Tagaytay – A quick getaway!

Traveling is a way of life for our family. And we are truly blessed to be living in this   amazing country, the Philippines. It’s just a shame that the country’s beauty is overshadowed by the negative image of our government. Hayyyss 😦

Anyway, let’s not get into a depressing topic, it’s too much for me. Mas maganda ang masaya hehe. Let’s continue 🙂

The Philippines, with 7,107 islands to choose from (don’t ask me for high tide and low tide I’m not Charlene Gonzales hehehe), I’m sure you will not feel deprived of places to go to, unless you’re a certified and addict na bakasyunista. In that case, pwede mo ba akong isama? hahaha. But I know that there’s more to Philippines than Boracay and Palawan. I know they’re lovely but there are still so many unexplored areas in the Philippines just waiting to be seen.  Yun lang, as much as we wanted to wander around the country, syempre hindi din naman possible all the time. There’s the time and financial constraints after all. But sometimes, when we really feel that itching of our feet, yun bang parang we can’t take it anymore, we just want to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city or we’ll go crazy, well, there’s a go-to place that answers our craving for a gala. And that’s Tagaytay.

Just about 1.5 – 2 hours from Manila (depends on the traffic of course), Tagaytay is known and famous for 3 things:

#1: The cool climate, ala – Baguio (If the weather is too cold, you may experience fogging too)

#2: The stunning view of Taal Volcano (well, depends on which side you’re at. If you dine at the side of Gerry’s Grill, Max’s, Leslie’s, etc…, you will be able to see the view)

#3: Bulalo soup – that flavorful beef broth kasama na ung nakakahigh blood na bone marrow! Just perfect for the cool climate

Like I said, when we want a quickie getaway, we just pack-up and drive to the south area in Cavite, where Tagaytay is actually located.

So how to go to Tagaytay? I am sooooo bad with directions, I’m really sorry I can’t give a detailed instruction but I found a very helpful blog by Backpacking Philippines that will help you with directions. Just click on the link below for directions. He also has a blog for public commute to Tagaytay.

http://www.backpackingphilippines.com/2009/03/how-to-get-to-tagaytay-bus-commute.html

Notable spots to visit are the following:

> Tagaytay Highlands – a very high-end community in Tagaytay, a property here can cost you 14M-40M! Some residents here are known Filipino personalities and businessmen. I had the chance to go on a trip here when we had our office outing in 2004 or 2005 (I’m sorry I can’t remember anymore). The Chairman and Owner of the company I worked with owns a log cabin here. His wife showed us around and we were supposed to ride the cable car but it was under maintenance that time. Anyway, I don’t know how reliable her story is but she told us that one cabin is owned by Mayor Joseph Estrada and it’s his and Gov. Chavit Singson’s favorite gambling spot. She also told us that a mountain in the area is owned by Bro. Eddie Villanueva, the JIL Leader. Okay, before you hold me accountable for posting that story here in my blog, I just want to reiterate that I don’t know if this is true or kwentong barbero lang, maybe something that was told to us to heighten the entertainment factor ng trip na yun. But one real thing I can tell you about Tagaytay Highlands: STUNNING!!! It’s like you’re in another country, parang New Zealand (I haven’t been there but that is what my bossings have been telling me before and I can see the resemblance from pictures of New Zealand) it’s all about nature. And the log cabins and chalets just added to the authentic feel na nasa ibang bansa ka. Sobrang ganda and so clean and polished. As what is said in their website, Tagaytay Highlands is definitely “Defining Mountain Resort living”. It is my dream to go back to this place again but unfortunately, it’s very expensive. I saw an ad of a condo owner renting his place at 14,000 for overnight stay!10 people can fit here, there are 3 rooms as per it’s description. But you still need to be endorsed by a member for you to be able to enter the place (and the condo owner does not endorse). If you know a member, maybe you can ask for an endorsement because membership here costs 650,000+++.

> Sky Ranch – is another amusement park owned and managed by SM Corp. It’s very accessible since it’s just in the highway (Tagaytay – Nasugbu Rd). It’s beside Taal Vista and near Leslie’s, Max’s, Starbucks etc… Unlike other amusement parks owned by SM, Sky Ranch charges an entrance fee. That’s 100/hd for adult. My daughter Kiara was still free since she was barely 3ft nun. They have about more than 10 rides, although what they boast is the giant ferris wheel which is the biggest daw in the country. You can also enjoy horseback riding here. There’s also this inflatable play area for the kids. Unfortunately Sky Ranch does not offer ride-all-you-can. You really need to purchase individual tickets per ride. For someone like me who is traumatized by and abhores amusement rides completely, unless they’re kiddie rides which I can take, ok lang un. But I hope they also have an option for RAYC so that those who love the rides can go unlimited. Expensive kasi talaga when you buy individual tickets.

