Buffet – Anne Goes to Places

T and I are not familiar with the geography of Bataan so we opted to look for our accommodation via Airbnb. We chose this listing from Tita Rose (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16801373) and we absolutely loved our stay. But it is with a heavy heart as I write this because back in mid-July, Tita Rose informed me that his husband, Tito Rod, passed away.

With a mix of nostalgia and sadness as I recall our stay in their lovely home, below are the reasons why we had a great time there. Currently uncertain if Tita Rose is opening again their home for Airbnb but still check it.

Lively hosts – we enjoyed exchanging stories and they check our itinerary per day to ensure our day is sulit
Clean bedroom (with air-con) and bathroom
Accessible by bus as the place is located along the road
Easy to go to highlight spots in Bataan such as Five Fingers and Dambana ng Kagitingan, which are located in opposite areas
Delicious food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (note that this is NOT free; request this in advance)
Big, private pool that is regularly cleaned
Good Wi-Fi connection

Highly recommend their place if you are looking for an accommodation in Bataan. 🙂 As for where to eat, we were supposed to go to Orion and Balanga for food trip but we just got really lazy to go out during our last day.

We only dined out during our first day and we enjoyed the food in the two places we went to:

IMA FLORA’S PAMANGAN (07:00 to 22:00)

Gov. J.J. Linao AlaUli, Pilar, Bataan (0998 564 0275)

Buffet carinderia-style for only Php 200. They have a separate ala carte menu in case you find buffet to be too much for you. Most of the food choices are Kapampangan dishes and everything we ate there tasted good. Perfect meal after our full day of touring Bataan (from Dambana ng Kagitingan to Pawikan Conservation Center).

Ima Flora’s Pamangan is located near the intersection of the main highway, along the road going to Mt. Samat / Dambana ng Kagitingan.

CHOCO-LATÉ DE BATIROL (07:00 to 23:00)

Gov. J.J. Linao AlaUli, Pilar, Bataan (0943 488 9382)

Just a walking distance from Ima Flora’s Pamangan! Quite easy to miss but this place is located within the area of the only gas station in the intersection of Bataan Provincial Highway and Gov. J.J. Linao road. This is the same Choco-laté de Batirol as the one in Baguio.

T and I had our dessert here after the buffet in Ima Flora’s Pamangan. Best decision ever because their hot chocolate drink was just too good! We felt guilty though because we did not get to finish our orders of turon and suman – stomach was already too full from the buffet.

We absolutely had a great time in Bataan and we’ll be back for sure to try more food places in the area. Also curious with Camaya Coast because our Airbnb hosts recommended this place.

APRIL 21, 2017

Our mission after DTF lunch was to pick up the orders we placed from Irvin’s then went to GARDENS BY THE BAY with our big plastic bags of pasalubong. Haha!

First stop was the FLOWER DOME and when we saw that it was an enclosed space, we were not quite excited because we initially thought it would be hotter and more humid inside. But to our surprise, the place was cool!

This is the largest greenhouse in the world and it showcases hundreds of flower types from different regions. Here are my favorites from the first portion of the Flower Dome:

While I was trying to find a good angle for the yellow flower below, a fellow photographer nearby approached me and told me how to find the best flower from the bunch. She said that all the outer petals should be open while the inner petals are upright. So I took the picture below and she complimented it. Yay!

Here is a picture of our group while inside the Flower Dome:

Still high energy level even after walking around NGS for 3 hours

An interesting portion in the greenhouse was the placement of flowers of different colors to mimic some of Vincent Van Gogh’s artworks. It was difficult though to take good pictures because of the volume of the crowd…

Last batch of favorite flowers (including tulips!) before we left the place:

Next stop was CLOUD FOREST which was sort of surrounded by mist and a colder place than the Flower Dome. Upon entering, this indoor waterfall welcomed us…

Just in pure awe of the architecture and planning that went into building this place. We went to the topmost “floor” then started making our way downwards (to the exit). Definitely not for acrophobic people.

I met with my ninang and her family for dinner and they treated me to a buffet in RISE RESTAURANT (Marina Bay Sands). I stuffed myself with all the food I could eat and I kind of regret not getting a lot of duck meat in the cold cuts section because they did not refill it anymore.