About Taal Volcano

One need not be an experienced mountaineer to trek Taal Volcano, mainly for three reasons – the trail is easy, the volcano is quite small (only 311 meters), and lastly, you can ride a horse from ground zero to the crater.

Famous for being the smallest active volcano in the world, Taal Volcano is actually a volcano within a lake (which used to be an old crater) within an island of Luzon, Philippines. It sits amid Taal Lake in Talisay, Batangas, around 60 kilometers south of Metropolitan Manila.

Volcanologists describe Taal Volcano as a small volcanic island, called as Volcano Island, located within a lake-filled complex caldera called Taal Lake (Lake Bonbon) and tagged as one of the great volcano-tectonic depressions of the world. Due to its proximity to highly populated areas, Taal Volcano is one of 16 “Decade Volcanoes” that have been identified by the volcanology community as presenting large potential hazards to populated centers.

Despite the dangers it possess, Taal Volcano has its unique beauty and charm. A trek to its old crater is an easy adventure worth experiencing.

How to Get to Taal Volcano

The town of Talisay in Batangas, just below Tagaytay City, is the jumpoff point to Taal Volcano. This is where the boats going to the three trails of the volcano are stationed.

There are two possible routes going to Talisay if you are coming from Manila – via Tanauan (Batangas) and Tagaytay City (Cavite). The fastest and cheapest is via Tanauan.

A. Manila – Tanauan – Talisay – Taal

1. Catch a bus to Batangas City via Lipa / Tanauan at Buendia, Cubao or Alabang and get off at Tanauan Bayan. Travel time from Buendia is around one (1) hour and fare is P96 (as of 2018).

2. Walk or ride a tricycle to Talisay Terminal at the back of Tanauan Public Market and transfer to a jeepney to Talisay Palengke. Travel time is 30 minutes and fare is P25.

3. Charter a boat to Taal (Pulo). Rate to Regular Trail (also known as Daang Kastila) starts at P1,500 for a single person round-trip and P2,000 for a group of up to six (6) persons round trip, travel time is 20 minutes. This trail will take you up to the crater rim only.

Boat rates for other trails are as follows:

– Alas-as Trail (crater rim with access to the lake): P3,000 for a group of up to six (6) persons
– Calauit Trail (crater rim with access to the lake): P3,000 for a group of up to six (6) persons

B. Manila – Tagaytay – Talisay – Taal

1. Catch a bus to Balayan or Nasugbu via Tagaytay City at Buendia, Pasay-Rotonda, Cubao or Alabang and get off at Tanauan Bayan. Travel time from Pasay-Rotonda is around three (3) hours and fare is P82 (as of 2018).

2. Proceed to Ligaya Drive (near Public market) and catch a jeep, trike or single motorcycle to Talisay. Jeep fare is P50 and single motorcycle or tricycle costs at least P100.

3. Charter a boat to Taal (Pulo). Rate to Regular Trail (also known as Daang Kastila) starts at P1,500 for a single person round-trip and P2,000 for a group of up to six (6) persons round trip, travel time is 20 minutes. This trail will take you up to the crater rim only.

Boat rates for other trails are as follows:

– Alas-as Trail (crater rim with access to the lake): P3,000 for a group of up to six (6) persons
– Calauit Trail (crater rim with access to the lake): P3,000 for a group of up to six (6) persons

Where to Stay near Taal Volcano

There is no hotel in Taal Volcano,  if you are planning to spend the night there, you can scout for resorts in Talisay or hotels in Tagaytay.

In Talisay, the most famous is the highly rated Club Balai Isabel with room rates starting from P4,500 per night. Club Balai Isabel has modern features, amenities and facilities included the newly opened Aqua park. Another favorite is San Roque Beach Resort with air-conditioned rooms starting at around P1500/night with breakfast, they also have cottages for as low as P800.

Top-Rated / Highly Recommended Accommodations in Talisay

In Tagaytay, there are numerous hotels to choose from. Some popular hotels here are Days Hotel, Taal Vista Hotel, Discovery Suites, Royal Taal Inn, Tagaytay Country Hotel and Dacha Hotel Villas. For budget travelers, highly recommended are D-Zone Backpackers Inn, Our Melting Pot Hostel Tagaytay, Country Living Hostel – Tagaytay Center and ViewPoint Inn.

What to Do in Taal Volcano and Nearby

Here is the list of the activities in Taal and surrounding areas.

• Banca ride to Taal for as low as P2,000 for a boat that fits up to 6 people (expect rough waters special during Amihan season waves so be ready to get wet)
• Swim in Taal Lake
• Spend a day in Club Balai Isabel Aqua Park
• Ride a horse to the Taal crater (and back) for P500.00
• Trek to Taal crater via Regular Trail (Daang Kastila) or to the lake via Alas-as and Calauit Trails
• Tour Tagaytay Picnic Grove, People’s Park in the Sky, Caleruega Church and other attractions of Tagaytay
• Trek to Mount Maculot
• Explore the lakeside waterfalls in Laurel and Talisay
• Dine in any restaurants in Tagaytay that offers unobstructed view of Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano Day Tour Itinerary from Manila

0400H: Buendia to Tanauan Bayan
0600H: Tanauan Bayan to Talisay
0645H: Arrive in Talisay / Breakfast / Hire Boat
0730H: Talisay to Regular Trail
0800H: Arrive in Trailhead / Start Trek
0930H: Arrive in Crater Lake / Free Time
1100H: Start descent
1200H: Back in Trailhead / Ride boat back to Talisay
1230H: Back in Talisay / Jeep or Trike to Tagaytay
1315H: Tagaytay / Food Trip
1700H: Depart Tagaytay
2000H: Arrive in Manila

Estimated Budget: P1,200 per person for a group of four (4), food not included.

List of Expenses

• Bus: Buendia to Tanauan – P96/person
• Tricycle: Tanauan Bus Stop to Talisay Terminal – P10/person
• Jeep: Tanauan to Talisay – P25/person
• Boat: Talisay to Taal (Regular Trail) – P2,000/boat round trip (four-person sharing)
• Guide: P500/guide (four-person sharing) *this is optional if you are not first timer
• Taal Volcano Environmental Fee: P100/person
• Docking Fee / Bridge: P50/boat
• Tricycle to Tagaytay: P100/person
• Bus: Tagaytay to Pasay LRT – P82/person

Others/Optional Expenses

• Horse Ride: P500/person (round-trip)
• Jeep: Tagaytay to Talisay or Vice Versa -P50/person
• Buko Juice or Gatorade at the Summit: P100

Tips

• Best months: November to May
• Public jeepney from Tagaytay to Talisay is limited with first trip at around 10AM
• LTE Mobile signal is available in the volcano
• Avoid the regular trail during holy week as locals turn the trekking trail into station of the cross route