Travel and Tourism

6 summer destinations to visit in Tagaytay

Philstar.com

April 28, 2016 | 2:59am

MANILA, Philippines - With summer comes skyrocketing temperatures, high humidity and a scorching sun that's too much to bear sometimes.

Since the Philippines is a tropical country, it can get super hot during summer. Recently, state weather bureau PAGASA reported that Metro Manila hit 37.7 degrees Celsius – the highest recorded temperature so far this year. Many temporarily leave the metro and go to provinces to feel a little breeze or get a little cool (literally).

A favorite go-to place among tourists and weekenders not far from the capital is Tagaytay.

Just a two-hour drive from Manila, Tagaytay, a Tagalog term which means ridge, features hills and mountains covered with forests and grasslands. It is one of the country's top tourist destinations conveniently located in the province of Cavite. The combination of high elevation and lush greenery contributes to the cool weather of the region.

Several vantage points in Tagaytay provide the iconic overlooking views of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in the nearby province of Batangas.

Do you feel like melting under Manila's summer heat? Try visiting these six scenic destinations in Tagaytay to beat that scorching heat:

People’s Park in the Sky

Situated on top of Mt. Sungay, the highest point in Cavite, People’s Park was part of a mansion commissioned by the former First Lady Imelda Marcos, ambitiously dubbed as the Palace in the Sky in 1981. With the collapse of the Marcos regime in 1986, the mansion was left unfinished and opened to the public as a park.

Tagaytay Picnic Grove

Similar to People’s Park, the Picnic Grove has a viewdeck where visitors can take photos of the volcano and the lake surrounding it. Daytime tourists have an option to rent tables, huts and pavilions, whereas those who prefer to go overnight may stay at the hostel. A zipline station and cable cars are also additional attractions at Picnic Grove.

Tierra de Maria

An ideal place for meditation and spiritual healing, Tierra de Maria is famous for its 50-foot tall gigantic statue of the Virgin of Manaoag. At the foot of the statue, visitors can find a wishing well with candle holders. The place also has a shrine that houses a smaller replica of the virgin and offers fish spa as a service.

Museo Orlina

As its name suggests, the museum showcases the artistry of world-renowned glass artist Ramon Orlina, a pioneer and foremost practitioner of glass sculpture in the Philippines. Museo Orlina also features the works of other artists in a variety of media aside from glass. The place has a coffee shop on the roofdeck.

Paradizoo

This place combines the charm of a farm and a mini-zoo, where visitors may interact with different interesting animals like llamas, camels, miniature horses, ostriches, greyhounds, labrador retrievers and an albino carabao in a backdrop of vegetable and flower gardens.

Twin Lakes Shopping Village

Initially known for the most beautiful Starbucks in the Philippines, Twin Lakes Shopping Village is now a thriving food destination in Tagaytay. From Italian dishes to French desserts, the place now offers a variety of offerings from breakfast to dinner. Visitors will surely feast on the scenic sight of Tagaytay and food served by Bag of Beans, Bagoong Club, Buon Giorno, Greg's Fruitcakery, The Farm, Silver Bucket and La Creperie.

Apart from the restaurants, visitors at Twin Lakes Shopping Village will be treated to a wonderful weekend of country style gourmet shopping experience from April 30 to May 1. Twin Lakes, in partnership with Malingap Marketplace, is set to stage the "La Belle Vie Marketplace" wherein a prime selection of gourmet products (food and dry goods) from 24 different vendors will be featured.

To make the event more exciting, those who are planning to visit the "La Belle Vie Marketplace" at Twin Lakes Shopping Village are encouraged to post and share the photo above on Facebook with the hashtag #SeeTwinLakesPH, tag three friends, screenshot the post and present the image at the information booth on the day of the event. Those who will do so will get 10 percent discount on all food and products at the weekend market. For more information, visit the official Twin Lakes Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/seetwinlakesph/?fref=ts.

Life in the vicinity of a top tourist destination

Megaworld's Global-Estate Resorts Inc. (GERI) is enabling you to live close to these destinations and be at the center of an upcoming premier tourism estate by creating an exclusive, low density residential condominium cluster impelled by the allure of Tagaytay’s rolling terrains: The Vineyard Residences.

The Vineyard Residences is a 1.3-hectare residential cluster located at the 1,200-hectare integrated tourism estate Twin Lakes. Some design highlights of this three-cluster property are pocket gardens, skylights and balconies with an up close view of the Taal Lake.

Residents will also be given the distinct privilege to be in the midst of the very first vineyard resort community—The Vineyard. Producing its own vineyard products of the finest vintage, The Vineyard will be overseen by Filipino farmer-scientist Avelino Lomboy while Spanish consultants will be on top of making brandies and wines.

While close to the natural treasures of Tagaytay, residents will still get access to modern day conveniences and leisure options. Embodying the township blueprint of Megaworld, Twin Lakes is complete with restaurants, retail hubs, entertainment facilities, hotels, resorts and a golf course. Residents, who get to be in the middle of all the action, have the first access to the township’s unique offerings.

Apart from The Vineyard Residences, Twin Lakes also features four residential villages namely Domaine Le Jardin, Domaine Le Montagne, Domaine Le Soleil, and Domaine Du Lac.

Attesting to its prestige as a premier tourism community in Tagaytay, The Vineyard Residences was lauded as Best Condo Development (Resort) at the recently concluded 2016 Philippines Property Awards. For more information and inquiries, visit www.twinlakes.ph.