Fodor's Expert Review Taal Volcano

If you make only one day-trip out of Manila, book a tour—or hire a taxi and driver—to visit Taal Lake and Volcano; you can get here on public buses heading for Tagaytay City, but a pre-arranged trip avoids the need to negotiate prices at every turn. This huge volcanic crater containing a lake and another smaller volcanic cone at its center is arguably the most spectacular site in central Luzon, and it's a world away from the hustle and noise of downtown Manila. For the grander view, enjoy the panoramic vistas from the crater rim in Tagaytay itself. To get more up close and personal, take the winding road down to the lakeside village of Talisay, from where small boats head out to the central island. There you can then either walk (a half-hour each way) or ride a horse up to another crater rim, from where you can gaze down at what it believed to be the world's only "island within a lake within an island within a lake within an island." Try saying that quickly.