February last year, I was ecstatic to attend my friend's wedding at Ilocos Sur to be one of her bridesmaids. Yaaayyy! Just when I thought I am already into the "ninang" (principal sponsor) level, I was still given a chance to be a bridesmaid. I feel so young haha!

So, we went to Vitalis Villas, which is located at Santiago Cove, Ilocos Sur, February last year to witness the marriage of Troy and Joan. We've known them for years and we can't let it pass when they invited us to their wedding. And we didn't regret the long drive; the wedding place was astounding. Destination weddings can be a bit more stressful in preparation for the groom and bride than an ordinary wedding, but for the guests, these are the kind of weddings that is truly unforgettable especially if executed very well.

Santiago Cove Ilocos Sur

We arrived at Vitalis Villas a day before the wedding. We planned this as our family/vacation time too. To be honest, I've never been to this far side of the north. I was excited to reach the place and discover the good things about this side of the Philippines. And it was far more than I expected. So we head on to NLEX and then to TPLEX. After Pozzorubio exit, we headed to La Union. While inside the car, we saw the beach of La Union. The blue waves were just so picturesque! I remember the same feeling I felt when I saw Boracay for the first time. Unfortunately, La Union was not our destination so we did not bother to stop by because Ilocos was still far. But a glimpse of San Juan, La Union beach already got me thinking I will come back here and experience this beach.

Looking through the map, Santiago, Ilocos Sur is at the edge of the Philippine Map. I just feel kinda weird and wonderful being "at the edge", literally speaking, of the archipelago. Entering the Vitalis Villas resort, I felt amused. It's like I was transported to another side of the earth. Yes, Santorini feels.

It was 2 PM when we arrived at the place. Lunch was included in our package. The buffet was only until 2 PM but they still accommodated us and gave us plated lunch. Complete with rice, viand, pastries for dessert and juice. Food tasted good too.

A little nap after eating and we were already up for some wandering. The whole resort is painted in blue and white only. Its a treat for my eyes! I loved the whole Santorini theme of this resort because you know that they put on a lot of effort in making you feel that you are in Greece, even the ground was made with cobblestones with lots of pavements in the resort. So goodluck if you are going here with your 5-inch pointed heels. We went to check out the beach at their other resort, Vitalis White Sand, which was not very far but you would need to take the free shuttle to get there so that the employees on the other resort would know that you are from Vitalis Villas.

The beach was okay. Its not the white sand beach but the sand was fine and clean and the water is shallow. And clean. Children can play because a big area has shallow waters.

Room and Surrounding

We went back and stroll around the resort -- its all blue and white!

Now for the room interiors, because everything is in blue and white, dirt can be easily spotted. I am glad to say that when we entered our room, it was very neat and clean and tidy. By the way, we checked in to the superior room. Its the cheapest but the room was spacious!

I was impressed with the bathroom's toilet because of this:

I had a chance to look at the groom's room the night before the wedding so everything's still in order because I'm sure the next day it will be chaos for the preparations. Here are some pictures I was able to capture. By the way, this is a room with three bedrooms with dining room and kitchen. There's also a veranda but I was not able to take a picture of it. Well, all I'm trying to say is... this room is huge!

Vitalis Villas Wedding

Immaculada Concepcion Church inside the resort

The Immaculada Concepcion church inside the resort was built for intimate weddings. Its not that big but enough to accommodate maybe up to 150 guests. But the church is so beautiful inside and even have a painted ceiling.




Its the West Philippine Sea for the groom's background!

The beautiful bride with the white rooms as her background.

Whenever we have to travel by air, we always hire a van to drive us to the airport (and vice versa, picking us up after we arrived) because it would not be practical to commute since we have three kids in tow plus all of our baggage. It was an expensive option though. Until we discovered Park 'N Fly Manila.

Thank God for a recent discovery about Park 'N Fly. A friend recommended this place to us when we were about to leave for Coron so we decided to give it a try. The process was very easy. Firstly, drive to their office at least 1 hour before your flight check-in. I repeat, at least an hour before your actual check-in. So, for example, our flight to Coron was scheduled around 1:00 PM, we arrived at Park N Fly at around 10:00 AM. This is to give time allowance to the traffic going to the airport and for filling up forms at their office. Secondly, after arrival at their office, you need to fill up a form required for you and your car's identity. Thirdly, you can leave your car and keys to them and they will be in charge of taking care of parking your car. You will also need to submit your driver's license and a copy of your car's OR/CR. After that, a van awaits as your free transportation going to the airport. Cool, right?

