The TLYC Volcano Treks and Sightseeing Tours

Taal Volcano had a Phreatic eruption on January 12 2020.  Volcano Tours that land on the island have been suspended, but we still have boat trips and sightseeing on the lake.

The club is open for some activities like sailing and boat rentals. You can rent boats to go around the island, however the tours to the island itself, may still be suspended as you read this.  You can call or text 09171231403 or 09178383726 to check.

Oct 17, 2022 update:

We have TWO “banca tours” and a “speedboat version” of the tour.  All tours are weather dependent so its a good idea to reserve, and get a weather update.

*FOR ALL BANCA TRIPS: Capacity of the Banca boat is 6 adult pax .  A Php100 touism fee per person (municipal ordinance), 500 tourguide per boat (municipal ordinance).

THE ONE HOUR SIGHTSEEING TOUR costs P3500 per hour plus “For all BANCA trips” fees.  Depending on the weather, the banca either goes along the Talisay shoreline, or if its calm, to the nearby shoreline of volcano island.

Free extra Benefits worth P1k: Free hut for 3 hrs (including 1 hr of trip) on weekends and holidays,  Whole day on weekdays. 2 whole day entry fees..

THE TOUR AROUND VOLCANO ISLAND costs 7500,  plus “For all trips” fees.  The trip is expected to take around 3 hours.  This trip is sometimes canceled on windy days. Those days sometimes happen in December, January, and February.

Free Extra Benefits worth P1.2K: free hut for 4 hrs (in addition to hrs of trip) on weekends and holidays,  whole day on weekdays. 4 free day entry fees

THE SPEEDBOAT OPTION costs twice as much as the banca option. The “for all trips” costs are the same, and the benefits are the same.

pcapotosto@yahoo.com

===================================

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

TAAL LAKE YACHT CLUB IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
We are a membership club. Club members have special privileges over guest members and walk ins, but those have to do mostly with boat storage, and sailing benefits, It has nothing to do with Taal Volcano trips or Taal Volcano Tours, except that members automatically get the prepaid rate.

THIS PAGE IS UPDATED
We take our word, our reputation, and your safety very seriously.
If  its on this page, its correct. No need to ask if our prices are current, even though they are inexpensive. If we update our prices at TLYC, but we did not update them here,  you can STILL get whatever deal is on this page.

Apple IPhone 4S 048

OVERVIEW
Taal Volcano, in the Philippines,  was originally  a huge volcano, that towered 18,000 feet up into the sky. It has been called the smallest active volcano, because it seems small now, but that is a subject of controversy.  Many scientists believe that it is one of the largest volcanoes in the world.  Tagaytay Ridge is the rim of Taal Volcano! When Taal Volcano was 18,000 feet high, Tagaytay ridge would have been only about a sixth of the way to the top of the volcano!! In the distance, Mt. Makulot forms part of the other side of the rim, and it is a favorite trek for climbers. It is located about 70-km south of Manila on “volcano island” inside a lake called Taal Lake, or Lake Taal.

Taal Lake itself, has a sulfur content that is higher than normal, and it is good for swimming. I believe the high sulfur content is good for the skin, especially if you swim in it regularly. The fish are certainly healthy! (the tilapia is really inexpensive too! Its excellent, and it can be cooked for you, or you can cook it yourself on a grill at Taal Lake Yacht Club)

chihuahua 203

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

RATES  

TLYC has 2 different volcano trails that we go to. The Regular Tourist Trail,   and the Secret Trail. Each of these trails is different from the other, and the differences are explained in each Trail Description section below.

RegSecretTrailMap

Choose the boat option you want, then add the other charges.  If you are still confused, scroll down further, and you will find rates calculated by the number of people in your party.

Our price also includes:
1) Free entry fees for up to 5 people  (up to  P1500 value!)  .
2) A free hut for 2 hrs, AFTER your return from the volcano on weekends or holidays. OR for 5 hours on weekdays!
(up to P400 value!)
3) Free Parking
4) Free Showers
5) No corkage fees (you can bring your own food/picnic)

When taking a Volcano tour with us, you get your own private hut, with a nice lake view, for several hours, and free entry, which for 5 people, would be a P1900.00 value. You are getting that for free,  so you might as well use it and enjoy it.

Scroll down further and find out how to get information on how to get the prepayment discount.

