Camp Benjamin.

1. Enjoy the food at Mon’s Restaurant

Dig in at their restaurant that serves sumptuous dishes. All the ingredients are came from their farm.

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2. Dine under the stars with your special someone

Looking for the best romantic place to celebrate something special? Reserve a slot here and enjoy their full-course menu. Check our full experience here.

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3. Stay in their Cabana Suites

Love to stay in the middle of trees and greens? Then this place is for you. Their cabana suites is located far from the main building of the hotel if you want to connect more with nature.

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camp benjamin

4. Spend your ultimate Garden Wedding here

Ringing the bells soon? Camp Benjamin also offer weddings, such as garden wedding. This is just near the cabana suites area. You can have your honeymoon after.

camp benjamin
camp benjamin

5. Celebrate various events at The Center

Celebrating Christmas Party in your company? This might be a great place for your event. The Center is a huge place that established perfectly for big and special events.

camp benjamin
camp benjamin

6. Take a quick game at their Basketball Court

Yes, they also have a court for ballers out there. You can borrow a ball in the front desk of Shalom Hotel.

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7. Have a farm visit at WIN Farm

Yes, Camp Benjamin has a farm inside. It’s called WIN Farm. All the ingredients they are using at Mon’s Restaurant comes from here.

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They are also selling local products here. #SupportLocal

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8. Take a dip at their infinity pool

Come on, guys. We came here because it’s summer. Never miss a chance to dip in their infinity pool. It comes with a kiddie and adult pool.

camp benjamin
camp benjamin

9. Have some outdoor activities

Try their, wall climbing, bubble slide, and zipline!!! It’s all fun! They also offer obstacle course if you’re here for teambuilding.

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10. Of course, take good pictures around Camp Benjamin

I must say, Camp Benjamin is a really nice place. Every corner is perfect for a photo ops. Make sure you bring your camera with you, always. HEHE.

camp benjamin
camp benjamin

OVERALL RATING

Room – 

Rates – 

Service – 

Amenities – 

Location – 

camp benjamin

I agree! This place is your one-stop destination! All that you’re looking for are in here. Hope I can come back again real soon and hopefully, they have more exciting offer and activities to try soon.

Contact Numbers:

Mobile: 09182091023 / 09455390051 / 09325483054

Landline: (046)4432163

E-mail: inquire@campbenjamin.com.ph

Address:

Alfonso-Maragondon Road, Brgy. Taywanak-Ilaya, Alfonso, Cavite

Social Media Account:

Website: www.campbenjamin.com.ph

Facebook: Camp Benjamin

Instagram: @camp.benjamin

Our overnight stay experience in Cabana at Shalom Hotel

shalom hotel

In very travel, we make sure our accommodation first. Because, why not? Every traveler wants a decent sleep after a tiring day of adventures/activities. Last February, we went to Camp Benjamin for a fun-filled long weekend. For our accommodation, we stayed in a cabana from Shalom Hotel.

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Single Cabana

ABOUT SHALOM HOTEL

If you are looking for a peaceful place, then Shalom Hotel might be the right one for you. It is located inside Camp Benjamin. Here, you can get to connect with nature while relaxing. Why? Because inside Camp Benjamin, full of greeneries can be found.

OUTSIDE THE HOTEL

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shalom hotel

FRONT DESK AREA

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HALLWAY

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1st floor
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2nd floor

They have plenty of rooms which can accommodate any group (couple, family, barkada).

Here are the rooms in Shalom Hotel.

SINGLE EXECUTIVE

5,000 php (good for 2 person)

shalom hotel

DOUBLE EXECUTIVE

8,500 php (good for 2 person)

shalom hotel

FAMILY DELUXE

6,700 php (good for 4 person)

shalom hotel

SINGLE DELUXE

4,600 php (good for 3 person)

shalom hotel

DOUBLE DELUXE

7,800 php (good for 6 person)

shalom hotel

STANDARD ROOM

7,800 php (good for 6 person)

shalom hotel

SINGLE DORMITEL

8,800 php (good for 8 person)

1111

DOUBLE DORMITEL

16,500 php (good for 16 person)

shalom hotel

But if you want to connect more with nature, then this one is for you. We stayed in their Single Cabana.

shalom hotel
shalom hotel

The aircon in the living room was quite difficult to operate because the remote was not functioning well. But it doesn’t matter, we can open the door and enjoy the fresh air instead.

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Living room
shalom hotel
Dining area

It also has complimentary fruits from the WIN Farm and two bottled water.

shalom hotel

It has a mini kitchen too but note that there are no utensils inside the cabana. But don’t worry, you can request it in the front desk just like what we did.

