CRATER ADVENTURE Tourists experience a different high as they move around Taal volcano on horseback and view the crater lake of this active volcano up close. After the tour, visitors can sample the best of local dishes, like grilled or 鈥渟inigang na maliputo鈥� and crispy 鈥渢awilis,鈥� pairedwith 鈥渒apeng barako鈥� (Batangas coffee), in Talisay鈥檚 town center.Maliputo and tawilis are endemic fish
species in Taal Lake. 鈥擯HOTOS BY CLIFFORD NU脩EZ
TALISAY, Batangas, Philippines 鈥� In the heart of Batangas province lies nature鈥檚 treasure, beautiful yet ominous. Taal Volcano, one of the world鈥檚 smallest but deadliest, is a tourism centerpiece shrouded in mysteries and complexities鈥攂eing 鈥渁 lake within a lake.鈥�
To some, setting foot on an active volcano is more than sightseeing but something regarded as bringing forth fortune and prosperity.
鈥淢any Chinese and Korean tourists seem to believe that,鈥� said Len Barba, tourism chief of Talisay.
Lake loop
True or not, seeing an active volcano up close is rewarding enough.
Talisay鈥檚 tourists number 300 to 400 a day, many of them foreigners, according to Barba. Among the recent visitors were Mexican travelers Valeria Dumas, 25, and Pablo Errgeu, 30, who chose Taal volcano as their second stop in the Philippines.
鈥淚 think this place is really amazing,鈥� Dumas said while looking over the main crater lake, the most prominent feature of the landscape.
Talisay, a third-class agricultural municipality, serves as gateway to the volcano island (23 square kilometers). Other towns around the lake are Santo Tomas, Laurel, Agoncillo, Santa Teresita, San Nicolas, Alitagtag, Cuenca, Mataas na Kahoy, Balete and Malvar, as well as Tanauan City.
鈥淲hile each town has its own [tourism program], they鈥檙e all still anchored on Taal volcano,鈥� Barba said.
There are three points from which to cross the Taal Lake by boat (30 to 45 minutes) and trails that lead to the crater lake. These are Talisay, Barangay Calawit in Balete and Barangay Alas-as in San Nicolas.
The volcano island, with 6,000 to 7,000 residents, is divided into these three municipalities. There is no electricity and water comes from deep wells.
Most households own a boat and a horse, which they rent out to tourists (P500 each) for a ride of 30 to 45 minutes to the viewing decks.
Perfect view
Talisay is probably the most accessible from Manila (a 20-minute steep descent via Ligaya Drive from Tagaytay City in Cavite province) and with the most number of hotels and resorts. But to the more adventurous ones, there is the Pusod Taal Lake Conservation Center in Sitio Lipute, Mataas na Kahoy.
鈥淭hey say the perfect view [of the crater lake] is from the Calawit side. Maybe it鈥檚 really just up to you. If you鈥檙e into hiking, take the San Nicolas trail. Via Talisay, the view鈥檚 OK, but an issue is the foot traffic [on the trail],鈥� said Jord Earving Gadingan, Pusod project leader.
Pusod is a nongovernment environment education group that offers tours and activities like kayaking, paddle-boating and camping. For P350, the center offers modest accommodation in lofts or cabanas usually reserved for researchers and geologists who wish to study Taal.
Pusod also manages a community kitchen that serves food (P150-P200 per meal) of locally grown vegetables and fish like the 鈥渢awilis鈥� (freshwater sardine) and 鈥渢ulingan鈥� (mackerel tuna).
鈥淲e offer knowledge-based tours. Before the tour, we give briefing on the eruption history, biology and archaeology of Taal,鈥� Gadingan said.
Lava walk
The 1.7-kilometer trek up the viewing deck is best done in the morning as there isn鈥檛 much forest cover. On top, one can see hundreds of fish cages strewn across the lake, and birds like 鈥渒ilyawan鈥� (black-naped oriole) and 鈥渒annaway鈥� (white-winged tern) flying above.
Come across rock formations and even steam vents on the trail, or try the 鈥淩ed Lava鈥� or the 鈥淟ava Walk鈥� (Talisay side), a short walk on the ridge for a better view of the crater lake.
鈥淏efore, we used to allow tourists to go down the crater lake but we restricted them due to safety concerns,鈥� Barba said.
Geologists have warned against getting too close to the crater due to possible hazardous gas emissions, Gadingan said.
Selling experience
The entire volcano island trip can be completed in half a day, leaving you plenty of time to explore the lakeshore towns. If you happen to be on the Balete side, the popular Marian Orchard church is worth a quick afternoon drive.
In Talisay, a village called Buco is known for its local 鈥渂ibingka鈥� (rice cake), while a roadside restaurant, Milan鈥檚, is an affordable place to try local cuisine with tawilis and 鈥渕aliputo鈥� (trevally).
Talisay is also known for its local plant breeding industry. In 2018, the town has produced 3,625,975 seedlings of cacao, lanzones, coffee, narra and other species.
鈥淎side from the sites, what we want to sell is the experience,鈥� Barba said.