Last weekend, Anna and I took a trip to Taal Volcano (Talisay, Batangas) with our paleontologist/geologist friend, Allan, with his group of students from UP Diliman for their geology class.
We arrived at the Philvocs station at 9:30 am. An officer warned Allan that some locals in charge of monitoring visitors have started charging an entrance fee to Volcano Island. Boat trip to Volcano Island took 30 minutes.
Just like when you’re viewing Taal from Tagaytay City, the prominent appendage of Volcano Island that we first saw was Binintiang Malaki which is commonly mistaken for as the volcano itself. However, it is just one of the 47 craters of the volcano. The face of Binintiang Malaki offers good photo op, but the other side of it is a reminder that it’s not just a pretty face. There is a path of lava flow from the crater as if a huge comb swept its surface.
Abundant fish nurseries spawn in the lake. When we got to Alas-as, we were welcomed by some locals who true enough charged P100/head as entrance fee to the island. Now that price is freakin’ crazy! Entrance fee to most islands in our country costs P20 only. We were 41 then and it would make them P4,100 richer instantly by merely sitting down. If they were to carry my bag or carry me to the Main Crater Lake, I would have gladly paid the fee. They weren’t even issuing receipt and didn’t even show any barangay ordinance. Allan reasoned out that the students were not informed and don’t have extra money but gave them P500 nonetheless, pang-inom. We feared for our lives you see, lol.
The start of our trek was along an uphill lahar path that was scorching hot as the sun added heat to it. From a high point, we looked back on our track and had a good view of Taal Lake along Alas-as and of Binintiang Maliit (the mini-me version of Binintiang Malaki). We passed by Mt. Tabaro and again a huge comb of lava flow on its surface.
There weren’t many trees and it was really hot on the trail. We had to take a break after an hour of walking. Two women and a kid with their horse were peddling soda and water which cost P30 each.
After a distance of some upward and long distance walking, we finally had our first glimpse of the Crater Lake. From there on, the trail was downward and there are shade trees to cool you down.
It took us two hours to reach the Crater Lake, which is the main crater of Taal Volcano and lies at the center of the Volcano Island. In the picture below, the famous tourist view deck is atop the rim accessible via Daang Kastila. But if you want to get down on the Crater Lake, you have to take the Alas-as route.
That point from the top is where the Korean company Jung Ang Interventure Corp. planned to build their spa in 2007 and put an elevator to get down on the Crater Lake. These people can plan whatever money-generating business they want, but hey I won’t definitely mess and underestimate the power of nature. And this power in Taal Volcano remains in Alert Level 1 since its last eruption in 1977.
Alert Level 1, so why the heck did they allow us to go there? Oh well, only in the Philippines. We were even joking while having our lunch by the lake “sasabog na to in 10, 9, 8, 7…” Anna fearfully asked Allan “but the animals, the birds…they know when it’s about to explode right?” Doc Allan says yes, the animals become agitated. 
By the lake, there were different colors of basalt rock - black, yellow because of presence of sulphur, and red because of iron. Bubbles were forming as they hit the rocks because of the presence of minerals. The air slightly smelled of match (posporo) because of phosphorus. See, we even had an instant geology refresher course with Doc Allan!
And below is my favorite photo from the trip simply because I love islands! This is Vulcan Point, the islet which lies on the main Crater Lake. They say this is the largest island in the world that is within a lake within an island within a lake.
After lunch, we climbed the long, steep path which made me secretly grumble I will never climb again. But the rest of the way back to Alas-as was a lot easier. We took a different trail and it was only 45 minutes of walk and so I said “oh, this is easy, I want to climb again” lol!
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Supah thanks to Doc Allan Gil Fernando and the Young Geologist organization in UP Diliman (I forgot their Latin sounding official name) for allowing me and lakwatsa buddy Annaliza Salazar to join their trip. Sa uulitin :).
1 Comment
May 13, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Hey prinsesang lakwatsera..kamusta na???
I read everything and it’s very interesting…funny thing is, Tagaytay is less than an hour from where I came from. I had never been close to the crater.
Whom to contact for the trip? I want to do something different with my husband and seeing Tagaytay’s crater would be a once in a lifetime experience for us.
Thank yoiu and I hope u’ll have an asnwer for me.
Have a good one!!!
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