Taal Volcano is an island within a lake, on an island within a lake, on an island! Did you get that? 😛
Just an hour away from Manila, this geological wonder is the smallest active volcano in the world. But despite being famous and all, we found that most Filipinos have a hard time locating the actual Crater Lake itself–So we had to figure out the reason for ourselves.
Check out Team OAP’s video on debunking the mystery of Taal Volcano…
Taal Volcano Blog Series
• A Journey into Taal Volcano’s Crater! (Photo Essay) (2017)
• Taal Volcano: Guide to 45-minute Trekking Adventure to Crater Lake (via Private Route)! (2015)
• Conquering the Taal Volcano Crater! (2006)
• Guide to Trekking Up to the Taal Volcano – world’s smallest volcano! (2005)
• Taal Volcano Crater Experience! (2005)
We checked-in at Club Balai Isabel where they offered an all-in Taal trek package with a reasonable price of P3,300, good for six pax (inclusive of boat, tour guide, environmental fee, and landing fee).
Taal Volcano is an easy 45-minute hike, and one doesn’t need to be an experienced hiker to trek it.
The best time to climb is early in the morning at around 6 am, to avoid the summer heat. We met our manong boatman beside the small dock inside the resort.
You can enjoy your breakfast in style–like we did–in the middle of the lake.
The boat ride took us around 25 minutes, across the lake to a small village on the volcano.
You can ride a horse for an easy and faster hike, but we suggest trekking to fully enjoy nature and the scenery. (Horse Ride: P450)
Almost at the top! But first, a quick rest.
There’s a local vendor who sells cold drinks near the top. It’s quite expensive at P50 for a 250ml Coke and P100 for a Gatorade, but we just couldn’t help it. Too bad they didn’t have any fresh buko–I was really looking forward to it.
And we made it! Seeing the crater lake was worth the hike!
Fun Facts: The Taal Lake is a freshwater lake, and the Crater Lake is saltwater. You can bathe in the Crater Lake, which is believed to cure skin diseases due to the sulfur it produces. But you have to take a secret trail from another route to get there.
While we were there, we just had to play a little golf. It costs P100 for three balls. (Don’t worry these balls are eco-friendly. )
Here’s Boom of Team OAP filming the most misunderstood hill in Taal. A lot of people think of this hill as the small volcano.
We loved trekking Taal Volcano! We got to enjoy our breakfast in style and were able to take some awesome shots. The nice private route we took was less hot and dusty, plus we got to enjoy nature and see a very awesome view as a reward for a tiring hike. And we got to debunk a common misconception about the location of the crater lake.
Travel Tips:
- Bring a lot of drinks (Water, Gatorade, etc.), preferably at least two
- Wear anything that can protect you from the sun (sunblock, sunglasses)
- Bring a backpack
- Wear comfortable clothes and footwear
- Eat a heavy meal
- Bring a wide lens camera to capture the volcano fully
- If you are taking the tourist route, be sure to bring a mask as it gets dusty due to the ashes from the volcano
- Bring your family or barkada for a more memorable hike 🙂
CLUB BALAI ISABEL
Lake Taal, Talisay Batangas
Telephone: +63 43 728-0307, +632 584-4068
Mobile: +63 917 872-1512
Website: http://www.balaiisabel.com/
Facebook: Club Balai Isabel
Twitter: @ClubBalaiIsabel
Instagram: @ClubBalaiIsabel
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I went to Tagaytay but I did not go to the crater. I guess it is something that I must do. It is so beautiful there. They told us that the track will be steep.
Did you have to stay at that club balai hotel in order to get the travel deal to Taal Volcano?
That might not be a bird’s nest on the ground at all, but rather a monitor lizard’s nest (locally known as the bayawak). Their eggs don’t have a hard shell but is rather kind of leathery. I’ve tasted some and yeah, it might be a little bit more tastier than that of the chicken’s. Depending on your palate. You might disagree. But it is edible. And so is the bayawak.