People's Park in the Sky

The building at the top of Mount Sungay, the highest point in Tagaytay, was begun in the 1980s as a guest mansion for a state visit by President Reagan that never took place, and construction stopped when the Marcos government fell in 1986. What was left - a large concrete shell with a viewing deck, empty rooms and unfinished floors - was opened as a public park, and it is now a curious kind of monument: a ruin that was never a building, with a chapel, a shrine, souvenir stalls and telescopes installed around it. The reason to make the climb is the view, which is the most complete panorama available of Taal Lake and its volcano, with the caldera rim running away on both sides and, on clear days, Manila Bay and the Laguna lake visible in other directions. Cloud closes it regularly, and the wind at the top is strong enough to be memorable.

What you actually see

• The unfinished mansion - the concrete shell and its empty rooms.
• The panorama - the fullest view over Taal and the caldera.
• The viewing deck - the platform at the summit.
• The stalls and shrine - what has grown up around the ruin.

When to go

November to May, in the morning before cloud builds over the lake. Weekdays avoid the Tagaytay weekend crush.

Honest expectations

The building is an unfinished shell, not a restored site, and there is little interpretation. Cloud frequently hides the view entirely. Entry, parking and the ride up are all charged separately, and vendors are persistent.

Nearby

Tagaytay's ridge restaurants are below; Taal Lake and the volcano are in the caldera.