Romantic ridge retreats
It’s the telltale Love Month again, where Pinoys go overdrive with their romantic impulses and literally go the distance to express affection to their very significant other.
A top-of-mind getaway is Tagaytay Ridge because of its cuddly climate, cozy atmosphere, mesmerizing view of Taal Volcano and Lake, accessibility, and infinite options for dining, notwithstanding the Manila-like traffic jams during red-letter days and weekends.
If you’re more pragmatic than a romantic fool, it makes more sense to go on an intimate drive date at any given time other than Valentine’s Day where restaurants are bursting at the seams. The good thing is you don’t have to go through the Tagaytay gauntlet just to have that romantic rendezvous with the emergence of equally-exciting ambiance in the fringes of the fabled ridge.
Salud by the Lake. Tucked inside a middle-class subdivision in Mataasnakahoy, Batangas, this secluded Greek-inspired residential resort gives you a front row seat overlooking the Volcano Island and the placid lake. A fully-furnished villa with two bedrooms, a manicured lawn, a luxurious living room, comfy kitchen, and a wading pool, it is a home away from home ideal for couples or small families.
Except for a huge smart TV, it is bereft of the typical hotel recreation so you can spend time on small talk, bonding and reflective moments, or simply admiring the kaleidoscopic sunset in the horizon or stargazing at night.
Because of its year-round cool climate, you can opt to savor the crisp mountain breeze instead of using air conditioning unit.
At chow time, you can order from the food colonies of Lipa City through food delivery apps, bring your baon or cook your own at the fully-equipped kitchen with a panoramic glass window looking out the placid lake.
You can also go on a food crawl in the area to sample their signature lomi and goto Batangas, delicacies and sweets, farm-to-table delights, and its vaunted barako coffee.
For a heady historic love story, swing by the Casa de Segunda and travel back in the time at the 19th-century ancestral house of Segunda Katigbak, one of the many girlfriends of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Moreover, the postcard-pretty Taal town, a sought-after heritage village, is just an hour away.
Interestingly, this stand-alone retreat is the second masterpiece of a young entrepreneur couple following the viral success of the Balinese-inspired Salud Batangas glasshouse family villa in the outskirts of San Jose town almost four years ago.
And if you feel ultra-romantic even beyond the Month of Love, booking both branches of Salud back-to-back is a powerhouse blend of tropical and Mediterranean vacations just minutes away from each other.
Sinta Restaurant. If Tagaytay the city is a non-negotiable for your date, this elegant dining space is among the best bets because of its ideal location and ample parking space. Situated at the interior of Ligaya Drive, it spares you the bottleneck and the quest for a parking lot in city’s main roads. It also has several access roads going to the CALAX and SLEX tollways so you easily drive to and from this habitue.
Known in its previous life as The Observatory hotel, you can deduce that this resto boasts of an unobstructed vantage point both at the volcano and the sky.
An enchanting culinary haven curated by the chef Ariel Manuel, it prides itself as the confluence of culinary artistry and inspiring views, and everything in between for a memorable multi-sensorial journey.
Presented by the same group who tickled the metro’s palate with Pardon My French, this hideaway takes pride in its remarkable French specialties, arguably the best south of the big city. And pardon the comparison, this mountain resto is much like dining in the French Riviera or other seaside regions not just because of the view, but also because of its interiors and master-crafted furnishings, and the solicitous attention of its managers and attendants.
Literally meaning “my love”, Sinta is perhaps the ultimate love language and destination for foodies with its delectable selection of premium entrees, such as lamb, oysters, seafood, prawn, lobster, rib eye, seabass, grilled delights, and the list goes on.
There’s also the usual appetizers, soups, and desserts, such as the trademark crème brulée, declension and souffle, which are best paired with hot drinks. Its wine cellar will wow connoisseurs with its expansive collection of exquisite reds and whites sourced from all over the globe.
Dotted by greeneries and other elements of nature all over, the sprawling sloping property is tailor-made for exclusive events or get-togethers, romantic or otherwise.
Just like the “driver sweet lover” of the olden days, love knows no season as the road and the Ridge beckon daily for a romantic ride.
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