8 TOP PLACES IN TAGAYTAY – PHILIPPINES

Tagaytay is a weekend getaway and it is 60 km away from Manila. It is an underrated city ,with untouched natural beauty. Many travelers don’t feel like staying in Tagaytay, hence prefer to drive from Manila in the morning and return by Night. But, Tagaytay has a lot to offer from its natural beauty to old type Amusement parks. Many cafes and restaurants offers beautiful views of Taal Volcano, which is truly a natural anomaly that will leave you stunned.

• Taal Volcano and Lake: Must Visit
• Our Lady of Manaoag at Tierra de Maria: A religious place
• Breakfast at Antonio’s: Lot of options in Food
• Picnic Grove: Very famous
• Cafe Veranda Cultural Show: Located at Taal Vista Hotel
• Sky Ranch: Amusement Park
• Taal Vista Hotel Deck View: Best View of Tagaytay
• Zoori : Small Zoo

TAAL VOLCANO AND LAKE

If you are visiting Tagaytay, Taal Volcano is Must Visit Place in Tagaytay. It is a complex volcano located on the Luzon Island in Tagaytay. It is the second most active volcano in the county and had 33 historical eruptions. All eruptions are concentrated on Luzon Island.

Boat ride is available from Talisay, which is around 60 minutes away from Tagaytay city. After reaching the island, you can take a horse ride or trek of around 40 minutes. It is recommended to start early at 6:00 am, keep plenty of water and comfortable shoes.

Loacation: Talisay and San Nicolas, Batangas, Luzon, Philippines. (It is located 50 km south from city)

Tour Fee: Many travel companies have different costs. But it is in the range of 4k to 6k for a day tour.

OUR LADY OF MANAOAG AT TIERRA DE MARIA

It is one of the Very Famous Places to Visit in Tagaytay. The statue of our Lady of Manaoag is from a 17th Century image of the Virgin Mary with The Child Jesus enshrined at the Basilica. It was brought from Spain to the Philippines in the early 17th Century by the priest Juan de San Jacinto. The Statue is 50ft tall followed by a small Church. You can also Visit Flea Market for religious shopping.

Location: Tagaytay – Calamba Rd, Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines (It is around 15 minutes from Tagaytay City Market)

Entry Fee: No entry fees.

BREAKFAST AT ANTONIO’S

Breakfast at Antonio’s is about impeccable attention to details in food and service, but has a more fine and relaxed family dining atmosphere.

They serve an all day breakfast and the menu is designed to rouse the senses. You will find comforting breakfast, European brunch fares, classic deli and sweet treats. They have freshly baked bread, homemade jams, curds, flavored yogurt as well as prepared meats.

Location: E. AGUINALDO HIGHWAY, BARANGAY, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines.

Timings: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm (All days)

PICNIC GROVE

When it comes to natural sightseeing, the Picnic Grove is the place with numerous huts and tables. A place for family gathering, picnics and friends meet-up location. You can also enjoy horseback riding, Zipline, cable car etc. Eco trail available for nature lovers.

Location: Tagaytay Picnic Grove Complex, Barangay, End, Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines (Around 3 km from Tagaytay City Market)

Timing: 7 am to 7 pm (all days)

CAFE VERANDA CULTURAL SHOW

Cafe Veranda Restaurant is in the compound of Hotel Taal Vista. It has modern architecture with their traditional food, they have Buffets for Lunch and Dinner. This is one of the Must visit places in Tagaytay. Stay or visit you’ll be treated with a 4 course Filipino meal which you can enjoy with Filipinos dancing in traditional attire. They have 2 shows, one at lunch and one at dinner. Try to reach early and book your table near the performing area.

Location: Kilometer 60 Emilio Aguinaldo Hwy, Kaybagal South, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines

Timings of Cultural Show: One at Lunch and one at Dinner.

SKY RANCH

Sky Ranch is an amusement park, it has rides for all age groups. You need 4-5 hours to cover all the points/attractions/rides. Most people start their way in the evening, as it looks more beautiful in those blinking lightning. They have created separate spaces for small kids/toddlers. Picnic is not complete without good food, you can enjoy food in Restaurants and at mini food huts.