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Mini kitchen

The aircon in the bedroom was so cold!!! Take note too that they don’t have TV and wifi inside. I guess that is the purpose of their cabana. To connect with the nature and also to the person you’re with.

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Bedroom

This room costs 8,500 php (good for 2 person). It also has a complimentary breakfast from Mon’s Restaurant. You can choose whether to eat in the restaurant or deliver it straight to your room. In our case, we want to enjoy the peaceful morning in our cabana so we had our breakfast there.

shalom hotel
Mangga’s Plate
shalom hotel
Taywanak’s Choice

NOTE: The cabana is quite far from the main hotel. You need to cross that bridge to go to the cabana area.

shalom hotel
shalom hotel
Way to the cabana

OVERALL RATING

Room – 

Rates – 

Service – 

Amenities – 

Location – 

shalom hotel

At first, I am complaining to Ian because there’s no TV and wifi inside the cabana. Ian told me just to enjoy our stay there instead of complaining. That’s what we did! So overall, we had a peaceful stay at their cabana.

One thing I can suggest is to provide a phone inside each cabana to be able to contact the front desk easily if the customer needs something.

Contact Numbers:

Mobile: 09155780116 / 09227579489 /  09298353620

Landline: (046)6836378

E-mail: shalomhotel@weleadgroup.com

Address:

Brgy. Taywanak Ilaya, Alfonso, Cavite

Social Media Account:

Website: www.shalomhotel.com.ph

Facebook: Shalom Hotel

Instagram: @shalomhotel.cb

“Dine Under the Stars” at Mon’s Restaurant

mons restaurant

Did you know that I’m a sucker of anything that’s romantic? Yes! HAHA. From movie up to places. From time to time, we make sure that we’ll watch a romantic movie or go to a romantic place every year. This year, for our post Valentine’s date, we went to one of the recommended romantic places…the famous Mon’s Restaurant that is located in Alfonso, Cavite.

mon's restaurant

ABOUT MON’S RESTAURANT

It is the heart and soul of Camp Benjamin. With its passion, pride, and creativity, they create healthy and delicious dishes that straightly came from their farm. Yes, they have their own farm inside (WIN Farm).

mon's restaurant
Mon’s Restaurant

It is rested atop in a small hill and surrounded by different types of trees. Enjoy their modern heritage cuisines with a good sight and sounds of nature.

In 2015, they’ve launched the “Dine Under the Stars” with a concept of a night picnic with amazing views of stars. But fret not, as this is not only for couples but for family and friends as well who are celebrating something special.

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Dine Under the Stars

For Dine Under the Stars, they have live acoustic band every Saturday and movie showing every Sunday. It starts from 6:00 PM-10:00 PM.

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mon's restaurant
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Attaching here the different set of packages you can choose. Note that all packages are subject to 10% service charge and require a 50% down payment with at least 3-5 days in advance to secure the reservation.

Romantic Picnic Package

mon's restaurant

Surprise Date Package

mon's restaurant

Glamping Dinner Date Package

mon's restaurant

Overnight Dinner Date Package

mon's restaurant

Group Picnic Package

mon's restaurant

Since as I’ve mentioned that I want it to be romantic for our post-Valentine’s celebration, we availed the Surprise Date Package (not a surprise for me since it’s scripted LOL).

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Who’s the happy girl? 🙂

Since it’s a full course dinner, look at the table setup!

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We had soup, salad, pasta, steak, and dessert. It also comes with a house blend iced tea.

SOUP

Green Soup

CB spinach with minced tofu

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SALAD

Mon’s Salad

Crisp lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella cheese, and red wine vinaigrette

mon's restaurant

PASTA

Red Sauce Pasta

mon's restaurant

STEAK

Porterhouse Steak with Vegetable Side Dish (with your choice of Potato Marble or Rice)

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DESSERT

Leche Flan

mon's restaurant

It also comes with a house blend iced tea.

mon's restaurant

But if you’re not a fan of these romantic stuff, you can just simply dine in at their restaurant where we had our lunch.

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You can also buy some local products that came from their farm.

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They have a mini bar inside their restaurant.

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These were the food we had for our lunch at Mon’s Restaurant.

