Ataalaya Farmhouse

Over the first half of the year, Tagaytay, a known travel destination south of Metro Manila, was our go-to for staycations. It was after all just a few hours’ drive away from home, and the view of Taal Volcano was something we would never tire of. D suggested checking out the municipalities closer to the Taal Lake. The drive would take a bit longer, but those places would give us a different view Taal Volcano. So we searched Google Maps and found a promising location: The Ataalaya Farmhouse. At the time, we were keeping a close tab on the volcano’s activities, as Taal had been quite restless, even after its eruption in 2020. The owner was kind enough keeping me posted and she assured me that it was safe to go.

So off we went to the municipality of Alitagtag in the province of Batangas. I was quite excited and my expectations were high, because of the beautiful photos of the place and the good reviews.

When we got off the main road a few kilometers onto Ataalaya, the road became narrow and my anxiety kicked in because it became a single-track road. I was holding my breath until we go to Ataalaya’s driveway. Thankfully D was a calm and confident driver – and good thing I was the one in the passenger seat!

Monsoon season was just around the corner when we stayed at Ataalaya, and it was overcast when we checked in that afternoon. Still, the view that the farmhouse offered was just stunning, as it was overlooking the lake, Taal Volcano and Mount Maculot. It was indeed the perfect afternoon I had in mind: a break from my social media and Netflix, and catching up on my book reading. D, on the other hand, unloaded his foldable bike from the car and explored the neighborhood.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of birds’ chirps. D was already able to do his morning walk and showed me the photos he took. Not wanting to miss out, I, too, caught up on taking photos for my Alitagtag album. It was a sunny morning after all, and the colors from the garden and the sky were more vibrant.

Before we checked out, we feasted on a hearty breakfast prepared by the staff. Having a lakeside breakfast brought back memories of our 2012 Europe Trip. En route to Zurich from Milan, our train passed by Lake Como, and I remember making a note to myself that we should do a proper stay in that place at least once in our lives. While that’s a travel plan that we have yet to fulfill, I’m happy with the memories of our weekend stay at Ataalaya Farmhouse and I consider it as one of the best locations we have visited in 2022 to date. It was truly a memorable trip, and I hope to share this magical place with my parents for them to also experience one of these days.