Taal is a small, very active volcano with a lake in its crater. It is located in the middle of a large lake which is actually the crater of another huge extinct volcano. We start the trip by driving 1.5 hours up to Tagaytay, a popular weekend destination for people who live in Manila. Tagaytay is actually on the crater lip of the huge extinct volcano and it offers a very picturesque view of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. After seeing the view we drive down to Taal Lake and hop on a boat to get to the small volcano. We then do an easy 1-hour uphill hike to the lip of the volcano's crater. Along the way we pass signs of the volcano's activity: scorched earth and sulfuric fumes rising from the ground. At the crater lip we get a great view of the inner lake that has boiling water, sulfur streaks and fumaroles at its edges.
At noon we drive to Taal Town, a very old town established in 1572 that has Asia's biggest Catholic church and a collection of old houses that showcase traditional Filipino-Spanish architecture. We visit churches, old houses and other points of interest in the town before driving back to Manila in late afternoon.