Location: Km. 60 Tagaytay – Nasugbu Hwy, Kaybagal South, Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines

Entry Fee: 80 Php is the entry fee and then you have to buy seperate tickets for each ride costing from 50 php to 200 php.

Timings: 10 am to 10 pm (Saturday & Sunday: 8 am to 10 pm)

TAAL VISTA HOTEL DECK VIEW

In most of the Hotels, Scenic view is available only for their in-house guests . At TaalVista , visitors also can enjoy the views of Taal Volcano and Lake. This place offers picturesque views from Hotel Deck, you can even spend a beautiful evening with family and enjoy Sunset. Taal Vista Hotel Offers picnic at Viewing deck.

Location: Kilometer 60 Emilio Aguinaldo Hwy, Kaybagal South, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines

ZOORI: ZOO

Zoori is created to experience nature and wildlife together. Here you can enjoy the view of Taal Volcano together with wild animals. They have wild animals like lions, apes, camels, eagles, some fishes, some snacks and other animals like sheep and monkeys. Since the space is very small, animals are not treated well. Such as, a lion has a very small cage and it was so disappointing for us to see white lion like that. Same treatment with other animals too.

Location: Tagaytay – Nasugbu Hwy, Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines

Timings: 8 am to 8 pm.

Entry Fees: 249 PHP- Adult (above 4ft) | 199 PHP – Kids (2-3 ft)

FAMOUS WATER-FALLS IN INDIA

INDIA is a very beautiful Country. One should visit India to experience beautiful places from Himalaya to Kanya-Kumari. India is also famous for Archaeology. Many Ancient colonies have been discovered in different parts of India. Today, I want to write about Famous Waterfalls in India. Though, there are many places full of scenery and natural beauty. And, I have selected a few to mention in my blog.

Today, I will write about 7 waterfalls across India. Most of the waterfalls have heavy water flow during the rainy season. As, main stream is raining. And then they met their respective rivers.

NURANANG WATER FALL

Nuranang Falls is located in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is around 100 meters high. Though it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in this area of the country, it is unknown to many travelers. It is 2 kilometers away from the town of Jang. The interesting thing about this waterfall is that Bollywood Actors ‘Shah Rukh Khan‘ and ‘Madhuri Dixit‘ shot a song of Koyla Movie.

NOKHALIKAI WATER FALL

Nohkalikai Falls is located near Cherrapunji, one of the wettest places on Earth. It is the tallest waterfall in India. Its height is around 1115 feet. Nohkalikai Falls are fed by the rainwater.

DUDHSAGAR WATER FALL

Dudhsagar Falls is located on the Mandovi River in the border of Indian State of Karnataka. The water looks like milk, and it is one the reason it is known as Dudhsagar (Sea of Milk).

NOHSNGITHIANG WATER FALL

This is again in Meghalaya near to Nawsmai. We have many forests and landscapes in Meghalaya.

ETHIPOTHALA WATER FALL

Ethipothala Falls is located in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. This waterfall is connected to Chandravanka River and it is a combination of three streams: ‘Chandravanka Vagu’, ‘Nakkala Vagu’ and ‘Tummala Vagu’. The strategic point is near to Ranganatha and Dattatreya Temple.

CHITRAKOOT WATER FALL

Chitrakote Falls is located to the west of Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India. It is a natural waterfall and it is located on ‘Indravati River’. It is the widest fall in India and because of its width during the raining season, it is also known as Nigara Falls of India.

DHUANDHAR WATER FALL

This is in Jabalpur district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located on Narmada River which is one of the famous rivers. The waterfall height is only 10 meters, but the impact is so high that it can be heard from miles away.

CLARKE QUAY AND 1 ALTITUDE: SINGAPORE

1-ALTITUDE is a must visit for people going to Singapore. Music, Great Drinks and Breathtaking view from the 65th floor. Do remember that like any great place it has a dress code  and no flip-flops allowed. a 360 degree view is available from the deck. The entry fee is SGD 30 per person with one complimentary drink. SGD 30 is only for viewing from the deck and no reserved table. You have to book seating well in advance.

