Taal Plaza
Very recently it was in the news headlines for all the wrong reasons, but Taal in Batangas province of the Philippines has much more than just volcanic ashes to offer.
The promotional campaign of Philippines tourism splashes a lot of colours with a tagline ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines!’! By fun they mostly mean their 7,641 islands forming one of the most exotic archipelagos in the world and all the adventure that marine tourism can offer. While most countries start their signature tourism promotion from their national capitals, the Philippine capital Manila has always remained in the shadow as far as inviting tourists are concerned.
Manila is mostly considered as the transit hub to the various tourist spots of the Philippines and various regions, though the city is developing by leaps and bound. Manila city is part of the bigger capital region covering a larger area. When one is done with exploring the historic Rizal Park, the walled city and the unlimited shopping malls in the city, it is best to wake up early and take a short day trip to Taal in the Batangas.
Taal is famous for hundreds of heritage structures dating from the Spanish colonial period. Scholars have been pushing for its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Close to the town, there is a freshwater volcanic crater lake called Taal Lake on the island of Luzon.
Throughout the year, regular tours of the lake are available to tourists. After crossing the lake, visitors travel to the top of the volcano on horseback or makeshift jeepneys. During their trip up and down, visitors are treated to a stunning view of the lake and its surroundings.
“We had gone to see this natural wonder in 2010. A lake within a crater within a bigger lake within volcanic mountains! Who wouldn’t want to see it? It had definitely aroused our curiosity. First by road, and then we took a boat to cross the bigger lake. After that, while most of the people had opted for horse and mule rides, we had decided to go up on foot. The mountain was quiet & sleepy; still, some of the volcanic rocks were very hot, red in colour and spewing sulphurous vapour thru their cracks,” says Nisha Jha, a travel blogger from Mumbai.
The nearby towns of Tagaytay in Cavite have also benefited from Taal, as many tourists have visited Tagaytay for a panoramic view of the lake and volcano. After the volcanic eruption in January 2020, the government of Philippines has kept the tour of volcano-island off-limits for the moment, but a distant view of the volcano is equally beautiful and at the same time tour of the heritage town is an added advantage.
Taal Basilica
Dubbed as the largest Catholic Church in Asia, the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours is one astounding landmark that sits atop a hill right at the centre of the town, impossible for anyone not to notice.
It takes about two and a half hours to travel 70 km to reach the Taal Lake area. Small eateries are available with delicious local Filipino street food at a very reasonable price. One must try panocha (peanut brittle candy), suman salehiya (sticky rice cake), tapa (dried cured pork) and the local longganisa (pork sausage), all of which are available at the local shops.
If going around Taal for a day is not enough, then there are many accommodations in town suited for every budget. Before returning, one can buy a balisong (butterfly knife) from the local pawn shop.
“Every year, we are getting more tourists from India. But they are more interested to go to Boracay, Cebu, Palawan and Batan. When they come back to Manila for a day or two, we tell them how they can explore the beautiful outskirts of Metro Manila. The word volcano has a magic attraction and young Indians get attracted, but they need to understand there is more than volcano-island and they are equally filled with fun,” says Arjun Shroff, managing director of Shroff Travel, a Manila-based destination management company specialised in dealing with Indian tourists in the Philippines.
“In 2013, we had organised our first convention in Manila and encouraged our members to explore such places like Taal. Outbound tour operators who had participated in the first convention came back with all the information, but not enough promotion has been done, while more focus has gone to large islands like Boracay which offer more entertainment and hardcore adventure,” says Guldeep Singh Sahni, the managing director of Weldon Tours & Travels from New Delhi and the former president of OTOAI (Outbound Tour Operators Association of India).
