Tagaytay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines, regardless of the time of the year one chooses to visit the city. There are literally hundreds of blogs, vlogs, and articles that discuss Tagaytay in great detail, so I’m going to skip that part and just talk about my personal experiences there.
I don’t want to sound like a giddy tourist because: a.) I do not like coming off as giddy, and; b.) I do not want to be thought of as a tourist but I have to admit, I enjoyed Tagaytay very much.
Where Did I Stay?
We stayed at The Allure Tagaytay, which I booked via AirBNB. The rooftop has a fantastic (and more importantly free) view of Taal Lake and the general area around it.
How Long Did You Stay There?
So, obviously for a lot of Manila people, Tagaytay is just a routine 2-hour drive down south. But seeing as I am from the Visayas, I do not have the luxury of visiting Tagaytay anytime I want so this trip was a 3-days, 2-nights one.
How Did You Move Around The City?
Jeeps, tricycles, and on foot. Seriously walking around on foot is better than riding motorized vehicles. You don’t sweat because, y’know, it’s cool in Tagaytay City even in the daytime so walking isn’t a totally uncomfortable experience.
Picnic Grove
The first place I visited was Picnic Grove. It is as tourist-y as one would expect. Like I said in the intro, I absolutely abhor being labelled a “tourist” because I don’t like tourists. Tourists, to me, don’t have appreciation for the places they visit. Think straight white middle-class couples on a trip to Japan — they just go to see all the popular stuff and ignore the fascinating culture that Japanese society has to offer.
Now before I slander any more people, I’ll stop digressing and talk about Picnic Grove. So uhm, let’s see… there’s a giant Ferris Wheel on campus. It doesn’t operate in the daytime though, so there’s that.
Picnic Grove also features a horseback riding activity, where one can ride horses obviously. If you pay extra, I think you can ride the horse all the way down a hill to the a part of the shores of Lake Taal (assuming you’re into that sort of stuff).
Then there’s this long ass walkway that gives you gorgeous views of the Lake, Taal Volcano, and several other low-lying areas around the park. It’s almost enjoyable. Almost. Because there’s literally hundreds of other people around you, which doesn’t leave much space to operate and do your typical Instagram stuff. If you want a different take on the walkway, Picnic Grove offers zipline/cable car rides — a more expensive way of travelling across the area, but hey you get to satisfy your lust for adrenaline.
People’s Park In The Sky
People’s Park in the Sky is a complex above a mountain that overlooks Taal Lake (again) and the surrounding provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Metro Manila (I think). Built by the Marcoses using their wealth stolen from government coffers during their reign of terror in the ’70s and ’80s, People’s Park in the Sky was one of Imelda Marcos’ pet projects to showcase her grandiose personality. It is said that the Park hosted several high-profile foreign dignitaries during its heyday. But alas, today it is nothing more than a tourist trap with near-dilapidated buildings and walkways that literally smell like piss — the type of smell that lingers in your nostrils even if you’ve left the source.
People flock it for the view, which quite honestly is fantastic but also you can catch somewhere less crowded. Maybe these people were duped with over-hyped photos on the internet. There are also giant religious statues in the compound, if one is into all that jazz.
Personally, my favorite part about the Park is the long ass walk on a winding road from the parking area at the “base” of the mountaintop all the way to the center of the complex. I mean, walking to tourist-y places is always a hassle, but the view and cold air makes it fun this time around.
SkyRanch
SkyRanch is an amusement park owned by SMDC. It is still as touristy as it gets but it gets a pass from me because of how awesome the general vibe is. I’m happy we went there at night because the atmosphere suited me. It was cold as balls, the park was lively with people screaming and laughing and just having an all-around good time.
On the side of the park is a little cliff that offers a view of the lower parts of Tagaytay city its city lights. It is awesome.
Sooooooo with the way I described two of the three tourist spots I visited, you would think I didn’t enjoy this trip. Au contraire, mon ami. I love the whole experience. I’ve decided Tagaytay City is a place I’d want to live in. It’s big enough of a city for me to satiate my pretentiousness, but not big enough for me to go through the hassle that Metro Manila residents experience daily. I’m a fan of these in-betweener cities like Cebu and Mandaue City (where I lived for three years) and my native Iloilo City.
Despite all the annoying crowd of tourists, those destinations still provided the type of scenery that can invigorate one’s soul. The view was worth it despite my whining and complaining. But what turned this trip around was just strolling around the city itself in the late afternoon and at night because the overall vibe of the city is great.
It’s not scary to walk the streets at night (I’m not sure on the crime rate statistics of the city so don’t take my word for it lol. The atmosphere of the city is just chill, literally and figuratively. 13/10 would recommend.
P.S. I might put out a vlog on a next post.
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