MEAT DISHES

Crispy Kare-Kare (650 php)

Crispy boneless pork leg served with sauteed organic vegetables and rich peanut sauce

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mon's restaurant

Sinigang Trio (550 php)

Beef & shrimp boiled in tamarind stock with vegetable topped with crispy pork belly

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mon's restaurant

ALL-DAY MERIENDA

Pancit Buko (250 php)

Fresh buko meat with an assortment of sauteed shrimps, squid, vegetable & toppings of garlic chips and spring onions

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DESSERT

Bibing Crepe (180 php)

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BEVERAGES

Healthy Cucumber (105 php)

Fresh cucumber, lemon, celery

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OVERALL RATING

Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Location – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

mon's restaurant

Honestly, I want to dine all over again. Aside from its romantic ambiance, all the food that they served to us were good! I super loved their pasta and steak. There’s something in their pasta sauce, promise! The steak was done well. We also enjoyed the movie while eating. Plus, kudos to the excellent service from the staff.

Contact Numbers:

Mobile: 09771349078 / 09199552758 / 09164651890

Landline: (046) 4047695

E-mail: monsrestaurant@weleadgroup.com

Operating Hours:

Restaurant Hours: 8:00 AM-9:00 PM, daily

Dine Under the Stars: 6:00 PM-10:00 PM, daily

Address:

Alfonso-Maragondon Road, Barangay Taywanak Ilaya, Alfonso, Cavite

Social Media Accounts:

Website: www.monsrestaurant.com.ph

Facebook: Mon’s Restaurant

Instagram: @mons.restaurant

Twitter: @monsrestaurant

“Bodhi” at La Bella Tagaytay

la bella tagaytay

One of the places we went during our anniversary were the Bodhi Mind and Body Shop and Bodhi Cafe and Library that is located inside La Bella Tagaytay.

la bella tagaytay

ABOUT LA BELLA TAGAYTAY

This Santorini-inspired haven is located in Brgy. Neogan, Tagaytay. This is a one-stop place because you can do all things here. Indeed, a lifestyle with infrastructure.

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One of the amenities inside La Bella are the Bodhi Mind and Body Shop and Bodhi Cafe and Library.

BODHI MIND AND BODY SHOP

By the way, the word “BODHI” came from the name of a tree which is Bodhi Tree, wherein Gautuma Siddharta “Buddha” had his enlightenment.

la bella tagaytay

It means, inside this shop, you can have a peaceful time looking or buying some essentials for yourself.

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Done shopping for your essentials? Take some relaxation in their Cafe & Library! Yay.

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Before going to the cafe, this will welcome you upstairs… NOTE: Don’t forget to take many shots here, okay?! HAHAHA.

la bella tagaytay
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Now you’re on the second floor, you can finally see the glimpse of the cafe and library…

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And now, let’s go inside the library… Actually, it’s not a library because the shelves here are locked. Huhu *sad* I guess, it’s just part of the design of the place.

la bella tagaytay
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Outside the shop, you can also sit for a while. Relax and feel the cold breeze in Tagaytay…

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Note that there have NO ENTRANCE FEE here. If you wish to take a dip at their infinity pool, the fee is 150 php per head.

la bella tagaytay

Where to eat in La Bella?

El Cocinero, a Spanish restaurant that serves authentic Spanish cuisine.

How to get there?

From PITX, take a bus bound for Nasugbu/Alfonso (via Tagaytay City). Tell the conductor to drop you off at Radar. From there, you can walk for about 5 minutes to La Bella.

Social Media Accounts

Website: www.labellatagaytay.com

Facebook: La Bella Tagaytay

Instagram: @labellatagaytay

Royal Air Philippines: CRK-PPS Inaugural Flight

royal air philippines

Last March 4, I was invited to became part of the Clark to Puerto Princesa (CRK-PPS) inaugural flight of Royal Air Philippines.

royal air inaugural flight (crk-pps)
Together with fellow bloggers: Cams of Rest Day Adventures and Meth & Nicezy of GoWander Films

ABOUT ROYAL AIR PHILIPPINES

Royal Air Charter Service Inc (RACSI) is a Philippine-registered air carrier that was established on August 22, 2002. They provide domestic and international nonscheduled airline and cargo services between Clark and Macau, and Kalibo and Macau.

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British Aerospace AVRO 146-RJ100

As of this writing, they have only terminals in Clark, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa. Soon in Manila and Bohol.

Before checking in, we had the opportunity to take some shots at Clark International Airport while waiting for the program to start.

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With one of the pilots of Royal Air
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Royal Air family

After some photo ops, we head straight to the check-in counter to get our boarding pass. Yey!!!

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After checking in, we got our boarding pass and food stub.

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Boarding pass

Also, they gave us a heart sticker for VIP (bloggers, media partners, etc) which I found cute.