Photo grabbed from primer.com.ph

If you are thinking of availing their services, you also need to consider some cons, which for me are just minimal compared to the good services they offer. But you still have to consider the following:

1. The Park N Fly's rate is not that cheap. From their website:

For me, having experienced their services twice, I can say that the pros outweigh the cons. That is why I decided to post a review about this company because I would like to recommend them to everyone. Here are some of the benefits when you get their services:

1. Vehicles are safe and secured. The company operates 24/7 and their multi-level park is always well-lit and monitored by CCTV. Somehow, a facility like this makes you feel more secure leaving your car at their place rather than just leaving your car in your garage where nobody is watching.

2. They operate 24/7. That means no worries whatever is your flight time because their office is always open.

3. A free shuttle service to and from the airport. As I've mentioned, after leaving your car to them, a van awaits you to drive you to the airport. When registering your car, you also need to indicate your arrival time so they can pick you up from the airport. The shuttle service is for free but you can always give some tip to the driver if you liked his service.

4. They offer auto care services too. We decided to avail of their cleaning service so when we get back, the car would not be too dusty and we were satisfied with their service.Other services include maintenance repair, refueling, and detailing.

5. Lounge for customers. If you arrived too early for your flight, you can stay at their lounge/office while waiting for your flight schedule. Their office has a complimentary internet and TV where you can watch while waiting. They also have a 24hour convenience store, a barber shop (a haircut before your flight, because why not?) and an ATM.

6. You can park your car on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. No need to call for reservations because they accept walk-in customers.

I'm sure there are still more benefits than these I've listed but the main reason why we decided to park our car in this parking facility is because of the convenience of using your own car when getting to the airport and upon arrival from your flight. Let's face it, commuting in Manila is getting worse, and if you came from a vacation, wouldn't you want a relaxed travel going home? I do! By the way, we are from Bulacan, so you can just imagine how difficult it would be for us if we commute from the airport to our home.

If you need to know about Park N Fly rates, services, etc., you may visit their website:

http://parknfly.com.ph/

Mia Road Corner Domestic Road
Airport, Pasay City, Philippines 1301

Park N Fly contact number: 

854-9302 to 04 and 852 1946 to 48/0918-991-0000

How to go to Dinosaurs Island from Manila/Bulacan

Dinosaurs Island is located at Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, and since we are from Bulacan, it's only an hour and a half drive from our place. And because it's our first time to drive to this side of the north, we got lost haha! But its ok because we were still able to find the place. We have reached the end of NLEX at Sta. Ines tollgate at Pampanga. From there, we entered Mabalacat arch and drove straight ahead until we saw the sign Clark Land. The place is not difficult to find. And I think that is the easiest way on how to get to Dinosaurs Island.

There are two animatronic theme park inside Clark Land. One is the Dinosaurs Island and the other one is Insectlandia. When we arrived at the place, the rain drizzle have just stopped so the whole ground was wet. And because the place is located on a forest trail, we experienced some drops of water falling from the trees. The staff immediately handed us two big umbrellas but we opted not to use it since there was really no rain anymore. 

Dinosaurs Island Entrance Fee

ADULT: Php 350.00CHILD (17 years old below): Php 300.00

But as soon as he entered the gate, he got super scared! He did not expect the dinosaurs to be life-sized! And of course, the sounds of the dinosaurs also scared him. I know its not funny but I can't help laughing at him because he was so scared and he kept on saying "I don't like this place anymore." I shouldn't be making fun of him but I really thought it was hilarious. Don't judge me please, I love my son so much, its just that he was still so cute despite the fear. Anyway, here are some of our pictures inside the park.

By the way, a tour guide will be with you as you make your tour inside the park and he will also give a brief description for each of the dinosaurs which were very interesting especially for the kids. And since Swoosh was really into dinosaurs, when the tour guide asked him the names of each dinosaur, he was able to answer all of it! 

As we go along, the little boy is getting the hang of it...

Animatronic means...

1. Don't forget the medicines. Never forget medicines especially if your child has a special medicine that needs to be taken daily. My son takes only one vitamin everyday so I always pack that. Additional medicine would be for some sickness that one may acquire during the travel like medicines for fever, cough, colds. Also, some alcohol and bandages if there are some small wounds. 

