Oh Tagaytay Oh Tagaytay – You’re Truly a Paradise

Within just about 2 hours drive from Manila, you’ll reach the paradise of South Luzon – Tagaytay City. A cold place, a fruit-rich country-side, a progressive city, and best of all a city of amazing scenery of Taal Volcano in the middle of Taal Lake, Tagaytay is considered as one of the best tourist spots in the country today and even decades back.

A Scenic View of Tagaytay Volcano in the Middle of Taal Lake

A perfect place for travelers, nature explorers, adventurers, road trippers, cyclists, photographers, fruit and vegetable lovers, and for everyone who is enthusiastic about “maiba naman” (be different this time). The Tagaytay Picnic Grove, People’s Park in the Sky and Sky Ranch are just three of the most visited and loved places in the city. If you’re planning to visit Tagaytay soon, these are the places-to-be.

Tagaytay City, Philippines

Getting a bit more excited now? Alright, let me tour you further in this 634-meters above sea level city facing the 234.2-square kilometer Taal Lake located in the province of Batangas. That’s a fact & figure of Tagaytay, anyway.

When it comes to nature and parks, Paradizoo, Residence Inn Zoo and Gourmet Farms Inc. are included in the list. Art museums and galleries to stop over are the Puzzle Mansion and Museo Orlina. Want to be hyperactive? Go and try the Zipline Tagaytay. Looking for “pasalubong” (present)? Pull over at Summit Ridge Promenade or Ayala Malls Serin. Exhausted and hungry? Well, name it, Tagaytay has a lot of it – restaurants and cafés! People are recommending Starbucks, Balay Dako, Josephine, Fire Lake Grill and Sonya’s Secret Garden.

Coffee, Bread and Cake at Starbucks Tagaytay

Where to find these all? Not good if you ask because Tagaytay is just about East and West. Kidding aside, just ask the friendly people and they can direct you to the place more or less. Or if not, get these seafoods, adobo and Pinoy foods serving spots searched in the map before or while driving to the city and you’ll surely pin it down. So go and just conquer ‘em all!

Is that all? No and no! Tagaytay has lots of hidden treasures; I mean great places to visit and enjoy – the alternatives, the “Maiba naman”.

Mahogany Market Beef Section

Do you know Mahogany Market? Oh, dear. Be there! This is one of the best markets in any city in the Philippines. Quite small, but it’s full-packed of luscious fruits and vegetables. And guess what, the freshest of the fresh beef or cow meat can be found right here. Yes. Ten, twenty, one truck of meat? You can buy that in Mahogany Market certainly.

Mahogany Market Bulalo Restaurants Section

And speaking of beef, ohhhlalala, “bulalo” is the menu to see, smell and taste. That aroma of a freshly cooked “bulalo” is truly mouth-watering. So true dear. Bulalo-serving restaurants are just on the second floor of the meat section. About twenty restaurants or karinderyas are there. Give it a try Sir and Mam! No regrets of traveling too far.

And now, the envy of many tourism spots in the country – the overlooking Taal Lake is like no other. Morning, noon or afternoon, even at night, viewing the blue lake surrounded by green mountains and villages is spirit-lifting, relaxing, rejuvenating; there is a lot of words to describe that very moment of seeing the beauty of nature at Tagaytay. Too feel is to believe!

Amazing Views from Tagaytay Philippines

Ooooppps, wait. There are more places to discover here. We're not done yet. Convention centers, spas, farms, hotels, recreational centers, mansions, clubs, golf course, churches, convents, monasteries, resorts, etc. - it’s for you to research them. Just Google it. Bing it! Ask it to search engines and you’ll get satisfying results.

The hustle and bustle of city life in Tagaytay can be unique in some ways.

One, like Baguio City - the Summer Capital of the Philippines (see my travel blog about this wonderful place), it is cold here especially during the “ber months”.

Two, pineapple plantations are everywhere here or should I say this is also the fruit capital of Cavite province.

Three, branches of government agencies like the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are also here. The city gets crowded and busy because of the license and clearance applicants that come and go everyday.

