Usually, our Tagaytay Trip concludes with a steaming cup of coffee or in my case a frozen Frappucino, at the second floor veranda of Starbucks Coffee overlooking the Taal Lake.

I personally consider the Starbucks Coffee house at Tagaytay City’s Magallanes food strip as one of the top three Starbucks locations in the country along with those in Camp John Hay in Baguio and the one in Intramuros, Manila. Although the store design is pretty much similar to your usual Starbucks Coffee corner, the location is what makes this branch tick.

A Tagaytay outing would never be complete without having bulalo (stewed beef bone marrow with vegetables in broth) for lunch; the locale’s cool and misty weather is just perfect for it. And one of the most convenient restaurant to have it on is at Leslie’s Tagaytay.

It was, however, sweltering hot during latest trip to Tagaytay City. But still, we ordered a bowl of bulalo for lunch nonetheless. Well, tradition says we have to.

Leslie’s Tagaytay has not changed much since the last time I went there. They still have the same weird wooden vines interiors, same hard uncomfortable wooden furniture, same hard to call staff, same musical combo belting out modern songs in kundiman style, same expensive  huts along the ridge that we’d rather eat inside the resto since we can’t afford them, but most importantly, the same excellent big-serving dishes.

Probably the most visited recreational place in Tagaytay City, the 13.5-hectare Picnic Grove is a fixture in the area since time immemorial. It’s easily accessible via jeepneys from the Olivarez terminal; a quick eleven peso-ride and you’re there.

There are loads of activities at the Picnic Grove that would suit all sorts of folks. There’s the relatively new zipline that soars 300 feet above ground for the daredevils, horseback riding for those looking for something countryish, the eco trail for walking enthusiasts, souvenir stores for the shoppingeras, and of course the picnic spots for those who just want to hang out and enjoy Tagaytay’s view and weather.

Close to nature, closer to God. This is Caleruega’s tag line, and I cannot think of a much more fitting description of this isolated sanctuary in Batangas than that.

This haven is located on the far end of the Evercrest grounds at the border of Tagaytay and Nasugbu. Like pilgrims, travelers wanting to visit this refuge have to traverse a single-lane rough road to its gates. Never mind the bumpy ride as the scenery is quite breathtaking; the rolling verdant hills, cobalt blue skies and Tagaytay’s cool weather makes you feel you’re somewhere other than the Philippines.

Bag of Beans is usually the first place we drop by to whenever we visit Tagaytay. We board a bus from Manila, wait out the comfy two-hour ride, alight at the road with the restaurant’s old signboard (right before going to Caleruega) and follow the mysterious steps that lead down to the al fresco café area.

Although known for their Alamid Coffee, which is made from the coffee seed droppings (yes, as in poop) of an Alamid cat, we really haven’t tried their version of that very expensive coffee yet. What we usually come here for is their breakfast, and more importantly their jungle-like garden ambience.