A Nearby Drive from Batangas is Tagaytay. Nature has blessed it with a cool climate, misty mornings and chilly fog-filled evenings. If you want to see the breathtaking views of Taalan active volcano within a lake, Tagaytay is the place to go. The variety of restaurants will surely suit your every discriminating taste. Enjoy fresh garden salads, pasta, steaks and burgers. After all that delicious food, hop on a horse at Picnic Grove or try your luck at the casino.
For thrill-seekers, you might want to join a diving group and explore the depths of Taal Lake or walk near Taal Volcano's rumbling crater. For those who wish to bask in the sun or take a dip, the beaches at Puerto Azul and Caylabne Bay Resort are not far away.
Just 56 kilometers south of Metro Manila is the perfect environmental destination -- Tagaytay City -- lying on the boundary of Cavite and Batangas. Because of its cool climate, it was once intended to become an alternative to the Philippines' summer capital of Baguio. It is an ideal day-trip destination-good food, pony rides, nature views, and clean country air.
This ridge town is just about a 1 ½-hour drive from the metropolis. There are buses that go there daily from Manila. The shortest road to Tagaytay, the Carmona route, (which is via the South Expressway toward Alabang Exit or Carmona, then on to the Aguinaldo Highway) is the most popular route. You can also take the Coastal Road-from Pasay or Malate, you go through Parañaque along Quirino Avenue. Head for Las Piñas and turn left (south), following the Cavite trail along the Aguinaldo Highway (until you reach Tagaytay). If you want to take the air-conditioned bus, catch the one marked Nasugbu or Balayan at the BLTB station on EDSA in Pasay.
Tagaytay has its own bit of history to tell. Before it was born as Tagaytay City in 1938, it was a simple mountain town of 300 families. Land was annexed from the nearby towns of Cavite and Batangas to make up what is now 6,615 hectares of Tagaytay City. In 1953, its first mayor planned on making it a functional city. In the 1970's, moneyed social and political figures started building vacation houses on the ridge. By the early 1990's, multi-storey cement establishments sprouted around the old Silang rotonda, blocking the view of the lake, and modern townhouse estates displaced the pineapple fields.
Today, despite Tagaytay's sleepy, laid-back pace, a minor real-estate boom is dotting the landscape, in the form of commercial and residential structures--posh condominiums, ranch-style houses, modern housing subdivisions, and new restaurants.
There are many reasons to tag Tagaytay as a "Nature City," as the name itself conjures pristine images: the mist-covered Taal Volcano (the city's symbolic expression); the shimmering Taal Lake at night; the mountain fog before dawn . . .
The spectacular view of Taal Volcano (called the island within a lake) which can best be viewed from the famous ridge, is just one of the many awesome nature views that Tagaytay offers. Other nature sights include the sprawling 13-hectare Picnic Grove, which has ponies for hire for the day tourists; the Palace in the Sky--a half-finished structure that offers an encompassing view of the entire metropolis; the Residence Inn--a perfect picnic place for families where you will find a mini zoo with a collection of interesting fauna, a children's playground, a souvenir shop, and a seafood restaurant, all set amidst manicured gardens and a view of Taal Volcano; and the Japanese Friendship Garden--a 1,200-square meter garden filled with flowers and ornamental plants.
Aside from this, Tagaytay offers more picturesque places of historical significance such as the Lourdes Church along the Aguinaldo Highway, which is the city's oldest public building; the Franciscan Sisters' gray chapel; and the St. Anne Shrine, with a life-size statue of St. Anne and the child Mary. Inside the statue is a relic of the saint believed to heal people. Another interesting spot is the 11th Airborne Monument on the Silang rotonda-site of the first parachute landing in the Philippines, where the 8th Army, USA arrived before the liberation of Manila.
If you're looking for picnic spots, there are a number of places along the ridge that rent out picnic tables and serve less-expensive food. For overnight stays, there is the renovated Taal Vista Hotel, with its 86 modern guest rooms, a restaurant, amusement center, and a casino; the Picnic Grove, which has basic dormitory-style rooms and cottage suites; the Rancho Freba, which has semi-studio type residence halls and cottages, along with conference and seminar facilities. An added attraction is the mini zoo, which has a collection of exotic animals.
For more mundane tastes, visit the Mahogany Market behind the old City Hall. Fresh Batangas beef is sold here and is sought after especially by the visitors from Metro Manila.
A more 1 hour and 30 minute drive from Manila. Get on and airconditioned bus or rent a car.
Fresh fruit and vegetables.
Palace in the Sky. Residence Inn Mini Zoo. Cable cars at Tagaytay Highland.
Trekking and horseback riding. Picnicking. Diving. Gaming at Casino Filipino. Golf at Tagaytay Highlands, Puerto Azul in Ternate, The Orchard in Dasmarinas, or Manila Southwoods in Carmona. Diving, snorkeling and complete aqua sports activities. Hiking, horseback riding and camping.
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