As I have nothing better to do I decided to go out and take a trip at least once a month. Last January it was in HK. February was Tagaytay.
How did Tagaytay happen? Well, I was looking through some group buying sites and I noticed a deal for a bed and breakfast in Tagaytay. Since I haven't done any picture taking, and the deal was pretty okay, I decided to buy a voucher and go with a friend.
The voucher included the following:
- 3d2n stay at Las Ventanas Bed and Breakfast
- Welcome drinks
- Breakfast and Dinner included
- 2 sessions of 1 hour massage
- Use of the pool
Actually, seeing the massage was all I needed to buy the voucher. :P
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Las Ventanas Tagaytay
#238 Pag-ibig Street, Brgy. Francisco Tagaytay City
Tel. No.: (02) 782-9845
Mobile No.: 0932-8558641
Email: lasventanas11@yahoo.com
How to get there by car:
Take Sta. Rosa exit towards Tagaytay. When you reach Tagaytay City Market (where there are stalls selling flowers), look for Collettes sign at the left side of the road. There is a narrow road beside the sign - Pag-ibig Street. Enter the street, straight downwards and you will end up at the gate of Las Ventanas (red gate).
How to get there by public transportation:
Take express shuttle from Star Mall. Ask them the one that will pass Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road. Get down the Tagaytay City Market and walk across the street towards Collettes. Enter the road beside Collettes (there is also a small Las Ventanas tarp). Walk going down. The road ends at the gate of Las Ventanas (red gate).
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The location. Las Ventanas is situated at the end of a small road near Tagaytay City Market. Finding the small road wasn't difficult, but because we weren't sure how far from the main road it was (and also the fact that there were a couple of red gates along the small road), we had to ask the guard along the way. Upon finding the correct red gate, we honked the horn to let them know that we were already there (this was specified in the email they sent us). The main gates are always closed as a form of security measure. The place has no wifi, but cellular signal was strong enough that I was getting 3G signals on most areas. Cellular data in the room isn't that strong, so I usually have to go out of the room when I need to use the internet.
The guard opened the gates for us. We gave him our vouchers and after checking the voucher we were escorted inside. We parked the car in a small parking lot (which could hold roughly 4-6 cars), and proceeded to the lobby/dining area. There we were given complementary drinks (a small glass of mango juice - which I forgot to take a picture of), and were escorted to our room.
Las Ventanas has 3 bungalow-type buildings (called casitas), arranged in a circular fashion (with a center piece in the middle). Our room was situated at Bahay na Tisa, which was the middle casita. There were three rooms in that casita, and we got the middle one (we got the middle of the middle).
The Pool. Outside the casitas is the pool. It was a small, bean-shaped pool. Nothing really spectacular about it. We didn't dip into the pool though because the water was pretty cold and it doesn't look like it was clean - although maybe it was just me being maarte. Then again, I completely forgot to bring any swimming clothes so I had another excuse. :P
The room. The room had pretty bare furnishings - a bed, two side drawers (which were very low) with a lamp, an electric fan and a cabinet with a wind chime ornament on top. We didn't use the cabinet coz it smelled a bit dusty or mouldy - besides we didn't really have a lot of clothes because we weren't staying that long. Aside from the bed (and pillows), there was a blanket and 2 small towels provided. There were no air conditioning units - well you're in Tagaytay so there's really no need for that anyway. There are no other electronic appliances other than the lamps and the electric fan - no television or radio (there is, however, a television at the dining area). There are also a limited number of outlets - one behind the cabinet and another behind the bed. This actually makes sense since the theme of the place seems to be of getting away from technology and getting into nature.
The bathroom and toilet were located outside the room, on open air. It was kinda reminiscent of how toilets and bathrooms are in the provinces (except, of course, that it wasn't made of bamboos and interwoven coconut leaves). The doors for the bathroom and toilets were different, but there are no locks. Also if you're paranoid like me, you'll find the scenario pretty unnerving at night - just imagine that it's dark, you're in the province-like scenario, and that you can see what's outside - enough for me not to take a shower at night. The light switches were situated literally behind the door, which makes it difficult for you to open the lights once it gets dark - what we did was open them while the sun was still up. Another thing that we noticed is that the water from the shower wasn't very strong, especially around 10am-12nn. At one point we had to request for a pail so that we can collect the water before taking a bath.
