Date Day 3: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Movie

Hi readers! It's 1:30 AM and I can't sleep so lemme write about one of the few things I love the most: BOOKS! ♥

Thanks to ebooks and generous book owners online, I get to read novels without actually buying it. I know, i know, that's freakin' piracy. But hey, I'm not exactly rich or anything so I don't have enough money to buy them even if I gather up all my savings! :( And besides, most of my allowance go to make-up and food. Foooood, I need food more than anything. :>

One of my absolute favorite series is The Hunger Games! *fangirl scream* And today J and I went out to watch the second movie installment of the series, Catching Fire! *fangirl screams and swoons*

November 21, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Movie

 Thank you J for spoiling me! Today (Nov.21) is actually the opening day of Catching Fire but surprisingly, only a few people watched it today, maybe because it's a weekday. Anyway, I couldn't be happier! I love going to movies when there are only a few people.

Oh my freaking holy guacamole! I love it! I love how they didn't left any important scenes out of the movie. Everything I imagined was there. The scenes, the special effects, all of them are awesome. I especially love this gown:

I am seriously so happy right now. :D Thank goodness they stuck to the book, I was afraid it would be a boring movie like the first one because of the gloominess but it turned out really well!

Moving on, I'd like to show you what J bought me for no reason:

It's a Divergent book set for guacamole's sake! This series is one of my ultimate faves. Thank you J for this, I was really super surprised. I love it! I love you! ♥

Divergent Series is by Veronica Roth and here's what it's about:

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself."

Dystopian novels are so in right now. I swear, Divergent is nothing like THG because it's great in it's own. The book 3 of Divergent (which is Allegiant) just came out and I was obsessing over buying it. A few days after they released a book set, J surprised me by giving this to me at school! I couldn't contain my happiness that day. If I could wear a flag saying "I have a Divergent Series already!", I would. :D

I don't know why I made this post aside from confessing my book love! lol But I sure hope you watch Catching Fire on theaters soon and try reading Divergent, you'll enjoy 'em. ;)

Thanks for reading this nonsensical blogpost of mine! Till next time. :)

xoxo

Zen Zest Tea Tree Oil Review

Hello people! Second post for today, hooray!

I'm here again to share a review about one of the products that has been effective on my skin so far. It's the Zen Zest Tea Tree Oil. :)

So, what's special about it? Nothing actually, aside from the fact that it works on me, and that's not something I can take for granted. Few products work on my extremely oily and frustratingly sensitive skin. boohoo :(

First of all, I feel bound to discuss the wonders of Tea Tree Oil. According to this article:

"Tea tree oil is a great natural alternative for getting rid of pimples. It has unique disinfecting and soothing properties and, unlike other acne treatments, tea tree oil will not strip your skin of its natural oils and cause further damage."

Wow, that sounds really awesome, right? It basically promises to give you a pimple-free skin the natural way without making it dry. Of course I just had to jump at that bandwagon, like every other person wishing for an acne-free skin. :D

Before I bought this stuff, I did my research first and the reviews I read really convinced me to try it out. I was aiming for TBS Tea Tree Oil but I find it too pricey for its size so I just settled with the Zen Zest Tea Tree Oil 15mL which I bought for just Php150. It's so cheap that's why I didn't have second thoughts about buying it. You can't go wrong with an affordable and natural product, yes? Yes.

What I did was I mixed it with my current witch hazel toner right now. I just added some few drops if Tea Tree Oil in my bottle of Witch Hazel Toner and shook it real well. I really enjoyed that part, it was like doing witchcraft  and chemistry laboratory experiment with my face as a test subject. Yey for me being a guinea pig! :>

The Witch Hazel Toner mixed with Tea Tree Oil smells weird. haha! But together, they work perfectly. My skin has been acting up lately because it's my time of the month and yet they effectively made my pores a bit more refined now and the Tea Tree Oil helps me get rid of the occasional zit. I also use this as a spot treatment for cystic pimples brought by my weirdo hormones. The bottle will last you for months so you can do a lot of experimenting with it like mixing it with your facial and body washes and scrubs. You can even use it to get rid of head lice. (not that I have lice. haha!)

