Can you believe I got us PHP99 airfare tickets to Manila? That's per person! I got them from Cebu Pacific's Piso fare promo. Fascinating, eh?
With that awesomely good deal, I made sure to book the entire family a seat. We got relatives in Novaliches, Quezon City, so stay is not a problem.
What are we waiting for? Manila here we come!
I remember the ship passing under the Mactan Bridge, recognizing Mactan Island's once empty shores (which today is crowded with squatters) and sleeping on the ship's bunk beds with many others in the same space for a couple or more nights.
How time flies! Now an adult, who's obtained a Bachelor's Degree in IT, I'm back traveling with grandma, this time on an airplane. And not just grandma but also mom, my brother (who's training in Manila), and our youngest adventurer, my then 3-year-old cousin.
One of our trip's agenda is to see the Taal Volcano. The trip took 2 hours and a half from Novaliches, Quezon City by car.
We paid Php50 entrance fee at Tagaytay Picnic Grove. Upon arrival, I'm super eager to see the famous Taal Volcano I keep on seeing in the postcards and books.
Where to Eat
Bring your own food, if you can! This is our mistake. There's only one restaurant inside the Tagaytay Picnic Grove called the Alamat Restaurant. Obviously, since we are in a touristy area we paid a high price to satisfy our hungry bellies.The Alamat Restaurant serves Filipino food. We ordered a super combo meal good for 6-8 persons (which includes Tilapia fish, soup, fried chicken, Bicol express, pork, 1 bottle of soft drinks, and rice).
All in all, we paid PHP 1,000 for the combo meal plus additional PHP 100 for two extra rice (rice is PHP 50 per serving). That's why I'd recommend bringing your own food.
Cottage Rental
Rent for cottages ranges from PHP100 – 150. Depending on the size.Children's Play Area
The children's play area fee is PHP 50 for half an hour and PHP 100 for an hour.
Zipline & Cable Car
Zipline costs Php100 one-way, Php200 two-way per person. The cable car ride costs Php200 one way and Php300 two-way per person. By the way, there's only one cable car ride in the area expect a long queue.
Horseback Riding
Meet Piolo! He's one handsome horse. He'll be in charge of showing us around the area.Piolo is well tamed. Never did I once feel scared on the ride, mind you this is my first time ever. Even our youngest comrade is enjoying this.
The horseback ride costs PHP150 for a small horse (great for kids) and PHP200 for the big ones. Pay extra for the horse trail which costs PHP150. The guide will take you to where the view of the Taal Lake is and you can take photos there riding on the horse.
Overall, this costs us PHP350 per pax (horse ride + horse trail).
Souvenirs
As with any other tourists, we stopped by small stalls selling souvenirs. You can find T-shirts starting from PHP100; 3 pieces keychains for Php50 and wallets and bags with Tagaytay prints on them.Home
By 5:00pm, we packed up and head home. We stop by Jollibee Congressional Avenue for dinner.Ah, it was a long day. This is a super rare outing experience for the entire family. We had fun!
I hope our experience gave you idea/s on what to expect when you visit The Tagaytay Picnic Grove. You have an awesome day then! Talk to you soon.