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL
Walk-In Rate P3,300.00  per Group max 5 pax
Prepaid Rate P2,400.00 per Group max 5 Pax

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: The Regular Tourist trail. or “Daang Kastila” is the traditional trail that tourists climb.  It goes to the rim of the volcano, and you can look down into the crater and see the inner lake, with the island inside.  On the way up, guides will steer you past steam vents, that are a true reminder of the volcano’s “Active” status.  Most people go on horseback. and the top is a bit “touristy”.  It is a sheer cliff down to the inner lake, so you cannot descend to the inner lake from here.  It takes around 2.5 to 3 hours round trip from TLYC.

BOAT PRICE:
Boat Price is PER BOAT
not per person.  Maximum 5 passengers per boat. 
REGULAR Walk-in Rate: 
Price per boat: =  P3,300.00
Prepaid rate: = P2,400.00 see details in Bank Prepayment Discount section below.
Choose your option above, and add extra charges.

EXTRA CHARGES:
Guide Fee:  Free
Municipal Tourism Tax = P100.00/person
Boat Landing Fee = P50.00/boat
Horses= P600.00/horse.  Horses are recommended, but they are not mandatory

SECRET TRAIL
Walk-In Rate P4,300.00 per Group max 5 pax
Prepaid Rate P3,400.00 
per Group max 5 Pax

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: The Secret Trail, or Calauit Trail,  is twice as far from the club by water, as the regular trail.  The difference is that it is the only trail that allows you to go down into the inner lake that you can just see from the Regular Trail.  It takes around 4-5 hours to do the Secret Trail.  To find more out about the “Secret Trail”, click here.

BOAT PRICE:
Boat Price is PER BOAT
not per personMaximum 5 passengers per boat. 
Walk-in Rate: 
Price per boat: = P4,300.00
Prepaid rate: = P3,400.00 see details in Bank Prepayment Discount section below.
Choose your option above, and add extra charges.

EXTRA CHARGES:
Guide Fee:  P350.00/Group
Municipal Tourism Tax = P70.00/person
Boat Landing Fee = P50.00/boat
Horses = P750.00/ horse.  Horses are HIGHLY recommended, but they are not mandatory

montessori x24 2007-08 mitos camahort 121

EASY CALCULATOR/LIST BELOW

Having trouble figuring out the price  so you can prepay?
Scroll down and find the right  NUMBER OF PEOPLE  doing the trip.

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

Banca Prepaid Prices
of 2 most popular trails are listed, with options.

1 BOAT 1 GUEST
==============
REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P2,400.00
Municipal Tax:           100.00 (1 head x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                50.00
Tour Guide Fee:          __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horse     2,550.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:               600.00 (1 horse x 600.00/horse)
—————
TOTAL WITH Horse              3,150.00 PREPAID
=========

SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P3,400.00

Municipal Tax:             70.00 (1 head x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 50.00
Tour Guide Fee:         350.00
TOTAL WITHOUT Horse     3,870.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended) Horse Fee:          750.00 (1 horse x 750.00/horse)
—————-
WITH Horse             4,620.00 PREPAID
=========

==============
1 BOAT 2 GUESTS
==============

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P2,400.00
Municipal Tax:          200.00 (2 heads x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                50.00
Tour Guide Fee:          __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     2,650.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:       1,200.00 (2 horses x 600.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             3,850.00 PREPAID
=========

SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P3,400.00
Municipal Tax:           140.00 (2 heads x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 50.00
Tour Guide Fee:         350.00
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     3,940.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended) Horse Fee:       1,500.00 (2 horses x 750.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             5,440.00 PREPAID
=========

==============
1 BOAT 3 GUESTS
==============

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P2,400.00
Municipal Tax:          300.00 (3 heads x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                50.00
Tour Guide Fee:          __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     2,750.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:      1,800.00 (3 horses x 600.00/horse)
—————-
WITH Horses              4,550.00 PREPAID
=========

SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P3,400.00
Municipal Tax:           210.00 (3 heads x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 50.00
Tour Guide Fee:         350.00
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     4,010.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended) Horse Fee:       2,250.00 (3 horses x 750.00/horse)
—————
TOTAL WITH Horses             6,260.00 PREPAID
=========

==============
1 BOAT 4 GUESTS
==============

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P2,400.00
Municipal Tax:           400.00 (4 heads x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 50.00
Tour Guide Fee:           __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     2,850.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:       2,400.00 (4 horses x 600.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             5,250.00 PREPAID
=========
SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P3,400.00
Municipal Tax:           280.00 (4 heads x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 50.00
Tour Guide Fee:         350.00
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     4,080.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended) Horse Fee:       3,000.00 (4 horses x 750.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             7,080.00 PREPAID
=========

