TAGAYTAY’S PICNIC GROVE

Taal Volcano
my brother's girlfriend failed to adjust the date setting of her camera - the date should be 2012/01/23

My loved ones and I went to Tagaytay City last Chinese New Year – January 23, 2012.

We have been planning to go to Tagaytay City since last year, but we kept on postponing it until it pushed through this month.  It has been ages since I visited this “Little Baguio” of Cavite. 

It’s our first time to commute going to Tagaytay City so my brother and I researched first where to get a ride to the City and how we’re going to go around the places we want to visit.

I was unsure the night before if my boyfriend will be joining us on this trip because our agreement was I was to call him at 5:00 a.m. to wake him up, but knowing how hard it is to wake him up early in the morning, I had doubts whether he can come with us.  Fortunately after more than 15 missed calls, he answered to my 6:30 a.m. call.  By 7:15 a.m. he was eating breakfast at our house already.

We started our trip with a prayer and a blessing from my father.  We never leave for any long trip without prayers after a bad incident last year.

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION:  Bus and Tricycle

We rode the San Agustin Bus with the sign board Nasugbu at the Araneta Center Cubao Bus Station at around 8:00 a.m.  The bus left Quezon City for Tagaytay City 30 minutes after.  One-way ticket to Tagaytay City is P104.00.  The bus transverse through EDSA, Coastal Road, and the long stretch of Emilio Aguinaldo High way that passed the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas, Silang and finally after two hours of travel at Tagaytay City. 

When in Tagaytay, you may ask the conductor to drop you by the jeepney terminal near the Rotunda if you want to ride a jeep to Tagaytay’s favorite places or ride the tricycle just like what we did which was at P20.00 per person.

TAGAYTAY PICNIC GROVE: 

The P20.00 fare per person onboard the tricycle was worth it because Picnic Grove is far from the rotunda where we alighted from the bus.  We passed through retreat houses, restaurants, the Good Shepherd Convent, and the Pink Sisters’ Convent.  I was at awe by the beautiful scenery along the road and in love with the picturesque Taal Volcano.

Entrance fee:  P50.00

We did not rent any cottage while at the Picnic Grove for we planned to just explore the surroundings; I’m sure no one among us would want to stay and be left behind as the others roam through the park.

ACTIVITIES AT THE PICNIC GROVE:

1.  Try the zip line and transverse a 250 meter long cable, suspended 300 feet off the ground at 60 km/hr.

Rate:  P200.00 per person one way and P300 per person two way on weekdays; P300 per person one way and P400.00 per person two way on holidays and weekends.  It comes with a free souvenir picture.

2.   Ride the cable car.  Same rate as the zip line.

3.   Rent a cottage and just sit down and take in the scenery.

Rate:  P100.00 to P250.00 depending on the size.

4.   Eat at the Alamat Restaurant inside the Picnic Grove.

5.   Fly a kite.

6.   Ride a horse.

Rate:  P200.00 per hour

7.   Hike around the eco trail.

8.   Take pictures. J

9.  Buy souvenirs.  There are many souvenir shops around the park.

Thank you, Maricel for posing inside the souvenir shop :)

PLACE RATING AND COMMENT:

We didn’t get to try the zip line and ride the cable car because there’s a long queue of people waiting for their turn.  We just strolled around the place, enjoyed the cool weather,

and looked at the beauty of nature.  Looking at the Taal volcano within the Taal Lake is a sight to behold.  Being in a beautiful place makes you feel grateful to God for the beauty of the surroundings you see and you feel so close to him.

I hope that the administrators of Tagaytay Picnic Grove do something to improve the place.  The cottages need repainting, the comfort rooms need some tidying up and they should do something about the horses because they looked really famished.

Overall, I’d still visit the place because it has the most amazing view of Taal volcano.

Will continue my post on Tierra de Maria here.