Sky Fun Amusement Park at Sky Ranch in Tagaytay

During our impromptu trip in Tagaytay last May, we got the chance to visit Tagaytay's newest tourist attraction, the Sky Fun Amusement Park at Sky Ranch.  It has become the talk of the town because of the Sky Eye, the country's tallest and biggest ferris wheel.

The Sky Eye, Super Viking, and Gazebo in the background

When we got there, certain portions of the park were still under construction.  I read that they will also construct a Science Discovery Museum.  The entrance at that time was only Php 50.  I read before that the Php 50 entrance fee was only valid until May 31.  But upon checking Sky Ranch's Facebook page, current entrance is still at Php 50.

Still under construction

We were 4 adults and 1 kid when we visited Sky Fun Amusement Park.  Most of the rides were applicable for the kids.  I think the only attractions that adults can enjoy are the Sky Eye, Super Viking and Horseback Riding.

Below are some pictures of the rides (apologies as I did not intend to really take a picture of each rides thus it wasn't really appealing in my pictures) and its corresponding fee.

Sky Eye (Php 150)

Super Viking (Php 100)

Express Train (Php 50) and Wonder Flight (Php 50)

Nessi Coaster (Php 50) and Mini Viking (Php 50)

Zorb ball (Php 50)

Carousel (Php 50)

There are also food kiosk and gazebos in the area.  The Taal Volcano can also be viewed here.  Function rooms are also provided for big events.  As of this writing, I am just not sure if more rides were added and if the construction side were done.  For me, children will be the one to enjoy most of this Sky Fun Amusement Park.  For adults, well speaking for myself, it is a nice experience riding the tallest and biggest ferris wheel in the country. 

Sky Fun Amusement Park at Sky Ranch Tagaytay is located along Aguinaldo Highway, just beside the Taal Vista Hotel.  If you're coming from Rotonda (Olivarez), turn right and straight ahead.  It will be on your left side, just before reaching Taal Vista Hotel.

For more details on how to go to Tagaytay, you may read my previous post about it here and here.

A Review: 5R Rooms For Rent in Tagaytay

Following my blog on our impromptu trip in Tagaytay last weekend, here is where we landed, 5R Rooms for Rent.  Good thing I previously researched on various budget accommodations in Tagaytay (see related post here).  So I just choose among these.  As mentioned, my first choice was Java Jazz Lodging House.  But since contact details were no longer available in the site I've posted, it would really be a walk-in style to find an accommodation.

Unfortunately, when we got there, Java Jazz Lodging House is already fully booked since they only have 3 rooms available.  So we walk further and found Keni Po, 5R Rooms for Rent and Little Falls Inn.  We tried our luck in 5R thinking that Keni Po is fully booked (which happens all the time whenever I inquired from them).  And yes, we were lucky.  There were a lot of rooms available in 5R.  Rooms available then were at Php 1,200 and Php 1,500.  According to the receptionist, the only difference is the bed size but still can accommodate 2 persons.  So we availed the cheaper one.

entrance to 5R with ample parking space

Our room number is 8 and we were located at the back of the building, second floor.  I'd like to compare Famous Inn and 5R since I find some similarities on both accommodation.  For reference, you may refer to this blog on my review on Famous Inn.


The room and toilet
5R and Famous Inn's room and toilet size are almost the same, though Famous Inn is slightly bigger.  Both have mirrors on the side of the bed, again, a motel-like accommodation in Tagaytay.  Both toilets have some drainage problems.  I've experience clogged drainage in the bath side at Famous Inn while clogged sink at 5R.

mirror beside the bed

5R's room is somehow cleaner than Famous Inn since we don't get to see any ants or insects crawling.  But the bedsheets and pillows seems clean on both lodging house.  The airconditioning on these two were just right.  Famous Inn, however, have a standby electric fan in case you wouldn't want to use the aircon.

Toiletries
In 5R, the towels provided were much thicker and seems cleaner than in Famous Inn.  Toilet paper was new and not left over.  A small soap was also included in 5R.

 

blanket, towels, tissue and soap

narrow toilet of 5R

Other amenities
5R have a swimming pool located at the other side of the building at the back.  Around the swimming pool area are cottages where you can stay and eat.  I saw somebody grilling but I'm not sure if its part of 5R's amenities.  There is also parking lot in that area.

entrance at the pool area with parking space

the pool at 5R

panoramic view of the pool area

The area of 5R is much bigger that's why it can accommodate more guests due to a lot of rooms available.  The only downside is that there is no wifi in 5R.