Positives:

• Affordable! Only Php150 for a 15mL bottle that will last you for months! 
• Effective! Yes, it may not actually prevent pimples for good but it helps in zapping them in as fast as 3 days.
• Natural! No more benzoyl peroxide, hydroquinine, salicylic acid, tretinoin and all the other toxic-sounding products which are also extremely harsh for our skin.
• It also has a load of uses aside from acne treatment. Google them! ^^

Negatives:

• The only thing I don't like about this is the dropper. I'm not sure how to dispense the product properly. I sometimes even find myself squeezing the glass as if it's actually squeezable, but nah. :| haha

Neutral:

• The scent! It reminds me of rubber, leather and shoe polish. lol. It takes a lot of getting used to

Overall, I am loving this tea tree oil. I'm considering to go all organic with my skin rituals now. I'm gonna rate this 9 over 10! :D

Beyond Care Skin Lightening Body Lotion in Moonlight Breeze Review

Hi everyone! How was your week so far? Mine was busy as usual. I had a lot to juggle this week. So many deadlines, so little time. Boohoo. Writing blogposts is fast becoming my stress reliever. :\

Anyhoot, today let's talk about lotions and hot guys! lol. I have a love-hate relationship with lotions ever since I was a kid. You know how hot it gets here in the Philippines, right? So slathering on lotion all over your body may always lead to sticky and greasy feeling after a few hours under the sun.

Am I the only one who looks like this when the going gets hot? HAHA

Imagine this scenario: You were in a hurry so you just slathered that lotion all over your skin like there's no tomorrow. You left the house feeling super greasy and you just know that your skin is sticky because the lotion is not yet absorbed. Then poof! A very handsome, smokin hot dude appears right in front of you. You bumped into him and felt his cool just-got-out-of-the-car skin stick with your greasy ones and saw him recoil in disgust! Oh the horror! :O What to do now?! Would you just look down and walk away? Or would you have the guts to tell him it's just lotion and he can smell it if he wants to *wink wink* even if that seems gross. :D

That scenario is exactly what I am avoiding (I'm avoiding it because if J knew about that, I'll never hear the end of it. I hope he doesn't read this. haha). Well, we can always skip lotion after bath but what if we go to an airconditioned room and end up having dry skin instead?! The type of scratchy-dry skin where you can write your grocery list on or even solve math problems using your nails. This has always been my problem ever since that's why I hate putting on lotion during daytime!

At night however, lotion is LOVE <3 lol. I prefer to put on greasy lotion at night and I don't know why! I just sleep better that way *laughs*. I honestly can't sleep without putting lotion on my feet because I have this habit of rubbing my moisturized feet together before I sleep, it's my pampaantok. haha!

Due to my varying preferences for lotion, I had to buy different lotions for my night and day time routines. This review is for my current night-time lotion, Beyond Care Skin Lightening Body Lotion in Moonlight Breeze.

Yes this is not a narrative tale, it's a review. Sorry for the lenghty intro, I just love talking and I'm in the mood to make graphical descriptions of imaginary, non-existent, hot guys. So yeah, sorreh. Without further ado, here's the review:

"Beyond Care Skin Lightening Body Lotion moisturizes, lightens, and softens your skin. Beyond Care offers a festive array of fragrantly blended lotions. Each day experience a new feeling of excitement."

I bought this lotion at Watsons, my ultimate happy place, for more or less than Php100. I forgot the exact price because I bought this like 2 months ago lol but it's really affordable.

Positive:
-It's moisturizing enough
-Non sticky
-Super affordable, Php100 for 500mL
-Proudly made in the Philippines
-Smells great! It has a floral fragrance that I love because it isn't overwhelming.

Negative:
-It takes a while before it gets absorbed
-I once used this during daytime and I became soooo greasy and sticky. lol
-It doesn't really lighten nor soften my skin, but I actually didn't expect it to.

