Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fifteen rooms for up to three people. To get to the resort,
take a jeepney from General L
una St
(south of the river) in
Pagsanjan. Day-use fee P125.
P1500
★
Sambat, Bubukal (5km west of Pagsanjan)
T
049 810
3829.
For a real treat make the trip out to this local stall
for sumptuous slices of coconut-enriched
bibingka
(rice
cake).
Daily 7am-6pm.
Tio Casio's Bibingka de Macapuno
National Hwy,
Paete
Sleepy
PA E T E
(“pa-e-te”), is Luzon's
woodcarving capital
, packed with stores selling
woodcarvings, oil paintings, wooden clogs (
bakya
) and the gaily painted papier-mâché
masks that are used in fiestas. Most of the stores (usually open daily 8am-6pm) are on
Quesada Street
in the centre of town. During the second week of January Paete holds
its
Salibanda festival
, the feast of the Santo Niño (Holy Child), which includes a rowdy
procession along the main street in which participants and spectators splash water over
each other. Paete is also well known for its sweet
lanzones
(harvested Oct-Dec). here
is no accommodation, but you can visit the town easily in a day.
2
Santiago Apostol Parish Church
Quesada St at Roces St • Daily 7am-8pm •
T
049 557 0114
The town's crumbling but atmospheric Baroque
Santiago Apostol Parish Church
dates
right back to 1646, but in common with many Philippine churches built by the
Spaniards, it has been reduced to rubble by earthquakes on a number of occasions and
rebuilt. The present structure dates from 1939, and has an ornate carved facade,
weathered bell tower and a beautifully sculpted altar finished in gold leaf. Check out also
the wonderfully vivid mural paintings near the main entrance, dating from the 1850s.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
PAETE
By jeepney
Paete is 10km north of Pagsanjan, just off the
main highway that hugs the east coast of Laguna de Bay.
It's best approached by jeepney (around P25) from
Pagsanjan or Santa Cruz (take any one going to Siniloan).
EATING
★
Exotik
National Hwy, Longos (around 2km south of
Paete)
T
049 820 0086.
Enchanting restaurant modelled
on a native village. The menu features typical Filipino
dishes as well as frog, eel and stingray, but ask about
seasonal dishes such as snake, wild boar and monitor lizard
(which really does taste like chicken). Meats are cooked
adobo style, “sizzling” or in coconut milk. Most dishes range
P200-300.
Daily 7am-9pm.
Kape Kesada Art Gallery & Café
Quesada St
T
0916 362
4015.
Café and gallery (selling paintings and books) that
looks like a wooden Japanese house and serves decent
sandwiches and brewed coffee (P65).
Tues-Sun 9am-6pm.
Tagaytay
The compact and breezy city of
TAG AY TAY
, 55km south of Manila, sits in a magical
position on a dramatic 600-metre-high ridge overlooking
Lake Taal
and its volcano, to
which it serves as the gateway. The ridge road (known as Aguinaldo Highway west of
the central Rotunda) can become very congested, particularly on weekends and
holidays when the crowds can be overwhelming, but you still might consider spending
the night to enjoy those entrancing vistas. The views make it more expensive to stay
here than in one of the barangays by the lake around Talisay (see p.114), where it's
quieter and more convenient if you intend to climb the volcano.
Tagaytay Picnic Grove
5km east of the Rotunda •
Grove
Daily 6am-midnight • P50 •
Zipline and Cable Car
Daily 9am-6pm • Mon-Fri P300 one-way, P400
return or combo; add P100 Sat & Sun •
T
0906 489 5351,
W
tagaytayzipline.com
Most day-trippers enjoy the views from the
Tagaytay Picnic Grove
, a shabby ridge-top
park, with huts available to rent. Inside the grove (but separately managed), the
Tagaytay Ridge Zipline & Cable Car
boasts a 250-metre long zip and cable car ride.
