Valentine’s Day date ideas that will make you feel like you’re in a rom-com

MANILA, Philippines – Every other day of the year, being in a relationship really isn’t all that different from being single. But on Valentine’s Day, the world, much like a rom-com, conspires to create the fantasy that those who are coupled up are much happier than the general population.

There’s no shame if you’re celebrating that fantasy – and if you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, there’s probably no better way of doing it than to go all out on the romance – not just the usual candlelit dinner, but a date worthy of a rom-com montage. We’re talking activities that lend a lot of opportunity for laughter, hand-holding, longing glances at each other with googoo eyes, and other wholesome things that lovers do on screen.

Here are just some date ideas taken from our favorite romance movies:

Go stargazing

We’ve known ever since we saw Shane West and Mandy Moore look for the star he had named after her in A Walk to Remember: there’s something viscerally romantic about staring at a sky full of stars. For some reason, sitting under a bright night sky makes conversations a bit more poetic, and makes you feel like you know the person a little bit more intimately. Also, don’t be surprised if the mood doesn’t make you want to engage in a little MOMOL or even suddenly declare love.

You can head to any skyscraper or rooftop you have access to wherever you are – or to the Manila Observatory in Ateneo de Manila University in Katipunan for access to equipment if you want a better look at the stars.

Go to an amusement park

Never Been Kissed, The Notebook, Love, Simon – all of these romance classics have particularly kilig-inducing scenes that happen at amusement parks, specifically, on ferris wheels. Being high up in the sky on a swinging two-seater does have romantic appeal – you have privacy, but also an amazing view.

There are several amusement parks and ferris wheels you can head to If you want to recreate that moment – try SkyRanch in Pampanga, Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna (of course), or even the Mall of Asia’s MOA Eye, and Anjo World in Cebu.

Dress up fancy – and end up somewhere decidedly unfancy

As in Exes Baggage, so in real life. Take your date to an occasion that requires a formal dress code (someone’s wedding? a dinner at a fancy hotel or restaurant perhaps?), but end the night at a convenience store or at a hole-in-the-wall, or anywhere else where you can loosen your tie, kick off your heels, and prove that you don’t care about looking out of place cos you’re ~chill~ like that. Bonus points if you have a flirty debate about love while over cup noodles.

For fancy places: check out Manila Hotel’s champagne room, or Gallery VASK in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. And for after: just head to the nearest convenience store.

Go on a Baguio-Sagada getaway

That Thing Called Tadhana may have put North Luzon on the map for those looking for romance, but other movies paved paved the way for it to become the ultimate romance movie destination: Labs Kita…Okey Ka Lang? with Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdanagal, Don’t Give Up On Us with Judy Ann Santos and Piolo Pascual.

We get why the area is perfect for lovers – there are a lot of cozy restaurants and coffee shops to have dinner in, art galleries to explore together, and obviously, there’s more reason to cuddle up and get close when the weather is cool and crisp. (READ: The Baguio, Sagada tour inspired by ‘That Thing Called Tadhana’)

Vinyl hunting

We’ve seen this scene in 500 Days of Summer, in Before Sunrise, in Pretty in Pink: two people falling in love with each other to the tune of a song – or at the very least, falling in love with each others’ tastes in music. Take your date to a record store, and those two people could be the two of you.

Several vinyl stores may be the perfect place to let your romance blossom: Treskul Records & Cafe along Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong, Satchmi in SM Megamall, Bebop Records in Makati Cinema Square, or Plaka Express in Quezon City. – Rappler.com

Discover great activities to enjoy with your loved one on Valentine’s Day. Use this Klook promo code for discounts.