THE first thing that strikes one’s mind on hearing the word “summer” is that of vacations. As exciting as it may sound, selecting the best summer holiday destinations can be a tedious task.

A road trip is a popular summer activity, and so Metro Pacific Tollways South (MPT South) invites travelers to “Biyaheng South” (travel to the South) to explore hidden gems and treasures of the provinces of Cavite and Laguna that will surely give you that refreshing summer spirit, made even more accessible through its Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

Cafe-hopping in Tagaytay has always been a perfect spot for cafes, thanks to its good weather and perfect scenic view of Taal Lake.

Visit these fairly new instagrammable cafes in the city, sip on their delicious beverages, and relax with its overlooking view: Lawa Café-Tagaytay (Located at Purok 2 Maharlika West, Tagaytay, Cavite) to get there, travelers are advised to go to CALAX, take the exit at Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd., turn right onto Tagaytay-Calamba Rd., and drive straight until you reach Tagaytay, Cavite.

Kape Sina Una-Tagaytay, located at Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway, Laurel, Batangas (Before Twin Lakes Tagaytay) is accessible too via CALAX by taking the exit at Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd., turn right onto Tagaytay-Calamba Rd., drive straight until you reach Tagaytay, Cavite.

Your Tagaytay food trip will never be completed without a satisfying bowl of the most famous Bulalo (beef shank soup).

But have you also tried the “rising star” dish in the city? The Sizzling Bulalo.

This is one of the best sellers, aside from their lechon belly, of this new farm-to-table restaurant located near Tagaytay – Famu Dining, which is located at Purok 5 Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, Pasong Langka, Silang, Cavite

How about trying some “extra-ordinary” dishes? This restaurant offers “Sinigang na Fried Chicken”.

The delicious fried chicken marinated in sinigang broth is available at Kapeng Mainit at Maharlika Ave., cor. A. Cruz Herrera Maharlika East, Tagaytay City.

To fully enjoy your much-awaited trip, spend a night or two with your loved ones, family, or friends in this cozy city. Book a stay here in a breezy, quiet, and serene bed and breakfast near Tagaytay that offers forest cabin rooms perfect for unwinding.

Book a staycation at Lucia’s Bed and Breakfast at Daang Balite Rd., Silang, Cavite

To get to Lucia’s via CALAX, take the exit at the Laguna Blvd. Interchange, then turn right onto South Blvd., turn right onto Cardiac Rd., drive straight onto Bgy. Tibig Rd., turn left then turn right onto Munting Ilog, turn left onto Iba Elementary School, turn right onto E Asuncion, turn left onto J Rizal then merge on Emilio Aguinaldo Hwy., turn left onto Daang Balite Rd. (Infront of Acienda Designer Outlet).

“We invite travelers to make use of CALAX to reach summer destinations such as Tagaytay so that they can save on time and make the most of their summer experience. To add to making sure your road trip goes smoothly, we encourage travelers to have an RFID installed and make sure it has sufficient load to avoid queues at our cash lane”, said MPT South Assistant Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management and Spokesperson, Arlette V. Capistrano.

The toll road company also assures 24/7 motorist assistance as seasonal travelers on its network are expected to increase.

“Our social media page and hotline 1-35000 is available 24/7 for customer assistance. We also have emergency call boxes along CALAX that directly connect to our traffic control room for emergency roadside assistance,” added Capistrano.

MPT South holds the concession for the 18-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX); the 14-kilometer Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX); and the CAVITEX C5 Link Segment.

These are ongoing projects that will soon be interconnected and will shorten the travel time from Metro Manila to Cavite and Laguna by 45 minutes.

For more travel tips going to South, follow MPT South’s tourism page @biyahengsouth on Facebook and TikTok.

Metro Pacific Tollways South is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.

Aside from the CAVITEX and Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) network in the South of Manila, MPTC’s portfolio includes the concessions for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), the NLEX Connector Road, and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cebu.