tagaytay

[eddy]

I have just moved to tagaytay after 6 months living in dumaguete and 2 months in boracay, I have rented a large house overlooking taal lake and volcano, the views are spectacular from our balcony, the weather is cooler, you can enjoy a walk anytime of the day, the fruit and vegetables here are in abundance, so much choice, lots of top class restaurants, a casino if you want it, 25 mins to desmarines sm mall and robinson, 90 mins to manila airport, so no connecting flights to worry about . fast broadband with a choice of smart or globe 999p a month. the roads during the week are not crowded, weekends and bankholidays are busy though, things to do hiking, horse riding, sailing on lake taal, batangas and the beaches are 40mins away, there is a shooting range near desmarines, for me tagaytay is the best place I have lived so far, rental house's are a bit more expensive I pay 40.000 peso a month, food is a little more too, but not as expensive as boracay. If you are a diver or love the beach dumaguete is probably the best. I did not include boracay I find that a paradise lost,

[garbonzo]

Hi eddy. Haven't been to Tagaytay for years but it is a beautiful spot. I've heard it has really taken off as a residential area. Lot of people moving out that way and developers have been busy. A few of our relatives tried to talk us into looking into it ourselves - but I just like Negros too much. My wife just came back from buying our lot near Bacolod and I can still do my diving easily enough....after driving a bit..

Good luck with Tagaytay living. Have to head that way soon myself and see how it's grown. Nice weather there too!

[eddy]

thank you for your good wishes garbonzo, yes lots of development here in tagaytay, but it seems to be controlled, and the area around taal is huge, the lake is 30kilometers long, there were bull sharks in the lake until 50 years ago, and there is the only freshwater sea snake in the world in taal lake, also a type of freshwater sardine, I think there was a opening in to the sea until a large eruption around 1750 cut off the sea, and taal became a freshwater lake. good luck with your house building in bacolod,

[Timn8ter]

Happy to hear you found your spot Eddy.
The Tagaytay area tends to get better government services (roads, etc.) because many of the residents are celebrities and/or politicians. If you need or want to be close to Manila it's a very good choice. You tend to be above the Manila pollution cloud as well. Here's pic of part of Tagaytay last February.

[Timn8ter]

And another.

[Philippinediver]

Before we came back to Dum we also stayed in Tagaytay for three months right by Talisay and were going to buy a condo in the Horizon complex in Tagaytay Highlands/Midlands. This is a totally self contained resort with 2 golf courses, restaurants, gyms, pools, supermarket....The Condo overlooked the Midlands Golf Course and of course the Lake. For a number of reasons we decided not to. However, it is a fantastic complex and location and if you can afford it you should consider really consider it.




If youare going to consider renting or even buying there I think the best place to be is near Talisay Town. There are great Restaurants, Gourmet stores, Coffee Shops and if you like Golf, some of the Best Golf Courses in the country such as Sta. Elena and Rivieraa within 15 to 30 minutes drive. Top Beach resort communities such as Calatagan and Nasugbu are also within 45 minutes. Of course there i hiking, tennis, and just about anything else you can think of available as well. Where we stayed there was never a need for air conditioning. On weekends however, it is quite a mad house and traffic is nuts backed up for miles from the




Alas we decided to come back to our beloved Dumaguete. I function better in hotter climates, I am a true beach person and if my gills aren't submerged often I tend to drive the wife and my wife insane. Nevertheless, Tag is one of the nicest places I have stayed in this country but as Eddy said bring Money!!!

Enjoy Eddy you picked a great place to live

[earlmj]

Tagaytay is great but very mahal to get a nice lot nowadays....
Here some pictures I took myself , that is one year ago...

[eddy]

I have been living here in tagaytay for 2 months now, the view from the place I rent is spectacular, this is a good place for fresh fruit and vegetables, good roads, easier access to travel abroad, but dumaguete has better dive sites near by, also if you need to extend your visa , you need to go to manila, my helper said dumaguete (pelinky)market is a bit cheaper, some great restaurants here also, josephines seafood is top class, bag of beans for english pies and great bread, too many to list. like dumaguete they are building a robinson, and nearby sm also, to open in a year or 2. more shops in dumaguete than here, but you can always go to greenhills in manila for that, about 90 mins away. it is quiet here during the week, gets a bit busier when the manila crowd come up for the weekend, not as many foreigners here as dumaguete, I like it here and so do my helpers but I have fond memories of dumaguete too, more comfortable climate for me here, mind you taal volcano is unpredictable, but so is life, anyway both places are good for different reasons.

[john boy]

Great photographs Earlmj, I first went to Tayatay in 2001 when I met up with my pen pal. I saw only two Westeners in the whole three weeks I spent in Philippines. My big nose and pale skin attracted a lot of curiosity at the time, now married to that beautiful lady and hoping to visit Dumaguete next year regards john boy

[carl]

how is dumaguete? is it a safe place for an american to live ? . i am thinking about moving there with my wife and two children . any info would be appreciated . thanks , .....Carl