Tagaytay - Nasugbu Roadtrip 2014

There are times when we wanted to get away from the stress from work. Then, other times we just wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Well, my Tagaytay - Nasugbu Roadtrip 2014 was designed for both. However, when I undertook this trip with my family, it was actually my mom's birthday and it was a bonding time for the family. But believe me, I felt both before we had the trip.

Tagaytay - Nasugbu Roadtrip 2014

Since it's a family bonding trip, the task of preparing and making our itinerary was given to me (as usual). My original plan was for us to drive to Lucban in the province of Quezon to see Kamay ni Hesus and visit their old church. However, I decided to shelf it for Holy Week and plan a picnic-by-the-beach-themed road trip... and the nearest beach in our place is located in the province of Batangas. I had to choose from the beaches in Laiya, Nasugbu, and Lian. 

Nasugbu Arch

Based on the comments and articles in the blogosphere, Nasugbu seems to rise from the rest and so I went for it. My itinerary would also take us to Tagaytay (pass by it to be exact) so I tried to include a stopover. Then again, on a more personal note, I wanted us to visit a place that I haven't visited yet. So, I decided not to include the popular spots that I already visited in Tagaytay like Picnic Grove and People's Park. Since the trip was on a Sunday, I decided that we could just take a mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Tagaytay City before heading to Nasugbu. 

St. Francis Xavier Parish Church

Our road trip started in our place in Cavite. We drove southwards to Tagaytay City. Our plan to attend the mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Church was dished out since there was no space for us to park and we were also in a rush. We continued our drive to Nasugbu and luckily we managed to arrive just in time to attend a mass in St. Francis Xavier Parish Church in the town proper.

Munting Buhangin Beach Resort

After the mass, we proceeded towards the beach. There were plenty of resorts in Nasugbu. However, most of them require you to be a member of a club or own a house in a specific subdivision.  It took us almost an hour or two looking for a place to visit until we finally found Munting Buhangin Beach Resort. It is a privately owned resort without the membership drama.

We were preparing our tummies...

Time for a swim

...and some photoshoots

We had lunch in the resort (the food was good). We also rented a hut and enjoyed the beauty of the place. After several hours of either swimming or collecting shells, we finally called it a day and decided to drive back home.

Caleruega Transfiguration Chapel - Chapel on the Hill

Entrance to the retreat center

Before we left the province of Batangas, we went on a little pilgrimage trip to Caleruega Transfiguration Chapel which is also in Nasugbu. Aside from its picturesque chapel on top of a hill, there is also a wooden bridge that's ideal for photoshoots (Don't forget to say hi to the worms in the Worm Farm). 

Bag of Beans Tagaytay

It was quite dark when we decided to head back to the road. It took us about 15 to 20 minutes to reach the City of Tagaytay. We had a quick stop at Bag of Beans to buy some blueberry cheesecake for my sister. However, due to several reasons, our quick stop turned into a waiting game and we ended up staying for almost 20 minutes.

Practicing my chopsticks skill.

By the time we got back to the car, we were all hungry so we decided to look for a place to eat. My mom suggested Rai Rai Ken in Robinson's Place Tagaytay since we enjoyed it last time we went on a road trip to Albay.

After the hearty meal, we drove back home tired but thankful for another chance of bonding with each other.