Tagaytay: Stepping over the ridge

Summit Ridge Toiletries

Ah, the liability of having a really cool room and comfy bed. I don't mean to complain but I guess this is a standard quandary among travelers -- having a nice room with all the works almost always mean spending more time indoors than exploring outdoors. Anyway, I'm not much of a Tagaytay person (the last time I was here was about two years ago while covering a friend's wedding) but the invite from Robinsons Land's Summit Ridge Hotel sounded too good to pass up.

Summit Ridge Twin Bed Room with the works

We rounded out willing accomplices, Lawstude and Wanderboy, to come along for the ride one Saturday. We were billeted on twin-bed units on the 4th floor (but if you like to get a better vantage point of the Taal caldera from your balcony, try booking the rooms on the higher floors). The Tagaytay clime is already cool but the air-conditioning really cranks that up (the better to hide under the sheets).

Taal Caldera view from the balcony

Pleasant surprises in-room: each unit has a Wi-fi router • The rooms are also spacious, heck, you can squeeze in 2-4 people with no problem. • Pleasant surprise in-T&B: the toiletries aren't the usual cheap-smelling variety and feel nice to the hair and skin •  Elsewhere: The gym, while compact, has quality multi-stations. • Breakfast at C2 offers a wide variety of fare.

Minor snafus: the in-room ref could hardly accommodate our stash of red tea and water • The glass windows and heavy drapes can't cope with the sound of traffic and blare of live bands from across the street. • Parking can also be a headache; we came during an event and had to leave our friend's car at the hotel for dinner lest we run out of parking space when we come back.

• We also tried out the badminton court at the basement (not that easy to find but rather well-ventilated; comfort and shower rooms are still being completed) but there were no rackets for rent or shuttlecocks for sale. Fortunately, the nice lady at the front desk bended over backwards to find us used shuttlecocks so we can play before we gorge ourselves come dinnertime.

On the upside: we just walked back home from a bulalo and tawilis dinner at Leslie's so that's a big plus for me. • There's also a mini-mall beside the hotel so loading up for provisions is just a leisurely stroll away.

Picnic Grove family-safe zipline

On the way home the following day, we passed by the Picnic Grove for a cursory peek.  It  was literally swarming with the weekend crowd and sadly, unsightly trash everywhere. Tsk, tsk.  The ziplines overlooking scenic Taal Lake look okay and family-safe; more than the zip ride, you just have to brave the long queues. 

We also took the chance to sample the Pinoy fare at Kanin Club at the Paseo de Santa Rosa so we can go home with full tummies.  Coming in for a rather late lunch at past 2pm, we were able to avoid the usual queues and thoroughly enjoyed binagoongan and kare-kare along with aligue rice.  Hearty fare to make up for the cool temp of the ridge which I was already missing.

For rates and other details, visit www.summitridgehotel.com

Kanin Club Seafood Binagoongan