Four, Tagaytay Highlands is here. What is it? It’s actually for the rich but also for somebody whom striven harder and earned enough to experience the luxuries this earth can offer. Country clubs, residential properties, vacation houses and wedding venues that have a touch of “world-class” are inside this territory. It’s the country’s premiere destination for luxury living.

Fifth, Tagaytay is an access to other great places-to-be in the country. The rest is for you to find out.

Photo Collage of Places to Visit at Tagaytay Philippines

With Tagaytay, there is a great reason to be in your own country. Dream for it Filipinos. Don’t let them get it all – get you share. After all, Tagaytay means “taga itay” (cut, father). This is the land of our wild boar hunter ancestors.

Oh Tagaytay, oh Tagaytay, you're truly a paradise for us Filipinos to treasure and enjoy.

About this Blog
Do you find this blog interesting? Let me know your comments. My goal as a blogger is to introduce Philippines in a positive yet also negative-revealing way. You can learn a lot from my blog posts about this country. I am encouraging you to explore this site and share it to the people of the world. Thanks. - Noriel Panganiban, Author

Comments

“I Love Baguio City” - My Travel Story in the Summer Capital of the Philippines

The Strawberry Farm, Burnham Park, Mines View Park, the Mansion, Wright Park, Lourdes Grotto, and Session Road; these are among of the popular landmarks in the more commonly known “Summer Capital of the Philippines” – Baguio City. Why so? Well, the temperature here seldom exceeds 26 degree centigrade. During the cold season of December to February, the temperature falls down to even below 10 degree centigrade. The record low temperature was 6.3 degree and that was on January 18, 1961. How to Travel to Baguio City? Going to this cold city in the mountainous province of Benguet, Philippines is a six to seven hours travel by passenger utility bus from Manila. Starting from EDSA, traversing the NLEX, entering SCTEX, exiting the province of Tarlac and going through the neighbouring provinces of Pangasinan and La Union, and then exploring the zigzag road of either the Marcos Highway, the Kennon Road or the Naguilian Road, the coldest place in the Philippines will be reached. Baguio is a...

"Business as Usual" as the Filipinos Define It (Vulcanizing Shop, Sari-Sari Store, Bakery) – Part 1

I asked the shop owner about these old unused tires on what are they doing with it. The Vulcanizing shop owners says, “Oh, someone will pick up those tires and pay us 5 or 10 pesos each. Sometimes they just take it for free”. Vulcanizing Shop - A Classic Example of Filipino Business You’ve most probably seen and been into a local, typical vulcanizing shop like this one in the photo. The business concept is very simple. Here’s a customer with his flat or deflated tire and the vulcanizing boy will repair it using a rubber compound patch, a heating tool, and an air pump. If it’s a regular car or van tire, repairing one may only take 10 minutes the cost of which is around 30 to 60 pesos. If it’s a tire from a truck or bus, it could be around 30 minutes and the repair would cost the vehicle owner around 100 to 150 pesos. Here’s the thing. A shop like this one could potentially earn a revenue of 1000 up to 2000 per day just by repairing a flat tire. Why? Well, with thousands of...

Jesus Christ’s Hands (Kamay ni Hesus) – an Image of Ultimate Devotion

We visited Kamay ni Hesus in 2011. That big statue of Jesus Christ, similar to that one seen in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, is a magnificent wonder. Probably, this hidden place in the province of Quezon is not yet known to the world. Then this post is a good starting point to share it. More than 85% of the Filipinos are Catholics. Many are truly devoted. Some are not. This holy place is a place of worship for many Catholics. At about 50 feet tall, this statue of Jesus Christ is a magnificent structure made even more noticeable when placed on the mountain top. About two thousand to three thousand visitors come into this place everyday to pray, to stroll and to witness the beauty and holiness of this man-made mountain park. On the Photo: A view from the Foot of the Mountain at Lucban, Quezon, Philippines Kamay ni Hesus “Kamay ni Hesus” in Lucban, Quezon is proving it all. A structure, a park , a holy place – many believes that it will last for a lifetime. On a larger scale, Chris...

