When one thinks of a quick escape from the busy and fast-paced life brought out by living in Manila, Tagaytay usually comes to mind first. Just around 1.5 hours away, this fave hang out place became much easier to reach now because of SLEX. Local and tourists alike flock Tagaytay because it offers outstanding views of Taal Lake and Volcano. Add to that is its cool climate due to its high altitude. No wonder this place became the nearest go-to destination during the summer season.

I remembered when I was still working in Alabang, we would drive to Tagaytay on a Friday after work then have coffee at a crowded Starbucks. We would then talk about anything while trying to figure out where Taal volcano is. We knew we are in front of a great view, we just can't see anything since its already dark by the time we arrived, haha! There was also a time when we were in the middle of a drinking session in Mandaluyong. In a spur of the moment, our group just decided to drive to Tagaytay - at almost 10pm! So Tagaytay it is. Haha!

Oh well..those were the days. Now that I have my own family already, trips to Tagaytay are always planned ahead. Early June of last year when my elder sister was about to celebrate her birthday, we decided to have a quick Sunday escapade to Tagaytay.

We arrived a few hours after lunch and was greeted by the usual heavy weekend traffic that has now become synonymous to the place. Somebody suggested to have lunch at RSM Lutong Bahay so we proceeded there. After ordering our food which includes a bulalo (a must try when in Tagaytay), we went around the restaurant grounds to take in the infamous Taal Lake view. This restaurant really has the say in terms of offering the best view of the lake. They even have nipa huts located outside in case you want to eat their food while overlooking the Taal Volcano. However, it was quite difficult to take pictures of us with the lake and volcano in the background. The resto's location is highly elevated compared to the lake and it is surrounded by concrete baluster which has no way of not being included in the pics. Anyway, we still enjoyed taking pics with the mountains and the buildings of Tagaytay Highlands in the background.