Chapter April began with a trip South to celebrate one of the April birthdays. Thank God the kids were already on vacation, thus, our minds were also already on vacation.
These days, within a few minutes after I shower, beads of sweat form on my forehead and under my eyes. Summer is really upon us. The scorching sun insists upon making its presence felt; via the burning of exposed skin when we go outside.
Hot & Happy in Laiya
The children had the perfect idea of going night swimming. That’s what happened on out first out-of-town trip to Batangas this year. The photo above was a snap I took when we walked to the beach for a look-see, before the kids swam. I like that the beach has a lot of trees.
There, we helped my godchild celebrate his third birthday. My hubby drove for five hours to get to Porto Laiya, a resort community. It’s best described as an upcoming subdivision near the beach.
Right outside the gate of a huge house with many rooms, we sang The Birthday Song, the children played various games, we all laughed and we all ate.
Near the swimming pool, there was an upstairs sitting area which was accessible via a set of stairs. I thought that was cool, and imagined a group of friends having cold drinks and conversations there.
The next day, we still did not use the sitting area, but we did go snorkeling at One Laiya Beach. It’s near the house where we stayed in. My hubby, our kids and I took turns looking at fish swimming in the deep part of the super salty sea and at corals. It was our first time to snorkel.
We had lunch on the beach afterward. In a cabana with my friend’s family and her relatives.
One last hour of playing in the pool; then shower and prepare all our things. About six in the evening, we headed home: pooped and sleepy.
Simple Staycation at Twin Lakes Hotel
It was last year when I wanted to embark on a trip for my birthday. Maybe go out of town or just stay overnight in a hotel by myself. Well, neither the out-of-town nor the hotel stay happened.
Thankfully, my wish came true this year. On the morning of my special day, we excitedly piled into our car and headed South. Again.
Before we arrived at the hotel, we had lunch at Café Voi La. My birthday lunch. It’s a place that offers Filipino, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines.
Inside, we were surrounded by saturated colors and Asian decors. The knickknacks displayed and the furniture used were from the owner’s collection.
When our orders came, the table looked like rainbow bombs exploded on it – each of our water glasses was a different color, the striped placemats were colorblocked, and the dishes were heavily garnished with greens.
Needless to say, we snapped plenty of photos there.
On the way to Twin Lakes Hotel, Tagaytay, the sky opened up a little and drops of rain pelted our vehicle. Good thing the rain stopped as soon as we alighted, though, the entrance was covered.
A spacious lobby with high ceiling, chandeliers, paneled walls, elegant and whimsical furniture greeted us. There were only two ladies at the check-in counter. One of them warned me that there’s construction ongoing, and if the noise was too much, I must let them know.
Well, the hotel was still on soft opening, so that’s probably understandable. The other wings and rooms were not available yet.
After getting the room key, we went down two floors to our room, L202. The scene on the hallway was like a dream…
Because construction dust was everywhere! We had to cover our breathing holes. We then found our room through the blur.
It’s a relief to be inside our room.
But, it’s a disappointment that the aircon wasn’t cold. And it turns off whenever we open the sliding door to the balcony. The only room key issued was the only key card that powers the room, other cards do not work.
When chillaxing was done, we went down two more floors to access the infinity pool. It was late afternoon when we had our dip. We were there when the sky deepened into indigo and until almost dinnertime. Thank God the pool was heated! Night swim? No problem!
Soft rain and then a hard shower fell on us. We finally got out during a light drizzle, wiped ourselves with hotel towels, and got ready for dinner.
We drove up to the Twin Lakes area with restaurants. Just above the hotel. After my birthday swim, I was hungry for my birthday dinner. We ate at Bag of Beans. I had roast beef, yum! Sadly, they ran out of mashed potatoes. 🙁
Dessert was two slices of two different flavors of cake. I had to have cake on my birthday, right? Even if there were no candles to blow out.
Right after we left , the restaurant closed immediately. It was around nine in the evening. Do establishments in Tagaytay close that early?
The next day, woke up and looked outside, hoping to catch the sunrise. But a dense fog crowned the mountains and some parts of Twin Lakes.
As usual, I was looking forward to a delicious hotel breakfast. I’m glad there were coffee, waffles and omelette.
Back in our room, in the bathroom specifically, the children took turns playing in the bathtub. Pretty soon, it was time to go back to Manila.
It was fun going on family getaways to celebrate April birthdays, especially since it’s the children’s vacation from school.
Sorry for the two-month late Chapter April post! Where have you traveled to lately? Care to share the link? 😉
