The first eruption was recorded in 1572. The Spanish originally declared the area connected to the South China Sea, a Province called Taal. This was a center for trade until another eruption closed the connection between the lake and the ocean and demolished the settlement. Tagaytay was a key area of the Spanish Revolution in 1896 and in the 1930’s plans were made to turn this area into a major tourism destination.  Around the time the rich earth was beginning to be used by migrant farmers to provide produce to the surrounding area. During WW2 the Japanese used the Taal Lodge as their officers’ quarters and in 1945 the Americans parachuted down to help liberate Manila. The last volcanic eruption was not that long ago, just back in 1965. Today this town is a hub for development and holiday makers. The Taal Vista Hotel is known as the central location of a lot of the town’s history and the current drive to create a values based community.

From here we drove through the main street. Such a busy space filled with eateries, hotels and local shops. We headed out where the space opened into beautiful mountainous farm land. Down a narrow winding road we arrived at the magnificent gardens of Antonio’s. We were here to have a walk around this stunning property and admire the beautiful architecture and garden design of this tucked away paradise. A husband and wife team created a Spanish haven rich with gardens, secret nooks and crannies, an open air bar and stunning restaurant. The children played hide and seek amongst the trees as we walked around exploring this incredible garden space. This is the type of place you see in magazines and on TV.

Following this we went to Sonya’s Secret Garden. Another wonderful place which reminded me of my mum and made me think of her as I walked through the gardens. An Old English garden haven this time, complete with winding pathways, hidden village style shops and an array of magnificent flowers everywhere you look. A bakery seduced us with her sweet scent and we purchased some traditional sweets to try. We purchased Polveron and Pastillas which the children greedily snacked on. These are traditional sweets made with powdered milk and sweetened condensed milk.

On our way out of town we stopped at a fruit stall to purchase some local fruits to try. We brought some Mangostine which are a dark purple round fruit. The outside is tough and thick. However when you break her open you find soft, silky flesh that is a delight to your senses. Sweet, a little tangy, it is like a party in your mouth! The second fruit we tried was the Sinegwelas, or Spanish Plum. This is a small oval fruit about the size of a fresh date. Purpley-pink with dark green in colour when ripe, this little fruit only flourishes in the summer time. We were lucky we got in before the season came to an end. This little fruit has bright yellow flesh with a big seed inside. Tart to taste, the texture is a bit like a pear. When not quite ripe it is hard, but when ripe it is soft and squishy. I didn’t like these as much as the mangostine but BB loved them both.  

At this fruit stand we also brought some Espasol to try. This is a local sweet made with rice flour and coconut milk. Sometimes it is flavoured with Ube and it is rolled in sweetened flour so it isn’t so sticky. This is not really my thing, it is a gluggy consistency and not as flavoursome as Suman, the sticky rice treats I prefer.

Next stop was down near the furniture shops that dotted the road side. SB and I are looking at having furniture made and we started looking at a few places who might be able to help us with what we are after. I went to a stall to buy a Walis – Tambo which is a broom for Lo’ob (inside). BB had a lovely time playing with it, so I got FB a little small one to play with too. I thought this was what my cleaner was asking me for so I was pretty happy with myself. It turns out she wanted the Wallis – Ting Ting for Labas (outside). She did think my attempts to speak Tagalog were pretty amusing though so I was forgiven. I also gave her some of our sweets.