Sonya's Garden

Sonya's Garden is a great place to have lunch or dinner in Tagaytay. I love their food; its a set price and set menu and it includes salad (with your choice of condiments and dressing) and pasta (with your choice of sauce). You can mix and match the sauces; trust me, its worth the price. And it being a garden, you feel like you are eating inside a large greenhouse. After eating way too much, you can try walking it off on the various paths of the garden. If you're lucky, you might even see Sonya herself. She is easy to spot; she normally wears all white with a matching wide-brimmed sun hat. She is very friendly, so don't be afraid to approach talk to her if she isn't busy entertaining others!

Caroline and I stayed there for one night (yes, they have a Bed & Breakfast!) when we were looking for churches to get married in. The bedroom is very cozy and its a return to the basics. No televisions here, just a lamp and some books to read. There's no airconditioning too, as the breeze of Tagaytay is enough to cool the room, although there is a ceiling fan if you want things to get colder. If you're scared of bugs, this isn't the ideal accomodation for you, but if you like the sound of crickets and the occasional lizard, then you won't have any trouble sleeping here! It's a great place to get away from the city and recharge your energy.

The next morning... Here is my favorite supermodel posing in front of some of the gardens. Her shorts match the flowers!


Enjoying our meal in the veranda!
Did I mention this was where I first proposed to Caroline? This was one of the reasons why we wanted to get married in Tagaytay and have our wedding reception here in Sonya's Garden. Yes, it is almost 2 years to the day when I first popped the question (and the box of the ring) to her over a lunch date. That's a different story altogether, best told in person (so ask me about it if you see me).

Unfortunately, although Sonya's Garden was available on the day we wanted our wedding, none of the churches in the area were available. We had no choice but to cancel our reception reservation and look elsewhere for a church and reception area. No matter. Sonya's Garden already has cemented its place in me and Caroline's history, and we will remember it for the rest of our lives!

La Vita e Bella!