Enjoy Different Attractions in Vigan City with your Family for FREE!

               My husband and I had been planning to go to Vigan and Pagudpud since we got married in 2008, and finally we were able to make it happen, well, just recently though. It was our family’s first summer adventure for 2014. Before we left Manila, our goal was to spend as little money as possible for the entire Ilocos trip, without compromising of course the kids’ happiness. And the  great thing that we noticed when we visited different tourist attractions in the City ; Calle Crisologo, Dancing Fountain Show, Burnayan Pottery, Hidden Garden and the  Baluarte Zoo.. is that there was no entrance fee, admission fee or whatever you call it. We even saw some tarps in the Baluarte Zoo, advising visitors not to give donations, reiterating that strolling around the place and interacting with different animals are totally free. Surprising right? “May libre pa pala sa Pinas!”

So here’s the full version of our Vigan adventure:

              What’s the first thing to do in Vigan?  Of course, to walk at the beautifully paved road of the historic Calle Crisologo! It’s amazing to see how the people in this village were able to preserve the ancestral houses. Only “Calesas” (horse-drawn carriages) are allowed to pass by the cobblestone street, so one could definitely look back at the old Spanish times.

Fun Family Picnic in Tagaytay

We just Looove the cool breeze of Tagaytay City!

We went back, for the whole family to have a great time at the park. And we all had fun! 

 

Since my son saw Team Umizoomi (Nick Jr.) on TV having a fantastic picnic, he didn’t stop asking us to go out and do the same.  Thinking of a location to have a fun picnic near Manila, we went to Tagaytay City. Of course, for a less expensive place with a great view of the Taal Lake, best choice was, The Picnic Grove! 
  

       I’ve been to this place couple of times already, many years ago. There are different things you can do here now, in addition to riding a horse or flying a kite, you may also try the zipline or cable car if you have additional budget. In our case, we just enjoyed the fresh air, the sumptuous meal and the majestic view of the Taal Lake.

The kids were able to use their little tent on the ground, we also bought some bubble gun for them to play. It was nice to walk the trail as well, where we took some photos with the mesmerizing beauty of nature on the background.

While others were scared to pass the hanging bridge, here’s a photo of my son, having a really great time jumping on it.

 

It was a wonderful family picnic day for us! perfect weather!

 

*For fees, entrance of P50 for 4 years old and above. And P35 flat rate for parking. We rented a picnic hut for P150 with no time limit! Bench tables for P100 and a cottage for P250 are also available.

*We stopped over at Good Shepherd-Bahay Pastulan on our way to the park, where we bought buko pie and ube jam. They’re open until 6pm only, that’s why we went there first.  

-So glad that I was able to enjoy the amazing cool climate of the place and at the same time, purchase my favorite ube halaya, without having to go on a 6-hour trip to Baguio J



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Where to go in Tagaytay, for a Great Family Day Out, on a Budget

My friends were asking for information about our recent Tagaytay trip. So here are the details. It was definitely unplanned; all we want is for the kids to have a nice and relaxing day tour out of town. We left Pasig at around 11am. While hubby was driving, I just searched on mobile for places that we could go to, on a budget. We went to Nuvali, Puzzle Mansion, Sky Ranch and view deck overlooking Taal Lake.

First stop, NUVALI, Sta. Rosa Laguna. Good news is, it’s FREE! you’ll just have to park your car and have a nice walk to the lake.  Both our 6-mo old baby and 4-yr old son loved the place. Because of the fishes, lots and lots of them! Stampede! J It was a sunny day, that’s why we had to use an umbrella. But it was still relaxing (despite of the heat ) to look at the fishes swimming at the lake. And to make it more fun for kuya Shaun, daddy bought some food (for only P15/pack) so he can feed the fish.

Second, the Puzzle Mansion, Tagaytay City, entrance fee P100/head. Ms. Gina owner of the two-story Mansion is the Guinness World Record holder for the person who has completed the most jigsaw puzzles in the world. We went there because of that title, thought it will be interesting for our son. But he found it boring. Hehe! But it was still amazing how one person could finish all those puzzle pictures ranging from 100 pcs to 32,000 pcs!
 

Third, the Sky Ranch, Tagaytay City, admission fee is P100/head, we went on a holiday (50% discount) so we only paid for P50 per person. It has a great view of the Taal Volcano. On your way, you will immediately see the huge Ferris wheel along Aguinaldo Highway. Our son was very excited to ride this amazing Sky Eye, the Tallest Ferris Wheel in the country.  That he shouted louder in the car as we get closer and closer to the park (t'was kinda annoying, but FUN). 150 Pesos per person for a 10-minute ride to the Sky Eye. Pretty expensive huh? but it was worth it when we saw the big smile on our kids face. You won’t get dizzy riding here, because it’s air-conditioned and has music playing continuously. Oh let me tell you, before you leave this place you also need to pay for your parking.

Finally, EAT! Along Tagaytay-Nasugbu Hwy, you can choose from different restaurants (Starbucks, Pancake house, Max’s, Chicboy, Leslie's to name a few). After eating,  just a walk, right behind those resto, you'll see a fantastic view of the Taal Lake for FREE!

It was a really great quality time with my family. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

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