So, it is a great place to visit for an awesome 360 degree view. Enjoy your complimentary drink and music and then move to Clarke Quay for more party Fun.

CLARKE QUAY is one of the famous eating hubs. It has many mini cafe’s, bars and  Restaurants with different cousins.  Since it is on both sides of the River, you will have a view to enjoy.

This place is very crowded in the evening, as most of the people come after their work hours to beat the heat and to enjoy the view. This place remains open all night  so people can enjoy it even if they finish work late.

Singapore is a crime free city and Taxis are easily available whole night. For more info on Singapore, you can check Must Visit Places in Singapore.

MAHABALESHWAR AND PANCHGANI: MAHARASHTRA(PUNE)-INDIA

Mahabaleshwar trip was one of the top destinations to visit in India in my travel diaries. My husband was traveling to Pune for his official work and we decided to go together. There are many adventure places near Pune but if you are limited on time then  definitely visit  MAHABALESHWAR and PANCHGANI.

Mahabaleshwar is a very beautiful place and full of scenic beauty. If you are travelling from Pune  then you will come across many waterfalls on the way. Located 1353 meter above sea level, the view of the valley is breathtaking from the mountains. As this is a hilly area fog spreads all over the place in the rainy season , so to enjoy the valley view choose a sunny day.

On the route , there is a beautiful lake just before Mahabaleshwar. Make sure to stop there and enjoy the beauty of nature. It is a quite big and deep lake

Also, have  vada-pav breakfast in Mahabaleshwar, There are many small stalls that make fresh Vada-pav and tea in the morning for breakfast. It is one of the famous foods in Maharashtra.

We reached Mahabaleshwar at 2 pm in the afternoon and our taxi driver suggested we cover all the Mahabaleshwar tourist places in a day itself and Panchgani on the next day. We finished sightseeing by 6 pm then we moved on to visit the open local market. 

GETTING THERE: MAHABALESHWAR

It’s a 4 to 5 hours drive from Pune to Mahabaleshwar. Hire a taxi for around INR 5000 to 7000 round trip. Driver will take you to all the famous places in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. And 2 days are more than enough to cover both the places.

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PANCHGANI is around 2 hours drive from Mahabaleshwar. We made a pit stop at Mapro Factory during this route. Here, you can taste the products and buy as per your choice. There is one famous cafe which makes big sandwiches (one is enough for 2 people). A must try sandwich as they bake it in Tandoor (traditional oven).

Panchgani is famous for table top mountains. This big mountain is flat like a table and has many traditional stories related to Mahabharata. After reaching here, you can enjoy the cold weather and breathtaking view of the valley. The Locals say that many Bollywood movies were shot here.

When you reach the table top mountain, vendors will offer you horse rides and will offer you many locations to see. So first thing to do is bargain hard for horse riding and second thing is you can easily walk to all those places.

OVERALL, my trip was awesome. Being a nature lover, I really enjoyed visiting such kinds of places where you have beautiful scenery spread all over the place.

MUST SEE PLACES IN BINSAR: HIMACHAL PRADESH-INDIA

BINSAR is one of the hidden paradises in Himachal Pradesh. Not very known and very few people visit this place. Binsar is a reserved forest area and it has only 3 known resorts. We stayed in ‘Khali State’ – a Very beautiful, peaceful and quiet place. The place where you will have no Internet connection, No TV and no Mobile signals. A place where you can discover yourself and spend meaningful time with your loved ones.

Khali State is a private property and a British time architecture. They have around 20 rooms. The food is homely and people are very friendly – they will ask you what you would like to have in Breakfast, lunch and Dinner. In winter time they have a bonfire from 6 pm onward till 10 pm. Their small library is handy when there are no Laptop or Mobile  Signal

ZERO POINT

Zero point is a place to visit during your stay. You can see the Himalaya range view from Zero point. It was 8 KM from our resort and we decided to track. It took 8 hours to reach the Zero point and back to the resort. The roads are empty as the population count is very less. We reached Zero Point at 2 pm in the afternoon. My Suggestion will be to start your hike early as sometimes clouds cover the view at Zero Point and you will not be able to see the Range.

