Destination: Batangas

Philippine destination Batangas province oftensurprises travelers. Although located close to the overcrowded and heavily polluted Metro Manila, Batangas has a host of natural attractions; rugged mountains, a long, winding coastline, and of course, the famous Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.

Travel to Batangas province and you will quickly find that while the province’s road network is extensive, heavy traffic means frequent road repairs and inevitable delays. Congestion is particularly common in the major towns, and especially on the highways heading directly to Batangas City, with its major sea hub and ferry port to a wide range of destinations throughout the Southern Philippines Islands. 

If a province has a focal point, then for Batangas it must be Taal Lake. The famous Tagaytay Ridge is part of an ancient volcano, and while the center of the volcano blew itself out of existence many millennia ago, Tagaytay Ridge, the crater’s edge, remains. Lying snug within the crater’s rim rests the beautiful and ever popular Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. These two landmarks make this area famous as “a lake within a lake, and a volcano within a volcano.”

Taal Volcano also has another claim to fame – it is renowned as the world’s smallest active volcano, but even without this mini-volcano, Taal Lake itself has some strangely interesting features due to the volcanic activity close to the surface. Apart from a noisy gas vent, the lake actually encompasses two smaller hot water lakes. What makes these rather strange is their color, the water in one lake is green, while in the other, the water is almost red. 

With its sheltered shoreline, beach life is popular in Batangas with probably the finest beach in Batangas located at Lobo. At almost a kilometer long, Gerthel White Sand Beach provides a place to just kick-back, relax and soak up the sun, or go diving across the gently shelving ocean floor to its eerie drop off into deep and dark water about two hundred meters offshore. 

Batangas’ Gerthel White Sand beach is also the location of the Submarine Garden - an underwater treasure filled with living corals very near to the shore. You can see the garden clearly in the early mornings when the water is clear and the tide is low. As fitting for any popular tourist spot in the Philippines, the area behind the beach and the seafront has a number of small eateries, and a couple of small bars, as well as a beach resort or two.

Batangas also provides some non-water adventure. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, Mt. Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas may be just what you want. One of the highest and most prominent mountains in Batangas, it is popular with mountain climbers and trekkers alike. One advantage of having so many visitors is that across the slopes you can easily follow a well-established trail, and the large camping grounds allow you to stay overnight. Unfortunately, while the lights from Manila prevent massive amounts of stars being visible at night, it’s still worthwhile sleeping under the stars and waking to spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. If you want a little more adventure, and have the right equipment, there is a rocky outcropping overlooking Taal Lake called the Rockies - a very popular spot for local climbers.

If exploring underground is your thing, the mountain has a holdover from World War II in the form of military tunnels built by the Imperial Japanese Army. However, you are strongly advised to seek a local guide if you wish to explore these tunnels to any depth: and, as with entering any such tunnel on cave in the Philippines, keep a wary eye out for snakes.

The waters around the coast of Batangas have a large number of good dive sites including, Cape Santiago, Talin Bay, and east and west of Maricaban Island. However, the coastline east of Mabini and down the west-facing coast to the tip of the peninsular is by far the most popular with divers. Facing Janao Bay, the peninsular has a large number of dive sites and numerous dive facilities and resorts provide for both budget and luxury travelers. Most resorts also have boats available for trips out to the more outlying dive spots, but it is also worthwhile to check prices and maybe go island hopping.

If you are looking for gifts and souvenirs to being back, Batangas is famed for both its coffee and delicious fresh Batangas Buco Pie (coconut pie) – both of these low-priced commodities make popular gifts. However, Batangas is also renowned as the birthplace of the butterfly knife or Balisong.

Often seen in martial arts movies, balisong knives originated in a barrio of Taal town, Batangas when Perfecto de Leon made the first fan blade in 1905. But, be warned, if you are tempted to purchase one of these often beautifully crafted but deadly toys, be aware that carrying a balisong knife is an offence in every other province of the Philippines - and they are certainly not something that you should attempt to carry through airport customs!