Let's say you're in Manila and you have nothing to do but bum around, but you have not much time to spend because you have a meeting the next day. Where do you go? Tagaytay of course!
Tagaytay is both for leisure and for a culinary experience. It is about an hour's drive from Makati, the Philippines top business district, and just about that much time from my home, too. The thing is that Tagaytay is located on a mountain, a cliff actually, that overlooks the Taal Lake. Much of its attractions feature the view of the lake which awes anyone, especially on a clear day when you can clearly see the crater.
It has a cool climate which can easily change from cool and windy to cold, rainy, and foggy during the wet season. Tourists are treated to a cool respite from Manila's heat.
There are several food choices. One of my favorites is the Bag of Beans along the highway which features fine brewed coffee and meat pies. Another is the halo-halo served at the Good Shepherd Convent. When we want organic food, we just head on to Sonya's Garden. If it's Native Dishes we want, Viewsite Restaurant is there to satify our craving.
There are many other places to see in Tagaytay. They have the Residence Inn, an inn with a zoo, and a number of resorts, but my family's favorite is Caleruega Church. It is a vast area mainly developed for holding religious activities. They have other amenities there for retreaters though, and visitors are welcome. They even have a campsite where we stayed one summer.
Quick Tips
For a first time visit, I'd recommend seeing the following:
- Sonya's Garden. a restaurant that serves mostly organic food set in a beautiful and aromatic garden. There's a buffet for about Php$600 per person. Treat and pamper yourself at their spa.
- Good Shepherd Convent. Get pasalubongs and eat halo-halo.
- Caleruega. The church built on top of a hill. It is inside the Evercrest compound so technically it is part of Nasugbu, Batangas. However, because of its proximity to the boundary of Tagaytay and Batangas, it is also referred to as on of Tagaytay's attractions.
- Taal Vista Lodge. Bring the children to go for a horseback ride or just simply to tumble down a sloping landscape while viewing the Taal Lake. By the way, this place has one of the most picturesque view of the world-famous lake within a lake.
- Picnic Grove. A picnic site with a beautiful view of the Taal Lake.
- Bag of Beans. Go for coffee, freshly baked bread and some meat pies at this quaint restaurant by the roadside.
If you intend to go for a day trip only, be sure to leave Tagaytay by 4pm during the months of late May to early February as it gets really foggy. Once we drove a friend there and just because my mom thought she was enjoying, we didn't go home by 4. When we left at 4:45, there was almost zero visibility and mom had to drive at about 10-20kph. The same thing happened when my family and I went another time and I wanted to stay for a longer time. It got so foggy that we had to stay overnight. It doesn't happen everyday, but you don't know when it will happen. When it does, I hope you're prepared to stay there. I make it a point to always bring some clothes when going to Tagaytay. You'll never know what can come up.
Best Way To Get Around
Tagaytay is more conveniently explored when you have your own car or vehicle as the locations are not so near each other. However, when you are on a budget, there is a bus in Manila that takes you to Tagaytay. Once there, you may take the local jeepneys that ply the main road. This may not be so comfy for you though because many of Tagaytay's attractions are in huge areas some few meters from the main road, others a hundred or more.
