Our adventure today takes us about 70 kilometers south of Km 0 in Manila. Taal is known as the Balisong and Barong Tagalog Capital of the Philippines. Aside from balisongs (butterfly knives) and Barong Tagalog, Taal is also known as the home of Taal Basilica, the largest church in Asia.
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| Taal |
Taal Details
The name taal means "indigenous" because of the Bornean settlers who established the first settlement in the area. It is said that their language was the origin of the Tagalog dialect. However, during their time Taal was still called Bonbon.
Time and nature had not been that kind to Taal. Due to the eruption of the Taal Volcano in 1754, the town was moved from its original lakeside settlement to its present location.
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| Mrs. Quiblat wearing the traditional Saya |
Earthquakes and war also ravaged the town throughout time. Time and again, the untiring people of Taal rebuilt their town. Today, Taal is one of the few remaining heritage towns of the Philippines.
As of this writing, I have only visited Taal twice. The first was during its first-ever celebration of the El Pasubat Festival. Next was during the 2012 Cavite - Batangas Visita Iglesia of the family. The people of Taal proudly boast that if Vigan has one street full of old houses, Taal has old houses on all streets. Aside from that, those houses are owned not only by anyone but influential Filipinos as well as some Filipino heroes of our revolutionary history.
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| They don't just sell small balisongs here. All bladed weapons and tools are available in Taal. |
To complete your adventure in Taal, don't forget to pass by one of the many stores selling balisongs. It's a pretty nice souvenir to bring home.Why visit Taal?
If you want to feel the Spanish-era feel without going too far north, then this place is a must-visit. This town offers a lot of history. You can enter some Spanish-Colonial houses for free while some require entrance fees. Regardless, you would surely learn a lot from these places. Just a heads up, avoid visiting on Mondays as most houses and museums are closed during those times.
From Buendia in Pasay City, board a bus bound for Lemery Batangas. Most buses pass through the town proper. It's safer to ask the conductor first before boarding. In case the bus won't pass through Taal, alight at the Taal-Lemery junction. From there, jeepneys and tricycles would bring you to your destination.
Places to visit in Taal:
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| Casa Tortuga |
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| Cabrera House |
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| Villavicencio House |
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| Gregorio Agoncillo Mansion |
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| Casa Conchita |
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| Casa De Dimaano |
.JPG "Barrion-Salazar House") |
| Barrion-Salazar House |
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| Escuela Pia |
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| San Lorenzo Ruiz Steps |
Other places you might want to visit:
1. Casa Ofelia
2. Goco House
3. Orosa House
4. Villa Severina
5. Casa Punzalan
6. Casa Dela Rosa
7. Ylagan-dela Rosa House
8. Estacio Ancestral House
Avoid:
1. Skin cancer by applying your most trusted sunblock.
2. Dehydration by drinking plenty of water.
3. Overspending by listing down your expenses.
Taal Day Tour Itinerary:
6:00AM Departure from Manila to Taal, Batangas
bus fare: P150
8:30AM ETA Taal
8:50AM Marcela Agoncillo Museum
9:30AM Casa Tortuga
10:00AM Caysasay Church
10:30AM Galleria Taal
entrance fee: adult- P50 ; students- P30
11:00AM Wedding Gift House
11:30AM Cabrera House
12:00NN Lunch at Taal Market
lunch budget: P300 (try out Taal's tawilis)
1:00PM Municipal Hall
1:10PM Taal Basilica
fee to go up the belltower: P100
2:00PM Casa Conchita
2:30PM La Casa De Dimaano
2:45PM Okoda- Barrion Salazar House
3:00PM Gregorio Agoncillo Mansion
4:00PM Departure from Taal to Manila
bus fare: P150
7:00PM ETA Manila
Budget breakdown:
Estimated Budget: P1000
Bus fare to Taal, Batangas: P150
Lunch budget: P300
Entrance fee at Galleria Taal: P50
Basilica fee: P100
Bus fare to Manila: P150
Total: P750
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| This blog entry is dedicated to Mrs.Montserrat Villavicencio-Joven 1915 -2012 |
Ratings
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Nice adventure in my native land. I do hope you enjoyed a lot in your trip to Taal.. Ah you have not mentioned about the Tapa from Taal :)
ReplyDeleteHello Dexter! Yes, I did enjoy Taal that much. I met lots of nice people there plus I learned a lot about the revolutionary history of the Philippines. Your place is really worth my time. I do hope that more people would know about Taal.
