Disney on Ice... Disneyland Adventure

December 29, 2009: In preparation for the real Disneyland experience, we brought the kids to the Araneta Coliseum to watch the "Disney on Ice... Disneyland Adventure." James who was afraid of mascots was able get over his fear of these mascots after watching Disney on Ice.



Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Baloo, Disney Princess, Snow White and Cinderella, Stitch, The Incredibles and Buzz Lightyear were among the Disney charcter who were featured in the show.



There was indeed magic with this Disney experience.

Nature Discovery Camp

December 27, 2009: Together with Vince, Vhel and family, we heard the Sunday mass at the Little Souls Sisters Convent in Tagaytay. And after eating our lunch at the Mahogany market we headed for the Picnic Grove. But since it was the Sunday after Christmas, the place was jam-packed. Looking for another place to relax, we chanced upon Nature Discovery Camp. At the gates, we were greeted by their friendly staff and told us that the place was already full. We asked them if we could just check out the place. Much to our surprise, only the cottages were fully occupied. One of the staff told us that she would ask her boys to pitch us a tent if we decided to stay.



The kids enjoyed the playground, while Vince and me relaxed and enjoyed the fresh air and view of the Taal Volcano. The place had a swimming pool, mini forest and a hiking trail. Here are some of the pictures we had taken.



For our next visit to Tagaytay, we will be bring some barbeque, hotdogs and beer for the dads. All the kids enjoyed playing and rolling on the grass. It was a day filled with fun and leisure for the entire family.

UP-Ayalaland Techno Hub

December 12, 2009; We ate dinner at one of the favorite restaurants of the kids which is the "The Old Spaghetti House". Incidentally, it was also our first time to visit one of the latest land developments of Ayalaland which is the UP-Ayalaland Techno Hub. It is located along Commonwealth Avenue within the University of the Philippines property. This Technohub is envisioned to be the country's IT laboratory training ground similar to Silicon Valley of Standford University.




There are a variety of restaurants to choose from. You have Reyes Barbeque, Seafood Island, Mr. Kebab, RALS, Flapjacks and a lot more. It was indeed a refreshing place to dine and visit if you're looking for something new.

Araneta Center Christmas Parade

December 20, 2009: With Christmas just around the corner, mall owners in and around the Metro are hosting different events to attract more shoppers. This year, Araneta Center in Cubao, hosted a Magical Christmas Parade of Lights with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as their specials guests. On board their Disney themed float, Mickey Mouse and friends paraded around the Araneta Center.





Street dancers, Philippine Navy Bands, Binibining Pilipinas winners and other famous characters were among those who joined the parade. James, John and Nikki had waved "Hi!" to their favorite cartoon character Mickey Mouse. The kids are looking forward in watching the Disney on Ice show.



The kids even had a chance to take their pictures with Santa Clause in exchange for some goodies. A Very Merry Christmas to All!

Kawayan Farm

July 5, 2009 - The Kawayan Farm in Pililla, Rizal is home to various species of bamboo seedlings from white, yellow, black, Chinese, Buddaha, giant and up to the expensive bamboos used by famous landscapers in their masterpieces. Behind Nikki are some of the these bamboos currently housed by the farm.

Most of the structures in the farm were made of bamboo. From the picnic tables and nipa huts and up to the dinning halls.

A hilly landscape, a refreshing sight of the untouched forest and an overlooking view of Laguna de Bay was indeed very relaxing.

The best part of the trip was the food. A must try in their menu was the Bicol Express made of labong, bulalo and the sinigang na hipon. We also ordered native tinolang manok with coconut meat. Their staff were very friendly and service was at its best. As a bonus, the meal was reasonably priced. We will surely come back to this place to dine and relax.

They also offered massage service and a children's playground where the kids enjoyed playing with the monkey bars, swing and slide.

It took us two hours to reach the place via the backdoor of the east. It was a smooth drive thru the long and winding roads of the Manila East Road via Marcos Highway. Below are pictures of the convoy and the crew.

'Till the next road trip...

Tagaytay Highlands

May 2, 2009. Tagaytay Highlands is one of the posh and exclusive country clubs in the country today. It is a membership only access country club that makes it very exclusive and private. We were fortunate enough that my mom's friend lent us her membership rights to gain access to the country club.

There are a lot of things to do when you are in Tagaytay Highlands. A ride in its famous cable car and funicular is first on our list. The kids enjoyed the ten minute cable ride from the lowlands to the highlands and the five minute ride down to the midlands via the funicular. From Wikipedia, a funicular is a type of self-contained cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a very steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other.



We stayed at one of the Cowboy Cabins at the Cottage Grove. After settling down, we had a dip into one of their swimming pools.

A golf car ride took us from the cottage grove to the main clubhouse.

It was indeed a very relaxing trip to Tagaytay.