Trekking to Zero Point

At Zero Point (Indeed a victory!)

GETTING TO BINSAR

Train facility available till ‘Jammu Tavi’ Railway Station. And from there you can hire a taxi for INR 1000 (try to bargain for price). Or for more adventure you can take the Bus to ‘Bheem Tal’ and then taxi in around INR 300 to 400. It was around 2 to 3 hours of road travel to Binsar and you can enjoy extraordinary scenery all around.

OVERALL the stay at Binsar was different and I got to enjoy the serene nature. My husband and I had a great time together – spending long hours over tea breaks , playing Badminton , just watching the Sunset. The best thing is that when you have no mobile connection, you enjoy the nearby surroundings. I would love to visit this place again and definitely for a longer duration.

KAYANGAN LAKE AND TWIN LAGOONS: CORON PHILIPPINES

Today is going to be a hectic day, as we have to visit 7 places. One of the famous places is ‘Kayangan Lake’. When I searched about Coron in Google, the first picture was of Kayahngan Lake. A beautiful view with crystal clear water. We reached at 8:30 am to board the boat. Today’s boat was small compared to yesterday’s. And there were only 6 tourists who had taken the”CORON ISLAND ULTIMATE TOUR“. 

KAYANGAN LAKE

The first stop was KAYANGAN LAKE, it seems every tourist visits this lake. The pictures are so beautiful on search engines,  one cannot say NO for this place. After reaching here, we  were told that we have to hike 150 steep steps up and and 150 steps down to KAYANGAN LAKE. The view was so amazing that hiking 150 steps was now looking worth it. Everyone wants to capture that view in their cameras and basically there was a long queue

After that our guide told us to follow her for 150 steps down to Kayangan Lake. It is a very big lake with little salty water and its looks green in color. Everyone dive here to beat the heat. But, the breathtaking view is only available at 150 steps up. This is a normal lake.

TWIN LAGOONS

The thing is that you can’t spend more time in one place. Even if you want to. You have to cover all 7 places in one day. Twin Lagoons was an Adventure Place. They will stop at one point then you have to dive in the sea and you have to go under a big rock to reach Twin Lagoons. There was very limited space for breath and please mind the gape for your head.

The Ultimate thing of Twin lagoons is, one shoulder will feel cold water and the other shoulder will feel hot. It is one of the Nature Wonders. No one can explain why the hot water is not mixing with cold water. As I said above, you can’t spend more time in one place. But, we stayed a little longer than the schedule at ‘Kayangan Lake’ and ‘Twin Lagoons’. And our Tour Guide told us that we do not have time to visit “SIETE PECADOS MARINE PARK“. And we have to skip.

Behind of the this big rock was Twin Lagoons.

BEACH 91

This place is only a lunch gateway. It is a very small and not so clean beach. Even I would say dirty beach. “Keep the mosquito patches with you as there were lots of mosquitoes“. Our Tour package includes lunch but not for vegetarians like me. They served lunch and we again had only rice. After lunch you can rest for some time and take pictures with rocks and with trees. I did not enjoy it much here. And was waiting for a moving signal from the guide.

SKELETON WRECK

The name is big, but the place is not as happening. I think this is not a tourist destination, it is just passing the time. They will stop the boat near to big rocks and you have to dive in sea to see the Sank Ship during one of the world wars. There was only a small part I could see, and I didn’t feel the place was worth.

MALWAWEY REEF & CORAL GARDEN

For me it was a little scary. As they stopped the boat in the middle of the sea and told us to be ready for Dive to see Coral Garden. The Sea was kind of upset today and very wavy. We went into the sea and we only could see the big sea rocks, a few coral and fish. Nothing great was here and our tour guide took only 10 minutes to finish her tour.

