Family Travel Archives - Page 9 of 19

Taal Vista Hotel Review

In my Best Of Tagaytay post, I mentioned Taal Vista Hotel as one of the most family friendly hotels in Tagaytay. We haven’t tried this hotel but Taal Vista Hotel Review that I have been reading are all positive and the amenities (specially the play area and the pool) is perfect for travelers with kids. The accommodation rate was beyond my budget (which is limited to 5k per night) so I never tried booking at the hotel. An opportunity came when I saw a Deal Grocer promo. The promo offers a Deluxe room accommodation with 2 buffet breakfast for only 5000 PhP (or 5k+). Who couldn’t say no to this kind of deal? Without any hesitation, I bought a voucher and booked for a night.

Booking was really fast. I bought the voucher then emailed Taal Vista and they answered within the day. No hassle on booking. In fact, I have to commend them for being considerate. The deal policy states that the accommodation is good for 2 adults and a maximum of two kids sharing bed with parents. From our email exchanges, I made it clear that I have 4 kids and they never mentioned an additional charge. Malambot talaga ang puso ko sa mga hotels na mapagbigay..naranasan ko na kase ma reject sa isang resort just because we have 4 kids! Napakasakit Kuya Eddie!!

Taal Vista Hotel Review

This is the room that we got, one king sized bed + one single bed. It’s located in mountain view building but we have a lake view:

That’s the balcony of our room. The room was located on the farthest side of mountain view building, kaya may view na rin kame of the lake.. a blessing in disguise, I believe. Noong una kase mega reklamo ako na ang layo ng room namin..pero when I woke up to this, nawala lahat ng reklamo ko!

More room photos:

I love Taal Vista Hotel toiletries because I am a sucker for anything brown and corrugated paper! ahaha

Love the mirror hanging on the wall.. perfect for someone who have an eye problem like me.. ang hirap kaya mag make up ng malayo ang salamin at wala kang suot na eyeglasses.

The pool is perfect, here’s a photo from Taal Vista Website:

That is exactly how it looks. I said it was perfect because the pool was divided into two, one area is 2 feet deep and the other one starts at 4 feet deep. I enjoyed swimming with my big boys while keeping an eye on my younger kids..when I say enjoyed, it means, I felt safe letting my kids swim at the pool.

The play area was nice din naman but too small for my rowdy kids.. parang pang 4 years old below lang sya eh. I didn’t mind taking a photo, kase ang gulo ng rubber mats! Dear Taal Vista, please change your rubber mats to a thicker one, madali sya matanggal at nakakadulas ng bata eh

That was the time I met a fellow blogger (who I respect so much) waves at Tina!.. parehas kameng kating kati na maglinis sa play area LOL I guess we caught them off guard.. sabagay that was evening na din, kaya siguro parang na gyera na ang play area.

This is how the play area from Taal Vista Website..di ko ma gets kung saang angulo to kinuha..but it is far from how it looked during our stay. I didn’t got the chance to visit this area the day after… I wish I did so I can see if it changed back to its normal look. Oh well, maybe on our next visit.

I was thinking na sana may outdoor playground, but this space is enough pala! Kung nakita nyo lang kung paano magpagulog gulong diyan ang mga anak ko! This is in front of the restaurant. This is also a great place for pictorials and a place to sit, relax and just marvel at the breathtaking scenery of Taal Lake.

The food is great in term of taste, presentation and serving (buffet breakfast). The best thing about Taal Vista is their staff, very, very accommodating. Everyone knows how to make you feel at home!

It also adds up that Sky Ranch Sky Fun Amusement Park is beside Taal Vista. I think that’s one of the reason why, out of all the hotels we have been in Tagaytay, Taal Vista is on top of their list. Just look at their happy faces:

For those of you who’s suffering from OCD like me and wants to know the lay out of the hotel before booking, here’s an aerial shot of Taal Vista Hotel.. I’ll walk you through the hotel 🙂

Can you see the numbers?

That’s the entrance, facing Aguinaldo Highway.
Drop point and reception area.
Lake view wing
Restaurant and the photo above.
Part of mountain view wing (that’s where we stayed, some rooms has lake view)
Mountain View building
Pool (obviously haha)
Sky Ranch Sky Fun Amusement Park

O ayan, when you book at Taal Vista, you’ll know which building/wing to choose and it’s easier to picture the whole hotel area.

After writing this blog post, my heart now aches for a night or TWO at Taal Vista!!! Kaso mga inay, fully booked sya this weekend!

Have you been to Taal Vista? Share your experience with us!

Baby On Board: Tips for Flying With A Baby

We love travelling but never tried flying, yet. I don’t think I can handle flying with 4 kids haha maybe a few more years from now,or maybe next year (*wink). For sure flying with an infant is a lot more difficult than flying with kids. So if you have plans on travelling by plane this summer or any time soon, this helpful tips from Mommy PRO can save you a lot! (Italics are my opinions)

1. Travel light.You’d be surprised at how laborious it will be to pass through security gates with a baby and heavy luggage in tow, especially if traveling without help. By packing lightly, your transitions from door-to-door or gate-to-gate can become breezier.

