Tag Archives: family trip

Random Saturday: Brick Wood Fire Bistro Ph

Standard
Random Saturday: Brick Wood Fire Bistro Ph

Opted to have a merienda-dinner somewhere near our place, but it rained and the place we’re headed has no roofs. We decided to try this other al fresco place called Brick Wood Fire Bistro Ph. Searchable on Waze / Google Maps, you can easily spot their big signage along Tirona Highway, its located at JS Ville Subdivision, Habay 1, Bacoor, Cavite.. near/behind SM Bacoor.

Corner Lot

The place is easy to locate, few parking spaces available along the street only. Went there on a Saturday around 5:00 pm, was able to park and we’re the only customers. Kids are allowed but they encourage to have a prior reservation. In our case, we just walked-in and they still allowed our toddler but we’re seated on a separate room. We asked if we could be seated outside somewhere far, since it’s hotter inside the room.. but they told us that guests with kids were usually separated for health protocol/safety reasons, we did not insisted anymore. Though on some posts, we saw babies, toddlers, kids seated on the al fresco area. Actually my toddler roamed around their place too while waiting for our food. They also discourage posting of photos online with kids, but we’re the only guests during our visit so I think that’s okay.

Overall the place and ambiance is above average, prettier in actual than Facebook posts but it’s smaller. We can agree their place looks so nice, it’s like your not in Bacoor area. But in our case, we did not experienced the al fresco dining fully since we’re seated inside the room, one big fan stood beside our table. It got even hotter when the kitchen beside the room prepared our orders. Big flies were flying around our food, so we have to focus shooing them away instead of enjoying our food. Mosquitoes were under the table, we asked to turn on one of their mosquito-insect killer lamp.

“Your al fresco bistro” is the motto below their name, well they can portray it. Their menu features American, Texan, and some Pinoy choices. Since we’re the only customers that time, we did not wait that long for our food, though they advised us that food preparation especially for pizzas (30-45 minutes) takes longer, since it’s made there from scratch.

We ordered their best sellers – Brick Wood Baby Back Ribs, Totopos Tostados Light, Quattro Formaggi, Fried Calamari, and their Angus T-Bone Steak with fries and salad, the waiter showed and asked us to choose from their frozen steaks. As a compliment from their management, they gave us Churros Con Chocolate-eh and Avocado Lime Cheesecake for taste test, they are yet to sell the new cake flavor in the market.

Angus T-Bone Steak 316 grams with salad and fries as sides.

Generous portions indeed and can feed 2-3 persons, delicious dishes, cooked well, nice presentation.. we’re fully satisfied. The Brick Wood Baby Back Ribs quickly became our favorite and the Angus T-Bone Steak was really yummy. Note that they sell steaks by the grams, so you won’t get surprised on the billing. 🙂 Their pricing is a bit high compared to other food places in Bacoor. But we can say that it’s priced fair enough, you get what you pay for, food and portions is satisfying.

Half-slab Brick Wood Baby Back Ribs, our fave real quick.
A closer look on Angus T-Bone Steak (the ketchup was for the fries hehe)

If you’re looking for a nearby place, something special to celebrate an occasion, or if you just feel like dining for some good food, Brick Wood is there to satisfy that. I don’t think it’s recommendable for family with babies/toddlers, they don’t have high-chairs, it’s a bit inconvenient to dine, given the pandemic situation and protocols we have to follow. We’d say visit them on weekdays if you want to avoid crowds or in the early opening hours if you really want to go on a weekend. It’s recommendable to couples, friends, families with older children. I’ve been following their Facebook page for sometime now since I really like their theme and food posts. I was saving our visit for a special day but unexpectedly we got to try their place other than my target al fresco/cafes much nearer to our place, all thanks to that Saturday afternoon rain hehe. Overall, we can give them a thumbs up. 👍

Hope you find this helpful and please rate our post. Thanks!

A Refreshing Pause

Standard
A Refreshing Pause

March, the usual month that simply says it’s the start of summer or dry season here in Philippines and as Daddy Dear’s birth month makes it even extra special. He wanted to celebrate it outdoors but still with safety. A hidden place of our own, “Kaja, let’s go to Amadeo!”