Here are some of the Royal Air staff verifying our boarding pass before entering the boarding gate.

royal air inaugural flight (crk-pps)
I found their uniform cute hihi

Well, it’s my first time at this airport and I found Clark International Airport small. Also, the atmosphere was really humid inside.

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By the way, you need to pay 150 php for the terminal fee.

Inside the boarding gate, we had some snacks while waiting for the program to start. After few minutes, the program begun. The program started with the speech of the CEO of Royal Air Philippines, Mr. Ed Novillas.

Disclaimer: Excuse my photos since it’s against the light. Hehe

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Royal Air Philippines CEO, Mr. Ed Novillas

After his speech, ribbon cutting, slicing of the cake, and photo ops happened next.

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After the photo ops, we just waited for our boarding time. Around 12:30 PM, we started to board in the plane.

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This aircraft can accommodate 97 passengers on-board. Now, let’s take a look inside the aircraft.

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Accommodating and pleasant flight attendants will welcome you
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Briefing Card
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Spacious leg room
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During the flight, they will give each passenger a complimentary light snack. In fair, I like their empanada. Yum!

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After 1 hr and 10 mins, we arrived at Puerto Princesa. Since it’s my first time here, I didn’t waste time. I took as many pictures as I can. Even though we only had few time left here. HAHA.

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Touchdown PPS!
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royal air inaugural flight (crk-pps)

Upon arriving at the PPS airport, we were welcomed and entertained by these people. They also gave us a welcome necklace that made from seashells.

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Welcome banner from City Government of Puerto Princesa
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After some photo ops, we head straight again to PPS check in counter and getting ready to board again. HAHA.

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After we got our boarding pass, we immediately went to the boarding gate of PPS Airport to witness the inaugural flight program, but this time, it’s PPS-CRK.

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I love PPS airport!!!

Again, the program started with the speech of Mr. Ed Novillas, CEO of Royal Air Philippines. Then, it was followed by Ms. Aileen Amurao, tourism officer of Puerto Princesa.

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Mr. Ed Novillas

After the speech, ribbon cutting, slicing of the cake, and photo ops were happened next.

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royal air inaugural flight (crk-pps)
Ribbon cutting
royal air inaugural flight (crk-pps)
I want to slice a cake too hehe
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Slicing of the cake

After that, it’s time for some snacks. It’s a nice way to end our day trip with a good and yummy snack.

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royal air inaugural flight (crk-pps)

Before heading home, they gave us some goodies. Thank you Royal Air and City Tourism of Puerto Princesa!

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Take-home goodies

Overall, we had a great time covering the said event. It was a success! Congratulations, Royal Air Philippines. We’re excited for more additional destinations, soon!

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Now, book your own flight at www.flyroyalair.com.

Ruby’s Place: A boho-inspired bed and breakfast in Amadeo

rubys place amadeo

One of our accommodations in our 3-day anniversary celebration was located in Amadeo, Cavite. It’s a 30-min ride from Tagaytay. I really insisted checking-in here. Why? You’ll see the reason later. But for now, I’ll introduce you first to Ruby’s Place (former Casa Del Sol).

ruby's place former casa del sol
Entrance to the villas! YAY

ABOUT RUBY’S PLACE

As I’ve said a while ago, it was the former Casa Del Sol. One of the famous places located in Amadeo because of its style, which is boho-inspired.

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Ruby’s place at night!

We already went here last 2018 but only as customers to their restaurant, Casa Del Sol-Casa De Amor. Read our full experience here. We went here at daytime but still in awe of its interior. Little did we knew that we will be more in awe when it’s nighttime.

ruby's place former casa del sol
Awra!
ruby's place former casa del sol
The restaurant’s first floor…

We decided to ate here for dinner although we can order our food from our villa. But because we want to experience the ambiance at night, we still push through and it’s worth it. Look!

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ruby's place former casa del sol
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It’s just kinda sad because there’s no live band when we went here. HUHU. By the way, here’s what we got for our dinner. The food was better than our first time eating here.

ruby's place former casa del sol
Double Cheese Pizza (260 php)
ruby's place former casa del sol
Pancit Guisado

Now, let me introduce you to our room! Our room is named as Mahal Kita Villa. You can book this room at AirBnb. If you want to have a big discount from AirBnb, you can sign up here and get a 1,600 php discount on your first booking.

Check in time: 2:00 PM

Check out time: 12:00 NN

ROOM

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ruby's place former casa del sol
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Just a tip, the signal is kinda weak in the room. They have a wifi but only have limited data. They also have TV with ABS-CBN TV Plus. So expect that some channels are not available. Also, they have a walky talky inside the room. I think it’s cool! Because nowadays, phone is mainstream. Its been ages since I saw one. HAHA.

BATHROOM

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Yes, all villa has bath tubs! It’s just kinda weird because it’s open. I mean, there’s no roof in the bath tub area. HAHA. I’m panicking while taking a bath. I think there’s someone up there, JK. By the way, it comes with free towels and toiletries.

OTHER AMENITIES

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ruby's place former casa del sol
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They have some books and board games too. If you feel hungry in the middle of the night, they offer some food inside too. Of course, you have to pay for it. It also comes with a complimentary bottled waters and coffee. Oh, before I forgot, you also have a complimentary breakfast for 2! YAY.

ruby's place former casa del sol
Breakfast time!

How to go there?

FROM MANILA

Take a bus bound for Tagaytay. Alight at Silang Premier Mall. Ride a tricycle and tell the driver  to drop you off at Brgy. Halang, Casa Del Sol.

FROM TAGAYTAY

Go to Mahogany Intersection near NBI office. Ride a tricycle and tell the driver to drop you off  at Banay-Banay Alfamart. From there, ride a tricycle again and tell the driver to drop you off at Brgy. Halang, Casa Del Sol.

OVERALL RATING

Room – 

Rates – 

Service – 

Amenities – 

Location – 

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We definitely had fun staying here because of its instagrammable interior. Although they still need to improve some of their services, but overall, it was still a good experience. If I will visit here again, I want to stay in their bigger room which can accommodate 20 persons!

Address:

3083 Halang-Dagatan Road, Purok 6, Brgy. Halang, Amadeo, Cavite

Social Media Account:

Facebook: Rubys Place former Casa Del Sol

El Cocinero: A spanish restaurant inside La Bella Residences

Since Tagaytay is our favorite go-to destination, we decided to spent our anniversary celebration here. We stayed and explore Tagaytay for 3 days and of course, our main target were restaurants. Hihi.

For our 1st night in Tagaytay, we had our dinner in a Spanish restaurant inside La Bella Residences.

el cocinero

ABOUT EL COCINERO

As I’ve said, this is a Spanish restaurant that is owned by Chef Arnaldo Limeta, born in Nasugbu, Batangas but trained his skills in Ibiza, Spain for 10 years. Wow! Imagine that?! So expect that the food that they will serve here are definitely awesome and good.

el cocinero
Dinner time!

What I loved about their restaurant aside from its delicious food? IT’S ALSO INSTAGRAMMABLE!

This is what will welcome you upon entering the restaurant. Beautiful painting at the wall at the 1st floor…

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el cocinero

Wait, until you get into their 2nd floor!

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el cocinero
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Yep! Their wall is Picasso-inspired murals and paintings. I really enjoyed staying here rather than in 1st floor.

el cocinero
Perfect place for a date night also 🙂

But if you want to enjoy the cool breeze in Tagaytay, try their al-fresco dining area instead.

el cocinero

Now, let’s go to their food. Since we were still full fom our late lunch in Aozora Restaurant, we decided to order a pizza and an appetizer only.

El Cocinero Pizza (410 php)

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el cocinero

We loved the pizza here. It’s also one of the best seller dish in El Cocinero. The crust is thin and crispy, just the way we liked it.

Croquetas de Pollo (115 php)

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Thought the serving were huge but it isn’t. Hihi but overall, this one was good enough. Crispy on the outside and soft inside.

Also, we had Malunggay Juice (85 php) and Cucumber Juice (85 php) but we forgot to take some pictures because we want to eat already hehe. But the juice were refreshing!

OVERALL RATING

Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price – ⭐⭐⭐

Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Location – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

el cocinero

Just a reminder, this restaurant is located inside La Bella Residences. So I suggest, if you’ll stay at La Bella for a night, please visit El Cocinero and try their authentic dishes as they are really good. Though the price is quite expensive, it will do justice because of the service and the quality of the food.

Contact Numbers:

Mobile: 0916 3412489

E-mail: chefarnaldo.elcocinero@gmail.com

Operating Hours:

10:30 AM-9:00 PM, daily

Address:

La Bella Residences, Brgy. Neogan, Tagaytay City

Social Media Accounts:

Website: www.elcocinero.ph

Facebook: El Cocinero by Chef Arnaldo

Instagram: @elcocinero.ph

El Cocinero by Chef Arnaldo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Baguio City: A 2d1n itinerary

Last October 2018, me and my friends went to Baguio for 2 days and 1 night. We definitely had fun exploring places and eating at restaurants there. Attaching here the places and restaurants that is a must-visit when you are going to Baguio.