DeleteI will try out the Tapa when I come back this upcoming 3rd EL PASUBAT Festival. See you there!!!
visit www.taal.ph
ReplyDeleteYes! for more info about Taal pls visit www.taal.ph! Support the beauty of the Philippines!
DeleteSobrang gutom naman yan, 300 talaga budget sa lunch. hehe :)
ReplyDeleteHehehe kelangan magtipid. Sa Manila nga P160 may petso ka na may dinuguan ka pa. =)
DeleteA thorough blog of Taal! I also like that you dedicated it to a beloved. For more info on Taal check out: taal.ph
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan! We gotta love what's ours.
DeletePlease visit taal.ph for more info!
Me and my staff will visit Villa Tortuga this month. Your post just reminded me to call them finally.
ReplyDeleteThe guy that maintains Villa Tortuga was once a teacher in the school I'm working in. Tell him about Southridge maybe he'll give you a discount. hahaha
Deleteyine çok güzel yerleri adımlamışsın kıskandım :)))
ReplyDeletePlease visit Taal when you visit the Philippines =)
DeleteAwesome! Thanks for sharing this. I also went to Taal for the El Pasubat Festival last month. I was able to go inside Villavicencio and Galleria Taal.
ReplyDelete:D
Thanks stephen. Those places really rocks. Hope to hear more from you.
DeletePano pumunta dto? sino pwdeng kontakin ko for our Tour..?
ReplyDeletePano pumunta dto... sinong pwedeng kontakin para makapag tour kmi jan
ReplyDeleteHi there Mimi! You could commute going to Taal.
DeletePlease check the Getting There section of this blog.
Sadly wala po akong kilala na nagtutour going here.
Hi Neil! Nice blog for Taal by the way! From you "getting there" section you didn't mention where to get off? May bus na bang from Manila to Taal, batangas? My Boyfriend and I have plans to go there this Valentines :) Hope you answer my question. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi there Ruelyn!
DeleteAng mga bus na papuntang Lemery ay dumadaan sa Taal town proper. Doon ka bababa mismo. Sabihin mo lang sa conductor na ibaba ka sa poblacion ng Taal.
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you soooo so much for the info on how to get to Taal Town proper. I will be going there this Sunday to hear mass at St. Martin de Tours (Taal Basilica) for my birthday. Anyway, what's name of d bus company in Pasay?
ReplyDeleteHi there! You're welcome!
DeleteTry out the Alps and the Jam liner buses in Pasay. =)
Well written article and guide. It inspires me to visit Taal, Batangas.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Elmer! This comment made my day =)
DeleteMay mga resto/ coffee shop ba there ? Or place where the family can eat after the tour ? Tnx
ReplyDeleteHello po. Marami pong maaaring makainan dito. May isa nga pong heritage house na converted sa isang restaurant kaya medyo rustic ang feel.
DeleteHi ask ko lang po kung pano pumunta sa Basilica Church sa Taal kung manggagaling kmi sa Pasay. Were planning kc s bday ng mama ko. Sana po may sumagot. thank you
ReplyDeleteHi ask ko lng kung pano pumunta sa Basilica Churh sa Taal kung mangagaling sa Pasay. Plan kc nmin pumunta s bday ng mom ko. thanks sana po may sumagot..
ReplyDeleteHello there Donna! If galing kayo ng Pasay, sakay kayo ng bus papuntang Lemery, Batangas. Dadaan yung sa Taal. To be sure sabihan mo ang conductor to drop you off sa may junction ng Taal-Lemery. Once there, maraming tricycle na pwedeng magdala sa inyo sa Basilica o sa Our Lady of Caysasay.
Delete