==============
1 BOAT 5 GUESTS
==============

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P2,400.00
Municipal Tax:           500.00 (5 heads x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                50.00
Tour Guide Fee:          __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     2,950.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:      3,000.00 (5 horses x 600.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             5,950.00 PREPAID
=========

SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P3,400.00
Municipal Tax:           350.00 (5 heads x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 50.00
Tour Guide Fee:         350.00
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     4,150.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended) Horse Fee:       3,750.00 (5 horses x 750.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             7,900.00 PREPAID
=========

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

==============
2 BOATS 10 GUESTS
==============

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P4,800.00 (2,400/boat x 2 boats)
Municipal Tax:       1,000.00 (10 heads x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:              100.00 (50.00/boat x 2 boats)
Tour Guide Fee:          __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     5,900.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:       6,000.00 (10 horses x 600.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses             11,900.00 PREPAID
=========

SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P6,800.00 (3,400/boat x 2 boats)
Municipal Tax:          700.00 (10 heads x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:              100.00 (50.00/boat x 2 boats)
Tour Guide Fee:        700.00 (350.00/boat x 2 boats)
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses    8,300.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended) Horse Fee:    7,500.00 (10 horses x 750.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses         15,800.00 PREPAID
=========

==============
3 BOATS 15 GUESTS
==============

REGULAR TOURIST TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 2-2.5hrs
Boat Fees:             P7,200.00 (2,400/boat x 3 boats)
Municipal Tax:       1,500.00 (15 heads x 100.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:              150.00 (50.00/boat x 3 boats)
Tour Guide Fee:          __.__ WAIVED
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses     8,850.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL Horse Fee:       9,000.00 (15 horses x 600.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses           17,850.00 PREPAID
=========

SECRET/CALAUIT TRAIL >>>>> Trekking Hours: 3-3.5hrs

Boat Fees:             P10,200.00 (3,400/boat x 3 boats)
Municipal Tax:         1,050.00 (15 heads x 70.00/head-Tourism Fee)
Landing Fee:                 150.00 (50.00/boat x 3 boats)
Tour Guide Fee:        1,050.00 (350.00/boat x 3 boats)
—————-
TOTAL WITHOUT Horses   12,450.00 PREPAID
=========
OPTIONAL(but highly recommended) Horse Fee:    11,250.00 (15 horses x 750.00/horse)
—————-
TOTAL WITH Horses           23,700.00 PREPAID
=========

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

CREDIT CARDS
We can no longer accept them.
PLDT, 
the phone company with a virtual monopoly on all landlines in the country, was once pressured by other companies to improve their service, but this stopped a few years ago, when they bought up almost all the competition.  Since then, data and phone demand has continued to grow exponentially, while service has deteriorated inversely.  We can no longer accept credit cards because we cannot get a proper verification connection.  Sorry.

OTHER CHARGES and free stuff.

When taking a Volcano tour with us, you get your own private hut, with a nice lake view, for several hours, and free entry, which for 5 people, would be a P950.00 value.  You are getting that for free,  so you might as well use it and enjoy it.

HORSES
It is the norm to do the trail on horses which are led by their owners.  If you take Horses, the ride is about 30 minutes, vs walking, about 40 minutes on the regular trail.  The horses are more like donkeys than horses, they are small, and stubborn, so they are led.  The owners will not let you ride on your own.
On the regular trail, horses are recommended but not mandatory.
On the Secret Trail, the horses are HIGHLY recommended.  The horses will have better footing than you, and the walk is very tiring.

See horse pricing, in BANCA PREPAID PRICES above, for rates.

MUNICIPAL FEES– “Tourism” and “Landing” fees.
The municipality charges for landing on the island, on the pretense that they will make usable bathrooms one day.  Charges are P100.00 (Regular Trail) P50.00 (Secret Trail) per person, plus P50.00 for the boat when non residents of the island land there.  See examples above, in BANCA PREPAID PRICES.

GETTING TO TLYC

For directions on how to get to the club, please visit  www.tlyc.com/how-to-get-here/

BANK PREPAYMENT DISCOUNT
( PREPAID RATE )

Available by paying directly into our bank account. Details are available by emailing the

Makati office: ronpablo1966@yahoo.com or by calling him at 8113183, or 8113283 , or 09178045857

Club dispatcher: Arlyn or Sonia at caringalarlyn18@gmail.com, 0437730192 , Globe 09171231403 or Sun 09338595220. Arlyn and Sonia can also answer questions regarding things like lunch.