Neutral:
-It has paraben. I'm not exactly paranoid about parabens  but because of everything I read about parabens, I prefer to use products without it just to be safe.

Overall, I love this lotion for my night-time rituals ONLY. I find it too sticky for daytime. And because it takes a while to get absorbed into the skin, I can't use it when I'm in a hurry, unless I don't mind having sticky skin.

To be fair, I bought this lotion because when I tried it at watsons it felt moisturizing and it smells great. So for a night-time lotion, this one gets the job done fragrantly! I therefore rate it 8 over 10. <3

Till next review!
xoxox

Date Day 2: Las Ventanas, Tagaytay Review

Hi everyone! I'm back. Yey~ Today I'll be sharing another date day posts which is actually a very late review of a place we visited at Tagaytay. ^^

October 23, 2013
A Place of Serenity: Las Ventanas, Tagaytay

So, last October 23 we had a short vacation at a very quiet and relaxing place called Las Ventanas in Tagaytay. We stayed there for just 2 days and 1 night using the voucher I bought from Ensogo. Tagaytay is just a few hours away from Manila where you'll get to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our stay at Las Ventanas was so peaceful that it almost hurt when we left.

How to get here: we boarded a DLTB bus at Buendia and alighted at Olivares Terminal in Tagaytay, fare is Php83.00. From Olivares terminal, we took a jeep going to the city market, fare is only P11.00 I guess, I forgot exactly how much.

Getting off at the city market, Las Ventanas we'll be on the other side of the road where a smaller street is located. We walked down that steep rocky path until we saw a red gate. You'll pass by a pineapple farm before you get there. I think the farm makes the place look so probinsya-like. You'll even hear the loud moo's of cows near the area. Btw, I'm so fascinated about how loud a cow's moo can be, every time I hear them I'm like "what the hell was that?? o_o" lol

nice scenery huh!

baby pineapples! ^^

Upon seeing the gate, we knocked for the guard to open the doors. He then asked for our voucher and booking confirmation letter (which will be sent by Las Ventanas via email once you booked a date).

Let me tell you a very quick story first! haha please bear with me. The first day I saw this deal on Ensogo I was really tempted to buy it right away but I still hesitated because at that time, my voucher for Hotel Dominique was not yet used and I didn't wanna risk buying another voucher only to have it expire because our busy scheds won't let us use it. However, Ensogo had a 'Payday Sale' which gives a 10% off on all deals! I couldn't resist the big savings so I ended up buying it anyway. The impulsive buyer in me striked again. *laughs* So, from Php1800 down to Php1620 for a 2D1N stay, with free dinner and breakfast plus one hour massage for two! The thing that really convinced me to buy this however was the thought of treating my bf to a quick and yet relaxing getaway just because. :3

Spacious parking lot

 So, lets go back to the review! haha. I am sooooo loving the greeneries! Their parking lot is actually large enough to fit maybe almost 10 cars so if you're bringing a car you don't need to worry if there's little space for parking.

By the way, we left Manila by 12noon and arrived here just in time for the check-in which was exactly 3PM. After presenting the voucher and the confirmation letter, we were guided to their restaurant which also serves as a reception area as well because it was where the check-in process was done. The check-in was easy, you just have to fill out a customer form and one of the staff will give some introductions about their rules, the dinner time (7:00 PM to 9:00PM), breakfast time (7:00 AM to 9:00 AM) and massage time (4:00 PM to 10:00 PM). After we filled out the forms, the guy, whose name I completely forgot now (sorry 'guy'~ haha), told us the menu for dinner that night which were Chicken Adobo, Sinigang na Baka and Fried Tawilis. He also asked for our breakfast the next day so that they could prepare it even before we'll actually break our fast the next morning, the choices were the usual '-silog' menu: Hotsilog, Longsilog and Tapsilog. Lastly, he asked us our preferred time for the massage. I wanted to have it done before having dinner so we decided to have a massage by 5PM, at least we still have an hour to rest and prep up.