ABOUT BAGUIO CITY

Known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, it is a mountain resort city that is located in Northern Luzon. This city is a highly urbanized area which means it is a major center of business, commerce, and education. According to the 2015 census, Baguio City has a population of 345,366 within its 129 barangays.

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Welcome to Baguio!!!

Now, the following you’ll see here are the places and restaurants that we visited in Baguio.

BAGUIO CATHEDRAL

Location: Mt. Mary Hill, Cathedral Loop, Baguio City

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Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral

Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral or also known as Baguio Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church located in Session Road. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Atonement. This church was completed on year 1936. It also served as an evacuation center under the Japanese occupation during the Second World War.

TSOKOLATERIA

Location: Igorot Stairs, Upper Session Road, Baguio City

Operating Hours: 7:00 AM-10:00 PM, daily

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Tablea House Blends

This is a perfect place to have some hot chocolate! We tried their Tablea House Blends and it was good! Though expect the price to be a little bit pricey for a breakfast meal but I guess it was worth the penny (we didn’t try their breakfast meals, only the hot chocolate).

Blog post: Tsokolateria Baguio: Trying out their Tablea House Blends

BURNHAM PARK

Location: Jose Abad Santos Drive, Baguio City

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Burnham Park

Also known as the Heart of Baguio City. This urban park is historic because it was built by an American architecture named Daniel Burnham. It was established on August 6, 1925 and now has a total of 2,600 trees planted around the place.

BOTANICAL GARDEN

Location: 37 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City

Operating Hours: 6:00 AM-6:00 PM, daily

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Botanical Garden

This is a popular botanical garden in the City of Pines. Also known as the city’s Last Frontier. This has a variety of plants and colorful flowers with native huts around the area which is a perfect place to unwind.

WRIGHT PARK

Location: Gibraltar Road, Baguio City

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Wright Park

Located at the eastern part of the city, this has a long reflecting pool line with pine tree and fronting the gate of the Mansion. Also one of the scenic parks in Baguio City because of its tall pine trees, colorful horses which you can ride, Igorots in their native costumes, and many more.

THE MANSION

Location: Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City

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The Mansion

It is the official summer palace of the President of the Philippines. Its design was inspired by a Spanish Colonial Revival main building and a guest house. It was built on year 1908 by American Architect William E. Parsons.

MINES VIEW PARK

Location: Mines View, Baguio City

Operating Hours: 5:00 AM-8:00 PM, daily

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Mines View Park

It is an overlooking park located in the northeastern part of the city. This is also popular because of its commercial activities such as souvenirs and silverworks stores inside the park.

GRUMPY JOE

Location: 111 Jungle Town, Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City

Operating Hours: 10:00 AM-9:00 PM, daily

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Grumpy Joe

So surprised that all the food here were very affordable yet super good! I swear, I so loved all the food we got here. Really a must try!

Blog post: Grumpy Joe: A must try restaurant in Baguio

GOOD TASTE CAFE AND RESTAURANT

Location: Otek St., Baguio City

Operating Hours: 24 hours open

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Good Taste Cafe and Restaurant

Another must try restaurant in Baguio. The food were all good not to mention that the price are very affordable. It looks like a huge carinderia with a second floor. Jam-packed every lunch and dinner time so make sure to come early.

COLORS OF STOBOSA

Location: La Trinidad, Benguet

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Colors of Stobosa

It is a community artwork designed by the Tam-Awan village group and recognized as a tourist attraction in La Trinidad. They started painting it on February 2016 and inaugurated on June 23, 2016. 520 people, the residents of the three sitios (Stonehill, Botiwtiw, Sadjap) volunteered to paint the houses.

BELL CHURCH

Location: 347 Bell Church Road, La Trinidad, Benguet

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Bell Church

It is a Chinese Temple in La Trinidad, Benguet. It was founded on August 6, 1940 by Chinese immigrants from Canton, China (now Guangzhou). An arch of orated with colorful images of dragons and Chinese inscriptions is situated at the entrance of the temple.

VIZCO’S RESTAURANT AND CAKE SHOP

Location: Session Road, Baguio City

Operating Hours: 7:00 AM-10:00 PM, Sunday to Thursday / 7:00 AM-11:00 PM, Friday and Saturday

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Vizco’s Restaurant and Cake Shop

A must visit dessert shop in Baguio! All the cakes here are very affordable and so good. Of course, don’t forget to try their Strawberry Shortcake!