Pre-Payment is only available by Physically depositing cash thru a BPI or BDO teller into one of our bank accounts. The deposit slip serves as a sort of  ” Deposit Ticket”   Whoever holds the original deposit slip from a bank where we have an account is the one entitled to the deposit, so you must bring the bank original deposit slip to the club. its like a Managers Check. This is why WE CANNOT ACCEPT electronic payments, bank transfers, Western Union or any other money transfer services etc.   Only ORIGINAL TELLER signed deposit slips from any branch of a bank where we have an account will be accepted, or bank transfer BPi to BPI.  Unfortunately, ATM deposit slips CANNOT be accepted, because the bank can claim that the amount actually deposited does not match the amount inputted on the keyboard, by the depositor.

The prepayment discount is not valid with other promotions or discounts.

If you are unsure of which trail to take, pay for the less expensive one.  The amount you paid will be applied to any upgrade, and you will still get the prepaid rate if you upgrade.

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

GET THE PREPAID RATE WITHOUT GOING TO THE BANK

The way to do it is to CAMP the night before, and enjoy the beautiful nights at TLYC.
Check our page http://www.tlyc.com/camping-grounds/
Look at our new “Option 3”  Its a new option that allows you to get an early volcano trip, and avoid the hassle of depositing at the bank, so you can get the “Prepaid” discount.
“Arrive PAST 3PM on day 1. Get a hut. prepay and schedule a banca trip for anytime before 8AM, And set up your tent.  Enjoy the evening.  BEFORE 7AM, finish packing up all your stuff. Dismantle your tent. Completely clear out of the hut. Take your volcano trip.
If you follow this procedure, your hut is free. Your entry is free, all you pay is the volcano trip on the day you arrive, and the tent.  Technically you are in “Day 1” till 7AM and you just used the free hut and entry fee, before your banca trip, instead of after it. ”
Take your volcano trip after you break camp.

RESERVATIONS

The prepaid rate is not a reservation.  Its a discount.

Generally speaking, you don’t need a reservation.  We almost always always have bancas available immediately.  Even on holiday weekends, if all boats are out, its extremely unusual to have to wait more than 20 to 30 minutes.  Just kick back in your free private hut, enjoy the scenery, order a drink, relax a bit.
rome 006
So, if you don’t mind waiting a bit for your Banca, or don’t know exactly when you will arrive due to traffic or your friends or kids bathroom schedules, there is NO NEED TO READ this RESERVATIONS section.  Jump straight to the next section TIMING, below reservations.
We have 2 types of reservation are listed below.
DISCOUNTED RESERVATION
Reservations are not usually necessary, but if you insist on having one, you may pay at the discounted rate.  Unlike REGULAR Prepaid discounted slips, that are valid for one year, Prepaid discounted RESERVATION slips are only valid for use from the time stated, till 45 minutes after the stated time. After that time they are totally void.
They cannot be used, and there is no refund.
To make a Discounted Reservation, clearly write  “Non- Refundable Reservation” in big bold letters directly on your deposit slip.
Tape the deposit slip to an A4 size paper and on the paper, in big bold print, write the time and date of your desired departure from TLYC.
You mat state ANY time from 5:00 AM till 3:30 PM (Regular Tourist Trail) or 2:00 PM (Secret Trail).
Fax or scan and email a copy of your properly marked paper and deposit slip with schedule to us, at least one working day before your scheduled arrival time.  Call to be sure we received it.
Fax to:  0437730192.  Confirm after at 0437730192,  09171231403 or o9338595220.
Email: Scan and send to pjtacan@yahoo.com. confirm at 028113283 or text 09053458869.  If emailing, wait at least one hour for a response during office hours.
REFUNDABLE RESERVATION
If you want a refundable option, the procedure is the same as above, but pay at the regular rate, not the discounted rate. Next to the time of departure, write “Refundable Reservation”.
Refundable reservations follow the refund policy (see REFUNDS section)
You may state ANY  time from 8:00 AM till 3:30 PM (Regular Tourist Trail) or 2:00 PM (Secret Trail).

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

FOOD

TLYC has simple packaged snacks, and drinks all the time.  TLYC does not have its own full blown restaurant full time, so you are allowed to bring food.
During most months of the year, especially October thru May, we partner with local food outlets, so you can order food at the club, and it will be delivered to your private hut at the club.
For some more details, you can click this link.

TIMING

The club opens at 8:00 AM and we generally stop sending boats out at 3:30 PM, because we don’t want you walking on the trail in the dark.  Its common to time the hike to the volcano in the early morning, to be back at Taal Lake Yacht Club for lunch.  Late afternoon trips are also popular.

EARLY DEPARTURES. We do accommodate  departures as early as 5:00 AM. However, you must arrange it with THE CLUB (0437730192) by latest 4:00 PM the day before, AND call us when you are on your way here.