2. Brig Extra Clothes. If we are traveling for four days, I pack clothes for a six day travel. A few additional pieces would be helpful for untoward incidents like emergency wherein you cannot go home because the flight was cancelled, or if the traveling abroad and you did not expect the weather to be too cold.

3. Food or Snacks. Whenever we travel, be it by land or air, I always, always bring some snacks for my little one. Because sometimes the kids don't like the food available to the place we are traveling to. If they are really hungry I must have at least some light snacks to give them. Also, for practical reasons that I don't need to buy too much food which would add up to our travel budget. My rule is we can eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner but for snacks, I always try to bring biscuits, breads (I even brought spreads!) etc. so we won't need to buy from the stores.

4. Comfortable Clothes and Shoes. I choose sandals over heels every time we go to the beach. I could even get by with just slippers. I know it doesn't look good in pictures but I just wouldn't trade comfort over fashion. If traveling in a place where there's a need for a lo of walking, I would wear sneakers for the rest of the trip. Most hotels provide slippers so you can use that or bring a pair if you want to use you own slippers when staying inside the hotel. I don't like to bring another pair of shoes just to satisfy my OOTD.  Save yourself from tantrums by letting your kids wear their most comfortable clothes and shoes. After all, the kids just want to have fun and the last thing they could care about is how stylish their outfit is.

5. Important Documents. Whenever we travel, I put all the passports and ticket planes in one pouch. If traveling locally, I still bring the passports for identification purposes and so as to make it a habit to bring these documents every travel. If we are traveling by land, I make sure I still bring IDs for each family member and also a map I downloaded from Google maps, which is very useful for travels that require long drives. Important documents should be ready at least one week before your travel date.

6. Check on the Weather. Thank God for new technologies, we now have apps for determining weather in different places. Its not 100% accurate but it gives you somehow an idea what kind of weather you will be bumping into when you travel abroad. Weather forecast can help us what clothes we need to bring and if its appropriate to go out. With kids in tow, you may just want to skip a rainy season destination.

7. Research About Your Destination. For travel vacations, I refuse to rely on spontaneity. When we went to HK, I swear I've read and research about a hundred blogs and articles on how to commute in HK, what are the forms of transportation, where are the kid-friendly destinations, what weather are we going to face, etc. Researching and reading beforehand can maximize the things you can do during traveling because you already know what to do or how to get to a certain place instead of wasting time researching online during your travel.

8. Brief the Kids. I always do this weeks before our travel date. I always tell the kids once in  a while where are we going and what they can expect during the travel. Always helps because the kids get really excited and help them prepare their minds.It also makes the mood brighter during the travel because everybody is happy instead of the kids being grumpy because they are clueless about the vacation plan. They can also prepare what they want to bring during the trip if they are aware beforehand where you will be bringing them.

9. Take Your Vitamins! Last but not the least, we, parents should take care of ourselves too. We cannot take care of our young if we are too weak or too tired or exhausted with the preparations we forgot that our body needs to rest too.


There's so much more we can add up to this list but these are the basic I can give right now. Of course, the main tip I can give to you is: enjoy the travel. Its an adventure with the kids and you must enjoy every moment you have with them. Someday, everything will just be a memory, make sure you enjoy those times you can no longer pull back. Your kids will surely thank you for all the fun times they can recall when they grow up.

Stay positive and pass it on!

When I first saw this picture, I want to teleport immediately to Tagaytay! It feels so relaxing just by looking at it. So we decided to book for Mother's Day. Unfortunately, the hotel was already fully booked and we ended up booking for the next weekend. It was good though because we were able to book their promo rate which was Php 500.00 discount for a weekday stay (if your booking fell on a Sunday-Thursday) plus a free mini bar. Not bad at all! This is also a good time for staying in Tagaytay because, honestly, Tagaytay traffic feels like EDSA during weekends. And that never feels like relaxing at all.

To get to the hotel, we just followed the guide in Google maps. Escala Tagatay is located right beside Tagaytay Skyranch. If you are coming from Sta. Rosa exit, you can see a small signage of Escala Tagaytay right before Skyranch's Exit. Going inside the hotel, you will notice that it's like the hotel is inside a subdivision or a residential place. Nevertheless, I like the privacy of the place and its not situated at the highway. The only drawback for the hotel is the parking space because they have not yet established a proper parking for their customers. There is a parking space across the hotel but its not roofed. A security guard is assigned to the parking but it would be better if the parking is covered and maybe add some fence for more security. But I think the hotel is already doing something about that. I also like the location of the hotel because it's only walking distance from Josephine Restaurant and Robinsons Supermarket Summit Ridge so if ever you are hungry or if there are things you need to buy, no need to travel by car or by tricycle.

