Around Manila - The Rough Guide to the Philippines - page 109

People's Park in the Sky
Around 7.5km east of the Rotunda • Daily 6am-6pm • P35
he People's Park in the Sky is the highest point in the area (750m) offering magnificent
panoramas of the lake, the sea, Laguna de Bay - and the smog that hangs over Manila
to the north. It's topped by a collection of abandoned concrete buildings which are a
bit of an eyesore; until they are redeveloped, the only other attraction up here is the
modest Shrine of our Lady, Mother of Fair Love , constructed in 2003.

2 Sky Fun Amusement Park

Aguinaldo Highway Km 60, beside the Taal Vista Hotel • Daily 8am-10pm • P100, plus Sky Eye P150, Super Viking P100, Nessi Coaster P50,
Wonder Flight P50
Visitors with kids will enjoy the Sky Fun Amusement Park , which contains the “Sky
Eye”, the tallest Ferris wheel in the Philippines (at 63m), as well as thrill-filled rides
such as the “Super Viking” (a giant boat swing), the “Nessi Coaster” mini rollercoaster
and “Wonder Flight”, a roundabout for young kids.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TAGAYTAY

By bus Frequent San Agustin ( T 02 872 8497) and
Erjohn & Almark ( T 02 529 6148) buses run every 30min
from MRT-Taft (Pasay) on EDSA (see p.81) to Tagaytay

(1hr 30min). Jeepneys run up and down the main road in
town for around P8.

ACCOMMODATION
★

Sonya's Garden Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso
T 0917 532 9097, W sonyasgarden.com. Romantic
cottage accommodation in a blossom-filled garden.
Cottages are bahay na bato -style, with antique beds, lots
of carved wood and shuttered windows. The rate includes
a delicious breakfast and wi-fi. Sonya's is 12km beyond
Tagaytay, so is tricky to reach without private transport:
go past Splendido golf course and then look out for the

signs on the right. P3000
★

Theodore Hotel Aguinaldo Hwy Km 54, Silang
Crossing T 046 483 0350, W thetheodorehotel.com.
Best of a new generation of boutique hotels on the ridge,
this centrally located option offers ten stylish rooms each
with its own design theme (from Pop Art to Japan),
flatsc reen TV s, spa, and a tranquil garden and viewing
deck. P6100

EATING AND DRINKING
Adoration Convent of Divine Mercy (Pink Sister's)
Off the Aguinaldo Hwy, north of the Rotunda (heading
back to Manila - look for the Pink Sister signs). Tranquil
religious institution (said to be popular with late President
Cory Aquino), that sells home-baked food from a tiny gift
shop to the left of the entrance. The nuns' home-made
cookies - aka “angel cookies” (tasty oat biscuits that sell for
P190 per large jar) - bring in the foodies. Daily 9am-5pm.
★

the barbecue chicken (P110). Daily 11am-9pm.
Josephine Aguinaldo Hwy Km 58 T 046 413 1801,
W josephinerestaurant.com. An institution among Filipinos
since the 1960s, serving good Filipino dishes such as sinigang
with mounds of steamed rice to go with those special views.
They also do a weekend lunch buffet for P495. Mon-Fri
9am-10pm, Sat & Sun 7am-11pm.
★

Maryridge Good Shepherd Convent Aguinaldo
Hwy Km 59, Barangay Sungay (east of the Rotunda)
T 046 413 1307. This religious institution attracts a
steady stream of visitors for its small takeaway food
counters run by Bahay Pastulan; the main draw is the pots
of addictive ube jam (more like frozen ice cream; from
P190), but the peanut brittle (P165), mango jam (P125),
coconut juice (P40) and halo-halo (P75) are also worth

The Grill by Antonio's Aguinaldo Hwy Km 54 (at the
Rotunda) T 046 483 4847, W antoniosrestaurant.ph
/the-grill. Hands-down the best Filipino food in town,
though the views are marred somewhat by the fast-food
joints below. Highlights include the huge pots of richly
stewed bulalo (P700) - a meal for two people - plates of
fried tawalis (local sardines, P200), a fine adobo (P290) and

THE TASTES OF LAKE TAAL
Lake Taal is famed for its delicious fresh fish , especially tawilis (a freshwater sardine only found
here), tilapia and increasingly rare maliputo (a larger fish, also only found in Lake Taal, which is
also featured on the back of the P50 note). The other speciality is piping-hot bulalo , a rich beef
bone-marrow soup . You'll find all of these in abundance in Tagaytay's restaurants.