Blog post: Must try desserts at Vizco’s Restaurant and Cake Shop

All of these places and restaurants can be made possible in only 2 days! 🙂 Hope this blog helps when planning to visit in Baguio! Enjoy and have fun. 🙂

RELATED LINKS:

Side trip in Baguio: Valleypoint Campsite: The first glamping site in Benguet

Manila to Baguio for only 4 hours: Joy Bus Executive Coach: Travel with less hassle

WATCH OUR SHORT CLIP HERE!

Preparation for “Ligligan Parul” 2018

Last November 25, Travel Itinerary Philippines, a group of travel bloggers were invited by DOT Region III and San Fernando City Tourism to conduct a Bloggers Tour regarding the upcoming Giant Lantern Festival or also known as “Ligligan Parul“.

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ABOUT LIGLIGAN PARUL

It is an annual festival held in mid-December in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been called the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines“.

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Photo grabbed from Google.

This festival was said started in 1904 but some say that it really began in 1908. This year, they are celebrating their 110 years of giant lantern-making excellence!

Ligligan Parul’s corresponding English word is “royal rumble” or in Tagalog, “Matira ang matibay“. – Rolando Quiambao

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Mr. Rolando Quiambao

To start up the tour, we went first to a known lantern-making store, RolRen Lanterns and General Merchandise. This is owned by the famous lantern maker, Rolando Quiambao.

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He started his small business on 1986 and selling his first “parol” for only 450 php. Now, they are making over 3,000 lanterns in a year and exporting some products to other countries. He also named as a “hall of famer” for winning in the said competition for four consecutive years in a row.

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Mr. Quiambao showing how to operate a lantern…

He is also the lantern maker in Brgy. Del Pilar in this year Ligligan Parul. He also explained to us the different parts of a lantern.

A parol or lantern consists of:

  • tambor – center part of the lantern; corrupted word of “tambol” or  base drum
  • siko-siko – the diamond-like part edges
  • palimbon – came from the Kapampangan word “limbon” means procession
  • pontetas – came from the Kapampangan word punta” means “dulo” or outer layer
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Sample designs of Giant Lanterns

After that, we visited some barangays that will be joining the Giant Lantern Festival 2018. We paid a visit to Brgy. Del Pilar, Brgy. Sto Niño, Brgy. Telabastagan, and Brgy. San Jose.

How does a giant lantern works?

A giant lantern is controlled by a rotor, a large steel barrel. The principle of a rotor is also the same as a musical box. It has a 4-ft diameter and 6-ft in length. Every rotor needs an operator. A giant lantern needs a 2-month preparation.

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There is a standard process in making a giant lantern. When they were explaining it to us, it’s kinda hard to understand. Because of that, I really admire and salute all those lantern makers in San Fernando for keeping this festival up until now.

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A giant lantern approximately costs 500,000 php up to 1,000,000 php. But Mr. Quiambao said that they are not after the money, they are after the honor.

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In case you are wondering, a giant lantern composed of 10,000 light bulbs and have a 20-ft diameter.

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This kind of festival only shows how talented, grand, and world class the Filipinos are.

GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Competition Night

  • December 15, 2018 – (6:00 PM, Robinsons Starmill)

Exhibition Dates

  • December 16-21, 2018 – 5:00 PM, Robinsons Starmills
  • December 22, 2018 – 7:00 PM, Telabastagan
  • December 23, 2018 – 7:00 PM, Greenfields Square, Sindalan
  • December 24, 2018 – 11:00 PM, infront of City Hall
  • December 25-30, 2018 – 7:00 PM, Robinsons Starmills
  • December 29-30, 2018 – 6:00 PM, Marquee Mall, Angeles City
  • January 1-2, 2019 – 7:00 PM, Robinsons Starmills

If you are looking for a tour for the upcoming Giant Lantern Festival, contact the official Manila-based tour operator partner of of Pampanga, Don’t Skip Manila.

RATE PER PAX: 2,000 php

Package Inclusions:

  • Transportation via chartered van
  • Giant Lantern Festival entrance pass
  • Giant Lantern Festival souvenir shirt
  • Lunch
  • CSFP Heritage Passport
  • Don’t Skip Manila guide

Tour Highlights:

  • Early dinner buffer of Heirloom Kapampangan recipes
  • Lantern-making workshop and factory tour
  • Giant Lantern Festival show

Camarines Norte: Discover Jose Panganiban and Capalonga

When I hear the word Camarines Norte, I always think of Calaguas Island. That’s actually one of my top destinations to visit here in the Philippines but I can’t always find a perfect time and sched. But last November, I got a chance to visit Camarines Norte and explore the underrated cities there…including Jose Panganiban and Capalonga.