We chose to look for nearby stays and just within Cavite, it’s still inconvenient to travel far given the pandemic travel guidelines per LGU. So we went to Amadeo, it’s a municipality in Cavite, also known as coffee capital of the Philippines. It’s close to Tagaytay, so also expect cold weather less the crowd and surrounded by more greens. Going there is just one to one and a half hour drive away if you’re from the south. I found this place at airbnb, they have an awesome pool photo that really caught my attention. We booked directly with them and got a promo for our overnight accommodation. Checked in from Sunday to Monday, we are their only guest. 🙂

Going there is better if you have a private car, it’s tucked away from the highway and you have to go through alleyways. Upon entering the main gate, make sure to follow their guard’s direction. It’s like a big compound with several properties inside, I even saw some residences there.

Since it’s a garden place, you feel so serene, it’s like you’re hidden from the busy life, as if you’re not in Cavite anymore. The buildings, facilities are kinda new since they only opened 2018 and all are well maintained. We’re supposed to check in 2:00pm, but they hard a time cleaning and sanitizing the rooms due to previous guests that exclusively rented all the rooms and whole resort. After one hour of waiting, the manager saw us at the reception area and took us to their cafe, she offered coffee and ube pandesal as their apologies and compliments. We don’t want stress though we’re a bit disappointed on a rough start, it’s okay and besides we have the whole place for 2 days.

They have unlimited Amadeo brewed coffee, but it’s only available at the cafe. We rode their “golf cart” when going to our room, it’s a bit far from the main area and pool. The room has 2 beds, it can accommodate 4 persons, it’s spacious and we love the balcony with a view of trees. You can hear birds in the morning and insects at night. They have available room service for food especially at night, when you don’t want to go out anymore.

The main feature of their place for me is the pool, picture perfect and classy. The surrounding area is also clean even up to the comfort rooms, they also provide pool towels. Just be brave enough to swim in the cool water and be kissed by cool breeze when going out of the water haha. They also have several venues for birthdays, weddings, even a camping grounds. Actually, it’s not a resort, more like an events place that also offers accommodations. The food serving is a bit generous, one plated meal can serve up to 2 persons. Meals are good and somewhat tastes like those in catering, especially the roast beef. Breakfast is just the usual but still with big servings.

Our overall stay is nice, we felt safe and relaxed, their staff are also hospitable. Our toddler loves to swim in the pool and she can easily sleep on the wooden swing 🙂 Do try their delicious Ube Pandesal and I think they also sell Amadeo coffee. Some points that can be improved: The resort doesn’t have a wifi yet, but I think they are already on the installation process. Data connection is fast only at the main areas, poor signal inside the room. Given their room rates, at least offer free breakfast for overnight stays. Since accommodations are far from the main areas, be prepared to walk, their golf cart is not always available. For room service or food orders, you have to text them. Bringing of food and drinks inside the resort is not allowed.

Here’s a short video of ours during our stay at Montvida Garden and Events Place. For inquiries, visit their page at Montvida Garden and Events Place | Facebook

Please rate this post, thanks!

Baby’s Staycation: La Bella

Standard
Baby’s Staycation: La Bella

A fresh post from our last weekend’s gala with baby. We saw this place featured at GMA News TV’s – Poptalk, and it got me at first look. We decided to book an overnight stay to celebrate my birthday and baby’s recent baptismal.

La Bella is located at Tagaytay, near the Radar Station and Puzzle Mansion. It’s a developing residential and commercial compound tucked from the main road, just entering their gates will give you that relaxing and posh vibe.

This & the library cafe are closed on Mondays

They have a boutique hotel, residential condo units, restaurants, library cafe, spa and soon they will also have an organic market filled with other unique stuff for sale.

Main Bedroom

Bedroom 2

View from our balcony

Booking a unit or room at La Bella is easy, but they sell up fast so better plan your trip ahead. Going here on weekdays is better. Dear prefers our unit at Wind Residences since it’s bigger and higher but I kinda liked La Bella’s ambiance more. We had a Sunday-Monday stay but there are still many guests at the compound.

Aside from the establishments found within the compound, the main attraction here is the swimming pool. It has a unique and modern style with a glass design perfect for your “awrahan” pictures haha. They also have a jacuzzi at the hotel’s penthouse, the rental I think costs from Php1,000.00 up and if we visit La Bella again, I’m thinking of trying this one.

