My First Tour: Pilgrimage-Like Travel to Taal and Lipa City, Batangas

February 18, 2015. I decided on doing my first self-travel to start working on my bucket list. I made it a goal to at least do it once a month - to visit a place I have never explored or even took a closer look to.

Yes, it's not my first in Batangas. I experienced this place when I was 1st Year High School and I participated in Southern Tagalog Regional Jamboree which I remembered in Calatagan/Taal around 1998 (which proves how old I am now... Hehe XD Never mind the age.). I also remember that I attended my cousin's wedding in Sto. Tomas around that year too. But exploring it? I've never been.

I was inspired one time on checking for Team Building Places to help my TL in prepping for our next event when I was caught by thepoortraveler.net (credits: Yoshke Dimen). This gave me the idea to start touring - at least to start locally, since I have never traveled much, even to my own country. I prefer also to do it in a smaller budget prior to making sure I can still afford all my necessities after this touring.

Normal preparations. Excited heart. As soon as I reached Cubao, I rushed all the way to the terminal to see an ALPS Bus going to Batangas.

Ticket sample of ALPS Bus

Good thing I traveled at around 8am (6am from my place to SM Megamall, then I took a bus all the way to Araneta Center. I enjoyed a little walk from Farmers Plaza to AliMall to locate the terminal) so it was not so hot and in the same way the travel is a little faster than being caught up in traffic (the advantage of being early). I enjoyed watching outside through the bus window. I reached Tambo Exit in Lipa City at around 10:30am.


I want to go from the farthest to the nearest, also because I am all the more curious to see the Famous Taal Basilica first. So I rode a jeepney from Lipa to Taal. Fare? 48pesos. (just a head's up for new travelers like me) and the travel is almost an hour. You have to pass by other towns like Cuenca etc. As I passed by I saw the Invencion de la Sta. Cruz Parish Church which I think is under renovation or expanding.

Invencion de la Sta.Cruz Parish - Alitagtag, Batangas

I saw another church along the way however my hand and my camera weren't ready so I wasn't able to snapshot at least a photo about it. It is big as well. I didn't know I'll pass a lot of churches on my way to Taal - big and small ones, and different denominations too. It shows to prove that Batanguenos are religious people.






Reaching Taal was an accomplishment for me. Got to see Taal Municipal Hall in its Spanish-styled built. On the other side is the Taal Cultural Center (Escuela Pia) and the Magnificent Taal Basilica. Three words came to my mind seeing the Churches - Serene, Spiritual, Eerie. I admit I was once a Roman Catholic but the architecture and design, not just of this churches, but with others too (Especially after seeing Manaoag Church and Manila Cathedral) is fascinating in my own sight. I couldn't explain it more. Here are some pictures I took here:

Taal Municipal Hall

Taal Cultural Center - Escuela Pia

Brief Info

Next, was the National Shrine of Caysasay or Nuestra Senora de Caysasay Church.

I did a quick break at Taal Bistro and tried the Ensaladang Taal - which is a decontructed version of green mango salsa with grilled eggplant and salted egg. And of course the Lomi Batangas (which I pictured in my mind how it looked like because of what I tasted in Pasig Public Market a year ago, but was not the one served to me.).

A belly full of food and a little rest made me ready to go back to Lipa to check more churches.

Thank God I got a bus ride from Taal going back to Lipa. A little nap in it made me ready to face traffic in Lipa. I rode on a special tricycle (special is the term if you're renting the trike for your travel. kinda like taxi in a cheaper way) all the way to my next church destination: Lipa Cathedral.

And the last church to visit, Mt. Carmel Church:

It was getting dark. And I know I have to face a whole lot of traffic going back to Manila so I decided to end my Visita Iglesia. I took a jeepney ride to SM City Lipa and got another accomplishment in the mall (which is a secret for now.) It was tiring but what I saw and experienced gave me a smile on my face til the hour I slept out of physical exhaustion. I am hoping for another trip next month. With a buddy? It will be better.