Overall, our stay at 5R is ok.  I prefer 5R over Famous Inn but my boyfriend prefers the latter.  The reason I prefer 5R is that its cleaner with no insects crawling.  The towel provided is "useable" than that of Famous Inn.  Added points is the swimming pool although we were not able to try it.  Similar to Famous Inn, if sleeping in a motel-like accommodation is ok with you but with added amenities such as swimming pool and  you're on a tight budget then I recommend 5R.  But if your budget is below Php 1,000 then you can opt to stay in Famous Inn than 5R.

I hope this review can help :)
You may check 5R's new website here for contacts and further details.

People's Park In The Sky Tagaytay

People's Park in The Sky is one of the famous destination in Tagaytay.  It is said to be the Marcoses' unfinished retreat house constructed in preparation for John F. Kennedy's visit to the Philippines.  People's Park in The Sky was previously known as Palace in the Sky.

It is situated atop Mt. Sungay which is the highest point in Tagaytay.  With its location, one can get a 360 degrees view of Tagaytay, including Taal Lake, Manila Bay and Laguna Lake.

 

It was the rainy season of August when my boyfriend and I decided to spend our long weekend in Tagaytay.  Our first stop was at People's Park in the Sky around 3 in the afternoon.  It was rainy and fogs are everywhere.  When we got there, it was a little chilly and fogs were somehow covering the beauty of Taal Volcano and its surroundings.  It's a wonderful view up on this location.  We even get to see a glimpse of a rainbow (after the rain as what they say).   It's just sad that this tourist spot was not well maintained.

Cloudy

Missing letters again

 

Taal can somehow be seen here

The amphitheater

This should have become a small pond maybe

View from the top

Top most area with hotdogs vendor

Very foggy and rainy!

Can you see my background?

The sight on the topmost level could be spectacular if viewable.  So it's better to visit People's Park on a sunny weather.  The picturesque background can be very inviting.  With this kind of view, it will be very relaxing and nice bonding experience with your friends, family or loved ones.

I've been reading from other blogs that the People's Park In The Sky Tagaytay is continuously being neglected.   Evidence can be found in the missing letters upon entry to the park.  If this will be well maintained by the government, this will be a good picnic destination apart from the Picnic Grove which is getting too crowded.  Tables with chairs or small huts are available in this area.  I think there are also snacks on sale.  There is also an available souvenir shops.

Oh by the way, there is an entrance fee of Php 30 per person on this park.  I wonder where will it be used.  Definitely not in the park since there's not much improvement I've seen here compared to the blogs I read.  Hmm...

You may check out my other blogs about Tagaytay below:
Going to Tagaytay
Budget Accommodations in Tagaytay
Review of Famous Inn

Backpacking Trip in Tagaytay: Review of Famous Inn

It's my first time to stay overnight in Tagaytay at my own expense (previous trips were care of my company where we had team building and planning sessions).  My first choice was actually at Keni Po since this is the same hotel I recommended to my friends which unfortunately I wasn't able to join them.  I recommended it due to good reviews and very affordable accommodation.  Since Keni Po was fully booked on my chosen date, we opted to stay in Famous Inn after several search on cheap accommodations in Tagaytay.  You can read them here.

As what the name implies, Famous Inn is a small hotel providing lodging and food for travelers.  It has 2 floors with about 15 rooms.  They offer fan and air conditioned rooms good for 2 up to 8 persons.  True to what they've posted on their website, the hotel is painted in bright yellow and their rooms were well painted in bright color as well.  (As of this writing, they've already changed the design of their website but you can still view their rooms from here).

We reserved for a fan room since it'll be cold in Tagaytay on our travel date due to the rainy weather.  The rate is Php 800 per night.  The room offered double size bed, small tv, fan, small table with 2 chairs and a bathroom with hot and cold shower.  They have a small restaurant and parking space is provided.  I was surprised that the room they gave us has air conditioning unit.  I thought maybe all their rooms have it.  I just learned upon check out that the room they gave us was indeed for an aircon room when the receptionist was charging us Php 1,000 for the aircon room.  Well that's no longer my fault.  And besides, we never used the aircon due to the cold weather (we even turned off the electric fan).

Now for my review... To get to Famous Inn, you still need to walk 300 meters from the main road.  But from the main road, it is about 5 minutes away from Picnic Grove.  I didn't expect the room to have big mirrors beside the bed as it was not in any pictures of the room I've searched.  It was like motels in Manila.  It felt awkward and it really didn't seem like a romantic room (honestly, some motel rooms in Manila were better than this).  The headboard of the bed have some black ants crawling that it can get to your bed.  Towels were provided but it was really thin as if it shrunk due to frequent wash.  Good thing we brought our own towels.  No toiletries were provided except for toilet paper which were half consumed (see, motels in Manila were better! haha!).  The receptionist told us that blankets will just be delivered to our room.  It didn't came so we just use their thin blanket on a cold night.  The water from the shower is strong and you can adjust the temperature.  The only problem is that the bathroom can get clogged but the water subsides after a few minutes.  Wifi is provided up to the room though there are certain areas when the signal is weak.  We were not able to try their food but their prices are quite cheap.  By the way, breakfast was not included in their rates.  Even if the inn is walking distance from the main road, it's not scary to walk there at night as there were lights alongside the houses.

If you don't mind sleeping in a motel-like lodging and if you will just be sleeping there, then Famous Inn is ok.  It's cheap and somehow clean.  Just bring your own towel.  Overall, I'll give this small hotel a 6 rating out of 10.  I personally didn't like the mirror and the towel.  All the rest are ok.

Backpacking Trip in Tagaytay

While having second thoughts of pushing through with my Tagaytay trip with my boyfriend, the trip still went well with no private vehicle to use, just commuting by bus, tricycle, van/shuttle and jeepney.  It isn't my first time in Tagaytay but I am not so familiar with all the places to visit and restaurants to eat, only a few of it.  Although it is my first time to commute from Manila to Tagaytay, more like a backpacking trip to Tagaytay.  And of course, it's my first time to have this trip with my boyfriend.

It has been raining  for the past weeks and reading from forums, it's raining also in Tagaytay.  That made me think twice in pushing through this backpacking trip.  Nevertheless, we still push through with it since the typhoons were mostly headed north of Luzon.  Because its raining, we opted to stay in a fan room.  I've researched various budget and affordable accommodations which I also posted in my previous blog.  It's a good thing that there are a lot of accommodations to choose from that's why there are still a number of available rooms on my chosen dates, considering it is a long weekend. 

On this blog, I will post mostly the fares and transportation in various destinations in Tagaytay.  The reviews and other details will be posted in the next blog.  

GOING TO TAGAYTAY

Backpacking trip in Tagaytay, we obviously bring along just our backpacks.  We were suppose to ride the bus but I've read that it will take you more than 2 hours travel time since it will pass by Cavite and with lots of bus stops.  My officemate suggested that we ride a van located in a street before Metropoint mall along Edsa-Pasay Rotonda.  The van is going to Batangas but I'm just not sure exactly where and it will pass by Tagaytay City via Sta. Rosa exit.  This will shorten our travel time to just about an hour to 1 hour and a half.  So we chose to ride the van to shorten our travel time.  We arrived at the van area around 11am.  Travel time is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  The route was through Southwoods exit then to Aguinaldo highway, Silang, Cavite.  Fare is Php 180 per person going to Tagaytay.  But I learned that same fare going to Batangas.

TAGAYTAY PROPER

Mahogany Market

We were not sure where to drop off but I know the van will pass by Tagaytay Rotonda or near Olivarez.  Since its already lunch and we planned to eat bulalo in Mahogany Market (which I'm not familiar with), we thought of just dropping off near that area.  But we were not sure where the van's route is.  So when we saw Mahogany Avenue we already asked the driver to drop us there.  The problem is, how do we go to Mahogany Market?  That's the fun in backpacking trip style.  You just get to ask around on how to go to your destination.  From Petron, we just rode a jeep going to NBI.  We asked the driver to take us to Mahogany Market.  Fare is just Php 11 per person.

Famous Inn / Picnic Grove

One of the cheapest accommodation I found is the Famous Inn, located at Barangay Sungay West, Tagaytay-Calamba Road.  You can read about my review on this accommodation here.  According to my research, this inn is located near Picnic Grove.  From Mahogany Market, the jeepney driver told us to ride any jeep across the market and ask them to drop us at the Terminal.  From the Terminal, there are jeeps going to Picnic Grove and People's Park.  Fare from Mahogany Market to Terminal is Php 8 per person.  From Terminal to Famous Inn/Picnic Grove, fare is Php 11 per person.

People's Park in The Sky

We rested for a while in our room then off we go to People's Park.  From Famous Inn, we rode a jeep going to People's Park.  Same jeep from the terminal is traveling in front of the Famous Inn.  Fare is Php 9 per person.  After People's Park, we'll have our snack/dinner either in Olivarez or near the restaurant row that are famous in Tagaytay.  From the park, there are no longer jeeps available going back to Picnic Grove or Olivarez at 5pm so we just rode the tricycle.  It will definitely be more expensive so we just ask the tricycle driver to take us to Picnic Grove.  Fare is Php 60 per ride.  From Picnic Grove, we just waited for a jeep going to Olivarez.  Again, Picnic Grove to Olivarez, fare is Php 11 per person.

Restaurant Row / Magallanes Square
We had dinner beside Magallanes Square.  We were told that jeepneys are only available until 8pm.  But we finished our dinner at around 8.30pm.  We still are able to rode a jeep from Magallanes Square to Terminal.  Fare is Php 8 per person.  From the terminal, it was only 1 jeep or the last trip waiting for us.  I guess the last trip is around 9pm.  From the Terminal to Famous Inn, the fare is again Php 11 per person.

