Backpacking in Tagaytay: Impromptu Trip

This weekend, my boyfriend and I had an impromptu trip in Tagaytay.  We don't have any reservation and we just decided to just scout there using the information I have posted before.  I have blogged about budget accommodations in Tagaytay last year.  So it won't be difficult for us to search for accommodations when we arrive there.  Just for assurance, we called up Famous Inn, where we stayed last year, a few hours before we arrive in Tagaytay.  Luckily, they still have available rooms.  But I wanted to try other accommodations in my list, so our choices where Java Jazz Lodging House and 5R Rooms for Rent.

Before I continue, let me just add information on our transportation.  Last year, as posted in my blog, we rode vans in Pasay, at the street before Metropoint coming from Edsa southbound.  This time, we rode vans in Alabang.  This is near the market and it is actually bus and van terminal.  All are southbound (Laguna and Batangas).  The van we rode is routed in Sta. Rosa, Nuvali, Tagaytay, Picnic Grove.  It can also drop you Enchanted Kingdom.  Travel time is about 1 hour.  Fare is Php 75 per person but if you will be dropped off to Picnic Grove, you will add Php 20 per person.  Even if we will not alight in Picnic Grove, we still paid additional Php 20.  We alighted near Java Jazz Lodging House.

Java Jazz is actually a coffee shop but they added some lodging to better accommodate tourist.  However, they only have 3 rooms so when we got there, it was booked already.  It is also interesting to know that Java Jazz Lodging House is not connected to Agoda.com.  I wonder how they were included in agoda upon my research last year.  This is what I saw posted on their door.

And to all my readers, finally, here's the Java Jazz Lodging House contact number, 0917-4837399 or you can email them at javajazzcoffeetagaytay@gmail.com.  I already lost my phone book before so I apologize to my readers when I cannot give them contact details.  It seems like travelbook.ph have revamped their website and some contact details were gone.

So the next we inquired was at 5R Rooms for Rent.  Luckily, they still have a lot of rooms available.  You can read my review on this lodging house here.

Here are other information I would like to add:

• Java Jazz Lodging House is located before T House Bed and Breakfast if you're coming from Sta. Rosa Exit.  This is at the left side of the road.
• From Java Jazz Lodging House, Keni Po and 5R Rooms for Rent are just walking distance.  They are all on the left  side; Keni Po first then 5R Rooms for Rent.
• You can easily see Keni Po and 5R Rooms for Rent as they both have big sign boards.  Maybe competing with each other as both have pools and open 24 hours.  They just really beside each other.
• Little Falls Inn is in front of 5R Rooms for Rent
• Overlook Inn is just beside Bag of Beans

I hope these additional information will be helpful.  The weather when we went there is still cool.  The sun still shines with all its might come lunch time but the wind is somehow cool.  In the evening, it gets chilly on some nights.  Maybe because this weekend, there were slight rain experienced in Tagaytay.  For me, Tagaytay is still your best getaway not far from Manila, yet cool enough to beat the summer heat.

Updated (11/20/2016): contact details of Java Jazz

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.