Travel light? with an infant? sound impossible no? When we travel, it helps that I am breastfeeding, we don’t have to bring cans of milk, feeding bottles and sterilizer. But for those on formula, limit your feeding bottle to 3 or 4, and use milk dispensers instead of bringing the whole. Bringing a few diaper change will also lessen your baggage, for sure you can more diapers to your area of destination.

2. Bring a travel and space-friendly baby stroller.Your top three considerations when buying one should be: portability, ease of folding, and storage space. If it ain’t all three, then re-consider bringing one.

My sister traveled with his a few years back, alone. I can’t imagine how she did it but she said that her portable and light weight stroller made it possible. I’d go for sling instead of stroller.

3. Always ask for help.Flight attendants are trained individuals and would be more than glad to help. Seeking assistance can range from having them help you with your hand-carry, grab something from your baby bag, or even carry/supervise your baby so you can take a bathroom break.

And ask nicely, having a cranky baby does not mean, you have a ticket to crankiness too.

3. Get breastfeeding information ahead.Inquire in advance on the breastfeeding policies of the airline you are taking. There never seems to be a consistent “policy” when it comes to breastfeeding even if it is generally allowed. Discussions remain torn on whether breastfeeding moms should apply full discretion or go about her nursing duties unabashedly. Wear clothes that make it extra easy for you to breastfeed (like buttoned or zipped blouses) or have a thin blanket to cover up if you are uncomfortable nursing in public.

Here’s a tip: Wear a tube inside your blouse, it makes breastfeeding easier without exposing too much (specially the tummy area).

4. Bring a pacifier.With the root word being “pacify,” they are perfect when it comes to avoiding that dreaded crying fit inside the plane. They minimize the pressure in the ears, too, which could be bothersome for infants (and we don’t want bothersome!) during take off and landing.

I don’t use pacifier, never tried using it but it works to some, so go ahead bring one (as I have mentioned before, I breastfeed, that’s a good “pacifier” too)

5. Choose front seats.You can request for front seats when you check-in at the airport. You and your baby might move a lot during the trip – shifting positions to be more comfortable, standing up to reach the overhead cabin, and rummaging through the baby bag. Having ample space to stir around will give you less stress during the flight.

I don’t know you can request for a front seat but I am sure when nicely asked, a airline attendant will gladly oblige.

Have you tried flying with an infant? How do you prepare for the flight? How was the flight? Please do share your expereince with us so we can learn a thing or two from you. 🙂

One Happy Weekend At Costa Villa, La Union

He said he needs to unwind, to relax.. and there’s only one place that relaxes him.. La Union..

So, one Saturday morning, we packed our bags and head North..

The road was not easy.. we had a few stops along the way (first, to replace/ repair the radiator and second, to repair the transmission) so our plan of resort hopping before checking in didn’t push through. Good thing, a few weeks before that impromptu vacay, I already asked Costa Villa if they have a vacant room for some dates (na foresee ko na ang lakad na ito haha) and luckily, there is a room available on that weekend.

Why Costa Villa? Out of all the resorts in Urbiztondo, La Union (surfing area in San Juan), it is the only one with cooking facilities (except for Kahuna, which is like waaah too expensive!).. and I already booked some rooms for the Holy Week.

I was a bit disappointed (kaunting kaunti lang naman) with the place. It was smaller than I expected, looks more like an apartelle than a resort (and a bit not beach front, I will explain later). Accommodation wise and the size of the rooms, I am more than pleased.

Costa VIlla Beach Resort — Costa Villa Beach Resort Facade

This is the facade of the resort and that’s all. That’s why I told you it looks more like an apartelle than a resort. There is a reception area but really small.. I was imagining it to have a big reception area at the back of these rooms.. sadly it has none. The pool is small too but I see it as an advantage on my part. I don’t have to worry that much! hahaha

The first photo is the front of the resort, road in front of that, the road takes a turn and the point where it takes the turn is where the way to the beach is.. argh ang hirap i explain.. basta hindi sya ganun ka beach front.. gets? Beach front sya.. pero hindi ganun ka- front, gets nyo ba? teka nga makahanap ng mapa haha

o ayan na map, gets nyo na ba ako? hehe

No question about the beach.. San Juan beach is the best!

Costa Villa is just a few meters (around 500) from the surfing area (where Kahuna, Little Surfmaid, San Juan Surf is located). That’s one of the things I liked about Costa Villa, secluded in a way that the shore is almost empty.. and yet you are near to the surfing area (which can be very crowded, specially during Holy Week).

For that weekend, we got a family room (good for 6) with cooking facilities (3k+ higher during Holy Week). There was 3 queen size bed on the room, a small dinning table attached to the wall. The kitchen was complete.. as in pati kutsara at tinidor meron.. major plus points yan!

We had fun during our stay at Costa Villa and I don’t regret that I booked 4 rooms for the Holy Week (2 apartelle and 2 family room). Kase naman, the hotel staff and the owners are very accommodating… and they’re not strict on the number of people staying on the room (malamang ito maging suki namin every Holy Week)..sana lang they would extend pa so there would be a bigger holding/ reception area.

During our stay pala I took a photo of the apartelle (two story, one bedroom):

Costa Villa Beach Resort Apartelle (1st floor)

Wala pala akong picture nung 2nd floor, but it’s a big room with one king sized bed and mattress (I think it can accommodate more than 5 people, baka nga kasya pa ang sampu eh)

Look how happy ang mga bagets: