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Dinner By the Beach and a Pico de Loro Morning

May 15, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 23 Comments

Before you start reading this post, please read my first Pico de Loro entry, just so you’re up to date. ๐Ÿ™‚ Indulge me. Thank you.

Okay. After our property tour around the super big Pico de Loro Cove, Celine suggested that we grab some cold drinks at the Sun Coral Cafe, the Beach Club’s Filipino restaurant. Our dinner was to be served by the chef and servers of Sun Coral Cafe at a beautiful table set up right on the sand, so it was a good idea to hang around the area at cocktail hour. Plus, I was never one to say no to mojitos by the beach.

Mojitos and MIlo dinosaurs at cocktail hour

It was here that Tim and Little MrC really started chatting and bonding. After about ten minutes, they were BFFs already. Of course, no one was happier about their new-found friendship than their two mamas! While the boys were bonding, I took the time to chat with Tina and play with my favorite little girl, Baby Anne. I started talking to this little one when she was still in the tummy, and I was so happy that she instantly took to me, played with me, held my hand and let me carry her! I love this baby, I really do.

The kiddos and their drink of choice

 

Dinner on the Beach

After only a few minutes, we were invited to head out onto the beach and get settled in for dinner. The setup was so romantic, just like the al fresco garden dinner we had last September at Taal Vista Hotel. In fact, a few feet away from our long table was a table for two all set up with candles and tiki torches. Yep, they can do this for you at Pico de Loro, so if you are celebrating an anniversary or planning a romantic proposal, keep them in mind!

The beautiful dinner setup by the ocean

Because Sun Coral Cafe specializes in Filipino food, we had a Pinoy feast with a twist for dinner. It was a little dark, so you’re gonna have to forgive my blurry photos. We started off with a lightly-dressed salad with apples, arugula and walnuts. I absolutely loved this. We were also served soup, a Batangas-style tinola that had squash in it instead of papaya. The soup was actually orange from the squash. MrC loved this one, and so did the kids. They ate mostly soup and rice for dinner.

Salad and soup, and a really lovely lantern

My favorite part of the entire meal was the rice. It was as if the rice was cooked in nilagang baka broth and topped with bulalo! So bad, but so, so good. There was also pancit habhab topped with egg, lechon kawali, crispy binagoongan,  bistek-style fish and gising gising. I hope I didn’t forget anything! Dessert was a warm, gooey chocolate cake cooked on a skillet with vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce and strawberry sauce that you could smother onto the chocolate. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water.

Fish bistek, pancit habhab with egg, our sinful dessert and the yummy gising-gising

The kids were served their own special dinner set. They had pizza, mac and cheese, mini burgers and huge scoops of ice cream for dessert. We were all so stuffed after this meal that we ordered pots of TWG tea to sip on as we chatted and digested.

Kiddie meal!

 

Time to Say Goodnight!

Before long, we all started to get sleepy and it was time to head home to Pico Sands Hotel. The boys and I were pleasantly surprised with the good night “notes” and sweet treats we found in the room when we entered. The turn down service at this hotel is superb. Shades now covered the big windows, the bed was ready for us, and the room was super cold. While the little boy cleaned up, MrC and I ate some of the cookies and pastillas. Yes, more eating!

Love, love, love these little details

I was more than excited to take a shower after being outdoors all afternoon. The fluffy bath robe and bedroom slippers were calling out to me!

Closet goodies

It’s important to note that the water at Pico Sands Hotel is not potable. They actually provide guests with bottled water in the bathrooms to use for tooth brushing. I was really happy about that. I usually make sure that we gargle with bottled water when we’re out of town just so I can be sure that we don’t end up with upset tummies. 

Good night, everyone!

We set an early alarm for May 1, so that we could be sure to make the most out of our one full day at Pico de Loro. The view outside our window was so beautiful that I literally had to take a photo from bed. We eventually managed to get ourselves off that cozy bed and out of room 627, so we could go grab breakfast at Pico Restaurant.

View from my pillow, and the boys from across the hall

 

Breakfast buffet, yay!

The breakfast buffet at Pico Restaurant was simple, hearty and filling. The usual pancake and egg stations were located in the garden, each within their own nipa huts. Super cute.

Pancakes and omelettes

They served both steamed and garlic fried rice, plus a mountain of bacon, fried fish, beef tapa, and sausages. There was a small bread selection with peanut butter and jam, a cereal station, soup and salad. The juices were nice and refreshing and the fresh fruits at the buffet were really juicy and sweet.

Scenes from the buffet table

We enjoyed breakfast. Yes we did. The only thing I didn’t like was the barako coffee, but that’s just because I really don’t like barako. I prefer arabica from the mountains, thankyouverymuch.

Busog, part 2

After breakfast, it was time to hit the pool! Unfortunately I was hormonal during our visit and so I had absolutely no pool action whatsoever. Argh. I really need to plan our return to Pico de Loro soon, just so I get to swim there. I’m still not over it.

Here you see the face of impatience as I slowly walked back to our room, slowly applied sunblock and then had him pose for a photo before swimming. I was stalling so that he could digest his breakfast!

Since I was stuck sunning by the pool, I took the opportunity to catch up on my reading. A few chapters in, and it started to get too hot for my rash-y skin, so I decided to order a watermelon shake to cool off.

Cooling off with a drink while they cooled off in the water

I like that the water depth in the pool of the Pico de Loro Country Cub is clearly marked, so the kiddo knows where he can and cannot go. The pool is also divided into sections, so kids can be confined in the shallower areas while adults and bigger kids are free to do their thing in the deeper areas. It makes for less paranoid parents, really. Plus, there are a lot of lifeguards around the area, and they are easy to spot in their red outfits. Safety first!

See me there by my lonesome?

