Travel

Amorita On My Mind: Welcome To Bohol, And A Pool With A View

December 27, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

2013 was a year of many firsts for me, and for us as a family. On top of my list of favorite firsts was our trip to Bohol last November. I’ve been to many different places all over the Philippines, but for some reason, never to Bohol. This was a first-time trip for me, and for the boys, too. It was also the first time that we rode a plane together as a family. I have traveled by air before with the little boy, during a family trip to Ozamis, and also with MrC, for our Boracay anniversary trip last year. This flight was the first that the two experienced together, and that made it even more special.

Our trip was loads of fun, despite it being a short one. We were only in Bohol for the weekend, and that meant that we missed out on the tour and other activities outside of the resort that we were staying in. Because we were there for my sister-in-law’s wedding part two (you can read about part one here), which was on the Saturday that we arrived, there really was no leaving the resort. Then on Sunday, our flight was just a little past noon, so we obviously had no more time to go around. That’s okay, though, because it only means that we have a reason to come back!

The fact that we were staying at Amorita, which just happens to be on my life list of places to visit, definitely made the trip more than worthwhile. We were welcomed by the hotel driver at the airport, and I loved that there were bottles of cold water and candies waiting for us in the van. On our way to Panglao, we saw one of the churches in Dauis that was damaged during the recent earthquake. That was about it for our sightseeing outside of the resort.

Check in was quick and easy, particularly because the rest of our group was already there. I noticed at the reception that they had pink and silver decor for the holidays. So pretty! If the boys will let me, I would love to have that color scheme for Christmas at home someday. They also had bottles of really nice-smelling insect repellent, massage oil and a list of available massage services on a small table beside the check in counter. On the desk in the room, there was a welcome note and postcards with beautiful photos of the resort.

It was a short walk from the reception area to our room, which was really cozy and super spacious. Too bad I don’t have any photos. Our roommates had spent two nights there before we arrived, and since they were already settled in, they had their things in place already. Of course, I didn’t want to move anything just so I could take pictures.

As soon as we put away our stuff, the little boy headed straight into the pool. MrC and I, on the other hand, went straight to breakfast. The buffet was actually closed already when we got there, but the servers at the restaurant were nice enough to put together plated meals for us. The food was simple, homey and really yummy. We had rice and fried eggs, bacon, longganisa and a bunch of other things. Saffron restaurant is definitely one of the highlights from our stay at Amorita because everything was just so good!

This kid loves the water. He really enjoyed swimming with his favorites, Tita Minette and Tito Phil

I got to chat a little with with my friend, Martine, after breakfast. Coincidentally, she and her family were also booked at Amorita that weekend. You can check out her posts about their vacation (and her gorgeous photos, too) here, here and here. After catching up, the rest of my morning was spent with the family, enjoying the pool, the beach and the magnificent view.

Before we knew it, it was time to get out of the water, shower and get ready for the wedding ceremony, which was scheduled at 4pm. We had lunch at Saffron while waiting for our turn for hair and makeup, and oh my gosh, I thought breakfast was good, but nothing could have prepared me for lunch. I am not exaggerating! There was a basket of bread with butter and spreads, kinilaw na tuna, chicken barbecue with atchara, grilled stuffed squid, and a unique deep fried kare-kare. I have no words.

Lunch time with Lolo Bach and Tita Minette

Our first few hours in Bohol were unbelievable, and the entire weekend continued on to be completely spectacular. Not only was the place beautiful, it also really felt like home to us during our stay. The staff made sure of that by being as accommodating as they could possibly be, taking care of all of our requests and going all out for the wedding preparations. I swear, I am completely in love with this place.

Sharing more about our Amorita vacation – the beautiful sunset wedding, meeting Sir Chef (Saffron’s Chef Ralph Ongchiong), and the morning after – in my next post. In the meantime, go and check out Amorita Resort’s website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to learn more about this spectacular Bohol getaway.

