Taal Vista Hotels has been a popular family destination for many decades now. Aside from being part of many historical landmarks in our country, it also witnessed several natural calamities brought about by one of the many active volcanoes in the Philippines, the Taal Volcano. Despite of these events, the warm, cozy and lush appeal of the hotel remains intact and continues to stand the test of time. No wonder why thousands of local and foreign guests keep on visiting this remarkable and heartwarming destination for some quick, cool getaway.
Last weekend, along with some friends, I had a privilege to revisit Taal Vista Hotel for some R&R. I’m pretty sure that most of you, just like me, are longing to have a quick and safe break from the metropolis, where we can all breath freely while enjoying the superb beauty of our nature. Thankfully, with express roads now available from Metro Manila to Tagaytay, driving down south only takes about 2 hours or so.
During my visit, Taal Vista Hotel launched its newest activity wherein family and friends can enjoy and learn more about the hotel’s past and latest developments, the colorful history and exciting future of Tagaytay City, as well as the green and lush treats and initiatives of both the city and the establishment.
Dubbed as History Walk, Taal Vista Hotels’ newest attraction, is a 45-minute walking tour around the premises of the hotel, where trained tour guides will take their guests to five different stops inside and around the hotel sharing glimpses of information that will give better meaning of one’s vacation. Commencing at the hotel lobby, after a brief introduction of the activity, the guests will be then led to the History Wall, where they would get to know about Taal Vista as part of our nation’s history. It will be followed by a rundown of information about Taal Volcano and Tall Lake at the ridge of the hotel, and then to the newly opened A Walk-Through Time Exhibit, where more detailed history of Tagaytay is shared. Lastly, guests will be led to Taal Vista Hotel’s Organic Vegetable Garden for a refreshing ending to this activity.
Organic Vegetable Garden
Ever since I’ve heard about this Organic Vegetable Garden, I’ve been longing to see and visit this spot to personally meet their beautiful and lush plant babies that have been good source of hotel’s salad and herbs needs for the past years. Being a plant lover myself, I was surprised to know that this wonderful initiative started way back in 2012 upon the launching of Taal Vista Hotel’s Lake Wing.
A wonderfully plotted garden, which mostly consist of different varieties of lettuces, herbs and some local plants and trees. Taal Vista Hotel’s Organic Garden is one of the many projects of SM Hotels and Convention Centers’ (SMHCC) President, Ms. Elizabeth Sy. It was said that this Organic Vegetable Garden is one of her priority projects as she was tasked to take over the family’s hotel business in 2012. This project aims to help supply the needs of the hotel’s various F&B outlets such as the Veranda and Taza Fresh Table.
Up to this day, this initiative is continuously providing the hotel and its guests some healthy and safe fresh dishes that you can enjoy anytime of the day. Aside from varieties of imported lettuces and oreganos, there are also some herbs and vegetables that are used as fresh ingredients to some of hotels’ great dishes. These include, basil, thyme, mint, alugbati, blue plea flower, taro, calamansi, bayabas, wax apple, cabbage, and many more.
The Organic Garden also houses a nursery and composting area, where biodegradable wastes were treated to create organic compost for the garden – a sustainable project indeed that goes a long way.
The Organic Garden also houses a nursery and composting area, where biodegradable wastes were treated to create organic compost for the garden – a sustainable project indeed that goes a long way.
Oh my Gulay!
In support of this sustainable initiative, it is remembered that in 2018 Taal Vista Hotel and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ partnered to promote Sustainable Tourism through The Sustainable Diner: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism. This consist of series of trainings on food waste management including food waste separation and food waste measurement. This program included representatives from Taal Vista Hotels’ various departments such as Kitchen, Service, Purchasing and Receiving/Cost Control, Hygiene, and Stewarding.
Along with this project, Taal Vista Hotel also launched Oh my Gulay! Program to promote healthy living through plant-based dishes, which use organic produce from the hotel’s Organic Vegetable Garden.
Giving the freshest and healthiest offerings to its guests, Taal Vista Hotel promises to continue providing sustainable solutions and offerings to its guests who deserve nothing but the best!
So, if you are planning or looking for a nice and cozy place to book for your family, especially this Holidays Season – a place where you could all feel safe while enjoying the beauty of nature – you might want to revisit Taal Vista Hotel to see for yourself their newest activities that will impart knowledge and healthy lifestyle for you and your family. Who knows, Taal Vista Hotel’s inspiring sustainable triumphs could inspire you to fully go green and sustainable for a healthier and happier life.
