What I Love and Hate About Tagaytay City

Tagaytay city is a prime tourist spot in the province of Cavite, southern part of the Philippines. This is 55 km away from Manila which is more or less some two hour drive depending on your speed. This city lies literally in the mountain so the high altitude gives the place a pleasant, cool climate although not as cool as the climate of Baguio City in the northern side of the country.

The high altitude of the city makes the place perfect to those who want to take a good view of the captivating Taal Volcano Island situated in the midst of Taal Lake. This famous scenery has been the icon of Tagaytay City. It has never failed to awe first-time and regular visitors alike. This is the reason why all restaurants situated beside Taal Lake boast of the scenic view of Taal Volcano Island and they surely have advantage over those situated on the other side of the road.

It is also nice to jog around in the breezy early morning after enjoying some good moment with the scenic view before taking breakfast at any of the restaurants there. My family loves Starbucks because the upper floor has a good view of the lake. So we can all enjoy sipping, viewing and chatting, all three in one.

There are actually two ways to enjoy Tagaytay. First is to go there in the early morning to take advantage of the coolest part of the day and also to have the best view of the Taal Lake. The other way to enjoy Tagaytay is to go there at night and have a good chill in any of the restaurants of your choice that offer some good entertainment at night. Well those who are younger like my son do enjoy this a lot.

Personally I love visiting Tagaytay in the early morning for many reasons. First, I want to enjoy the scenery. When it is already dark, it is not possible anymore to enjoy the beauty of Taal lake. Morning then is the best time to those who want to savor the mesmerizing beauty of Taal lake and the surrounding nature.

Another thing I love about Tagaytay City is the Mushroom Burger. Yes, there is a famous eatery here that sells the best tasting Mushroom Burger. My trip in Tagaytay is not complete if I will not drop by this place to eat Mushroom burger. The taste is really good so that even if it is far from the center of Tagaytay, customers still come to eat and enjoy.

Bulalo (Beef Stew) is also one of the things we love to eat in Tagaytay and one of the places that serve fairly good, tender Bulalo is LZM. This could be the reason why customers who love Bulalo choose this place even if they are not within the Lake side view. However, I can’t vouch for their other foods. For one, their calamares is a big, big thumbs down.

Pineapple is abundant in this place and they do really have the sweetest pineapple than in any parts of the country. You should not miss the free taste of pineapple. Every stall owner will gladly give you a free slice of fresh pineapple just to entice you to buy so there are those who just take advantage of the free taste without really buying.

The beautiful array of ornamental, flowering plants in different stalls along the road is also one of the things I do love about Tagaytay. You can buy plants of your choice here such as Mumps, roses, daisies, and various flowering plants of different colors and sizes. This place grows beautiful flowers because of its pleasant weather and very fertile soil.

One place we don’t miss going and actually a big favorite of ours in Tagaytay is the Mahogany market. This is where fresh and cheaper beef are sold. A kilo of sirloin in the market has a regular price of PHP280 while it is only PHP210 here. My favorite beef spareribs can only be bought at PHP150 here but in the market it is sold at PHP200 to 220.

Mahogany market has also fruits and vegetable section. The prices here are comparatively cheaper than those fruit stall along the main roads of Tagaytay. So if you have time, just go to Mahogany if you like to buy fruits just as we always do. They do also sell various plants in pots, ornamental, herbs, and various fruit tree seedlings.

If you want cheaper taste of boiled beef ribs and you are not very particular about the place then go and eat at any of the small stalls at Mahogany market. They will even give you bottomless banana and pineapple slices for your dessert.

What more do I enjoy about the Tagaytay? Well I think nothing more significant as those stated above. In fact there are things and places I don’t really enjoy in this place. I don’t enjoy the Picnic Grove at all. It is boring, not well maintained and most of the time it is crowded. I don’t enjoy Palace in the Sky either for it is old and has lost its grandeur ever since it was sequestered by the government from the Marcoses. I also don’t enjoy the other restaurants there such as Dencio’s, Leslies, Bag of Beans and Sonia’s garden which are expensive but food are not that great tasting as far as my judgment is concerned.

Mahogany sells cheaper meat, fruits and vegetables but I really don’t like the peddlers of delicacies, brooms and other souvenir items. They will beg and even force you to buy their stuff even if you tell them a hundred times you are not buying. They are just so insisting unmindful of whether you are already disturbed and irritated.

Also beware of meeting some foolish vendors by chance especially in the meat section. Be watchful and vigilant with what choices you make and make sure those choices were the ones bagged and given to you. They sometimes trick customers by adding slices that you did not choose to make you pay more. Sometimes they also don’t put all the meat you bought in your plastic bag.

So while it is true that there are various reasons and places that make Tagaytay enjoyable, there are some factors you have to be aware of and some places you have to avoid. Experience will always teach you anyway.