The place has a Santorini theme and I’m lovin’ the architectural style, their interiors..it’s uncommon. Since it’s a smaller compound with lots of greens, it has a serene and calming feeling. Opposite to Dear’s preference of being on a high-rise tower and close to well known establishments.

Instagrammable, as what the millennials label on hip and trendy places, that’s what you’ll have during your stay at La Bella. But for me, I just love the place for being so unique and again, relaxing.

Another unforgettable moment on this staycation is our baby’s first swimming, yey! She’s 4 months old now and another experience was added, her parents likes to swim..especially her mom 😂

Thanks for reading, please rate our post.

Baby’s Staycation: SMDC Wind Residences

Standard
Baby’s Staycation: SMDC Wind Residences

New parents still with an itch to travel or just roam around, but this time with a baby. And that’s the upgraded version of Kaja Let’s Go Baby! What better way of roaming around is to just have a quick staycation in the metro or nearby provinces.

Our bundle of joy

We all know that raising an infant is no joke, and so we tend to go on the safer side of traveling, let’s just start first with staycations then as she grows, we’ll eventually shift to another levels hehe.

This is a late post, we visited Tagaytay again, the nearest to our place for a holiday or just over the weekend. It was Black Saturday to Easter Sunday, we booked a unit at SMDC Wind Residences via AirBnB app.

We started our Saturday by visiting my favorite chapel in Tagaytay at Little Souls Sisters Convent. Then, we had lunch at Concha’s Garden Cafe since check in time at the unit is still at 2:00pm.

It was Black Saturday, we expected more guests checking in, there was a line and the lobby of Tower 4’s flocked with arriving and leaving guests. It’s already near 3:00pm when we entered the unit, you can see the entire unit’s photos below.

The lobby

We booked this one bedroom unit during Good Friday at Php2,500-3,000 price range, I can’t recall the exact amount since it was Dear who reserved. It’s located at the 8th floor of Tower 4, with Taal Lake’s view.

We did not roamed around the compound of Wind Residences, we just went to the nearby Hypermarket to buy groceries for the night and Pizza Hut on the ground floor. Baby’s 2 months old when we had this trip and so we chose to stay indoors and enjoy the very cold air-conditioning of the unit hehe, simply rest overnight and have family bonding.

Parking area is a bit far from the towers, you’d have to ride their shuttle or just walk like Dear did. The clubhouse and pool area, is near the parking area, and as expected it was flocked again with guests of all ages.Overall, the booked unit is nice, it gave all the necessities one should have during an overnight stay. It’s a spacious unit that can fit even up to 5 persons, they also have 2 mattresses aside from the bed. It has a basic interior and not located in higher floors but good enough for a quick stay. We checked out earlier than 12:00pm to avoid other guests at the lobby.

View from the unit at noon time

Sunset time

P.S. Sharing my pregnancy and after pregnancy photos, taken on the same spot🙂

37 weeks belly and it popped

4.5 months belly and a 2 months old baby

See you on our next Tagaytay post! Please rate, thanks! ☺️

Paniman Beach – One of Ternate’s Forgotten Cove

Standard
Paniman Beach – One of Ternate’s Forgotten Cove

Summertime is here once again. But due to our everyday busy lives, traffic, and other hassle, we tend to get lazy in going out of town trips. Worry no more, we found another cove located near the metro with a lesser crowd. “Kaja let’s go” to Paniman Beach at Ternate, Cavite!

19437693_10211776042301138_1487399938524028133_n

When we hear Ternate, the first place that comes to our mind is the well known Boracay de Cavite. However, since that cove became exposed to the public, beach goers tend to flock on that place especially during weekends and holidays. Well, if you’re also a 90s kid, you may be familiar with Puerto Azul, and this is where Paniman Beach is located. It was Black Saturday and a few days without work so we opt to have a bit of vitamin sea 🙂

29683339_10211776044901203_2760221901302345590_n

Getting there

  • Via private car – Simply type in Paniman Beach on your Waze app. Once you see the signage of Puerto Azul, head on to that entrance gate and a guard will approach you. There are also signage inside the Puerto Azul compound when going to Paniman or it’s other coves.
  • Via commute – From the Coastal bus terminal, ride a bus going to Ternate. From Ternate terminal, you can hire a tricycle going to Puerto Azul. Though we’re not so sure if they allow the tricycles inside the compound since we did not saw any.

