Looking for a day tour while in Manila, the Philippines? Go for a historical trip down south to the tucked-away town of Taal in Batangas and be swept back in time to the Spanish colonial era of the 17th century, walk into traditional "bahay na bato" houses of the affluent and see intricate antique wood furniture, walk on original wood floor boards and tiles, have fun with photos in the best attire of that bygone era, and get a better glimpse into Philippine history at the time of the struggle for freedom from Spain.
Posing in front of the Taal town name, with the Basilica de San Martin de Tours - the biggest basilica in Asia, at the back. A photo not to be missed... Check!
First - How to get there.
Arrange with a tour guide - you'll better enjoy the tour! The guide will cost PhP 500 for a group, and will direct you so it's easier to move from place to place, and more importantly, you'll get the stories and the history at each location.
We had a kindly gentleman named Art who was a great guide. Read on as I provide contact details at the bottom.
The meeting point with the guide was the Basilica de San Martin de Tours. I'll assume you don't know how to get there, so the best thing is to have a navigation app like Sygic (SE Asia) or use Google Maps.
Now a search of the Basilica won't get you anything on Sygic. And a Google search will direct you to San Martin de Tours in Buenas Aires, Argentina; Belchita, Spain and Guadalajara, Mexico.
So - you'll need to look for the Basilica manually in the San Luis and Taal areas which are SW of Taal Volcano. Once you find it in the app, you'll get reliable turn by turn directions. From Manila, take the SLEX straight to the Star tollway as it is faster, rather than going via Tagaytay.
First Stop - the Basilica de San Martin de Tours.
The first stop was immediately gratifying. As we entered the Basilica, we were amazed at its size. Who would have guessed that this small town was home to the largest basilica in Asia? The grandness of the Basilica is testament to the prominence of the town in earlier days.
There is a lot of art and history to appreciate in the Basilica, so keep an eye for details.
While at the basilica, make sure to take the belfry tour. The passageway is a bit dark and cramped, but you get to imagine what it must have been like a couple of hundred years ago when the church bells were rang manually by little boys. As we were going up, my wife was wailing "Crispin, Basilio", making me smile. The calls hailed back to the famous Noli Me Tangere novel of Dr. Jose Rizal, which seemed very apt for the walk up the tower.
Scenes from outside the bell tower. You can actually step beyond the enclosed area, but get permission and be accompanied by the guard on duty.
It's a nice view from the belfry and the roof of the basilica. Reminded me of the many enjoyable mountain hiking trips I had with my son
Picturesque Taal town as seen from the museum on the basilica second floor.
For lunch, have your guide bring you to your preference where you can sample good local cuisine. Next stop after lunch was the Galleria Taal.
The gallery had a very impressive collection of functioning cameras, from the very early large cameras that used plate films, to modern 35 mm Nikons, Canons and others, plus Leicas, including a rare vintage Leica O, and an unused Limited Edition Gold Nikon.
For the modern cameras, it seems every major model and version is represented. So for camera collectors, this is one satisfying destination. You can soak up the camera atmosphere, then leave satisfied.
It is also noteworthy that they have on display old Philippine historical photos from National Geographic and other collections, from the Spanish and American eras to more recent times, and showcases a one and only photo of Dr. Jose Rizal on his last day at the Luneta Park.
The story itself of how the photo was acquired is very interesting as it was rummaged from an obscure garage sale, in a foreign land, from heirs of someone who happened to be in Manila that very last day of Dr. Jose Rizal, and didn't realize the historic significance of the moment he captured!
I have my own small camera collection, so having a relatively nearby camera museum I can go to and be amazed is reassuring.
Then we went to Casa Turtuga, which showcases rooms and furniture from the past Spanish era in the Philippines. Very interesting. But the most fun part of Casa Turtuga is that you can dress up in the best wear of that throwback time and pose to your hearts delight in formal or fun shots!
At Casa Turtuga. Here my daughter is being assisted to put on her señorita terno outfit. They have a broad range of clothes styles, colors and sizes to choose from.
We took lots of photos at. Casa Turtuga, family and individual photos, serious and wacky. It was a fun time.
We then walked to the ancestral home of the Agoncillo's where the very first Philippine flag was sewn, and then drove to the ancestral home of the Villavicencio's, where we had sumptuous suman and tsokolate-eh - sweet dessert rice cake and rich hot chocolate. Definitely not to be missed!
At the Villavicencio's Wedding. Gift. House enjoying suman and tsokolate-eh. Yum! Scene from the sala - the living area.
The Taal Heritage Tour is a fun way to spend time with family.
Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. (Proverbs 5:18 NLT)
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. (Psalm 127:3-5a NIV)
To arrange for a tour, contact Ms. Baby Villavicencio Joven Quiblat at jjovenq@yahoo.com or call +63917 8970363.
Happy Journeys!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Posing in front of the Taal town name, with the Basilica de San Martin de Tours - the biggest basilica in Asia, at the back. A photo not to be missed... Check!
First - How to get there.
Arrange with a tour guide - you'll better enjoy the tour! The guide will cost PhP 500 for a group, and will direct you so it's easier to move from place to place, and more importantly, you'll get the stories and the history at each location.
We had a kindly gentleman named Art who was a great guide. Read on as I provide contact details at the bottom.
The meeting point with the guide was the Basilica de San Martin de Tours. I'll assume you don't know how to get there, so the best thing is to have a navigation app like Sygic (SE Asia) or use Google Maps.
Now a search of the Basilica won't get you anything on Sygic. And a Google search will direct you to San Martin de Tours in Buenas Aires, Argentina; Belchita, Spain and Guadalajara, Mexico.
So - you'll need to look for the Basilica manually in the San Luis and Taal areas which are SW of Taal Volcano. Once you find it in the app, you'll get reliable turn by turn directions. From Manila, take the SLEX straight to the Star tollway as it is faster, rather than going via Tagaytay.
First Stop - the Basilica de San Martin de Tours.
The first stop was immediately gratifying. As we entered the Basilica, we were amazed at its size. Who would have guessed that this small town was home to the largest basilica in Asia? The grandness of the Basilica is testament to the prominence of the town in earlier days.
There is a lot of art and history to appreciate in the Basilica, so keep an eye for details.
While at the basilica, make sure to take the belfry tour. The passageway is a bit dark and cramped, but you get to imagine what it must have been like a couple of hundred years ago when the church bells were rang manually by little boys. As we were going up, my wife was wailing "Crispin, Basilio", making me smile. The calls hailed back to the famous Noli Me Tangere novel of Dr. Jose Rizal, which seemed very apt for the walk up the tower.
Scenes from outside the bell tower. You can actually step beyond the enclosed area, but get permission and be accompanied by the guard on duty.
It's a nice view from the belfry and the roof of the basilica. Reminded me of the many enjoyable mountain hiking trips I had with my son
Picturesque Taal town as seen from the museum on the basilica second floor.
For lunch, have your guide bring you to your preference where you can sample good local cuisine. Next stop after lunch was the Galleria Taal.
The gallery had a very impressive collection of functioning cameras, from the very early large cameras that used plate films, to modern 35 mm Nikons, Canons and others, plus Leicas, including a rare vintage Leica O, and an unused Limited Edition Gold Nikon.
For the modern cameras, it seems every major model and version is represented. So for camera collectors, this is one satisfying destination. You can soak up the camera atmosphere, then leave satisfied.
It is also noteworthy that they have on display old Philippine historical photos from National Geographic and other collections, from the Spanish and American eras to more recent times, and showcases a one and only photo of Dr. Jose Rizal on his last day at the Luneta Park.
The story itself of how the photo was acquired is very interesting as it was rummaged from an obscure garage sale, in a foreign land, from heirs of someone who happened to be in Manila that very last day of Dr. Jose Rizal, and didn't realize the historic significance of the moment he captured!
I have my own small camera collection, so having a relatively nearby camera museum I can go to and be amazed is reassuring.
Then we went to Casa Turtuga, which showcases rooms and furniture from the past Spanish era in the Philippines. Very interesting. But the most fun part of Casa Turtuga is that you can dress up in the best wear of that throwback time and pose to your hearts delight in formal or fun shots!
At Casa Turtuga. Here my daughter is being assisted to put on her señorita terno outfit. They have a broad range of clothes styles, colors and sizes to choose from.
We took lots of photos at. Casa Turtuga, family and individual photos, serious and wacky. It was a fun time.
We then walked to the ancestral home of the Agoncillo's where the very first Philippine flag was sewn, and then drove to the ancestral home of the Villavicencio's, where we had sumptuous suman and tsokolate-eh - sweet dessert rice cake and rich hot chocolate. Definitely not to be missed!
At the Villavicencio's Wedding. Gift. House enjoying suman and tsokolate-eh. Yum! Scene from the sala - the living area.
The Taal Heritage Tour is a fun way to spend time with family.
Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. (Proverbs 5:18 NLT)
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. (Psalm 127:3-5a NIV)
To arrange for a tour, contact Ms. Baby Villavicencio Joven Quiblat at jjovenq@yahoo.com or call +63917 8970363.
Happy Journeys!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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