Clouds, Ridges and Kids: A Tanay Adventure

ALLURING ESCAPES
by Alu Aluzan-Aran

Weekends are family “gala” days. This is the perfect time for us to eat at new restaurants and visit new places. We’re not always successful in finding good places but one of the happy places we discovered is Tanay, Rizal. Only an hour and 30 minutes away from the Metro, Tanay offers the same cool weather as Tagaytay but with a more stunning vista of the Sierra Mountain range. The Tanay main road is paved, and curvy but always offering a great view of the mountains.

With 2 boys and a hubby in tow, we started our exploration to Tanay via Marcos Highway. The first destination is the farthest that we’d like to go, Regina Rica in Barangay Sampaloc. This is a popular pilgrimage site for Marian Devotees as it features a 71-foot-high image of Our Lady of Regina Rica holding the baby Jesus. This was made by artist/sculptor Jose “Jojo” Barcena, Jr. There is a chapel inside the compound and a restaurant that serves all-plant-based food that came from the organic garden tended by the Dominican nuns themselves. Best to go early morning as the place requires a lot of walking uphill.

Another good dining destination in Tanay is Paseo Rizal. On weekends, the restaurant & mini-museum (showcases local artists and sculptors) features live acoustic music. Paseo serves well-loved Filipino food such as Kare-Kare, Crispy Pata, Pancit, Pinakbet, and a few others. Food is similar to home-cooked dishes and comes with regular sawsawans or dips. “Busog” is the best word to describe my troop after the visit to Wyndell’s and Paseo Rizal.

The next stop as the boys were getting hungry is Wyndell’s Al Fresco. This has got to be the busiest restaurant in the area. It has 3 level dining area – all facing the mountains, allowing the diners to take in the fresh country air with a relaxing view. When we arrived at eleven in the morning, the place was almost full. We were advised that it is best to have a reservation, especially on weekends. Generally, the food is good, the selection is quite extensive, the staff is friendly, and service is brisk. Maybe not the place to hang around for hours, but Wyndell’s will satisfy food cravings.

On our way back to Manila, we decided to check out Ten Cents to Heaven Leisure Camp. They may probably be one of the oldest establishments in the area. The huge complex is home to outdoor adventures including rappelling, obstacle course, zipline, swimming, and others. It has hotel rooms as well and is perfect for family getaways and barkada outings.

The boys loved our Tanay adventure. They are looking forward to checking out other visit-worthy places in Tanay like Palpitate Coffee, where a sea of clouds accompanies “muni-muni” moments, Masungi Georeserve, Viewscape Nature Park (ideal camping ground) and El Patio Razon, among others.