Tagaytay is just an hour or two away from Manila, the nearest place to consider when escaping the crowded and polluted metro. Most people visit the place to check the scenic view of the Taal Volcano and the Taal Lake and also for its very relaxing atmosphere. From the main streets of Tagaytay, signages are everywhere that if you trace will lead you to a new attraction being visited in Tagaytay at the moment. I’m pertaining to the Puzzle Mansion located at Purok 4, Cuadra St. Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay City.
Why people visit the place? Haven’t you heard the news lately? A Filipina was awarded by the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest collection of puzzles of a single person beating the previous record of Brazil. She is no other than Mrs. Gina Gil-Lacuna, 61 years old and a retired business woman. You can check my separate post about the Puzzle Museum here.
The award was handed down last November 29, 2012 after the thorough process of screening the application for Guinness. She was awarded the certificate for having the Puzzle Museum housing her collection with 1028 puzzles ranging from different sizes, number of puzzle pieces and dimensions.
We arrived at Puzzle Mansion around 10:30 in the morning with the record holder herself welcoming us. A cozy ambiance welcomed us with furniture and comfy couches around the area. After an introduction and brief history of the Puzzle Mansion, she toured us around the museum discussing every story behind her favorites: from the first-solved puzzle to the hardest one.
After her tour, a late breakfast was served: bread and sausages together with the fresh pineapple juice which is eventually a product from her pineapple fields at the rear side of the mansion.
To exemplify your experience to the Puzzle Museum, you can spend overnight in the area since the place is a Bed and Breakfast. We checked the rooms after we had our breakfast. The rooms we got are connecting rooms with each room good for 2-3 persons having own queen-sized beds, cable television and a bathroom and shower. It is fully air-conditioned with Wi-Fi connection available.
Puzzle Mansion offers different Packages from Day Tours to Overnights which either includes room usage, viewing of the Puzzle Museum, inclusive breakfast, merienda, lunch and dinner buffets, and access to their facilities such as swimming pool, Jacuzzi, massage area, function hall and a 24-hour cafe. For day tours, check in time is 8AM and check out is 5PM. On the other hand, for overnight, check in is at 11AM and check out time is 12NN the next morning. For a complete list of packages, you can refer to their price list here. However, if you are on a budget and can’t afford the room accommodations, you can access the Puzzle Museum with an entrance fee of Php 100.
We settled on the room and after a couple of minutes were called for lunch. For the buffet lunch, food served were Tinolang Manok, Pork, and Chicken Adobo and Mung Beans (Ginisang Munggo) and fresh ripe mangoes all served from the very spacious kitchen of Mrs. Lacuna overlooking the pineapple fields. We also tried the famous Coconut Cream Pie, a twist to the famous buko pie being served in their cafe. The pie tastes good which is actually not so sweet and you can actually experience the coconut bits for every spoonful of it.
When we finished our lunch, we went again to the museum to have a detailed look at every puzzle and then headed back to our room where we had rest and fell asleep with the very relaxing environment. Since I woke up so early that day, I slept more than an hour in the comfy bed. We then advised to fix our things and have a snack before leaving the mansion. Snacks served were turon and pan de carne, a specialty from her grandmother. We left puzzle mansion around 4 in the afternoon.
Puzzle Mansion has also a souvenir shop where you can purchase puzzles since Mrs. Lacuna is now a distributor of Jigsaw Puzzles from different brands. Souvenir shirts and caps are also available in the shop together with some artsy displays. Different ornamental and edible plants such as basil, mint, and rosemary are also available in the garden area of the mansion.
Another thing that I admired about Mrs. Lacuna and Puzzle Mansion is the fact that they allow outside vendors. She’s not only an inspiration for them but also takes part in the development of livelihood in the area.
Indeed, Puzzle Mansion is the right place for everyone who enjoys culture and art, a feast of delicious food and a very relaxing ambiance away from the crowded streets of Tagaytay.
HOW TO GET TO PUZZLE MANSION
Private Transportation
- From Metro Manila, take SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and find your way to Sta. Rosa exit.
- Drive along Sta. Rosa – Tagaytay Road.
- Turn right when you reach Tagaytay – Calamba Road.
- Continue driving to Tagaytay – Nasugbu Highway.
- From Tagaytay Rotunda, signs on the road will lead you to the Puzzle Mansion. When you reach Maglabe Drive, turn right and follow the signs going to the Puzzle Mansion.
Public Transportation
- Take a bus bound to Nasugbu, Batangas.
- Follow the signages at the right side of the road. Tell the conductor to drop you at Maglabe Drive after passing the Mendez – Tagaytay Road.
- Take a tricycle ride to the Puzzle Mansion. Other choice is to wait for the Puzzle Mansion shuttle service picking up guests at the highway.
PUZZLE MANSION
Purok 4 Cuadra, St. Barangay Asisan
Tagaytay City
thepuzzlemansion.com
Contact No.: 02-661-0019/ 0905-225-0229
puzzlemansion@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/PuzzleMansion