One thing that we didn't really think about was the number of gadgets we had with us. Because my intention was to take pictures in Tagaytay I brought my camera and tripod, also my mac. When we got there, we were advised not to leave any valuables behind, so most of the time when we go out I would have to bring all my stuff. I took it to heart that I would even bring all of them in the dining area. It wasn't really that much of a bother for me since the dining area isn't that far from the rooms, but if you're the type of person that would prefer to leave all your items on your room, then I suggest not bringing too many valuables.
The food. During the afternoon (or when you head over to the dining area), an attendant will head over and ask you what you want for dinner and breakfast the next day (no, there are no buffet food). For our first night we had chicken teriyaki, and for breakfast I had hotsilog (hotdog, fried rice, and egg) and my friend got longsilog ( longganisa, fried rice, and egg) . For the second night we had sinigang na hipon and for breakfast my friend and I switched orders. I think the attendants need to get your orders in advance so that they can appropriate the food properly.
The food was delicious. It had a homey feel to it. It was like eating in your own home which made the experience worthwhile. Additionally the food was spiced just right - not too salty, not too sweet, not too sour. The sinigang na hipon was delicious that I had to order another cup of rice. For most people the portions are also sized just right. I couldn't really say if it would be worth the buck because our voucher had these included. Dinner drinks weren't included in the voucher though so we had to buy some drinks for dinner. They have a couple of selections on the menu, but they're not like house specialties. If you want you could probably also just buy your drinks at the nearest 7-11 joint (which shouldn't be that far from the area).
The massage. The attendants will ask you what time you wish to have your massage done. They provide a time range when the masseur are available, so you just need to pick within that time. What we did is we had the massage before having dinner; that way we will have our appetite.
The first night we thought that the massage was a 2-hour massage for 3d2n packages. We were surprised to find out that it was 2 sessions of 1 hour massages, one for each day. I was thinking that the second session would be a bit of a waste since the first one should have already taken care of it, but I was wrong. The first night, all the tensed muscles have been relaxed, and on the second night it was relaxed even more.
The massage area is in a small casita situated past the 3 other casitas. The entrance is beside the third room in Bahay na Tisa, a small, black steel gate that is normally closed. An attendant will knock on your room and fetch you when the agreed time came, and they will escort you the massage area. The massage area is a small room with a curtain divider, each partition having 2 beds each. It also has a toilet and bathroom similar to the other casitas. They also have a small ladder where you place your clothes (you'll have to strip to your undies for the massage).
I could say that the massage was really good. I thought that after the first massage I would be feeling sore the day after, but surprisingly my muscles felt relaxed and I didn't feel any pain. The attendants must have magic hands or something. One thing I did notice though is that when the massage is over they don't tell you, so you might end up just lying in there and wondering if the massage was indeed done.
Overall. Las Ventanas is a good place to stay if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Although the rooms are bare it gives you a sense of how it feels to live in the province. True to it's word of getting away from technology it doesn't offer any wifi service and mobile cellular data aren't very reliable in the room - which in a sense forces you to enjoy your time away from it all. The massage they also offer also helps relax those tired and weary muscles. Food is also reminiscent of the food at home, adding more to the homey ambience of the place. If you want something different and want to get away from technology for a while, this is a good place to stay.
How did Tagaytay happen? Well, I was looking through some group buying sites and I noticed a deal for a bed and breakfast in Tagaytay. Since I haven't done any picture taking, and the deal was pretty okay, I decided to buy a voucher and go with a friend.
The voucher included the following:
- 3d2n stay at Las Ventanas Bed and Breakfast
- Welcome drinks
- Breakfast and Dinner included
- 2 sessions of 1 hour massage
- Use of the pool
Actually, seeing the massage was all I needed to buy the voucher. :P
===========================================
Las Ventanas Tagaytay
#238 Pag-ibig Street, Brgy. Francisco Tagaytay City
Tel. No.: (02) 782-9845
Mobile No.: 0932-8558641
Email: lasventanas11@yahoo.com
How to get there by car:
Take Sta. Rosa exit towards Tagaytay. When you reach Tagaytay City Market (where there are stalls selling flowers), look for Collettes sign at the left side of the road. There is a narrow road beside the sign - Pag-ibig Street. Enter the street, straight downwards and you will end up at the gate of Las Ventanas (red gate).
How to get there by public transportation:
Take express shuttle from Star Mall. Ask them the one that will pass Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road. Get down the Tagaytay City Market and walk across the street towards Collettes. Enter the road beside Collettes (there is also a small Las Ventanas tarp). Walk going down. The road ends at the gate of Las Ventanas (red gate).