FROM TAGAYTAY TO MANILA

My boyfriend and I decided to just ride the bus on our back to Manila.  Although at the Terminal, there are vans available going to Calamba and Festival Mall/Alabang.  It was quite hard to wait for an air-conditioned bus going to Pasay MRT/LRT.  Those in the bus stops were ordinary buses and some are going to Baclaran.  After about 20 minutes, we were able to ride an air-conditioned bus going to Pasay MRT/LRT.  Their route is via Cavite, Baclaran, Roxas Boulevard and final destination at Pasay MRT/LRT, at the back of Sogo Hotel.  Fare is Php 78 per person.  Travel time is about 2 hours.

On this backpacking trip to Tagaytay, we don't get to see a lot of tourist destinations since we don't have our own vehicle and our trip is just overnight.  We just visited People's Park in the Sky, Picnic Grove, Our Lady of Manaoag and eat near Magallanes Square.  The fares posted were as of August 2012.


UPDATE: From Manila To Tagaytay

I've mentioned in some comment/reply post that we tried riding a van in Alabang going to Tagaytay.  When we went back to Tagaytay last Dec. 30, 2014, there was no more van there going to Tagaytay.  The vans there were going to Dasma.  So we just went to Festival Mall and ask around for van terminals going to Tagaytay.  The van terminal was located outside of the Pixie Forest exit (Goldilocks).  Van fare is Php 75 each and you will be alighted at Olivarez (along Aguinaldo Highway).  This same location is where the van terminals are going back to Laguna and Alabang.

Budget Accommodations in Tagaytay

In search for a very budget friendly accommodations in Tagaytay, I found these inns, hotels, apartelles, room for rent that are less than Php 1,500 per night.  All rates indicated are good for 2 pax.

Tagaytay Econo Inn
Location: perpendicular to Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road
Budget Room - Php 1,500 with breakfast
Website: click here

Java Jazz Lodging House
Location: along Tagaytay-Calamba Road (left side coming from Sta. Rosa), about 300 meters away from Picnic Grove
Standard Room (fan room) - Php 980 with breakfast
Website: Facebook Page
Notes: very responsive in text messages
(please see my updated blog post about Java Jazz Lodging House here)
UPDATE (2018): This was renamed to Balai Ma-yi

Top Hotel
Location: along Tagaytay-Calamba Road (right side coming from Sta. Rosa), about 100 meters away from Picnic Grove; opposite Southridge Estate
Standard Room (fan room) - Php 1,461 from agoda.com
Website: click here

5R Rooms for Rent
Location: not along the highway but on the left side coming from Sta. Rosa
Fan Room - Php 800
Aircon Room - Php 1,200
Website: click here
(please see my review on this accommodation here)

Crisanta of Tagaytay (Crisanta's Bed and Breakfast)
Location: in front of Tagaytay zoo
Fan Room - Php 800 with breakfast
Website: No longer listed in travelbook.ph but found contact number at +63 932 8657165

Overlook Inn
Location: Tagaytay Rotonda
Budget Room (aircon) - Php 1,200 to Php 1,500
Website: click here

Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant
Location: Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway
Non-aircon room - Php 1,200 (24 hours)
Aircon rooms - Php 1,500 to Php 1,800
Website: click here

Little Falls Inn
Location: along Tagaytay-Calamba Road, right side coming from Sta. Rosa
Couple's Room - Php 1,518 from agoda.com
Website: click here

Famous Inn
Location: in between Southridge and Tagaytay National Science High School but 300 meters away from the main road; 5 minutes walk to Picnic Grove
Non-aircon - Php 800
Aircon - Php 1,000
Website: click here
Notes: quick response in text messages
(please see my review on this accommodation, mentioned below)

Golden Rooms for Rent
Location: along Aguinaldo Highway, walking distance to Olivarez Mall
Fan room - Php 893 from agoda.com
Website: click here

Villa Julia Seminar and Retreat House
Location: along Aguinaldo Highway
Kubo room (Ligaya Kubo) - Php 1,500 with aircon
Website: Facebook Page
Notes: quick response in text messages but they will call you instead

Keni Po Hotel
Location: along Tagaytay-Calamba Road
Standard room - Php 1,200
Website: click here
Notes: gets fully booked quickly

Most of my references are from travelbook website and in agoda.  There are a lot more accommodations listed on those sites and you can search depending on your budget.  Agoda is also helpful as it comes with reviews from latest travelers.  We ended up staying at Famous Inn.  Check out my review on this small hotel.

Update (11/20/2016): Some links have been updated. You can also check more affordable Tagaytay hotels here.

I have another blog post on other budget accommodations in Tagaytay. You may read it all here.