An out of town trip is always good for the soul.
It gives us parents a break from the humdrum of the city, while our kids get exposed to the raw and vibrant atmosphere of the great outdoors.
For a quick trip, why not go on an overnight trip to Tagaytay to bask in the city’s cool breeze and admire its soothing lake view of Taal?
You can already picture your family relaxed and having fun at its many gourmet restaurants, organic farms, and bulalo stops; all the while munching on buko pie and looking past sunflowers.
So many boutique hotels and charming inns have recently popped up along the ridge. To make sure you really get a vacation, check first if the establishment is kid-friendly.
Recently, we paid a visit to Taal Vista, which is a favorite for family staycations. Here are 6 things my daughter and I loved about it:
1. Kid-friendly landscape
Kids just love to embrace the freedom of running barefoot. At the property’s manicured garden, kids can run up and roll down small hills, climb trees, stare up at the sky, and go where their imagination takes them.
2. Delicious Homegrown food
One if its in-house restaurants is headed by kid-loving chef, Jamie Natividad, who knows how to prepare food that kids like.
Kids will love the variety of chicken and freshly-caught fish dishes, cheeses, even their exotic offerings like hummus and ricotta with stone-baked flat bread, and their pizza sampler with 4 different toppings.
Don’t forget desserts! There’s the classic molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and the more adventurous olive oil ice cream.
The ingredients used in all of the hotel’s restaurants are sourced locally to ensure freshness. Veggies are even hand-picked from their own organic farm!
What else? Play areas of course! See them next.
3. Kids’ Club
When the kids have had their fill of the outdoors and are ready for indoor play, playrooms serve as great transition areas from active play outside to resting up in the bedroom.
A spacious, child-proofed room is what you want to see, with a variety of toys like blocks, mini-playground elements, and balls, as well as a library of books.
The nearby spa is an added incentive! Mom can leave the kids to play with dad, older siblings, or relatives so she can get her well-deserved rest.
4. Swimming Pool
With the locale’s cool weather, a swimming pool is a rare sight; still, one that kids won’t mind seeing. Splash around until your pruny fingers tell you it’s time to stop!
Up next is an education while on vacation!
5. Organic farm
For a fun lesson on agriculture, the hotel’s organic farm is where kids can see and touch how the food that they eat is grown.
They can also try planting crops with the staff or pick ripe produce and vegetables like lettuce, cherry tomatoes, herbs, edible flowers and more.
6. Child-friendly Bedrooms
Plush beds, fluffy pillows for kids to play with, lots of space, an airy view, a secured balcony, compartments for storing dangerous items like electric kettles, black-out curtains and thick walls for undisturbed sleep, are a few of the things that should be in your checklist.
View on the next page, more family-friendly accommodations in Tagaytay.
Nurture Wellness Village
Does glamping pique your interest? Perhaps this one-of-a-kind overnight outdoor experience at Nurture Wellness Village is what you need.
There’s nature in its raw beauty all around, the melody of friendly night creatures humming, stargazing at night, cozy tents to sleep in, a hearty breakfast to wake up to, and daytime activities like visiting the organic garden, and taking a refreshing dip in the pool.
Residence Inn Tagaytay
Fancy sleeping next to animals? Here, you and your family get to commune with wild animals like lions and tigers; feed monkeys, rabbits, goats and camels, and go horseback riding.
Plus with a zipline for kids and adults, comfy bedrooms, a fantastic view of Taal lake, great food and friendly service, what more can an adventurous, vacationing family ask for?
Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay
For fun, relaxation and even a bit of education, Hotel Kimberly is a great destination for the family.
You can take a dip in the swimming pool while the young ones play in the wading pool, bond with your older kids over a game of billiards or table tennis in the game room, let the kids expend their energy in the playground, and pet animals in the barnyard!
You can also expose your child to organic farming, and end the night roasting marshmallows on the bonfire. Now that’s the sweet life!
Enjoy your vacation!
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