29597464_10211776044261187_2689660931557130707_n.jpg

We left Bacoor at 5:00am and arrived at Paniman around 7:30am, pee-break/stop over included. We suggest that you bring your own car / rent a car when going to Paniman Beach for convenience.

27066965_10211776047541269_1945000008327396519_n

The Beach

Paniman Beach management does not allow overnight trips, it has been implemented for 3 years now. Day tour hours is from 8:00am to 5:00pm and they are open daily. There are no hotels inside the cove but there are plenty of cottages to chill. You can bring your own tent, what’s good is that there is no tent pitching fee compared to other resorts. But if you’re looking for an overnight place to stay in Ternate or inside the Puerto Azul compound, there is Caysubic Beach Resort, with full amenities that a beach resort has to offer. Paniman has an entrance fee of Php 300.00 per head, no corkage fee, no cottage fees. There is a shower room but needs a little maintenance, and we think the water supply also comes from the sea, since it’s a bit salty and leaves a sticky feeling in your skin. The cove also has it’s own store, videoke machine, rentals for tents/plastic chairs & tables.

29791842_10211776043661172_2642552829548157450_n.jpg

The sand is greyish brown, darker compared to further beach coves in Ternate. But still we chose Paniman due to it’s quiet ambiance, chill mood, hassle free stay. We stayed at the beach almost half a day only but we’re already solved and recharged.

29573385_10211776042421141_8076985435801917193_n

29570839_10211776045421216_4111856721572703981_n

Still, we’re also looking forward to explore other coves here in Cavite. Paniman Beach may seem like a forgotten or abandoned resort but it’s also a recommendable place if you’re looking for a beach and chill experience, or simply want to take a break from the city’s stress. You can also visit Kaybiang Tunnel after your beach trip, it’s 5 to 6 kms away from Paniman. Overall, we give this place a big thumbs up!

29570569_10211776042901153_6607571665376094035_n

Please rate our post, thanks 🙂

Larga Laiya

Standard
Larga Laiya

Family outing? A quick beach getaway near Manila? Batangas is the common answer for that. Plenty of beach resorts to choose from and stay with. For now, we will take you to San Juan, Batangas or commonly known as Laiya, so “Kaja let’s go!”.

17862344_10209203803476775_5235505206581218360_n.jpg

We had a hassle free family trip for the holy week and my father’s birthday celebration. A 2-3 hours drive away from the metro and you’ll find the coastal town of San Juan, Batangas and from there, you can find Barangay Laiya.

As mentioned, plenty of beach resorts can be found there, with different price ranges. Laiya tends to be crowded during weekends and holidays, so it’s better to have a reservation prior your trip. There are also locals by the road offering cottages, private resorts (ala Pansol, Laguna style) but we recommend to directly transact with your chosen resort instead.

17799027_10209203795716581_8345600863568066748_n

We walked in at One Laiya Beach Resort, day tour was our plan but since they are so accommodating, we booked a beachfront room for an overnight stay. Room rate starts at P5,000.00 with air-condition and own bathroom. The room is recommendable for family trips since you have privacy, no need to fall in line at the common CR.

17952861_10209203833237519_3514959588036919626_n

Compared to other beach resorts, One Laiya has the affordable rates and good enough for a family overnight stay. They also charge a P100.00 entrance fee for adults, but senior citizens and children below 12 years old are free. You won’t get these offer from other known resorts. Bringing of own food is allowed, they don’t charge corkage fee, grill area can be used for free. You can max out the persons capacity on the room, you can bring your own mattress and pitching of tent is allowed free of charge too.

The resort is nice for your needed beach getaway. They don’t have a swimming pool but the beach will do, long shoreline to walk around, cottages to hang out, volleyball & water activities are also available. The beach is also child friendly since water is calm and shallow. Don’t expect a white sand and clear water at Laiya, but the place can make you feel relaxed enough for the weekend.