Bean-shaped pool :3 too bad we don't have swimming attires! boohoo

After all that ado, we were guided to our room! Yey!  I love the landscaping in this place, I felt close to nature. Walking along the pathway leading to the rooms, we also passed by the bean-shaped pool which is perfect for a mid noon swim especially because it has no heater. There are a total of 9 rooms at Las Ventanas which were divided by into 3 'Bahays', Bahay na Nipa, Bahay na Bato and Bahay na Tisa. Bahay na Tisa has a canopy over the bed but I read that the toilets were located outside the room so we didn't chose that.  Bahay na Bato has a rocking chair in its front porch, but no canopy! I really wanted to have a conopied bed! *laughs* So that left us with Bahay na Nipa. It was one of the rooms with a canopied bed (Do I have an obsession with canopies now? haha) and there was also an indoor shower and toilet so we chose to book that room.

Bahay na Tisa

Bahay na Bato

Bahay na Nipa

The room didn't disappoint me. The furnishings looks antique and unique. The pillows and the large bed were clean and fluffy. I also loved the fleece blanket because it was really soft and cuddly. A cuddly blanket? Awesome. *laughs* And of course let's not forget the reason why we booked this room, the canopy! The canopy, aside from adding a romantic touch to the room, was also really useful because the mosquitoes here are humongous. Larger than those usually found in the metro. J said it was because the ecosystem of Tagaytay is better that's why the mosquitoes are healthier. HAHA! ok hunny, I believe you. :*

By the way, there's no television or radio inside the room. Las Ventanas promotes utter relaxation so they purposefully left those out. You can borrow books from their resto to if you're really looking for some entertainment. I borrowed a book about Beagles just in case I got bored, which was very unlikely because I never get bored when I'm with J. We talk about anything and when there's nothing left to talk about, we just comfortably cuddle in companionable silence. ^^

So, enough of the cheesiness, moving on... the power outlets are located at the back of the bed which actually bothered me a lot because the canopy and the pillows were nudging the cord of the lamps that were plugged in the outlet. I imagined the canopy catching fire and burning us to death. Too gruesome! :((

very cute (but not functioning) fountain at the center of the room area

One thing that I didn't like is that there were no provided basic toiletries. I didn't bother to bring my own things because I was expecting these things to be included in the room. The only thing provided however were 2 towels and 1 small soap. There were no toothpaste, toothbrush and shampoo unlike the other places we stayed at which provides all these basic stuff. Good thing Las Ventanas also sell toiletries so we ended up buying the other things we need from them.

The toilet and shower were at separate areas and the ceilings were open. I'm not really used to this kind of set-up because I'm still worried that bf might smell the unsmellable smell if I do my thing. HAHA! Not that there's anything to be ashamed of, but yeah, I hope you get what I'm saying here. lol! The heater wasn't properly heating the water but we forgot to mention it to any of the staff so we ended up having extremely cold showers! Because of that challenging and teeth-chattering bath, I can now truly say that I have experienced the cold climate of Tagaytay. *laughs*

After a few minutes of rest and freshening up, one lady came up and knocked on our door to tell us that it was time for our massage.

How was the massage? It was fine. I have a few things that I'd like to point out, first is their massage bed which was so uncomfortable. I would've preferred it if there were faceholes or even just the round-shaped towels so I can have something to rest my face on. I didn't know where to put my head *laughs* because lying completely face-down is painful to my non-existent nose while lying with my head facing to the side is still uncomfortable. The massage area was a bit warm too, I was sweating a bit while having the massage. Other than that, I have no other qualms. Well, who am I really to complain when I got us all of these services for just Php1,620 right? The massage was fine, I chose to have the pressure a bit harder that usual. I dropped in and out of sleep and everytime I opened my eyes, I can see J and beyond him, through the windows, I can see the sunlight slowly fading into sunset. :)

