Project City Getaway: Tagaytay (last part)

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What?! Three days and two nights in Tagaytay? Won't you get bored with that?
This is pretty much a common reaction I would get from friends who would ask me where I'm off to for the coming long weekend.

For a small place like Tagaytay, I guess it might be hard to imagine that my family and I can actually stay for two consecutive nights and still find ourselves wishing that we can extend our vacation for another day. I guess we have found quite a number of interesting must-dos from the frequency of our visit.

Let me share my top 3 must-do while in Tagaytay:

#1 Go church hopping

One visit to Tagaytay and you'd instantly notice that the place has quite a number of churches and retreat houses. Most probably due to the cool weather and the peaceful ambiance, it is very much fit to meditate and to cleanse your spiritual being. We have two favorite churches namely the Pink Sisters Convent that has a grotto on a man-made hill overlooking the church and the Transfiguration Chapel in Caleruega.

Caleruega is located in Nasugbu, Batangas which is a little bit off Tagaytay. It can take a while to reach this place but I promise you it is worth it. It is a big property that has an outdoor Way of the Cross, an activity area called Kampo Arriba with a very sturdy suspension bridge and a lot more.

#2 Have Coffee.

With its close proximity to Batangas and to Amadeo in Cavite, the Barako province and the coffee capital of the Philippines respectively, it is no surprise that coffee in Tagaytay is delightfully good. There are two ways and two places on how and where you can enjoy your coffee...

... have it amidst the greens and the chirping birds at Bag of Beans located along Aguinaldo Highway near the Residence Inn. This garden coffee shop is known for two things: its coffee and its english pies. One must not leave the place without having a cup of Barako coffee (P85) and a slice of Shepherd's Pie (P105). The combination is just perfect.

Still in the look out for a better view? Why not have your coffee...

... while enjoying the view of the Taal Volcano at Starbucks Coffee. Speaking like a true-blue Starbucks Coffee customer, this just got to be one of the most beautiful store outside of Metro Manila. Where else can you get front row seats to see the world's smallest volcano while enjoying your favorite cup of coffee (mine would be a tall glass of Tazo Iced Tea)?

and last but never the least....

#3 Hoard up on all the Coconuts, Pineapples and local snacks like Peanut Brittle and Buko Pie

Who doesn't like Buko (coconut)? It's the most refreshing drink after basking out in the sun. Believe it or not, we found the cheapest buko for only P9 a piece! What a steal! Be careful though when buying pineapples because sellers can be very very very smart. Knowing that you're a tourist they can easily trick you into buying 2 pieces of medium sized pineapples for P100 or more when you can actually get it for less here in Manila. A fair rate (I learned from my fruit-genius relatives and friends) is 4 medium/large sized pineapples for P100!

Also found along long line of fruit stands are children selling baskets of native treats. Baguio may be known for this but Tagaytay has its own version of Peanut Brittle. This is nuts cooked in a thick syrup to make it stick together and sold in a round, disc-like shape. It's very good and a perfect gift to give to friends back home.

Lastly, southern locals would tell you that the best buko pie can be found in Laguna and Quezon but thanks to the power of franchising, visitors of Tagaytay do not have to drive further south to enjoy this. Quite a number of buko pie outlets are already existing in Tagaytay. There's Colette's, Rowena's, The Original Buko Pie and a lot more.

These are just my top 3 things to do in Tagaytay. Soon, I am looking forward to more exciting things like trekking up to the Taal, visiting the Flower Farm, veggie shopping and a whole lot more! Of course, there'll always be more hidden food secrets to discover and adventures to encounter.

Till the next city getaway!

Related posts:
Project City Getaway: Tagaytay (1st of 3 parts)
Project City Getaway: Tagaytay (2nd of 3 parts)

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