> Picnic Grove – I only had the chance to go here last 2010 with Jun, my sis and other relatives then after nun, I never had the chance to go back. It’s a cheaper option if you want to experience Tagaytay. Cheaper because mura lang an entrance fee (I’m sorry it was a long time ago I’m not updated of the rates anymore) and you can bring food inside. There are lots of things that you can do here: Horseback riding, ziplining, you can fly kites and syempre picnic. Just rent an umbrella, I remember we paid 400 for that. Now I’m making a promise to myself to go back here so that my kids can enjoy the place. I love the fact that they can just run around the area hindi kami masyado mahihirapang maghabol hehehe.

> People’s Park – I wouldn’t recommend anyone to visit this place actually. Or okay maybe once in your life, but unless there’s a notable improvement of the building, skip this one. It’s such a rundown place, just so ugly(IMO)! This was built during Marcos time but was never finished. You can ride a jeepney or walk up to reach the dilapidated building which as I was told by my hubby, was planned to be a Malacanang Palace in Tagaytay. I don’t really know if it’s true but what I can say is it’s got nothing. Or maybe the view of the mountain and Tagaytay Highlands and lots of souvenir shops are something but again, for me, the place is I’m sorry to say but it’s yucky for me kasi nadudumihan ako. But I feel sorry for this place at the same time. I mean come on! It’s got so much potential, why not fix it and make it a tourist spot? Sayang ang historical value nya at ang possible income from this place kung maayos. I’m sure malaki ang makukurakot ay este kikitain pala ng gobyerno pag nagawa to. Un lang sana mapunta sa totoong mga proyekto at hindi naman ma-Napoles 😦 grrr!!! Upps sorry kalma lang muna ako…. (After 5 minutes) okay, moving on…. Talagang may ganun pa hehehe

> Nurture Wellness Village – I haven’t been here but the reviews for this place are mostly good. A little expensive but then, many says it’s worth it

> Sonya’s Garden (this is actually in Alfonso, Cavite about 15 mins from Tagaytay)-
I love this place. It’s also restaurant but we actually didn’t notice when we were there. We just stopped by and basked on the beauty of the place. You feel so one with the nature with so many plants around. The trees, flowers, shrubs etc… It’s such a lovely and charming place. I read from somewhere that the menus they serve are all veggies and all are organic, coming straight from their garden.

> Paradizoo – I am not a big fan of zoos sorry I believe that animals should be loved as if they’re your own kids. I feel bad for the animals being caged sa zoo sa Pilipinas because of the condition. There’s not much budget for them kaya di naaalagan mabuti ang mga animals and ung tirahan nila. This is the reason why I don’t frequent zoos. But of course the kids need to be more knowledgable sa mga animals. I’ll make a plan to visit this place soon and would blog it here.

>Mahogany Market – This is the reason why we’re always here. The beef is really cheap. A kilo of sirloin is 220 but I always haggle to 200. Ung buto butong pang nilaga or caldereta (not the part for bulalo) I can buy for 180. I also buy Tenderloin for 220 but what I do is I ask the butcher to cut the meat part and fillet it, beef steak style. The buto buto that’s left I use either for nilaga or caldereta. I think it’s cheaper this way.

> Taal crater – I haven’t tried this yet but it is possible to visit Taal’s crater. You have to be good in haggling because the boat ride is a little expensive, Php 1,500 for 5-6 people. Then you can trek or choose to ride a horse to reach the top of the crater for 500 daw. You can make boat arrangement kahit nasa Tagaytay na kayo. There are so many boatmen offering their service to tourists. I usually see them at the Rotonda area so you can really choose. Kung ayaw magbaba ng presyo, lipat ka nalang sa iba 🙂

> Puzzle Mansion – I haven’t seen this place but it’s in Guiness Book of World Records for having the biggest and most # of Jigsaw puzzle.

So those are just some places to go to in Tagaytay. If you have extra time, you can head to Nasugbu where you can visit the famous Calaruega Chapel. It’s very near the boundary of Cavite and Nasugbu arch, I think it’s just about 500m away. Actually, there’s a small chapel also in the area, Don Bosco Chapel on the Hill. Calaruega is more famous but I think that Don Bosco is much more solemn, warm and beautiful. This is where I actually had my wedding. I chose it over Calaruega even though it’s more expensive. I will make another blog on this 🙂

Tagaytay is also a food mecca. So if you’re a certified foodie, then Tagaytay is a haven for you. I’ll write about this so watch out for my next blog on Tagaytay and this time, it’s all about the food! 🙂