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Tagaytay City and Lake Taal Volcano
Gina And I do love to travel around the Philippines, and the one place we had not been was the City of Tagaytay and the mystical Lake Taal
you may be asking, what is their to do in Tagaytay ? the answer is - Not much ! Tagatay and Lake Taal are all about relaxation and scenic beauty
so be prepared to take lots of photos, and thats effectively what this resort is, "A Photo opportunity" - how long should you spend
there ? well of course thats a matter for you, but I would say 1 overnight stay is well warranted, as you may wish to actually take a boat ride
across to the Volcano, and then that involves mounting a donkey to get to the volcano itself, Tagaytay City is truly the pearl of the Orient!
It's the perfect place for leisure activities like picnics, horseback riding, camping and sightseeing.
To say the views are breathtaking would be an understatement. Tagaytay offers most balikbayans (returning Filipino's)
a quick and enjoyable getaway, whilst foreign visitors will enjoy a relaxing and safe haven where you can unwind after your long haul flight
thats of course if you go there very soon after arriving in the Philippines. So how do you get there ? There are numerous options available for everyone. For those driving you can take the South Superhighway, also known as "The Sky Way", and exit at the Santa Rosa turn off. Hang a right after paying your toll (less than US$1) and you're 20 minutes from Tagaytay. Alternatively you can take the Coastal Road through Cavite, a litle bit longer journey but lots of sights to see. You can also take the BLTB buses from Pasay, Metro Manila having a destination signboard of Nasugbu or Balayan. Both services are frequent and ply the route to Tagaytay City.
well just be mindful, that there are no Taxi's in Tagaytay City, there are only Tricycles, so if you do take a bus service it will be a very undignified way of getting to your hotel, So if you are booked
in at the Taal Vista hotel, (the one Gina and I stayed in) just be aware that arriving by tricycle will cramp your style.
Gina and I would advise you to do the following: Hire a private automobile, or an FX (a van like taxi) with a driver included with both options,
is probably the overseas visitors best bet. An all day booking will take you to your hotel, then run you around to all the Tagaytay sights as well and will only set you back about US$25.
Everyone who sees the volcano always wants to ask if its is active ? the answer is Yes. Taal is reputed to be the world's smallest and yet most active of volcanoes. Thirty three eruptions have been recorded since 1572 at Taal, mostly on Volcano Island. The impacts of these eruptions were largely confined to the intracaldera area.
Places to Visit and Things to do.
 Taal Volcano, in the Philippines, was originally a huge volcano, that towered 18,000 feet up into the sky. It has been called the smallest active volcano, because it seems small now, but many people don't realize that it is one of the largest volcanoes in the world.
It is located about 60-km south of Manila on "volcano island" inside a lake called Taal Lake, or Lake Taal. The picture of Taal volcano to your left, was taken from Tagaytay resort areas,in the distance, across the lake, is Mt. Makulot.
A twenty minute (each way) round trip boat journey to Taal Volcano will set you back 1,250 to 1,500 Pesos, approximately US$25 to US$30 depending on you're bargaining ability. But that's for the entire boat, not per person. Then you're hit with the cost of hiring a donkey (once you reach Taal Volcano) to take you to the top, then back down. Unless you're in very good physical condition, the hiring of a donkey is highly recommended. This runs around 1,000 pesos per donkey, less than US$18.
The Enchanted Kingdom a short five-minute ride from the Sta. Rosa Tollgate of South Luzon Expressway, brings the closest version of Disney-type leisure in the country. The theme park, managed and operated by Amtrust Leisure Corporation (ALC), offers thrilling rides like Grand Carousel, Flying Fiesta, Rialto, Space Shuttle, Log Jam, Wheel of Fate, Condor, Up Up and Away, Roller Coaster, Anchors Away, Dodgem, Stone Eggs, Air Pterodactyl, Swan boats, and Bump n Splash.
Aside from the rides, the Enchanted Kingdom also charms its visitors with various treats such as the fireworks show every weekend, dance presentation by the park’s in-house talents, theater shows, seasonal shows, well-manicured gardens, classic American brownstone facades and establishments, and a variety of characters and mascots led by the Wizard
The Enchanted Kingdom is about 26 kilometers from Makati City or about an hour travel by car. A point-to-point bus shuttle service is available from Makati City to the Enchanted Kingdom and back. Seats are on a first-come-first-served basis.
The Taal Vista Hotel. The Taal Vista Hotel is the preferred hotel in the area considering its proximity to Manila, the calabarzon and to the historical and cultural spots in the area. Picturesque sights, clean, cool mountain air and gracious amenities blend to sustain the enchantment of Taal as relished from the site of Taal Vista Hotel.
Cool air breezes the 72 guestrooms exquisitely designed to pay homage to the botanical and floral gems that fringe the area. All rooms offer spectacular views of the verdant gardens or the Taal lake and volcano and are fully-equipped with cable television, Idd/Ndd telephone, mini-bar and in-room safe.
However, room rates in Tagaytay Resorts such as the featured hotel, and others, seem to be more in line with Travel lodge or Travel Inn prices in UK, or
Motel 6, Best Western, Super 8 prices in the USA, a standard double room is about P5000.00 per night, having said that, the rooms all have excellent marble
bathrooms, and a decent bath tub, the beds and bedding are excellent a far cry from the Pension house style accomodation, the breakfast served in the
morning was dissapointing considering the room rate but the staff are freindly and the service satisfactory.
Summary: Gina and I had a fairly reasonable time seeing the Taal Volcano
in truth, most Filipinos will tell you that Tagaytay and Lake Taal is a photo opportunity, its a little cooler up on the Ridge where the
resorts are, there are plenty of activities in the surrounding area, such as Tagaytay Highlands, however, having a van tour is a must
something sadly we did not have, however Gina and I would recommend that you use the services of a van, and also you can
obtain a guide for a reasonable fee. 
Have you taken a look at Hong Kong yet ? or maybe
you might like to stop by our Baguio and the Cordillera's Trip
Thank you for stopping by our Tagaytay and Lake Taal Volcano Travel Page their are lots of other pages for you to view, if you want information on Hong Kong or the Kingdom of Thailand or
Cebu or Visaya, please stop by, and let us know what you think, by signing our guest book on the main page
Have you heard of OPM that is original Filipino music sang by our featured artist, Vina Morales
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