Why You Should Visit Tagaytay, Philippines

An hour's drive away from urban Manila is the city of Tagaytay. Its popularity actually sprung from its perfect location, serving up as a stunning vista overlooking Taal Lake, which is actually the crater of an extinct volcano, that is home to another smaller, active volcano, Taal Volcano. Yes, it's a volcano-within-a-volcano and makes for a breathtaking sight.

Even with local tourists, Tagaytay is a very popular vacation spot and it's particularly great for weekend trips, given its close location to Manila. With a higher altitude and lots of pristine provincial air, the place attracts crowds who want to bask in the excellent weather. Especially in the cooler months of November till February, the breezy weather is divine. It's excellent for outdoor picnics, as evidenced by lots of picnic stops along the way. For the adventurous types, there are also diving and boating trips across Taal Lake. What could be better than enjoying the lake from within the lake itself and gathering some mineral rocks? But a word of caution: the waters can be dangerous for those who don't take boating safety precautions seriously; many have been known to get caught in the tangle of kelp and seaweed that are abundantly dispersed along the lake's basin.

Tagaytay is also famous for horseback riding. It's not hard at all to spot homesteads and vast tracts of grassy parks offering up horseback riding. Kids will especially love it! This aside, there are some historic churches in the area and the People's Park, which you might want to visit. The Park is actually a huge vista built by former President Marcos atop the mountain, commanding sweeping, unparalleled views of the area. Tagaytay is also home to a number of country clubs, the most popular one being Tagaytay Highlands, though it is exclusive to members. The Highlands is especially stunning, with a golf course built over hilly terrain (and you'd have thought it was impossible!). That aside, the Highlands Steakhouse also cooks up some of the most fantastic sirloins!

The area is a haven for organic food advocates. There are a number of organic farms that allow you to take a pick at some of the freshest vegetables. You can have the vegetables wrapped to take home for your salad tonight, or tossed and prepared for you fresh by the farm's kitchens. Sonia's Garden, for one, is a popular vegetarian restaurant that serves up a veggie buffet! And you never knew our green friends could be cooked up in so many ways! Antonia's is another famous homegrown restaurant, but eating here costs some. The area is famous for its tender beef, and the restaurant serves it up rather dazzlingly.

If you don't fancy eating out, there is a world of choices out there for you! Part of the delight of visiting Tagaytay are the roadside stalls that sell all sorts of produce for nearly half the market price and certainly twice the freshness! You'll find all sorts of local seasonal fruits and vegetables here: avocados, mangoes, coconuts, mangosteens, bananas, cucumbers, and the like. Tagaytay is especially known for pineapples, and you're sure to catch acres upon acres of pineapple plantations as you cruise down the main highway.

A tradition that has passed on even to roadies is taking some 'pasalubong' for family and friends before going back to Manila. Literally meaning 'surprise', the pasalubong often takes the form of Colette's famous buko pies-coconut pies-or a jar of the Good Shepherd Sisters' ube jam, which is purple yam jam, that's made by the nuns themselves. All these goodies and more can be bought at ubiquitous roadside stops. You can even get a bottle of carabao milk-water buffalo milk-home with you! Believe me, it's a refreshing alternative to the cow's milk you're so used to.

And then there's Mushroonburger. A trip to Tagaytay is never complete without it! It's still the same humble place it was decades ago, but the burgers are just as phenomenal as they are healthy! They're perfect for the vegetarian and even carnivores will have to concede that they're every bit as tasty as the conventional beef patty. These treats are made of-you guessed it-mushrooms!

That the area is filled with different retreat houses certainly says something about the serene backdrop. At night-sky is beautifully blanketed with stars-a treat that city-dwellers don't get very often anymore. And in tropical Philippines, it's a pleasant surprise to know that you'll be needing your jacket here come Christmas time! But whatever time of year, Tagaytay has that rustic country charm you'll want to experience over and over again.