Our Frog-Less Weekend at Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort

December 16, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 5 Comments

Last November, the Cuyugan and de Jesus families came together at Villa Escudero for the grand wedding of Ate Baban and Kuya Cy. Both families had been looking forward to this wedding, and of course for the fun togetherness time we would all be spending with each other. I have been to Villa Escudero several times before, but I’ve never stayed there overnight so I was excited about the experience, but there was something that I was really anxious about. The title of this post is actually a major clue as to what my big hangup was. Lake + plantation/grass/forest = FROGS. Yes, I am admittedly 100% afraid of frogs.

Mine is not your ordinary froggy fear. I would say that mine is rather extreme, and involves a lot of cursing, crying, hyperventilating, and possibly pinching/dragging/slapping/pushing the poor unfortunate soul who is with me whenever a frog makes its presence felt. And this doesn’t just happen when I see a frog. Fear triggers within me whenever I hear the croaks, see them on TV or in photos, even when I am simply made aware that, yes, there are frogs in the area. I actually skipped dissection in school because I freaked out and cried. In case you were wondering, there is actually a long childhood story behind this fear that I will maybe write about eventually.

Back to our weekend vacation, which was, thankfully, frog-free despite our second night there being a rainy one. We arrived late in the afternoon of Friday, after a very easy drive with very little traffic. We stayed for two nights, and our Sunday morning drive home was quick and easy too, thanks to the Pacquiao fight that day. We all really enjoyed our stay, and now I’d like to share with you my five favorite things about our weekend at Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort.

1. The Room

The only time I felt the presence of frogs was in the evenings, when their ribbit-ribbits rang out from the mangroves across the lake. I knew that they were far away, though and I was able to ignore them. We also stayed in an airconditioned room, so I was spared from having to endure an entire evening of froggy serenades. Some might say that staying in an aircon room totally defeats the purpose of being out there, so close to nature, in a place that is naturally beautiful. To an extent, I agree. I also have to say that the non-aircon rooms are equally beautiful as the ones we stayed in. It also is cool and breezy at night, so the large ceiling fans in most of the rooms really do the trick. But for my own peace of mind, I am so glad that we were in an airconditioned suite.

The funny thing is, I just realized that I have only one photo of our room. It’s not a very good picture, and the room was messy and I think it might have been taken accidentally. I’m also walking through the door at that very moment and, well, it’s really an unflattering shot.

We were on the second floor of the Gumamela Suites, a large cottage with a total of four rooms in it. Each room can be booked separately, or you can opt to rent the entire Gumamela house like we did, if you are a big group. All in all, I think we were 9 adults and 2 kids, and we still had enough space to squeeze more people in. The rooms look exactly the same, except that we had a queen bed upstairs, while the downstairs rooms had twin beds. The rooms downstairs had a bigger alfresco space, with a dining area as well as a balcony with a hammock. All rooms also had a daybed with a pullout, and there were additional daybeds out on the balconies.

Here’s little CJ, relaxing on a hammock (This photo belongs to Cy de Jesus)

2. The View

The great thing about having a balcony is that it offered us a magnificent view of the lake. It’s so relaxing, just lounging on the day beds and hammocks, watching people paddle by on bamboo rafts, and just enjoying the stillness. It’s a big, welcome change from the chaos that we face every day in the city.

The Pavilion, as seen from our rooms (This photo belongs to Cy de Jesus)

3. No TV!

No, I’m not crazy. I really did say that one of my favorite things about this place is the absence of TV sets in the rooms. I tend to get annoyed when my companions zone out in front of the screen and lock themselves in the room when we’re on vacation. After all, we are there to spend time with one another, to talk and take photos, build memories and enjoy each others’ company. Without a TV in sight, we had to go and find other things that we could do, and more often than not, those turned out to be things that we did together, like fishing! You can fish from the first floor balcony of the Gumamela Suite, and I think that the adults had more fun doing this than the children did. On the first night, the de Jesus’ caught a small fish, which was thrown back into the water after a quick photo op. If you don’t feel like fishing, you can go swimming, check out the museum, and just explore the grounds. There’s a lot to see at Villa Escudero, and lots of nice places for photo ops, too!

