Most of my close friends in the office had already ventured into different businesses, offices, and even other countries; and so our monthly get together (for the ones left in the country) have been our way of catching up.  We usually have monthly dinners, but for our March get together, we planned of having a summer getaway.

We conducted a survey and I was overly excited when Eagle Point initially got the most number of votes.  I've been wanting to go to the beach and out of town resorts with only swimming pools do not really get me as excited because there are a lot of them here in Antipolo, one of which is just a few walks away from our house.

So imagine how the excitement turned into dismay when a re-vote happened and almost everyone settled for the next choice which was Valentino Resort and Spa.  I was supposed to back out, I even told Joie not to consider me joining anymore, but then again I didn't want to be the kontrabida so I just decided to set aside being a brat. :p

We met over at Makati and then started on our trip after everyone got to have their breakfast. We got to the resort after almost a 2-hour ride.  Special thanks to Joie for taking care of all the reservations.

We arrived earlier than the check-in time so I was anticipating that we would have to roam around the place first. It was Joie and Je who were communicating with the receptionists, but I already knew that we were already allowed to check into our rooms because of this middle-aged lady who kept on saying how she gave us some favor and allowed us to have an early check in.  Mark felt happy with the favor so he asked me to give the lady a box of egg rolls as a sign of gratitude.  I actually got pissed and really didn't want to hand the rolls to her, but Mark insisted and even got mad at me for being selfish, but had he heard how the lady kept on insinuating that favor (which none of us really asked for, in fact we were all willing to wait for the check in time) I think he wouldn't have given anything to that lady.  Apparently, I wasn't the only one who got pissed, Je also got irritated.  Mark, see?  We should have just given all of the rolls to our driver! :p

With Gretz and Me-anne on board a golf car from the reception area to our rooms :)

Their deluxe rooms are cozy. It was clean, had a decent bed with basic toiletries and clean towels,

a clean bathroom,

a good working aircon, a desk and a couch,

a small TV with a not so good reception, and a small walk-in closet.

It really wasn't that impressive, but at a Php 2600 rate per night with free breakfast for 2, I think I just got what I paid for. :)

After having a quick lunch in our room, Mark and I roamed around the resort.  What I liked about our room is that in front of it is this gorgeous pool.

It has a jacuzzi at the corner an an infinity pool surrounded by lush greens.

At the side of the pool were small cabanas which guests can use for free.

Aside from the deluxe rooms, they also have bigger rooms which looked like houses in a village.

Multi-purpose hall

Also surrounding the whole resort were lush greens and colorful flowers.

An indoor gym and spa are also available at the resort, which unfortunately we weren't able to try.

Restaurant

A few walks from our room were a bigger pool and a kiddie pool.

 

They also have a small playground which the kids and the kids at heart will surely enjoy.

Although there was no beach and the room wasn't glamorous, and although this wrist band (that we had to wear all throughout our stay) was a bit uncomfortable,

I must admit that I enjoyed our stay at Valentino not just because of the resort's relaxing ambience

but also because of the company of good friends.

Can't wait for our next escapade! :D

VALENTINO RESORT AND SPA

Barangay Pinagtung-ulan,

San Jose, Batangas

+63 917 515 5936

https://www.facebook.com/valentinoresortandspacorp/

 

After my MOA adventure with Mark, we headed to Robinsons Place to meet with his mom for dinner.

After going to and from every floor of the Midtown Wing in search for a place to dine, we finally agreed in trying out Bistro Ravioli. We were all first timers, so Mark and I just took charge of the orders. Ravioli was not in our choices that time, maybe because of our bad experience on raviolis at Spaghetti Factory. But I still remember how much I loved Red Coconut's ravioli though. :p

Now back to the orders. :p Mark's mom wanted to have chicken for dinner and was insisting that we get the Diablo wings, but being not so much into spicy food, Mark just ordered their herb chicken. The dish comes in 3 chicken wings fried to perfection with fries and gravy. The dish may look ordinary but the chicken wings were just flavorful and large too. I enjoyed munching on the chicken wing even without the gravy.

