South Luzon Loop – Day 4: From Taal View in Tagaytay to a Breathtaking Ocean View in Pasay

We started our day in Tagaytay with literally no itinerary planned, except for the fact that we had another hotel to check into at 2 PM in Pasay. Since we had a light breakfast at the apartelle where we stayed the night before, we took our time getting ready and packing our things before heading out once again. My parents even bought jackets somewhere nearby because the weather outside wasn’t exactly friendly for people their age.

We hit the road at around 11 AM and took a quick stroll along the roads of Tagaytay City. The last time I came here was with my hubby and my 2 younger brothers on Christmas Eve in 2018, when we went to Sky Ranch and watched the fireworks light up the sky. We actually considered checking if Sky Ranch was open during our Day 4 trip, but since we already had a 2 PM check-in waiting for us in Pasay, we decided not to take the detour.

Taal Volcano View in Tagaytay 2 — *Taal Volcano View in Tagaytay*

Since it was nighttime during our last visit to Tagaytay, and it had been so many years since I last visited during the day, I felt like it was actually my first time seeing Taal Volcano in person—and this close. The view we had a few days earlier of the majestic Mayon Volcano was completely different from what we were looking at now.

Taal looks literally small from what the eyes can see and perceive, but knowing that there’s so much more beneath its seemingly peaceful appearance? That thought alone sends shivers down my spine. 😅 Just like Mayon, Taal is incredibly beautiful, but both are also powerful and potentially deadly reminders of nature’s force.

All that strolling eventually made us hungry, and among the numerous restaurants we passed by, we decided to have lunch at Leslie’s Ridge & Restaurant. The view of Taal Volcano alone is enough to make you fall in love with the place, and we also ordered a sulit group meal worth Php 6,000+ that included our drinks and desserts.

I’ll be posting a short review of the restaurant in another post, so stay tuned for that!

This trip obviously wouldn’t be complete without our usual group photos! HAHA. I know it’s cold, and what kind of person would dare wear a sleeveless top in this type of weather and location? Yep, me. LOL. We were already on our 4th day on the road, my clothes were running out, and this outfit was basically randomly chosen by my rushing hands while we were spontaneously packing our things. 😂 Still, the cold never bothered me anyway. 😅

If there’s one thing I’m not good at but hope to get better at someday, it’s posing for photos. Introverted as I am, I seldom have my photos taken by other people. 🙈 And that clearly explains why our couple photos, like the ones below, look incredibly awkward. Huhu. But since we were in such a beautiful place and living through a core moment that we may never be able to go back to, I decided to stop worrying about how awkward I looked and just let it go and let it be. 😂

At the end of the day, I’d rather have an awkward photo of a beautiful memory than no photo at all. ❤️

We continued our journey at around 1:30 PM, and this time, I decided not to disclose the name of our hotel to my husband. Instead, I let my brother navigate the maps for him. My hubby rarely travels outside, and he’s definitely not the type to book hotels simply for pleasure. What he is, though, is someone who would pick up a gamefowl somewhere along the trip to make the drive more sulit—either to sell it later or keep it for breeding and profit. 😂

That explains why he had that box with him in the photos above, just like what he did during our barkada getaway in La Union. HAHA. Honestly, I find this to be such an adorable side of him. He’s like a hard candy with a surprise center. 😅 Beneath that tough and practical exterior is someone who actually loves and appreciates nature as much as I do. So, I picked out a simple gift for him—something I thought he might appreciate and hopefully remember as we grow older together.

The weather was really nice and sunny that day, too. Aside from New Year’s Eve, my husband’s birthday was one of the highlights of this trip that I was looking forward to the most. That’s why I was genuinely grateful that everything seemed to be falling into place on this adventure, including the beautiful weather we had throughout the trip.

We arrived in Pasay at around 4 PM—way past our scheduled check-in time at Hotel H2O. Since this was a spontaneous trip, the only room I was able to book a month in advance was for our small family of four. So, I had to book another room for my parents and youngest brother so we could all still enjoy the night together and, ultimately, celebrate my hubby’s birthday the next day.

Booking another room directly through the hotel would have almost bled my pockets dry, so I tried a little booking-app hack instead. 😂 Thankfully, the deal turned out to be such a lifesaver! There was still another ocean-view room available near ours for my parents, and the price was almost half of what I would have paid by booking directly. And so, the happiness continues… 😅

When we finally got inside our room, my hubby was genuinely surprised and happy when he opened the curtains and saw the view. Because of how spontaneous this trip was, I wasn’t able to decorate the room or request anything special from the hotel for his birthday. But despite that, he told me he was happy—and it wasn’t even his actual birthday yet. ❤️

Staying at Hotel H2O gave each of us complimentary one-time access passes to Ocean Park Aqua Adventure. Even though our initial plan was to simply rest and enjoy the hotel for the rest of the evening, we decided to make use of the passes and spend some time swimming and playing at the water park instead.

Since we already had plans for the following morning, we knew we wouldn’t be able to squeeze in swimming time anymore. The water park opens at 9 AM, and trying to fit everything into our morning would mean rushing to get ready—not exactly ideal when you have two little kids to take care of. 😅 And since the access was only valid for one use, I decided that we might as well enjoy it that night.

So from around 6 PM until almost 8 PM, we had the water park almost entirely to ourselves. No crowds, no long lines—just us, enjoying the water and making another special family memory together. 🥰

It was cold at first, but the longer we stayed, played, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company, the warmer it seemed to get. Not because the water literally got any warmer, but because there’s something about being together as a family that makes even a chilly evening feel cozy. ❤️

I will be posting a separate blog post for the Hotel H2O’s review soon, so stay tuned!

Our Day 4 Highlights From Tagaytay to Pasay:

@jeannepsyche
South Luzon Loop Day 4 💕 Late upload 😅 #lesliesrestauranttagaytay #taalvolcano #tagaytayfoodtrip #tagaytay #foryoupage
♬ Untouchable (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift