Pandemic Pasyal: Highland Bali Villas Resort and Spa (Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija)

This trip was supposed to be a March 2021 rendezvous, but there was a COVID surge during that time. Metro Manila had another locked down, so we decided to postpone. After several months, we found ourselves traveling almost 4 hours to Highland Bali Villas Resort and Spa in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. Full disclosure: We paid for everything. We got the rooms on sale. We stayed in a Deluxe Room on our first night and in an Executive Room on our second night. We stayed three days and two nights. We are a family of 4 - Mama, Papa, a teenager, and a tweener. Since the rooms fit two adults and two kids (aged seven and below), we paid extra for the teenager (includes breakfast buffet and bedding) and paid for the breakfast buffet of the tweener. 

What are the top things we liked about our stay? 

1. They have nice rooms. 
They're good enough for the 4 of us. The Deluxe Room has two double beds, an ensuite bath, while the Executive Room has one king-sized bed with a couch and an ensuite bath with a bathtub. They have nice amenities too.  

The Executive Suite

2. The outdoor jacuzzi. 
They have two pools and two outdoor jacuzzis. I enjoyed doing some laps on the infinity pool near their Soraya Restaurant. We didn't stay in the other pool (near the bar) because it was too cold for us. We had a great time lounging on their outdoor jacuzzi. We were not ready for the cold and windy weather. But the outdoor jacuzzi was complementary to it. I can still imagine the cold breeze on my face, a vista of the mountains, and warm water massage from the jacuzzi while playing cards and sipping hot chocolate with the fam. It was a perfect moment. 

Outdoor jacuzzi

3. The staff. 
They were very attentive and helpful. They're welcoming and always smiling. It's nice to go around before the sun rises. Even then, the staff is up and about. And when they see you, they acknowledge you and greet you with a smile. They're always after your comfort and convenience.  

4. Instragrammable spots. 
It was a good thing that we went during the Christmas season because the place was well decorated. They have pretty Christmas arches and themed areas. We took our time going around and posing for each spot.

 

5. Buffet breakfast and free hot chocolate and cookies. 
For me, the food at the Soraya Restaurant wasn't cheap. We ordered two kinds of pasta and pizza for dinner, which were good, I must say, but I think they were pricey. The breakfast buffet was a nice reprieve from food spending. I especially like the omelet, the chicken tocino, and their Spanish bread. They're selling the Spanish bread by the boxes at 360 pesos per box of 12.  Another thing we looked forward to was the free hot chocolate and cookies that were available every 5:00 pm. Did I say it was cold? The hot chocolate with cookies was a very nice counterpoint. 

6. The view. 

We fell in love with the sweeping sight of the mountains and the lake. It's so serene. I particularly like sunrises, especially since the property faces the morning sun. 

7. Free kayak. 
The stay comes with 30-minute free kayaking. We went to the concierge to coordinate our intent to avail of this freebie and went to the lake.  We had the lake to ourselves because we went early. 

OTHER THINGS WE DID:

We decided to go out of the resort and explore the area.  We found two interesting places.

1. Montana del Sol 

We were looking for a view deck where we can have a better view of the mountains and the lake.  We saw some photos of Montana del Sol and decided to go and visit.  We paid 50 pesos each for the entrance fee. We're very glad we did it.  Although, there's really not much to do except to sit and talk, clown around and stare at the view.  It was so quiet and serene.  I wanted to stay longer but my crew was hungry for lunch.

2. Hillocks Coffeeshop and Restaurant

Thanks to the internet, we found this quaint restaurant.  It went unnoticed when we passed by the first time since the entrance is on the side.  

OTHE INFORMATION YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW:

1. It's 3.5 hours away from Quezon City.

2. They did not require COVID tests results during check-in. 

3. They have golf carts to transport you and your belongings to the reception area and your rooms.

4. They accept credit cards.

5.  We found an ATM machine in front of a 711, near a market, outside the resort.

Eats Taiwan: 13 Food We Tried and Enjoyed

Taiwan is a foodie haven.  Food is affordable and the choices are endless.  Here are some of the gastronomic delights that we tried and enjoyed.

1. Hotpot
All the hotpot we've tasted were good. The best we had was in Taipei Huaxi Night Market, very near Longshan Temple.

2. Japanese Cake
They were huge! It was like a pancake sandwich with a thick filling cooked in an iron griddle. Lines to this local fare is almost always long in the night markets.

3. Candied Fresh Strawberries
Fresh strawberries dipped in syrup then plunged to a bowl of water filled with ice, which turned the syrup into a hard candy covering.

4. Fried Milk 
This looks like curdled milk cut into cubes then fried on hot oil. It has some crunch on the outside and gooey on the inside.

5. Stinky Tofu
I love tofu.  And this smells.  But it's really good.

6. Oyster Pancake
This is your unshelled oysters mixed with egg and shallots, then fried like scrambled egg.

7. Ice Cream Wrap with Shaved Peanuts
Shaved peanut brittle to go with an ice cream wrap.

8. Sausages
I can't say much about the sausages because it's something that I don't eat.  But from the looks of how my daughters and my husband downed all the sausages I'm going to say they're pretty tasty

9. Grilled Mushrooms with Chili Powder
I really, really like them.  It tasted like grilled squid to me.

10. Starch Balls
They serve them hot like ginataan with sweetened coconut milk.  Or iced like halohalo.  I like them both.

11. Beef Noodle Soup
Very flavourful soup with thick noodles.  Perfect for the rainy afternoon in Shifen.

13. Flying Cow Ranch Cheesecake
I must say that this is the best cheesecake our 50 pesos has ever bought in Taiwan.

Taiwan Day 3: Jiufen, Shifen, Taipei 101, Modern Toilet, Ximending Night Market

This is day 3 of our Taiwan adventure.  We travelled to Ruifang Station to visit two old streets.

Jiufen Old Street
It’s known to be Hayao Miyazaki's inspiration for the Academy Award winner Spirited Away. I remember the street lined with red lanterns where Chihiro's parents sat down and ate until they became pigs. Jiufen Street, reminiscent of the movie, is lined with red lanterns and everywhere I look, there were food stalls left and right. We also came into a street with different masks which also reminded me of the animated film's artistic design. It was surreal. 

Taiwan Day 2: National Palace Museum, National Science Museum, Taipei Children's Amusement Park, Shilin Night Market

This is day 2 of our Taiwan adventure.

National Palace Museum
We went for the children’s section because it’s free. The exhibits are tactile and interactive. Everything can be touched and played with.

National Taiwan Science Education Center (National Science Museum)
We went into the Dreamworks Animation exhibit. We were very impressed with how everything was laid out. From the displays to the presentations. My favorites were the projected images in inanimate objects. At first glance, it looked like the images were really part of the design, until everything moves and changes, then it would dawn on the spectator that all were projected images. My daughters were really amused with the interactive displays. There's a nook where you can color Dreamworks characters, then you take a photo of your colored page using a dreamworks app, then the character, exactly how you colored it, appear on 3-D and can be manipulated using your fingertips. It was so cool!

Taipei Children’s Amusement Park
Nothing fancy. It's your usual "tsubibo" rides. But with class and sophistication. I like how the entrance is priced cheap, so going in is very affordable. But you have to pay for the rides. But this is ok for us. We just choose the rides we like and pay for them.

Shilin Night Market
Shilin Night Market was love. It's so huge and full of novelty dishes to try that we reached a point that we've thrown in the towel. It's man versus food. And no matter how we tried, food won. We wanted to try more, but there was no more space. We're filled to the brim.

DETAILS:

National Palace Museum

Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhi Shan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111

How to get there: From MRT Red Line Shilin station (士林), walk outside the station and board Bus R30 (紅30), fare NT$15, payable by cash or Easycard Do not cross the road, as busses on the MRT station side of the road head east towards the museum. Busses generally leave every 30 mins on weekdays until 7PM and 15 mins on weekends until 6:55PM. Additional buses are available after hours on Friday and Saturday evenings. Bus BR20 (棕20) also travels from the museum to Brown Line 1 Dazhi station, however, Shilin is recommended for speed and convenience.

National Taiwan Science Education Center (National Science Museum)

Address: No. 189, Shishang Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111

How to get there: From Red Line Jiantan station (劍潭), exit the station towards Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) and walk left towards the bus station (busses heading north). Take route R30, 41, or the shuttle bus to the Taipei Children's Amusement Park (the museum is across the street from the park).

Taipei Children's Amusement Park

Address: No. 55, Section 5, Chengde Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 11169

How to get there: From Red Line Jiantan station (劍潭), exit the station towards Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) and walk left towards the bus station (busses heading north). Take the shuttle bus or route 41 to the park.

Shilin Night Market

Address: No. 101, Jihe Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111

How to get there: Take the Red Line to Jiantan Station (劍潭), not Shilin Station. After leaving Exit 1, diagonally cross the street to the left to enter the night market.

VIDEO RECAP:

Taiwan Day 1: Holo Hostel, Miniatures Museum of Taiwan, National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, St. Christopher’s Church, Long Shan Temple, Huaxi Night Market

Taiwan was a revelation.  And I thought it was all food trip.  Then, we had all our days fully packed. And we enjoyed every single one of them.  Here's what we did in Taiwan:

Day 1
Miniatures Museum of Taiwan
Dolls even dolls on eggs, toys, very detailed houses and rooms, scenes and sceneries, historical landmarks and places of interests

Then we ate lunch at a nearby underground restaurant – they serve good fried chicken.