BTW, have you heard of bleeding after a massage? I don't know if it's related to the massage, but I actually bled a few minutes after it was done, I was so surprised why there was so much blood when it isn't even my time of the month. No blood clots, just that kind of blood with thin consistency. Sorry of I'm sharing something as gross as this, I was just really worried and i'm still confused why that happened. The bleeding stopped after about 2 hours but still, it left us feeling anxious. :(

Pathway to the dining area. I almost expected fairies to appear at any moment :D

The massage was finished by 6PM and after that we proceeded to the restaurant where classical music played in the background. We planned to just while away our time here and wait for dinner time but the waiter took our orders even before 7PM. It was our first time to have a candle-lit dinner and I find it so romantic and memorable even if it's just one cute tea candle. *laughs* At first I thought we'll be choosing among Chicken Adobo, Sinigang na Baka or Fried Tawilis so I was delightfully surprised when the waiter served all of them! Ohhh yey so many food! ^o^

Dinner with candle lights. heeeeeheee ♥

Nilagang Baka and Fried Tawilis! Yum. ~(o_o)~

very delicious adobong manok! :>

We ordered cream of mushroom soup (around Php100) which was already good for 2, we also ordered 2 juices for our drinks. They all taste great and the juice tastes so fresh plus they are served in hefty servings so J and I were really full after that meal. There was even 2 pieces of leftover tawilis so I ordered Tanduay Ice for myself and ate that as my pulutan. lol

A full tummy later, it's time to get a good nights sleep in a room cooled by the Tagaytay breeze. We were the only guests that day so the whole place was really quiet, and even creepy! haha. Every sound of the crickets and birds seem to intensify because of the quietness. I slept like a baby, comfortably cuddled in J's arms. :")

The next day we woke up early for our breakfast. I ordered Longsilog and J ordered Hotsilog. These meals were also quite tasty. For drinks, we were served hot water and 3-in-1 coffee which is no biggie for me at all (i love any type of coffee ~(o_o)~), although some people may expect a much classier breakfast than that. They also gave us survey forms where we can write our evaluation of their services.

Aaaand it was time too leave. If only time could stand still. :(

Overall, we obviously enjoyed this trip, despite some of the not so positive things, I still fervently wish to go back here some time.

I hoped you enjoy reading this lengthy narrative review of Las Ventanas. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment. You can also visit their site at Facebook here.

Till next post reader.
xoxo

Date Day 1: Bannaple Pies and Cheesecakes Foodtrip

Hello people! This is gonna be the first one of my "Date Day" posts! It's something me and J came up with where we'll share to you some of our unforgettable travel experiences and gastronomic adventures, and we'll also write about our pursuit of awesome entertainment and non-boring activities as well.

Before this, I also planned to write about our "Spa Escapade" but since having a couple spa on a regular basis isn't exactly budget-friendly, we just decided to write reviews about the restaurants we dine in, the movies we go to, and other stuff we usually do on our dates. So here goes the first one, hope you enjoy it:

November 11, 2013
Date Day 1: Bannaple Pies and Cheesecake @ SM North Sky Garden

i didn't mean to include ate in the picture! *laughs*

That's what the Bannaple place looks like at SM North EDSA. Last week, when J and I passed by this place, it immediately caught my attention because it was the first time I saw it there so I think it just recently opened and second, I am so loving the exterior design of this place! It looks so cute! The interior design looks like my dream doll-house too. lol! The chairs, the charming lamps and the sky blue-white color combo just beckons me to dine here and made me crave for sweet pies and cakes!

