Note:
I'm copying here part of the article I wrote about Tagaytay City as a must-see travel destination in the Philippines. The said article is targeted to visitors who haven't heard much about Tagaytay, especially those who live outside of the Philippines
. Not exactly sugar coated when written, I deliberately styled it according to how I've seen developments in the area, which is a 10-minute drive from where my small house stands in nearby Silang, Cavite. Tagaytay, being part of the so-called 'Mataas-na-Cavite' (roughly translated to 'Elevated Cavite'), is the quintessential place that would remind those who have been to 4-season countries of spring time in a tropical country. On certain months, it can be really windy up there. Tagaytay
has that appeal that reminds you of a probable scene that things won't be the same again if Taal Volcano 
decides to erupt again. This volcano
historically has been very active and it has wrought havoc and destruction to its surroundings. Its violent eruptions actually have made it possible to have a lake around it. Tagaytay would have been a lovely setting for a Disneyland
in this side of Asia
but this didn't happen. Perhaps, it will happen in the future. I just wonder why Disneyland's decision-makers decided to locate their business in Hong Kong
---- perhaps the whole place looked 'dangerous' in the long run to them. But we will never really know why they eventually moved to Hong Kong; we can just speculate. It would have been more dramatic for a setting had Disneyland opted to locate here, complete with a real active volcano
in the background. Tagaytay is the closest major city to Metro Manila
that affords vacationers or visitors some much-desired respite from the heat most everyone would experience in the big city. Of course, there are the hills of Rizal
where some may consider driving to get away from it all momentarily. But since Tagaytay City is more elevated than the hills in nearby Rizal Province, it definitely provides cooler environment. When you visit Tagaytay, make it a low key one. Act like you're among the locals and enjoy the scenery. You never know for sure if the unappealing oldish person you'll meet on the road turns out to be among the big land-owners in the area. With Taal Volcano in the background, the city's always a pretty sight that you'll enjoy up there while it's still around in its present incarnation.
Without doubt, what appeals to most about Tagaytay is its natural attractions. But it is being observed by locals that these attractions are now quickly being harnessed to serve as natural backdrops to more recently built-man made attractions. You will seldom see old man made structures in Tagaytay of over 100 years old (you see them in the other nearby municipalities, in old family houses, as well as in churches built during the Spanish period). For the past 50 years or so, in stages, Tagaytay is becoming more and more turning into a typical urbanized city. You would see fast food places, branches of expensive restaurant chains, low rise condominium buildings, a zoo, amidst private residential houses and a big number of religious buildings. But, still, there is more about Tagaytay than what a typical tourist or visitor may look forward to when visiting this part of Luzon, the Philippine archipelago's largest island.
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