National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine 
We went here to witness the changing of the guards. We like taking pictures when the place is clean, I mean no photobombers. This can be achieved when after changing of the guards, you run in the middle of the Shrine’s ground and click away. By this time, most of the crowd are still at the entrance of the Shrine where the changing of the guard ended.  The shrine was magnificent. It looked like a location in one of those Chinese royalty movies.

Taipei Fine Arts Museum
We went here to just roam around and see pieces of interest. We like the tea and weaved installations best. But we went here for the free Art Spaces for kids. The kids have a happy time trying on the art exhibits and installations.

St. Christopher’s Church
We walked around 3 blocks from Taipei Fine Arts Musuem to St. Christopher’s Church. It always warms my heart that when there’s a Catholic Church in a foreign country, there’s most likely a Filipino churchgoer or a Filipino priest. In this case, both are true. The Church has many Filipino goers, since we also have a good number of OFW here. It felt very comforting to have a kababayan sit right next to you in mass.

Long Shan Temple
One of the more famous temples in Taipei. There were a lot of devotees offering their gifts and saying their prayers. We just went around and took photos.

Huaxi Night Market
It was just across Long Shan Temple. We saw this restaurant teeming with patrons. So we went inside to check it out. The menu is in Taiwanese. And the owner can’t speak and understand English. Good thing their menu has pictures. So we pointed out everything to him. We had the best hotpot in Taiwan in this restaurant. And I don’t even know it’s name. We just know that it’s very near the entry of the night market, closest to Long Shan Temple.

DETAILS:

Where we stayed:  Holo Hostel 

Address: 100, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District

Nearest to Taipei Main Station and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Station

Miniatures Museum of Taiwan

Address: 10491, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongshan District, 

How to get there: Green Line and Orange Line interchange Songjiang Nanjing, Exit 5, continue walking straight on Nanjing East Road. At the intersection of Jianguo North Road (建國北路), take a right. The museum will be ahead on the right side.

National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine 

How to get there: Red line Jiantan station, leave Exit 1 and go to the bus stop to the right side (busses heading south). Take bus 267, 556, 902, or 紅3區 to Martyr's Shrine (忠烈祠).

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Address: No. 181, Section 3, Zhongshan N Rd, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10461

How to get there: After arriving at Yuanshan (圓山) on Red Line, exit into Taipei Expo Park, walking east through the park to the museum. Signage is readily visible.

St. Christopher's Church

Address: 10491, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongshan District

How to get there: We just walked from Taiper Fine Arts Museum to here.

Long Shan Temple

Address: 10853, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District

How to get there: Take the Blue Line to Longshan Temple (龍山寺), the temple is located just north of the station plaza, Exit 1.

Huaxi Night Market 

Address: 108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District

How to get there: Just beside the Long Shan Temple

VIDEO RECAP:

Art in Island: A Different Photo Opportunity

Art in Island's claim to fame - the largest 3D art museum in Asia. And everything is an interactive artwork, where you can be part of each piece.  To be part of art, i think, was the deal breaker. The entrance fee, for me, was rather steep for our three hours of roaming around, getting creative with our poses and picture-taking. But the photos we brought home after, I must say, were priceless.

So what were our top spots for those wonderful photos in Art in Island?

1.    Aqua Zone

2.    Animal Zone

3.    Masterpiece Zone

4.    Central Hall

5.    European Zone

6.    Religious Zone

7.    Winter and Christmas Zone

8.    Love Zone

9.    Fantasy Zone

10.  Object Art Zone

It was something that will never be forgotten because it can't be done anywhere else. It was one-of-a-kind. So if you're a photo addict, this one is for you. It's definitely something that you have to try, even just one time.

Details:

Art in Island

Address: 175 15th Avenue, Brgy. Socorro, Cubao 1109, Quezon City, Philippines

Contact numbers: (02) 421-1356

Operating Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 9:30am to 9:30pm

Closed on Mondays except of Holidays

Ticket booth is until 8:00pm

Ticket prices: 500 for adults and 400 for kids

Museum Reminders:

1. You will be asked to take your shoes off. You'll roam around the Museum without any footwear. But socks are allowed. So you'll be on socks or barefooted while touring around. But not to worry. The whole place was spanking clean.

2. There are photo markers around the museum. The "Photo Point" stickers on the floor gives you the perfect vantage point to make the most out of an artwork's 3D effect.

3. No flash photography please.

4. Get creative with your poses to bring home the perfect photo souvenir.

5. No food, drinks and pets are allowed inside the museum.

P.S. All photos are owned by the author and her husband.  Please seek permission before use.