The Solutions to the Problems in the Philippines – an Appeal for Help from People Like You

If I would become the political adviser of the Philippine president, I would propose to him solutions on how to resolve the problems and issues happening in this country. But if I would not become one, I will continue to become an adviser if not to the president then to the people. Manila, Philippines There are hundreds of problems the government of the Philippines is facing today and even in the past. Some of them can be considered solved while some are not. Some problems are recurring while others are permanent and therefore the solutions are only temporary. However, it is worth commending on how the current government is responding to the needs of time of the Filipino people. Ads by ProjectPilipinas Click Image to Learn More The rise of the Philippine Stock Exchange index is a valid proof that several economic measures are taking effect. The legal measures are showing results in the sense that the fight against corruption is not a “ningas-kugon” platform. The call...

The Divisoria Malls - Defining Shopping in the Philippines

They call it the 168 Mall. It is one of the busiest places in the Philippines during shopping days like Christmas season when longing for enjoyment and relaxation is on the air once again. From Cavite, my home place, going to Divisoria, it will take you about an hour travel under normal traffic flow. What is in this place? Well, Divisoria is the Bargain Shopping Capital of the Philippines . This is where wholesale and retail prices make shoppers say “WOW!” on delight. Visiting this place will definitely give you a realization about shopping on a different dimension. Find out why on the next paragraphs. On the Photo: The Popular 168 Mall in Divisoria, Manila, Philippines Divisoria is located in Binondo, Manila. It is accessible via Quiapo(where the famous Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church is) thru Recto Avenue and via Lawton near Manila City Hall. Divisoria has been there since the early 90’s. As it is near the North Harbour, Manila’s main seaport, the freshest and cheapest produc...

“Fixer” in Philippine Government Agencies Like the Social Security System (SSS) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) – What We Filipinos Can Do About it?

Maybe in this post, I can clearly explain how “fixing” works in many government offices in the country. The idea is first, to warn you that such illegal fixing happens, and second, to give you tips on how you should avoid them. Plain and simple, we will not in anyway damage or speak against anyone or any particular office of the government in this post. It just happened that this is about my experience with LTO and SSS Tagaytay. I want to emphasize that still many government employees in the Philippines are doing their jobs right - including those who are working in the said branches. If you have experienced transacting with any government offices here in the Philippines, whether you're a Filipino or not, you should already be familiar with these signages. NO TO FIXER Banner in an LTO Office NO NOON BREAK Banner in LTO Tagaytay Here’s a bit of knowledge for you to digest first. What is “fixing” or who is a “fixer” by the way? In the Philippines, these good w...

Interesting Facts from the Historic Province of the Ilocanos - Ilocos Norte, the Philippines

In 2016, my friends traveled to the northern part of our country – in Ilocos region. The views there are truly amazing, so I decided to create this post about Ilocos Norte. No wonder, some of the places I am going to share here do exists in the Philippines for centuries. Yes, that old! Not only that, I researched more facts about these places that may help you appreciate more the beauty or importance of them. Ready to be fascinated? Here we go. Sand Dunes, Paoay, Ilocos Norte The Sand Dunes in Paoay Ilocos Norte is in some ways comparable to the desert safaris found in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Marrakech. Land cruisers or 4x4 rough terrain vehicles will tour you around the dunes. The place is also known as the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes (INSD) and is considered a National Geological Monument. The locals call it La Paz Sand Dunes or Bantay Bimmaboy. Notable feature of this tourist destination is that it is an 85 square kilometers dry zone facing the West Philippine Sea. Today, adventu...

Beautiful Life in the Philippines in These Times of Pandemic

Life is beautiful if you will find ways to make it beautiful... This is what I learned from life experiences here in the planet. As the line from the poem Invictus states: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. We are responsible for our happiness, at least in a world where everyone has freedom. Now, as to what happiness would mean to you, it something you must know. But defining happiness should not be complicated. Perhaps, this blog post can explain... Cows Freely Eating Grasses in a Green Field A Lady Witnessing the Rising of the Sun Morning Sun as it Climbs Up to Start the Day We all experienced the horrible impact of pandemic over the past two years, and yet we still feel the difficulties and challenges up to this very moment coping up with the so-called "new normal". Maybe its already too much to say what this COVID-19 virus bring us...that's enough! An inspiration may cure our broken hearts and souls. This is the best way to calm us down, make us...

Search This Blog