It has been fifteen years since I last visited the Picnic Grove in Tagaytay so when my friend from Singapore called to meet him and his wife there, I felt at lost to see how great the place has changed. Compared to how it looked like fifteen years ago, the Picnic Grove is so crowded. Not only with people but with cottages as well – there were just too many cottages. The cracking and faded paints suggest that they were not being maintained well or the people were just too negligent.

Anyways, despite these many changes, the Picnic Grove has maintained the right ambiance for relaxation and enough venue for recreation. The excruciating heat from the sun was compensated by the cool breeze coming from the nearby Taal Lake. You could simply rest under the shades and chat endlessly with your companions or enjoy in fun-filled activities such as flying kites or horseback riding. Colorful kites are being sold at PHP100 and up while horseback riding is normally priced at PHP150 per hour.

Here’s Tifa and I riding Mikee, the lazy horse.

Mikee, the horse was so lazy. She often stop and never want to want until we say “Hee! Hoo!” or try strangling her neck. My wife suggests I stomp my foot on the horse but I’m afraid she’d run amok. Tifa and I got bored riding her so we finished riding in just half hour. Too bad the horse caretaker won’t accept half-hour rate.

The Zip Line and Cable Car is the latest attraction in the Picnic Grove. From their official website:

“Have you ever wanted to fly or overcome your fear of heights while soaring over a majestic Taal lake and surrounding forest? At Tagaytay Ridge Zipline & Cable Car experience an exhilarating ride up to 60km/hr as you soar up to 300 feet off the ground on a scenic zipline courses 250 meters long.”

The Zipline and cable car operates daily from 9AM to 6PM with the following rates:

ZIPLINE RIDE

Weekday Rates
1 Way Ride = Php100 per person
2 Way Ride = Php200 per person

Weekend / Holiday Rates
1 Way Ride = Php200 per person
2 Way Ride = Php300 per person

CABLE CAR RIDE

Weekday Rates
1 Way Ride = Php100 per person
2 Way Ride = Php200 per person

Weekend Rates
1 Way Ride = Php200 per person
2 Way Ride = Php300 per person

Souvenir items like photo with frame and coffee mugs can also be bought at PHP100 and PHP200, respectively.

Entrance to Picnic Grove is priced at PHP50 per person and parking rates is PHP35 for the entire day (or so I think). We haven’t tried the rides yet because it was a holiday when we visited the place. We’d just hope to be able to try it on a weekday for lower fares.

And oh, has Barrel Man invaded Tagaytay?

Note: The photos were I appeared were taken by my wife, Antipatika.