Fun Day Trips To Go On During Your Kids' Sembreak
No need to book a single plane ticket!
School’s out for a week or so, the kids are bored, and you’d love to take them on a trip. The trouble is, you still have work during the weekday, and plane tickets cost a pretty penny if you’re buying for four (or more).
The solution: go on nearby day trips. These day trips cost reasonably less than booking a ticket and a hotel room, it’s fun, plus the kiddos get an educational and cultural boost as well. So pack some snacks, and let’s hit the road!
Tagaytay: Orlina Museum
Tucked in a quiet subdivision in Tagaytay is a dramatic, modernist building that is Museo Orlina, which features the beautiful glass works of noted sculptor Ramon Orlina. The museum’s three levels are named after Orlina’s three daughters, and house the beautiful, translucent-aqua-blue glassworks of the artist, who has mastered the “cut, grind, smooth, and polish” technique.
Don’t miss his BenCab-painted Volkswagen beetle car in the garage. Entrance fee is only P100; they are closed this November 1, 2017.
Museo Orlina, Hollywood Subdivision Rd., Brgy. Tolentino East, Hollywood Subd., Tagaytay City, tel. (046) 413-2581
READ: 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Tagaytay
Taal: Villa Tortuga
This is the perfect place to play dress-up with the kids, and learn a bit of history at the same time. A private lunch or dinner can be arranged in an advance (click here to ask for prices), costumes are provided for each guest, and after you dress up like an Ilustrado, you can have a sepia-toned photo taken.
Villa Tortuga, M. Agoncillo cor. V. Illustre Sts., Taal, Batangas
READ: A Taal Tale – Why This Town Is More Popular Than Its Volcano
Paete: Quesada Street
After making a bisita iglesia to the St. James The Apostle Parish nearby, head to the stretch of colorful Quesada Street or what they call their “tourist’s street” to browse through and buy the wonderful pieces such as figurines, bakya, and papier mache items made by the craftsmen of the proclaimed “Carving Capital of the Philippines.”
READ: Go On A Cultural And Crafty Tour of Paete
San Pablo: Sulyap Gallery Café
If you’re going on a day tour of San Pablo, Laguna and its environs, don’t forget to stop for lunch or coffee at Sulyap, as the delightful café will transport you back in time to the days when people sipped their tsokolate while relaxing by a capiz window.
Sulyap Gallery Café, Cocoland Compound, Bgy. Del Remedio, San Pablo, Laguna, tel. (049) 573-2907
READ: 7 Things To Do In Laguna and Quezon
Antipolo: Pinto Art Museum
Dr. Joven Cuanang’s Pinto has grown from a home with a gallery to sprawling 1.2-hectare property complete with a chapel and various pavilions filled with contemporary Filipino art by the likes of Tony Leano, Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiani, and Rodel Tapaya.
Each nook and garden is beautifully styled and landscaped, so in between admiring the art, stop and look around you (take pictures, too). Don’t miss the theater-like gallery that houses the giant,40-foot painting Karnabal by the Salingpusa collective. Admission fee is P200.
Pinto Art Museum, 1 Sierra Madre St., Grand Heights Subdivision, Antipolo, Rizal, or follow them on Facebook
READ: 5 More Things To Do In Antipolo
Pasay: Upside Down Museum
Don’t want to leave Manila? Then head on over to Pasay and visit this novelty museum. Much like the Art In Island 3D museum in Cubao, this museum is filled with vignettes and painted (or sculpted) effects that you pose in and take pictures of—only everything is upside down! It’s a fun place to take the kids to; don’t wear skirts, though, or else it will spoil the illusion. Tickets are P450 each.
Boom na Boom grounds, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, follow them on Facebook
Manila: Intramuros
The walled city of Intramuros is a tried-and-tested quickie destination for families, as there is something for everyone. The guys would love climbing the ramparts and exploring Baluarte de San Diego, mom and dad would explore the San Agustin Church museum or Casa Manila, while the little ones would enjoy a kalesa ride. Remember to wear sunscreen, or bring a hat.
Enter Intramuros through Aduana St. through Anda Circle, Manila
