Tagaytay City – The Warm Eden of South Luzon

Tagaytay is popular because of its mild and windy climate and it has the overlooking view of the Taal Volcano. Tagaytay is known to be the one-stop relaxation spot of the people in the Metro. Only a 2-hour drive or 3-hour bus trip from Manila (60 kilometers).

Tagaytay has its own signature delicacy, Espasol. It is an original Filipino rice cake that is wrapped by a dough full of sweetener and coconut milk. Furthermore, there are plenty of delicacies you can purchase in Tagaytay by its nearby towns such as, chips derived from different vegetables(malunggay), Panutsa (sugar cane caramelized peanut and formed into a disk-like shape), Chicacorn (a semi-popped style of cornick), all kinds of pretzels, and many more.

The main dish that locals and tourists enjoy the most in tagaytay is their ever famous “Bulalo”. When you roam around the area, you will notice that every restaurant has its own version of Bulalo but, the one I tried is in Mahogany Market. I chose this place because I want the recipe to be as local as possible. Also, there are plenty of stalls in Mahogany Market's Bulaloan but their dish are exactly the same as well as the price and menu selection. SO PICK WHAT YOU WANT!!

There are 3 famous main destinations in Tagaytay. First, The Sky Ranch. It is a theme park that caters the overlooking view of Taal and also has a bunch of rides ranging from $1 – 6$.

Second, The Picnic Grove. It is a venue for breakfast, lunch, snacks, or basically, FOR FOOD!. It has a “kubo” all over the place so you can use it for eating. And, the main attraction of this place is its unique ambience and the extraordinary fog all over the area. You cannot literally see someone 2 meters away from you.

Lastly, the People's Park. This place is very special for the people of Tagaytay. It is originally built for the visitation of the US President, Ronald Raegan but unfortunately, the place was not completed and as time goes by, the incomplete mansion was converted into a park.

To wrap up my trip in Tagaytay, it is an overwhelming feeling that this kind of beauty is only 2 hours away from Metro Manila. After a stressful work or business in the capital, you can drive and relax to this amazing yet not that costly awesome Eden.