===========================================
 |
| The centerpiece. The casita in the background is the Bahay na Tisa |
The location. Las Ventanas is situated at the end of a small road near Tagaytay City Market. Finding the small road wasn't difficult, but because we weren't sure how far from the main road it was (and also the fact that there were a couple of red gates along the small road), we had to ask the guard along the way. Upon finding the correct red gate, we honked the horn to let them know that we were already there (this was specified in the email they sent us). The main gates are always closed as a form of security measure. The place has no wifi, but cellular signal was strong enough that I was getting 3G signals on most areas. Cellular data in the room isn't that strong, so I usually have to go out of the room when I need to use the internet.
 |
What our room looks like
from the outside
|
The guard opened the gates for us. We gave him our vouchers and after checking the voucher we were escorted inside. We parked the car in a small parking lot (which could hold roughly 4-6 cars), and proceeded to the lobby/dining area. There we were given complementary drinks (a small glass of mango juice - which I forgot to take a picture of), and were escorted to our room.
Las Ventanas has 3 bungalow-type buildings (called casitas), arranged in a circular fashion (with a center piece in the middle). Our room was situated at Bahay na Tisa, which was the middle casita. There were three rooms in that casita, and we got the middle one (we got the middle of the middle).
 |
| The pool |
The Pool. Outside the casitas is the pool. It was a small, bean-shaped pool. Nothing really spectacular about it. We didn't dip into the pool though because the water was pretty cold and it doesn't look like it was clean - although maybe it was just me being maarte. Then again, I completely forgot to bring any swimming clothes so I had another excuse. :P
 |
| The bedroom has a queen-sized bed with 4 pillows and a fleece blanket. |
The room. The room had pretty bare furnishings - a bed, two side drawers (which were very low) with a lamp, an electric fan and a cabinet with a wind chime ornament on top. We didn't use the cabinet coz it smelled a bit dusty or mouldy - besides we didn't really have a lot of clothes because we weren't staying that long. Aside from the bed (and pillows), there was a blanket and 2 small towels provided. There were no air conditioning units - well you're in Tagaytay so there's really no need for that anyway. There are no other electronic appliances other than the lamps and the electric fan - no television or radio (there is, however, a television at the dining area). There are also a limited number of outlets - one behind the cabinet and another behind the bed. This actually makes sense since the theme of the place seems to be of getting away from technology and getting into nature.
 |
| Left door is the bathroom. Right door is the toilet. Doors were made of steel and bamboo and has no locks. |
The bathroom and toilet were located outside the room, on open air. It was kinda reminiscent of how toilets and bathrooms are in the provinces (except, of course, that it wasn't made of bamboos and interwoven coconut leaves). The doors for the bathroom and toilets were different, but there are no locks. Also if you're paranoid like me, you'll find the scenario pretty unnerving at night - just imagine that it's dark, you're in the province-like scenario, and that you can see what's outside - enough for me not to take a shower at night. The light switches were situated literally behind the door, which makes it difficult for you to open the lights once it gets dark - what we did was open them while the sun was still up. Another thing that we noticed is that the water from the shower wasn't very strong, especially around 10am-12nn. At one point we had to request for a pail so that we can collect the water before taking a bath.
 |
| The dining/lobby area is a small open-spaced room. It has a couple of small tables and a toilet at the far end. |
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| Sinigang na hipon for dinner. It had a lot of small shrimps good for one bite. |
 |
| Hotsilog for breakfast day 1 |
 |
| Longsilog for breakfast day 2 |
 |
| The tree is serves as the center piece of the dining area/lobby, the pool, and the casitas. |
The first night we thought that the massage was a 2-hour massage for 3d2n packages. We were surprised to find out that it was 2 sessions of 1 hour massages, one for each day. I was thinking that the second session would be a bit of a waste since the first one should have already taken care of it, but I was wrong. The first night, all the tensed muscles have been relaxed, and on the second night it was relaxed even more.
The massage area is in a small casita situated past the 3 other casitas. The entrance is beside the third room in Bahay na Tisa, a small, black steel gate that is normally closed. An attendant will knock on your room and fetch you when the agreed time came, and they will escort you the massage area. The massage area is a small room with a curtain divider, each partition having 2 beds each. It also has a toilet and bathroom similar to the other casitas. They also have a small ladder where you place your clothes (you'll have to strip to your undies for the massage).
I could say that the massage was really good. I thought that after the first massage I would be feeling sore the day after, but surprisingly my muscles felt relaxed and I didn't feel any pain. The attendants must have magic hands or something. One thing I did notice though is that when the massage is over they don't tell you, so you might end up just lying in there and wondering if the massage was indeed done.
 |
| "Please give me some food." |
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