Day tour and weekday trips are recommendable at Laiya. Be it solo, couple, friends or with family, head on for just a quick chill and drive away from your stress. It’s also advisable to bring your own car, for own travel convenience and lessen fare expense, as going to Laiya via commuting can be a bit hard.

Thanks for reading, kindly rate this post. 🙂

17952715_10209203799636679_1889583115484330679_n

Happy 2015, family’s holiday off!

Standard
Happy 2015, family’s holiday off!

Welcoming the new year & celebrating our Nanay’s dual citizenship, hello 2015! Here’s a summarized post of our family’s trip to the Summer Capital of the Philippines, “Kaja let’s go to Baguio City!”
This trip was planned years ago and repeatedly cancelled because of my father’s hectic schedule of passengers. Finally, as a welcome to the new year & my mom’s 60th birthday celebration, our family bonding pushed through. Our last visit here was year 2011 with my sister’s family and this time, it’s with my brother’s family.

Before going up to Baguio City, we attended the 1st morning mass at 5:30am of December 31, 2014 at Manaoag Shrine, Pangasinan. Glad that we were blessed in our front row seats since we usually attend the mass here outside the church. This was also part of our commitment to my mother as a birthday gift to her.

_DSC0002

Manaoag Shrine

We will no longer include the Getting There / Commuting portion of our usual blog post, since going to Baguio City’s already a giveaway nowadays. We went to Baguio with our private car via NLEX, SCTEX and the new TPLEX. For commuters,  several bus lines like Victory Liner will get you there w/ a round trip bus fare of P 1,000.00 each.

Accommodation

10891830_10203641313538003_5013653954849591688_n

The city’s known for transient houses, a match for groups / families looking for a homey and budget friendly place to stay, like we did. For those who still opt for more comfort, several inns and hotels ranging from low to high class are also found in the city. We stayed at the humble place of Aling Mila located at Barangay Gibraltar near Mines View Park and Good Shepherd. The house has 2 bed rooms, living & dining room, 1 bathroom w/ heater, kitchen w/ basic kitchen equipment & utensils.

 

Touring the City of Pines & it’s neighbors

  • Day 1 – All tired and spent by resting at home. Dine, drunk, bonfire, welcomed the year 2015 🙂

doesn't look like a lion anymore

doesn’t look like a lion anymore

  • Day 2 –  Lourdes Grotto; Bell Church; Strawberry Farm; Sitio La Presa

We toured most of the spots outside Baguio City, this is to maximize time and avoid lesser traffic. Bell Church and Strawberry Farm are located in La Trinidad. While Sitio La Presa is situated atop the Kabuyao Mountain which might take some of your time, best if you come here in the morning or finish your tour before sunset. You may also check our post about Sitio Pungayan a.k.a Sitio La Presa 🙂

10906366_10203641316018065_462707741018060541_n.jpg

10911446_10203641319978164_4501225187326773345_o.jpg

 

  • Day 2 – PMA; White House; The Manor @ Camp John Hay; Burnham Park

As the tourists seemed to flock the city after the new year’s eve, we now roamed the spots near our transient house. We skipped other places because of the traffic building up, it’s all about smart planning.

Day 3 – Baguio Cathedral; The Mansion; Wright Park; Good Shepherd; Mines View Park

This was my mom’s birthday and so we attended the 1st mass at 6:00am to start the celebration. The Mansion and Wright Park is ours since it’s still early, we did some trademark photo-ops while waiting for the Good Shepherd’s opening at 8:30 am. After pasalubong shopping, we ended our Baguio trip by enjoying the nice view we had at Mines View Park.

_DSC0418

All thanks to the TPLEX and my father’s driving skills, we arrived in Manila after 4 hours, whoa! Then we had our late lunch treat for my mom at Toho in Binondo. Our family’s holiday off was one memorable bonding trip we had, and indeed it was a memorable birthday experience for my mom too.

Baguio City has really turned into a tourist magnet, consistent throughout the years. Just noticed that the place is getting denser in our every visit, the ambiance as well is very city-like, comparing it to the old Baguio vibe when we were still young. But still, the easy access to cold weather vacation spot for every Pinoy is at Baguio City.

Enjoy the remaining chilly days of the country, thanks for reading our post 🙂

10888890_10203641316898087_630742228985374121_n.jpg