Here’s Little MrC, fishing on our last morning at the resort

Here are Faye and Bubuy de Jesus, rafting down the river (This photo belongs to Cy de Jesus)

4. Yummy Filipino Food

This is a great place to bring balikbayans, if only for the yummy Pinoy dishes they serve buffet style each day. For an overnight stay, you get one meal at the waterfalls, same as the day visitors. Then dinner and breakfast are served in the pavilion, which is the same place where they hold the cultural presentation. Because we arrived late in the afternoon, we missed lunch on the first day. Then on the second day, we joined the pavilion lunch group instead of using our waterfall stubs because we were in the middle of preparing for the wedding, and it seemed like a really silly idea going down to the falls with full makeup on. You can read about lunch at the waterfalls from one of my previous visits here.

Enjoying breakfast with my mom- and dad-in-law

5. Excellent Service and Super Friendly Staff

One thing I look for in any place I visit is hospitality from their staff. This is, after all, part of their jobs, being that they are in the hospitality industry. I hate it when I see restaurant, resort or hotel employees who look so unhappy to be there, and are so unapproachable. The people at Villa Escudero are the complete opposite, always smiling, greeting the guests, and granting our requests. They are eager to answer questions about the food, the resort, and the available activities. The great service that they provided really helped to make our stay there extra pleasant.

The thing about Villa Escudero is that it’s quite pricey. You can check out the published rates on their website here. The package does include full-board buffet meals though, and you have access to the different amenities of the resort, plus you get to experience the carabao cart ride. I think that it’s worth saving up for if this is the sort of weekend escape that you are looking for – outdoorsy, but not all that rural. It’s a perfect retreat for city dwellers like me, who are too attached to certain luxuries and creature comforts to go camping, but would like to spend an evening or two surrounded by nature.

Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort
San Pablo City, Philippines

Manila Office: 1059 Estrada Street, Malate 1004 Metro Manila
Phone: (632) 521-0830 / (632) 523-0392 / (632) 523-2944
Fax: (632) 521-869
E-mail: info@villaescudero.com
Provincial Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4 San Pablo City 400, Philippines

An Enchanting Taal Vista Evening and our Staycation, Day2

September 19, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

In case you missed it, please check out yesterday’s post about our first day at Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay. I ask you to do this because I need for you to see the gorgeous (but blurry, sorry) photo of the hotel garden at night. Notice the path of lights and the tent-like structure on the right side of the photo? That’s where we had dinner during our Tagaytay staycation.

That was the special surprise that our hosts, Celine and Treena, Chef Edwin, and the rest of their team at Taal Vista Hotel put together for us. It was such a magical setup, perfect for a proposal, an anniversary celebration, or any ordinary night when you want your special someone to feel extra special. Yup, you can have the hotel arrange a beautiful dinner under the stars for you. So romantic! It was a great anniversary dinner for MrC and I, although we had to share it with the rest of our group haha!

A Special September Weekend at Taal Vista Hotel: Our Anniversary Celebration, Year Two

September 18, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 21 Comments

Before anything else, I have to apologize because this post is a few days late. I was supposed to publish this last Sunday, but then I got sick and really wasn’t able to function properly until, well, now. So this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for a few days, but the good news is (and believe me, it’s good news for you guys too, you’ll find out why later), it is finally here. This is the story of our Taal Vista Hotel Staycation!

MrsC Loves Taal Vista Hotel — Taal Vista Hotel, I LOVE you!

Road Trip to Villa Escudero

August 4, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

One of the fun things about planning my sister-in-law’s wedding is getting to go on family road trips for the planning and prenup sessions. Their wedding will take place in Villa Escudero, a place that brings back many happy memories from when I was younger. One of my favorite trips there was with the whole of my dad’s side of the family when my grandmother was still alive. Here’s a photo of my cousins and I with our Lola on that trip, many years and several pounds ago.

lol2 — This was in 2003 or 2004, I think.

Baguio Birthday Weekend: La Trinidad’s Strawberry Fields

March 27, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

Cue Beatles music! Let me take you down coz we’re going to… Yes, I know, I’m corny.

The boys and I visited the Strawberry Fields at La Trinidad, Beguet on the second day of our Baguio weekend escape. We went while the rest of Baguio City was still at Session Road for the float parade, and so there weren’t that many people during our visit. I read that it can get really crowded so we planned our schedule well, and I am really happy we did that.

LaTrinidad-19 — Welcome to the Strawberry Fields!