Herb Chicken - Php 235.00

Mark wanted some pasta and was looking at the pasta choices when he asked me what to get. We both went adventurous that day and opted for the Chicken Pesto Spaghetti. The pesto spaghetti was just like any other pesto, what made this dish stand out was the grilled chicken. The generous amount of grilled chicken chunks were juicy and tender to the bite and were made more delectable by the tomato salsa...perfect match for the pesto. Mark and I both loved this dish. The dish also comes with garlic toasts.

Chicken Pesto Spaghetti - Php 370.00

Another hit was the Italian Sausage and Bacon pizza. The 12-inch thin crust pizza was brick-oven-baked, making it more delectable. The crust was crispy yet still managed to be soft and chewy on the inside. It also had a spicy kick because of the chili flakes.

Italian Sausage and Bacon Pizza - Php 365.00

For the spicy food lovers, like Tita Juliet's friend who were with us, this will surely be an eye candy. :p

Habanero Pepper Sauce and Chili Flakes

We all enjoyed our dinner. Aside from the good food, the service is also commendable. Our first time at Bistro Ravioli will definitely not be our last! :)

BISTRO RAVIOLI, Robinsons Place - Manila
Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place,
Pedro Gil cor. Adriatico St., Ermita
Manila, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02)523-7565

After our breakfast at Pan de Amerikana, we headed next to the Gateway mall for lunch and then went straight to SM Mall of Asia. We don't usually frequent SM MOA since it's very far from both Mark's and my place, and so seeing the theme park at MOA along the Manila bay was a first time for us. :)

Mark and I were excited to try the MOA Eye as we have heard lots of raves about this new attraction at MOA. We can already see this big Ferris Wheel while we were approaching the theme park area.

MOA Eye

We were a bit early for the MOA Eye which starts its operation hours at 4pm, so we decided to walk around the theme park. We saw the Zipline on our way and Mark insisted that we try it out. I've never tried a zipline and I don't think I ever will since I'm afraid of heights. And the thought of having to fall off from the harness really adds up to my fear. But Mark was insistent so I had no choice. The staff also assured that their harness and cables are safe. I was already screaming as we were being harnessed more so when we took off! Good thing I didn't look scared at all and was still able to smile in front of the camera. :p

We're flying! :p

MOA Zipline Rates:

Php 150 per person for a one way ride
additional Php 100 for one photo souvenir with frame

We saw that the MOA Eye was already moving so we headed there next. Here are a few photos while we're on our way. Although the MOA Eye didn't seem to be so inviting during daytime, I was still amazed by the huge ferris wheel. I've seen other MOA Eye pictures and it looks a lot gorgeous at night when it is all lit up.



The MOA Eye is by far the biggest Ferris Wheel in the Philippines. It has 36 air-conditioned gondolas, 6 of which are VIP. Each gondola can accommodate up to 6 persons. Each person can ride the MOA Eye for Php 150.00, and this is for one complete revolution which is roughly a 10-minute ride. The VIP gondolas cost Php 200.00 per person and may also be rented for special arrangements like dinner dates. :)


I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures because the slightest movement causes the gondola to swing. Haha!

A view from the MOA Eye

While Mark was comfortably sitting and enjoying the view, I was nagging at him telling him not to move as I get scared every time the gondola swings haha! Notice how I can't let go of the railings? :p

But I must say that my MOA Eye ride was a lot less scarier than EK's Wheel of Fate. I think the ride was kind of smooth maybe because of the enclosed gondolas. Just imagine how scary it would be with the heavy cool wind blowing if the gondolas weren't enclosed!

Aside from the Zipline and MOA Eye, the theme park also houses different rides which most kids will enjoy. There were also a lot of food stalls and a nice park which you can roam around with on board this motion activated scooter. :p

Motion Activated Scooter - Php 120.00 for a 15-minute ride