The boys took a break from swimming so that Little MrC and Tim could play in the video game room. After sitting by the pool for a couple of hours, I was also really looking forward to staying in a cold place for a bit and so I said yes to the digital distraction. I thought that after the game the kids would agree to just go to our rooms, shower and then have lunch, but I was so wrong. Tim and this little boy asked for more pool time, and of course us mommies had to say yes. Tina, Anne and I hung around and bonded instead while the two big boys swam with little Rysse.

See? Anne and I BONDED!

We were all so tired after that second swim. We said our goodbyes to the Rodriguez family before we went to our rooms, because Tina and I were worried that the two little boys might ask to do more activities. Unfortunately, it was almost time to get ready to leave. We decided to order room service for lunch instead of going down to the restaurant because we were lazy (lol), and also so that we could have a little more time to pack and clean up.

Our trip to Pico de Loro was just what this little family needed this summer. We were really looking forward to a nice vacation, and I am so grateful that we were granted one. I overheard my mom telling my cousin, actually, that I have a good thing going on with this blog (her exact words were “Ang gand ng raket nya“). I may not earn much from it as far as money goes, but the things we get to see and do together as a family, all thanks to blogging, are simply irreplaceable.

This, my favorite smile, is the ultimate reward

 

Thank you so very much to the wonderful staff of Pico Sands Hotel, Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, and to Celine and the team. It’s always a pleasure spending time with you guys. We are so excited to comeback to Pico and to Taal Vista real soon.

Pico de Loro Cove is located in Nasugbu, Batangas. For inquiries, please call Pico Sands Hotel at + 632 46478888. Visit their website at http://www.picodelorocove.com and stay connected at facebook.com/picosandshotel and instagram.com/picodeloroclub.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Batangas Beach, Beach near Manila, Family Vacation, Hamilo Coast, Nasugbu Batangas, Pico de Loro, Pico Sands Hotel, Road Trip

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jan-B says

    June 9, 2014 at 11:12 pm

    Now I really want to go there!

    Reply
  2. Chinky says

    June 9, 2014 at 2:56 pm

    Nice!!!! Now, I want to go to Pico de Loro soon!

    Reply
  3. Samantha Isabel says

    June 8, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    How romantic! Everything looks perfect ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
  4. Que Sullano - Gavan says

    May 31, 2014 at 9:21 pm

    Family trips made perfect for such lovely spots! We should be proud as we have lots of beautiful places like this in the country.

    Reply
  5. Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says

    May 30, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    Dinner by the beach is so so romantic!!!

    Reply
  6. May De Jesus-Palacpac says

    May 29, 2014 at 8:31 pm

    What a beautiful beach dinner setup! And…how fresh you look having your breakfast too! YOu guys really look like you enjoyed your stay in that place.

    Love that they provide bottled water for tooth brushing…now that’s what I call service. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  7. Janice / The Roller Coaster Ride says

    May 29, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    I love the dinner by the beach set up. It really does look very romantic! The breakfast buffet looks amazing too. Really hope we can go there someday.

    Reply
  8. Samantha Isabel says

    May 28, 2014 at 2:14 pm

    What I know about Pico de Loro is the mountain! I even climbed there, maybe enxt time I should try the resort and beach ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  9. Kim | Mom On Duty says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:38 am

    Gosh, I love meals by the beach! I love hearing the sound of waves in the background.

    Reply
    • MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan says

      May 28, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      Me, too! And dinner is perfect coz then it’s not so hot anymore and you get to catch the sunset at cocktail hour before your meal heehee!

      Reply
  10. Mr. Jacob's Mom (@MrJacobsMom) says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:12 am

    Ooh I love their turn-down service!

    Reply
    • MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan says

      May 28, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      Nice no? I love the personal touches. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  11. Michi says

    May 26, 2014 at 11:54 am

    Nagutom ako sa post na ito. I hope I can visit this place also.

    Reply
  12. Leira Pagaspas says

    May 25, 2014 at 10:22 am

    wow!! I want to go there.. Will start planning an outing there with the family,

    Reply
    • MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:23 am

      I’m sure you guys will enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Mitch Ryan says

    May 25, 2014 at 12:58 am

    What a nice place to relax and unwind after months and months of work. I can’t help but notice how immaculately clean the hallway is. I think I’d be scared to step on it hehehe.

    Reply
    • MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:24 am

      Oh the whole place is so clean, actually. I love that!

      Reply
  14. Yippee Daniel says

    May 24, 2014 at 6:28 am

    I haven’t been in Pico before, from the look of things i love the place already, nice meal on thr beach.

    Reply
  15. Franc Ramon says

    May 24, 2014 at 12:44 am

    I’ve been in Pico twice now both for sporting events and I have how refreshing and relaxing (when I’m not running) the place is.

    Reply
  16. Louisa says

    May 23, 2014 at 8:43 pm

    Those are such nice touches and a beautiful getaway. I hope to visit one day with my family. You made your trip look fun, relaxing and exciting all at the same time.

    Reply
    • MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan says

      May 26, 2014 at 11:25 am

      It was! ๐Ÿ™‚ Such a great place for a quick escape.

      Reply
  17. Joei says

    May 20, 2014 at 2:37 am

    Ang saya ng family vacay nyo Patty! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  18. Tina @ Truly Rich Mom says

    May 17, 2014 at 5:57 am

    Patty guuuurrllll!! ๐Ÿ™‚ I miss you na!!! I hope we can have more ‘family field trips’ together soon! ๐Ÿ™‚ Tim misses his BFF! (And can I just say that reading your description of Anne made me tear up! ๐Ÿ˜› LOL!) Hugs!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm MrsC, a happy wife and mom, a help-less but not helpless homemaker, who is learning to live simply in this complicated world.

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