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ABOUT CAMARINES NORTE

It’s a province located in Bicol region in Luzon. Daet is the capital of Camarines Norte. The province borders Quezon to the west, Camarines Sur to the south, and the Philippine Sea to the north. If you’re coming from Manila, it’s only 6 hours away. You can ride a bus in Cubao or Pasay terminals.

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Now, let’s go over to the places we visited during our Camarines Norte trip. Jose Panganiban is a 2nd-class municipality while Capalonga is a 3rd-class mucipality in the said province.

ABOUT JOSE PANGANIBAN

This is formerly known as Mambulao, it came from the word “mambulawan“, that means bountiful in gold. It became Jose Panganiban to honor Jose Maria Panganiban on December 1, 1934.

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My happy place.

1. JSMS FARM

It is a diversified-integrated farm that is owned by Mr. Jose S. Maligat, Sr. They offer eco-tours. Just a disclaimer: This farm isn’t finished yet so don’t expect a fully-finished eco-farm already. But it is said to be a promising eco-tourism farm in the near future.

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Not yet finished…

We had sugarcane drinks with passionfruit as our welcome drinks. After that, our guide roamed us around the area.

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Wild pig feeding her babies.
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Buffalos.
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Fish pond.
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A picture together with our tour guide!

2. PAROLA ISLAND

Parola Island is said to be Camarines Norte’s pink beach. At first, I’m quite confused how it became a pink beach until I realized that the sand will only become pink when it is wet.

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Parola Island. Can you see the pink sand? 🙂

The island’s name came from Parola or the lighthouse that can be found in the island.

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Our boat for island hopping!!!
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Awra sa Parola! HAHA
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Awra sa Parola! HAHA
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An islet near the island.
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During our stay here, the weather was not good. Just look at the last two photos. You can see the dark clouds all over. We supposed to have our lunch in the island but because of the rain, we had our lunch inside our boat. HUHU.

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Last picture before the rain pours. LOL.

Meet my fellow bloggers! Jan of Kapampangan Traveller, Bobby of Travel Tayo PH, and Kath of Tara Let’s Anywhere.

After we had our lunch, the rain stopped at last. We had a chance to enjoy the island. YEY!

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3. CALALANAY ISLAND

This island is an hour away from Parola Island. This is a private island so guests need a permit before going here. Our travel agency is fortunately allowed to go here. YEY!

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Approaching the island.

I’m suprised and happy when we arrived the island. Look who greeted us…

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We enjoyed swimming here rather than in Parola Island because of its calm water here. Maybe because it’s almost sunset when we went here.

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ABOUT CAPALONGA

Its name came from the word “Apalong” who believed the first inhabitants of the city. This name came from the wild plant called “Palong Manok” that looks like a rooster’s comb.

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The wild plant.

1. SELFIE BEACH RESORT

After our island hopping, we went straight to Capalonga and spent our night at this newly-opened beach resort. Capalonga is two hours away from Jose Panganiban.

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The sand here is not that inviting but its ambiance is really relaxing. You can just chill here the whole day, just like what we did. Take note that they are still under construction as they are still adding rooms and facilities in the resort.

2. CAPALONGA CITY TOUR

The next day, we decided to have a mini city tour in Capalonga. With the help of our guides from our travel agency, we got a chance to visit these places.

Shrine of the Black Nazarene

This is one of the famous tourist attractions here in the city. All devotees and pilgrims of different nationalities flock to pay homage to the miraculous image of the Black Nazarene, whose shrine is right in the town proper of Capalonga.

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Capalonga Baywalk

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View deck of Capalonga

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This tour was made possible by our chosen travel agency, Efrelinda Travel & Tours. If you’re looking for travel agency, just contact them as they offer local and international trips.

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ABOUT EFRELINDA TRAVEL & TOURS

For journeys worth remembering…

MISSION: To give everybody the chance to fulfill their dream vacations by providing quality travel packages and services.

VISION: To be the prime provider of journeys worth remembering and continuing to be an innovative force in the travel industry by discovering destinations to fall in love with.

SERVICES OFFERED:

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Contact Numbers

Mobile: 09973344693 / ‭09460247636 / 09973344687

E-mail: efrelindatravelandtours@gmail.com

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WATCH OUR SHORT CLIP HERE!!!