Tagaytay is considered as the most pleasant city in Asia, that's the reason why we decided to make it as our first out of town 2 days travel. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations because of
outstanding scenery and cooler climate provided by its high altitude.
Tagaytay overlooks Taal Lake in Batangas and provides one of the iconic views of the Philippines, the view of Taal Volcano Island in the middle of the lake, viewable from several vantage points in the city.
First Day(August 23, 2010)
We arrived at exactly 8 am in the morning at Tagaytay Rotunda(Olivares) and have our breakfast at the Jollibee :) After eating we decided to start our trip to the nearest church we hire a tricycle and brought us to OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH CHURCH.
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Church stands along the highway going to Batangas with a scenic view of the
Taal Lake. Feast day falls every 11th day of February. A Statue of
Bernadette kneeling infront of Mother Mary in Lourdes, France reminds as
of a Catholicism's faith for a miracle.
From the church we rode a jeep to bring us back to Olivarez Plaza, then we transfer to jeep that will bring us to Palace in the Sky(People's Park). The Palace in the Sky was to be a presidential mansion and guest house of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. It was not completed because the Marcoses were overthrown in 1986 as a result of the people's power revolution. The park is an excellent vista point at over 2100 feet above sea level with a 360 degrees view of it's surroundings. To it's north is the Manila Bay, to the east is Laguna de Bay, to the west is the South China Sea, and to it's south is the picturesque Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. On a clear day, all of these can be viewed from the park and it has an excellent vantage for photographers.You can also buy souvenirs of Tagaytay there. :)
Next stop, Picnic Grove. Upon arriving at the park a woman approach us if we want to see the Taal Crater. She said that they have boats for rent to cross the lake. It smells fun for me so I ask Edwin if we could try it and he said yes. From the picnic grove we ride a tricycle going to the resort(forgot the name), then we rent a boat worth 2500 pesos and we were shock :) but lets charge it to experience. When we arrived at the island or where the volcano is located, we were told that we need to rent a horse 1000 each(aww) that will bring us to the top of crater, a hat 50 each and a mask worth 25 each. Upon reaching the crater, I can say its really worth it. Crater Lake offers adventurers/travelers the unique thrill of exploring nature and experiencing the attractions of the world's smallest active volcano.
We returned to picnic grove around 4pm, so we just took a zipline there and we decided to go to Alfonso, Cavite to visit the family of Edwin's brother.
Second Day(August 24, 2010)
So excited for the next trip though my skins were burned from yesterday trip to crater. The kid in my heart was lifted because our next location is Residence Inn Zoo, we just saw this we when are going to Alfonso so we decided to see what there for us. Residence Inn Tagaytay is famous for its Mini Zoo and it’s excellent location overlooking Taal Lake. I can describe it as a zoo in a cliff. We were able to feed a baby tiger and see a different animals. But before leaving the zoo I saw a flyer that determines our next stop ^^,
To fill our hungry tummy, Edwin suggest to eat Bulalo at Mahogany market.The Mahogany Market in Tagaytay City is a famous stopover or a place for break in the journey of travelers going to Tagaytay. This is where friends and family or groups meet before exploring the city or before going back to Manila or their place of origin. The Mahogany market in Tagaytay is famous for its homegrown/local beef that is sold at a very reasonable price.
Our last destination is another zoo :). Paradizoo is a 10-hectare theme farm and zoo, located in Mendez, Cavite – a few minutes drive from Tagaytay City proper. It is a self-sustained farm, as the animals are fed with the grass and plants grown within the area. They also have a Floral garden, Bee Kingdom and a Butterfly garden where you saw how they hatch butterflies. Its really a fun tour though we are the only tourist in the zoo since its an off-peak season :)
So that's our first step, I can say we really picked the right place for our first. I know there are more steps to come and share :) But before going home don't forget get to buy some delicacies from Tagaytay, of course there is Collete's famous for buko pie, cow's meat(price is very reasonable) and some fruits.
How to go to Tagaytay from Metro Manila:
A. Driving directions with private car, van or taxi
Via SLEX Sta. Rosa Exit, the most
popular and easiest, is a straight drive all the way to Tagaytay Public
Market (and right smack into Tagaytay Econo Inn) where you turn right
going to Tagaytay city proper and Nasugbu/Balayan/Lemery Batangas or
left going to People's Park in the Sky. Usual travel time from Makati
CBD is 1.5 hours.
B. Commuting Routes
From Makati/Mandaluyong/Pasig
1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station
2. Ride a bus in front of Savemore to Tagaytay, Nasugbu or Calatagan
3. Ask the driver to drop you off at the Tagaytay
From Quezon City:
1. From Cubao, ride a bus to Batangas. Ask for the one that will pass by Tagaytay and the rotunda circle
2. Ask the driver to drop you off at Tagaytay.
You Can visit this site for other info: http://www.tagaytay.com