Of course, I had to tell J! I didn't exactly told him that I wanna eat there, pakipot ng onti. HAHA! I just said "I wonder if they serve good food there..." He got the point of course. lols

So yeah, to cut the story short we went there for lunch today. The waitress gave us their menu before going in. Take a look at what they have for your tummy:

Note: Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures, it seemed fine while I was taking it :(

Wooow look at the pricetags!  We're both not picky when it comes to food and we're used to eating at carenderias and food stalls in front of our school so we don't really consider this resto budget-friendly. Our concept of budget-friendly food ranges from Php20 to Php150 haha! But still, it's good to try out new things once in a while, or in this case, taste new flavors every now and then for the sake of our palettes. :D

Here's what I ordered:

I heard my tummy growl out the word "YUMMY"

I ordered the Hearty Heavenly Breakfast (Php190) for lunch. I love breakfast anytime of the day. ^o^
"Hearty Heavenly Breakfast: Succulent glazed porkloin hamsteak, paired with our parsley egg and a choice of pesto bread or seasoned garlic rice"

First of all, the servings are huge! I was so full after I finished this meal! So how does it taste? it tastes great actually. Just look at that honey glazed pork! The balance of sweetness and saltiness is just right. Honestly, the eggs tasted a bit bland, I would've liked more saltiness in it. The garlic rice is cooked perfectly. Overall, I enjoyed my meal. :)

Here's what J ordered:

It looks so delicious ~(o_o~)

Bacon Fried Chicken Steaks with Milk'shroom Gravy (Php190): crisp chicken fillet smothered in a creamy milk and mushroom gravy, topped with yummy bacon pieces: served with corn relish.

I can see why he ordered this! IT HAS BACON! haha. He loves anything with bacon. I'm pretty sure that if he made a list of the Top 10 things that he loves most, bacon will hover between the 3rd and 4th place.lol
I tasted this too! I love how creamy the gravy is and the chicken is still juicy inside. Of course I didn't get to taste the bacon bits, those are all his. I think he enjoyed this meal naman. 

For the drinks, we ordered Iced Latte (Php105) and Iced Choco (Php100). Both drinks tastes good, I just don't think that they're worth the price.

Iced Choco and Iced Latte ^^

There was a guy beside our table eating a pie with banana fillings! It looked great, but when I looked for it in their menu, it wasn't there (boohoo). I later saw that it was on display at their counter, it's called Banoffee Pie and it looks sooo yummy so I ordered that too! I forgot how much it is but I think it's around Php100. However, we we're so freakin full after our meals that we weren't able to eat it so I just had it wrapped for take-out.

may I just tell you how i love paperbags <3

It got ruined, I think I jolted the bag while we were travelling :(

Banoffee Pie ^^

The pie was yummy! I love it! The sweetness of the bananas are not cloying, the pie crust tastes great and the whip cream is heavenly! This pie makes me wanna try every other pie that Bannaples has to offer. haha

Overall, we spent Php680+, but it's all worth it. We enjoyed the meal, and of course, we enjoyed each other's company. 

I'm looking forward to the next Date Day post ^^ 
What restaurants or fun activities can you recommend? Please leave a comment!
Till next time reader! xoxo

To find out more about Bannaple, visit their site: http://www.banapplekitchen.com/Banapple.html

Something New

Hey there! wow I am always neglecting my blog nowadays :( I am just soooo busy that I couldn't find the time to blog. Anyway, I've decided to go all white with my theme to make my posts look clean. It's easy on the eyes, no? I changed it because I thought "Deym, my writing style is weird and so noob-like, I need to at least make the background look a bit professional." *laughs* :)

I am basically making this post to serve as a checklist for the reviews I need to write and for the things that I literally need right now.

So what are the reviews that has been pending for months now? A lot! But here are the things that I may possibly write if I had the time:

• Las Ventanas, Tagaytay Review: J and I went to Las Ventanas last October 23 pa! So that review is definitely long overdue now. lols
• Garnier Pure Active Anti-Imperfections Roll-on: my go-to spot treatment whenever my indomitable cystic zits attack.
• Essence Soft & Natural Long Lasting Foundation: one of my favorite foundie ever, it provides great coverage!
• Aido Lipsticks:  They are ridiculously cheap so I bought 3 of them! haha! I had to stop my self from buying all the shades. 
• and I also want to show you my clothing haul from Divisoria, oh man the shopaholic inside me just powers up whenever I go there! Everything is affordable, you just have to exert extra effort to find those with good quality ;)

The list just goes on and I don't have the patience to write them all so yeah, I'm lazy.