When we got there, the first thing I noticed as soon as I got out of the car was that I could smell the strawberries from the parking lot. I kid you not. When we approached the closest stall, I wasn’t surprised at how yummy the whole place smelled. The strawberries were super red, super big and super ripe. Just thinking about them now makes my mouth water.

After seeing those boxes of strawberries, we got even more excited about picking our own. And so, we were realy disappointed when the first person we asked informed us that strawberry picking would cost us Php400 per person. That’s Php1,200 for the three of us. That included only a kilo of strawberries in our baskets, and we’d have to pay extra if we get more than one kilo’s worth. Ouch right? So we backed away from this stall and started to walk around.

My biggest concern was how I would explain to Little Mr C that we could only walk in the fields and not pick our own berries. He was super excited, and I knew that he would be disappointed for sure. It’s a good thing Mr C thought to ask someone else for the strawberry picking rates. The second person told us that the group rate Php350, and that included a kilo of strawberries. So yay, off we went to the middle of the field with our little baskets!

LaTrinidad-2 — Little Mr C leading the way!

LaTrinidad-1 — We were blessed with good weather that morning, with just the right amount of fog so it was nice and cool.

When we finally arrived at our little patch of strawberries, our guide explained how to properly pick them. You apparently should twist the stem and not pull. If the stem breaks off easily then they are sure to be nice and sweet. Of course, the little guy asked if he could taste one as soon as he successfully plucked one out of the ground. Our guide explained to him that the berries needed to be washed first before they can be eaten because they’ve been exposed to dirt and bugs.

LaTrinidad-4 — My whole outfit, except for the sneakers and the bag, was sponsored by my in-laws. They always send me nice clothes from the US. 🙂

LaTrinidad-10 — See my super full basket? I really made an effort to collect as many as I could!

LaTrinidad-8 — Getting some help from Ate.

LaTrinidad-9 — Yay for two full baskets!

On our way back to the selling area, I noticed that you can also pick lettuce. Our guide told us that we could even pick flowers if we wanted to, but we decided we’d try doing that another time. It was close to noon and we were starting to get hungry.

We ended up paying a little over Php600 for our 2++ kilos of strawberries and that super fun experience. Super worth it, if you ask me. After we paid, we checked out the stalls around the area. They were selling basically the same things you would find in Minesview and in the market – brooms, knitted and crocheted stuff, and those icky frog wallets, among other things.

I wanted to make the most out of our experience, and that included trying all the strawberry flavored stuff they were selling. It was quite uncharacteristic of me to have my kid eat taho (super sort tofu with syrup and tapioca pearls) and sorbetes (ice cream, usually sold on the street and also known as dirty ice cream) because he and I have sensitive stomachs. The yummy experience is usually not worth the risk. Maybe it was the fog, but somehow my usual precautions were thrown to the wind that day, and the three of us happily enjoyed strawberry flavored taho and ice cream. Of course, when my dad saw our photos afterwards, he just had to point out that we didn’t get sick from the unknown/possibly unfiltered/unfamiliar Baguio water that they used.

LaTrinidad-14 — The happy, hyper vendors of La Trinidad.

LaTrinidad-13 — Strawberry flavored sorbetes, aka dirty ice cream.

LaTrinidad-12 — He thinks it’s super yummy!

We made one last round of the fruit and vegetable stalls after our snack. I really wanted to buy veggies to bring home, but since we would be staying in Baguio for another full day, I was worried that they might wilt. We did buy a couple of bags of oranges from one stall. We just couldn’t say no because they were so sweet and juicy!

LaTrinidad-17 — Lots of fresh veggies for sale.

There was one last thing I just had to do in La Trinidad, something I did during my last visit, and that I had been dreaming about since then. Take note that my last visit was in 2005. Lol. I just had to have some sweet corn! It’s still the best sweet corn I’ve ever had, but honestly, I don’t know if it really is that good, or if it just tastes extra yummy bundled with our great La Trinidad experience.

If you find yourself visiting Baguio anytime soon, do plan a trip to La Trinidad. It’s only a few minutes away from the city by car, and you’re guaranteed a really fun time, specially if you’re headed there with kids.