Tagaytay Highlands: Wedding Destination in the World #3
(by Jeanie Dizon Britton, Atlanta World Travel Examiner --www.examiner.com)
If you’re having your destination wedding in Tagaytay, your guests will have a wealth of treasures to explore. At the Highlands Country Club, a funicular tram not only connects the Midlands to the Highlands but also gives you a wonderful love-bird-eye’s view of Taal Lake. Golf is a clear choice for many, while kids will adore the small zoo, which features many birds of paradise. Thrill-seekers can descend down the hill to the water, where boats launch from the town of Talisay into Taal Lake. A local guide will take you right to the volcano, where you can hike (or ride a horse) all the way to the top of the cone.
But if yours is a real Filipino family, eating will be the number one extracurricular activity. Gourmet restaurants within the country club abound, each with its own specific flavour. Highlands China Restaurant serves authentic Cantonese cuisine while the Highlander Steakhouse grills up luscious cuts that could rival America’s. But step outside the country club into the actual town, and your tita’s will faint from the array of choices. The richest adobo, kaldereta, and lechon can be found at Josephine Restaurant, while Leslie’s can delight newcomers with a more rustic approach to both food and setting. Their cliff -side casita-tables are not to be missed. Sonya’s Garden is a favourite for vegetarians, as all their ingredients are grown fresh in the gardens.
If you’re having your destination wedding in Tagaytay, your guests will have a wealth of treasures to explore. At the Highlands Country Club, a funicular tram not only connects the Midlands to the Highlands but also gives you a wonderful love-bird-eye’s view of Taal Lake. Golf is a clear choice for many, while kids will adore the small zoo, which features many birds of paradise. Thrill-seekers can descend down the hill to the water, where boats launch from the town of Talisay into Taal Lake. A local guide will take you right to the volcano, where you can hike (or ride a horse) all the way to the top of the cone.
But if yours is a real Filipino family, eating will be the number one extracurricular activity. Gourmet restaurants within the country club abound, each with its own specific flavour. Highlands China Restaurant serves authentic Cantonese cuisine while the Highlander Steakhouse grills up luscious cuts that could rival America’s. But step outside the country club into the actual town, and your tita’s will faint from the array of choices. The richest adobo, kaldereta, and lechon can be found at Josephine Restaurant, while Leslie’s can delight newcomers with a more rustic approach to both food and setting. Their cliff -side casita-tables are not to be missed. Sonya’s Garden is a favourite for vegetarians, as all their ingredients are grown fresh in the gardens.
Peak Bar (3,000 ft. above sea level)
However, if you’d like to escape for a romantic dinner, just the two of you, one of Tagaytay’s gems is hidden away from the ridge. A few miles past the town, down a dirt path, through rolling farmland, is Antonio’s. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much, but when the doors open, you’re welcomed into a multi-terraced secret garden. With its lush greenery and shimmering koi ponds, it seems just as suited for meditation as for dining. The chef will dazzle you with offerings that are modern French bistro, such as roasted duck breast infused with truffle, seared foie gras on braised red cabbage, and juniperberry ju. Likewise, his delectable desserts (dark chocolate souffle with cardamom creme Anglaise anyone?) will induce sugar comas and the sweetest dreams.
Tagaytay is truly a place of natural and gastronomic wonders, and it’s worth overcoming the fear of fire to experience its delights.
Tagaytay is truly a place of natural and gastronomic wonders, and it’s worth overcoming the fear of fire to experience its delights.