When we arrived at the hotel, it was only 12 PM and we were advised that they cannot accept early check in because the rooms are still being cleaned but they can collect our bags so we can roam around the area while waiting for our check in time. So we just left our bags and headed to Josephine's for our lunch because we are already starving from our travel (Bulacan to Tagaytay whoa!). Here's a picture first of the lobby:

A restaurant overlooking the Taal Volcano can also be found in the lobby:

After having our Bulalo at Josephine's, we headed back to the hotel and checked in. We booked the Deluxe Room and I am glad that it was spacious. The room has 1 single bed and 1 queen bed. All rooms in Escala Tagaytay have balconies that have a view of either the Taal lake or the infinity pool. 

Escala Tagaytay room rate for Deluxe Room is Php 6,500.00 for an overnight stay.

The free mini bar was composed of four canned softdrinks and three packs of mixed nuts. I forgot to take a picture of it though. After scanning the whole room, we took a little nap and then the fun times begun! Swimming!

View from the lobby.

Lovin' the shade of the building so sun's not directly on us.

The pool is 5 ft deep but there's a small pool for the kids which I think is only 3 ft deep.

Pool is big and nice, but would be nicer if heated :)

The infinity pool is available only from 8 AM to 8 PM. We didn't mind the time limit because its getting chilly in the evening already and the pool was not heated. I think the owners of this hotel should consider a heated pool in the future. Come night time, we just ordered pizza and pasta from the mall and ate it in our room. The Tagaytay weather can be felt at night time in their lobby. I love the cold wind entering the lobby because the hotel's lobby is pretty much open.

Me at the entrance. Above are clocks showing the time in different countries.

As you can see the lobby is very open so the wind is just casually entering the hall, no need for an AC or electric fan in this hotel's lobby.


In the morning, we were greeted by the warm breeze of Tagaytay. Their buffet breakfast was located in their lobby overlooking Taal volcano. I loved sipping my coffee with this view!

Jayson was still in the room during this time.

Cereals and milk!

I loved the breakfast buffet. There is a variety to choose from - breads and spreads, eggs, ham, Filipino breakfast, rice, fruits, cereals, omelet, noodles, soup, salads, coffee, juices etc. After breakfast, we went for a swim again until 11 AM and checked out at noon.

If you want a relaxing Tagaytay escape, I highly recommend the Escala Tagaytay Hotel. We had a nice time and it truly felt like home away from home.

Escala Tagaytay Rates:

http://www.escalatagaytay.com/rooms/
Contact numbers: (02) 519-4444, 09176753806


Heading to the north? Check out these beautiful hotels/resorts we've been to:

Baguio:
https://www.jocelynpryde.com/2018/02/review-manor-at-camp-john-hay.html

La Union:
https://www.jocelynpryde.com/2018/02/review-manor-at-camp-john-hay.html

Ilocos Sur:
https://www.jocelynpryde.com/2019/04/vitalis-villas-review.html

The main reason why we chose to stay in a guesthouse for the first three days of our HK vacation was because I want to stay for a night in a Disneyland Hotel. Yes, me! Not the kids... its my own request! Good thing the whole family agreed. Thank God for this family!

Hong Kong Disney Hotel rates are not cheap. It is expensive, as expected. But I have this thing for staying in beautiful hotels -- its feels like I am really getting my money's worth whenever I stay in a beautiful hotel. And for this particular hotel, I can undoubtedly say its really worth every penny.

We booked one night stay at Disney's Hollywood Hotel through their website. You can check the rates here:

https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com/hotels/disneys-hollywood-hotel/rates-rooms/

I know its expensive but we managed to fit it in our budget by staying for three days in a guesthouse and then our final 2 days in the Disneyland resort. Talk about financial strategy hahaha! The hotel didn't disappoint though. Its beautiful, its clean, its magical and most of all, its huge. The hotel was huge and the whole resort was even bigger. The surrounding is clean and well maintained. You can literally feel happy just by roaming around the whole property. I love that the hotel's surrounding is full of greenery. Pictures won't do justice but I'll post it anyway :) First, here are some pictures from the hotel's lobby:

Hotel Lobby