Next list is for my skincare:

• Moisturizer: I need a moisturizer for oily and sensitive skin, do you know any? I have fine lines already and I'm just 20y.o! But whenever I try to put on moisturizer, I always wake up with a new pimple on my face. :<
• Toner: I'm always trying different toners but I still haven't found my HG toner yet
• Tea Tree Oil: because I heard they're great for drying up pimples :">
• Bleaching cream: for dark spots and beyond. wooohoo!

Well, that's basically everything I need to buy for my skincare. It's the time of the month again when we girls can't help but wish that we're a boy. Oh God, these mentrual cramps are killing me and to make matters worse, my skin has been acting up lately and my indomitable pigsa-like pimples are spontaneously popping up all over my face, boohoo :<

And lastly, I thought of doing something new with my blog. Me and J are gonna... *drum-roll* ...write about our adventures! (a.k.a. 'dates'). Well yeah, I know some of you may think "blah! we don't care about that" but meh, I'll still write about our dates anyway. *evil laughs*. Please don't judge yet, it won't be about the cheesy and vomit-inducing corny stuff we do noh! You see, J and I loves to eat! And we also go to movies a lot and try out new things so basically, we'll be writing about food, entertainment and travel experiences and then I'll label them "Date Day #__" hihi :3

So that'll be all, btw, do any of you know how to make a freakin header??? Look at my pixelated header! I've been trying for hours to make a decent one but still no success. :'( Please teach meeeeee!

Till next post reader, thanks for reading!

Backpacking to Tagaytay: Hotel Dominique Review

Hi there! I'm back, hooray! So today I'll be reviewing the hotel we stayed at while we were in Tagaytay for 2 days and 1 night. :)

Because of the loooong weekend, J (my boyfriend) and I decided to have a quick getaway to Tagaytay last Tuesday (October 15). It's a spur of the moment trip and both of us don't know how to get around Tagaytay because it's actually our first time to go there without a guide. Luckily, we have a voucher I bought from CashCashPinoy for a 2 days and 1 night stay in a Superior Room in Hotel Dominique so we didn't have to worry where to stay for the night :)

I already forgot how much the voucher was because I bought it 2 months ago, but I think it's around 1,500 to 1,800 pesos, that includes 2 days and 1 night stay in their superior room with your choice of twin bed or queen sized bed, free breakfast for two and use of hotel facilities.

Hotel Dominique is not hard to find, it's just along Aguinaldo Highway, in front of Collette's Buko Pie & Pasalubong, and before Olivarez Terminal. It's actually on the wrong side of Tagaytay, the side which has no scenic views of the Taal Volcano.

 Here's what Hotel Dominique looks like:

Front facade of Hotel Dominique

It may not look much when you judge it from it's outer facade, but you'll be surprised how nice it is inside the hotel. There's a homey country feel to it that I really like.

How we got here: We boarded a DLTB bus at Buendia (near the LRT Gil Puyat Station) and asked the conductor to drop us off at Olivarez Terminal in Tagaytay (fare from Buendia to Tagaytay: Php 83.00). You'll pass by Hotel Dominique before getting to Olivarez Terminal, but since we didn't know it's exact location that time, we just asked the conductor to drop us off at Olivarez terminal and from there we walked back to Hotel Dominique.

Travel Time: We left Manila exactly 10AM because that's the trip schedule of the bus and we arrived at Tagaytay by 12PM, we encountered no heavy traffics therefore we can assume that travel time may be around 2 to 3 hours depending on the traffic.

I planned to drop off my heavy bags at the hotel before touring around the place but we arrived here earlier than we expected and we weren't allowed to book earlier than 2 o'clock :( so anyway, to while away the time, we went to People's Park first. You can take a jeep from Olivares Terminal going there, fare is Php 17.00.

