With just about two weeks left to leave Manila and the MDM classes over, we decided to visit Tagaytay in the Batangas province. The place is well known for the Taal Lake & Volcano which happen to be one of southern Luzon’s centerpiece attractions.
We planned to visit the lake town on a Saturday with the Chisties. A day trip by some travel agency turned out to be too pricey and so we opted to hire a cab from Manila itself. The cab arrived at exactly 8in the morning. All of us hopped in and zoomed off to Tagaytay. The drive was a pleasant one as we travelled through SLEX (south Luzon Expressway) passing by smaller towns.
Around 9.30, we reached Tagaytay. Interestingly, the cab driver was quite raw with hardly any idea about the town. So we were the ones to guide him around!! With the help of the local traffic policemen, we arrived at a vista point from where we could get a beautiful view of the lake as well as the volcano. There we were hounded by tour agents asking us to take the boat ride to the volcanic mountain that stood in the middle of the lake. We got rid of them somehow and proceeded to Picnic Grove. It is basically a picnic spot with small hut-like sheds to sit & enjoy food. There are ropeway rides to add to the fun. We found locals thronging the place carrying food baskets & stuff, making the best of the Saturday morning with family and friends.
As we crossed the sheds and the fun rides, walking down the slope, we came to another fantastic view point of the lake. Known to be the smallest active volcano in the world, Taal volcano is surrounded by the lake on an 9km islet. Both the lake and the volcano are situated within the crater of an extinct volcano. So it is a haven for trekkers and nature lovers! Taking quite a few photographs, we slowly climbed up to the entrance again. Souvenir shops lined near the parking area and obviously, I took a quick tour of those as well. While the Chisties got busy selecting Tagaytay t-shirts for their relatives, I quickly grabbed a shot glass with a picture of the volcano & a t-shirt for Raheel.
Meanwhile, all of us felt our tummies growling. So we asked the driver to take us back to Tagaytay market. A number of food joints lined up the market area and we stopped at KFC for lunch. After a hearty meal, we decided to go near the lake which meant we had to go downhill (by the car, of course) a few kilometers from the main town. The driver looked a bit grumpy at the idea but he had no option! After about 2o minutes, we were very close to the Taal Lake. We looked for a good spot from where we could get a proper view. Tour guides chased us for a while but finally gave up. Finally, we found a nice spot and got down to take some snaps. The lake with the volcano in the middle was indeed a breath-taking sight. The light drizzle gave it a different look altogether.
Then we drove by the side of the lake for quite a while and came to another small town called Talisay. This place happens to be one of the major jump- off points to the volcano island. Thankfully, there were no tour guides to bother us there! Mifu had visited Talisay with his learning team before. So he could guide the driver to the lake shore for an awesome view of the volcano. The Talisay fish market is just beside the lake and the smell of freshly caught fish filled the air, much to the disappointment of the kids!! Bankas or native canoes were ferrying people to and from the volcano island. Shortage of time compelled us to sacrifice the tempting Banka ride on the lake. We hunted for hot coffee and finally found a small shop selling it. So, all of us sipped steaming coffee sitting by the lake shore, relishing the magnificent view.
On our way back to Manila, we stopped at the tiny hamlet of Tanuan. It is well known as the birthplace of Filipino revolutionary leader, Apolinario Mabini. The Mabini Shrine is a museum built in honour of the leader. Beautifully maintained, the Shrine houses the personal items that belonged to the Revolutionary. It also has the marble tomb of Mabini. Incidentally, the grand niece of the leader looks after the Shrine. The lady briefed us on the life of the great Filipino and informed that two days ago the 146th birthday of Mabini was observed. No wonder we saw so many beautiful bouquets adorning the place. One even came from the newly elected President, Noynoy Aquino! Having strolled the neat garden of the Shrine, we continued our drive back home.
Taal Volcano and Lake is truly a small yet magnificent wonder of Batangas province. A trip to remember for sure…
We planned to visit the lake town on a Saturday with the Chisties. A day trip by some travel agency turned out to be too pricey and so we opted to hire a cab from Manila itself. The cab arrived at exactly 8in the morning. All of us hopped in and zoomed off to Tagaytay. The drive was a pleasant one as we travelled through SLEX (south Luzon Expressway) passing by smaller towns.
Around 9.30, we reached Tagaytay. Interestingly, the cab driver was quite raw with hardly any idea about the town. So we were the ones to guide him around!! With the help of the local traffic policemen, we arrived at a vista point from where we could get a beautiful view of the lake as well as the volcano. There we were hounded by tour agents asking us to take the boat ride to the volcanic mountain that stood in the middle of the lake. We got rid of them somehow and proceeded to Picnic Grove. It is basically a picnic spot with small hut-like sheds to sit & enjoy food. There are ropeway rides to add to the fun. We found locals thronging the place carrying food baskets & stuff, making the best of the Saturday morning with family and friends.
As we crossed the sheds and the fun rides, walking down the slope, we came to another fantastic view point of the lake. Known to be the smallest active volcano in the world, Taal volcano is surrounded by the lake on an 9km islet. Both the lake and the volcano are situated within the crater of an extinct volcano. So it is a haven for trekkers and nature lovers! Taking quite a few photographs, we slowly climbed up to the entrance again. Souvenir shops lined near the parking area and obviously, I took a quick tour of those as well. While the Chisties got busy selecting Tagaytay t-shirts for their relatives, I quickly grabbed a shot glass with a picture of the volcano & a t-shirt for Raheel.
Meanwhile, all of us felt our tummies growling. So we asked the driver to take us back to Tagaytay market. A number of food joints lined up the market area and we stopped at KFC for lunch. After a hearty meal, we decided to go near the lake which meant we had to go downhill (by the car, of course) a few kilometers from the main town. The driver looked a bit grumpy at the idea but he had no option! After about 2o minutes, we were very close to the Taal Lake. We looked for a good spot from where we could get a proper view. Tour guides chased us for a while but finally gave up. Finally, we found a nice spot and got down to take some snaps. The lake with the volcano in the middle was indeed a breath-taking sight. The light drizzle gave it a different look altogether.
Then we drove by the side of the lake for quite a while and came to another small town called Talisay. This place happens to be one of the major jump- off points to the volcano island. Thankfully, there were no tour guides to bother us there! Mifu had visited Talisay with his learning team before. So he could guide the driver to the lake shore for an awesome view of the volcano. The Talisay fish market is just beside the lake and the smell of freshly caught fish filled the air, much to the disappointment of the kids!! Bankas or native canoes were ferrying people to and from the volcano island. Shortage of time compelled us to sacrifice the tempting Banka ride on the lake. We hunted for hot coffee and finally found a small shop selling it. So, all of us sipped steaming coffee sitting by the lake shore, relishing the magnificent view.
On our way back to Manila, we stopped at the tiny hamlet of Tanuan. It is well known as the birthplace of Filipino revolutionary leader, Apolinario Mabini. The Mabini Shrine is a museum built in honour of the leader. Beautifully maintained, the Shrine houses the personal items that belonged to the Revolutionary. It also has the marble tomb of Mabini. Incidentally, the grand niece of the leader looks after the Shrine. The lady briefed us on the life of the great Filipino and informed that two days ago the 146th birthday of Mabini was observed. No wonder we saw so many beautiful bouquets adorning the place. One even came from the newly elected President, Noynoy Aquino! Having strolled the neat garden of the Shrine, we continued our drive back home.
Taal Volcano and Lake is truly a small yet magnificent wonder of Batangas province. A trip to remember for sure…