CYC BEACH 

CYC BEACH is Government property and they use this place for training and school outings. Beach was not clean and there was nothing for me to get-off the boat. I decided to stay back with my kid and my husband took his Snorkeling glasses and dived into the sea to pass his time while others were get-off from the boat to click pictures. Sitting in Boat, I was comparing  this tour with yesterday’s tour. Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoons are the only highlights in today’s tour. Other places are not so great and tour guides only give 10 to 15 minutes to stay at one place for clicking pictures. It looks like I came to touch this place only.

We have come from this far to enjoy the natural beauty, like this you only end-up taking some pictures and back to the boat. I think a tour package should be the way, one will get more time to spend at one place. There are many things which you can’t see in 15 minutes.

MALCAPUYA ISLAND AND BANANA BEACH: CORON-PHILIPPINES

ISLAND ESCAPADE TOUR

Island Hopping is the only sport in Coron, Palawan. Hopping time from one starting point to the first Island is around 30 -40 minutes and then it varies from place to place. Boats are small, if you are accompanied by small kids. Ask them to sit while boats are sailing in the sea. There are 3 islands in “Island Escapade Tour”.

Our pick-up time was at 7:30 am in the morning, we dressed up nicely and packed our swim dresses. When we arrived at reception after breakfast, everyone was in very basic attire unlike us. Even few were in swim dresses already. My husband said it looks like he is all set to dive in the sea. Taxi came at 8 am and we reached to board the boat at 8:30 am. Our Guide introduced him-self and explained about today’s itinerary. He also told us that food will be served on the boat from their side. But, as I always say- it is difficult being a vegetarian and as-usual there was only rice and watermelon for us to eat.

When Boat started it was an amazing view with mountains. I felt like I was watching a “Hollywood” movie. Travel time from the starting point to the first stop “MALCAPUYA ISLAND” was around one hour. It is a very famous Island for Snorkeling. The Snorkeling Kit and Aqua Shoe you can rent from your tour guide only. It was PHP 50 for Aqua Shoe and PHP 150 for Snorkeling Kit.

As I mentioned above few of them were in swim dress and now we understood why? Actually, there is no place to change dress and you have to change your dress in front of everyone. So better to wear your swim dress inside and then dress whatever you want to wear.  

Note: Coron Island is famous for snorkeling and sea dive. For more fun, keep a waterproof camera cover to take pictures and videos while snorkeling. Also, do not forget to buy waterproof mobile phone covers. You can buy these things at the boarding point. They also sell waterproof bags.

And, keep good sunscreen to apply on all your body after every dive. The day’s are very hot in the Sun and Hopping is not allowed in the rain.

It was an amazing experience, I was a bit afraid of being non-swimmer. But they give you a waist jacket and a tube to hold. Just wear your snorkeling glasses and float while looking inside the sea. The beautiful world inside the sea. Beautiful Fish and corals.

BANANA ISLAND

We reached Banana Island at 1 pm and lunch was served to us. After eating lunch we were told to rest for some time and take pictures and dive in the sea. Banana Island is more beautiful than Malcapuya Island. The sand is more clean and this is the best place to take pictures. This Island has one small resort which has around 10 rooms.

I tried going for Snorkeling alone at banana island but couldn’t do that. Then I came back and asked the tour guide for help. Then he asked others and then took all of us for a second round of snorkeling. It was simply fun watching all those beautiful fish and corals. It looks like you can step on those rocks and in actuality those are deeper than your expectations.

BULOG BEACH

Bulog Beach was the last stop in today’s tour. It is a very small beach for visitors as the other side of the beach is Private Property of “Two Seasons Resorts”. It is one of the most expensive resorts in Coron. The security personnel are standing at the edge of the property and they will not allow you to go that side.

Sun started setting and time to go back. And we were very tired. The water gives me more tiredness than walking in a plane area.

After coming back to the hotel we went to watch a live music show at the Hotel Bar section. The guests who wanted to sing were allowed to sing along-with singers. The Music was loud and awesome. We enjoyed our dinner and came back to the room for a nice sleep. As we had booked another tour for tomorrow and pick-up time was the same at 7:30 am.