I took this picture while we were at People's Park or Palace in the Sky:

I don't know what this place is, I just took a photo because the buildings really look cute hehe :P

I realized one thing: it's hard to go on a trip without a tripod or without someone who likes to take pictures! haha we were not able to take decent pictures of us together because we were too shy to ask strangers to take pics of us lol

What we think of People's Park:
 Well, we think it lacks the upkeep that it needs. :( It's sad to see a tourist destination which looks like it has been neglected ever since it was built and this place really looks like that. You can't help but think that it only has a few years left before it turns to a haunted mansion, or in this case, haunted palace. :\

Anyway after feeling sorry for the neglected structure called Palace in the Sky, we went to Picnic Grove (just a jeep away), here you can ride horses or go on a picnic (hence the name) with your family or your friends. You can also try the zip line or just simply enjoy the scenery of the Taal Lake. But meh, we didn't do any of that! we just sat there and stared at the Lake because I was tired from all the walking. Haha killjoy much :|

View from Picnic Grove

The time passed by quickly and before we knew it, it was already 6 o'clock and all I wanted to do was to rest! My gosh, Picnic Grove has so many stairs that I felt like half the fats in my body burned the 2 hours that I was there. :\

We ate dinner first before going back to Hotel Dominique, I wanted to try the famous Bulalo of Tagaytay but it is expensive! haha I guess I'll just try that next time when I have P1,000 budget for dinner.

Moving on, the check in process was easy, we were asked to present our voucher and an ID, the receptionist also made me sign something I didn't mind to read and asked for a security deposit fee of Php 500 which is of course refundable upon check out. Then one of the hotel's staff led us to our room which is located in a small building (of about 4 storeys, I guess? I'm not sure) inside Hotel Dominique.

The Room: the room was enough for two persons but I find it spacious enough. The furnishings are nice and simple, the room is not that big but it's clean and it also smells fresh and and it doesn't look cheap which is a plus factor for me! It also has a veranda which I really liked! If you like to see pictures of it, you can message Hotel Dominique on Facebook and they'll send it to you.

The toilet and shower room is okay too, it's not spacious but again it's clean and that's all that matters to me. haha! They'll provide you the basic toiletries: shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and toothbrush for two persons, soap and two towels. They have a heater too, and for a place as cold as Tagaytay, a water heater is a must!

We requested for a room that has a queen-sized bed, it also has a A/C, small TV and coffee making facilities, I wish I knew this sooner so I could've brought 3-in-1 coffee mix with me :( I love coffee any time of the day. The bed was comfy and the sheets and pillows were fluffy and clean. These are some of the important things I look for in a room, I couldn't care less if there's no TV in a room, as long as the sheets and pillows are clean and fluffy, I'm good. :D

I guess the walls are not completely sound proof, I can here doors slamming somewhere near our room but it's not such a big deal for me. I slept comfortably cuddled with J :3

Here's the view from our veranda:

6:00 in the morning! oooohhhh love the fog! :)

around 9 AM

The houses you see in the picture are one of the many Casitas of Hotel Dominique. They also have cabanas and suites which are located in the same building where the superior rooms are. The place looks like a mini village and has an abundance of greens! I totally love it. It feels welcoming :)

Hotel Dominique also has a small pool perfect for a mid-noon swim:

To start our day, J and I ordered American Breakfast. Actually we have 3 choices, but J told me to pick the most expensive one haha so we both chose the American breakfast over the other two.

BACON = LOVE

You can also choose between hot coffee, hot choco or tea for your drink

<3

We broke our fast 9:30 in the morning even though we woke up as early as 5:30 (we were a bit busy... *ehem* hihi). After eating, we just relaxed and got ready for the travel back to Manila.

Overall, our first Tagaytay trip was fun and worth it. We didn't do much of the sight seeing but that's ok because we'll be back here at Tagaytay on October 23 (we'll be at Las Ventanas naman *excited*).

For a spur-of-the-moment trip, this is surely one of our happiest travels ever.

If you're interested in Hotel Dominique, see their website here.

Thanks for reading!
xoxo