TIMING YOUR DEPARTURE:
There are no time slots because the bancas are reserved individually.  You have your own Private Banca.  Your private driver, and your private guide.  You go when you want to go.  You don’t need to wait for anyone.  And no other passengers are waiting for you.

TRAVEL TIME TO AND FROM TAAL VOLCANO ISLAND :
Travel time to and from Volcano Island is about 20 minutes each way, for the Regular Tourist Trail ( Daang Kastila ), or the Christie Kenney Trail.  It is double that, for the Secret Trail.

LENGTH OF STAY ON TAAL VOLCANO ISLAND:
Excluding banca travel time, guests usually spend a little less than 2 hours on the island for the Regular Trail or Christie Kennney Trails. The fastest time to do the regular trail, is an hour, on horseback.  An hour and 20 minutes, walking.  If you plan to stay on the island longer than 3 hours (extremely rare) you must tell the dispatcher in advance.  There may be extra charges of up to P1,000.00/hour in excess of 3 hours if you stay longer.  Clear it with the dispatcher first.

Excluding banca travel time, guests usually spend 3 hours on the island for the Secret Trail. The fastest time to do the Secret Trail, is 2 hours, on horseback. 3 hours if walking.  If you plan to stay on the island longer than 4 hours (extremely rare), you must tell the dispatcher in advance.  There may be extra charges of up to P1,000.00/hour in excess of 4 hours if you stay longer.  Clear it with the dispatcher first.

CALL THE CLUB BEFORE YOU COME:
Call 0437730192, 09338595220, 09171231403  when you are already on your way to the club.  This alerts the dispatcher that you are indeed coming, and that she should prepare your boat.

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

WEATHER and TRIP CANCELLATIONS DUE TO WEATHER

You can  call the club to get weather info.  Its best to check it yourself though.  Sometimes the wind is very strong, (typhoons and sometimes in January and February.  You can check yourself, at the bottom of this page.
Look for the box with colors and symbols that the bottom of this page. Above the box, it says TAAL LAKE Philippines.  The dates are below that line. Under the dates, are times of the day. You can use the slider bar (android and windows) at the bottom, to change the date.
Look at the line that says “Gust (kn)”  If the numbers on your day and time are below 15, you should be ok for all trails.  At 19 and above, Secret Trail is probably cancelled.  At 24 and above, Regular trail is probably cancelled.

If the wind is below 10, bring lots of water to drink.  If its above 12 you will probably get splashed on the boat.  If its over 18, prepare to get soaked.

WHAT TO WEAR/ TO BRING

If at all possible, check the weather before you come.    Read the WEATHER section above.
Its usually very sunny, so a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and water are almost always a good idea.  The trail is often hot and sometimes dusty, so its OK to wear a bandana and pretend you are an outlaw on your horse in the wild wild west.
On windy days you will get wet.  Bring extra clothes, and a rain jacket or windbreaker type jacket.  Bring a towel.

SAFETY

Our Bancas have cellphones, lifejackets, fire extinguishers, and we have extra boats for any eventuality.  We pride ourselves on trying to be the safest service on the lake.  There are NO other boat services that have these safety backups.  Not even one.
Philippine Coast Guard dictates that Bancas on Taal Lake can only take 5 paying passengers, regardless of size.  We follow that, so as not to invalidate our insurance.  We don’t know of any other carrier that has valid insurance.

montessori x24 2007-08 mitos camahort 109
Our Policy is “No Life-vest, no Travel”.  Unlike other operators on the lake, we are seriously concerned about your safety, because our own experience is much more comprehensive.  We are a Yacht Club, after all, and we push for safety on the lake.
40knotsTropicalJungle
The Philippines has a very bad maritime safety record.  It is up to individual operators to give refunds and cancel trips.  This is a boat from “Tropical Jungle”.  Unlike other operators, we don’t run in weather like this.  We would rather give you a refund.  We cancelled 11 boat trips on January 17, 2014.  On shore, the wind was not that strong.  TLYC was the first to start cancelling trips.  The Coast guard did not cancel trips until one huge 60 person boat started breaking apart and almost sank.  Photo Taken January 17, 2014. Taken with Canon 1,200mm lens.

TAAL VOLCANO ON ALERT LEVEL 1
Is it safe to trek the volcano?
Taal is an active volcano with fissures and steam vents.  Common sense is required.  You will be walking up trails that are not paved.  Rainwater creates gullies big enough to walk through, and small enough to twist your ankle on.  Be careful when you walk, or take a horse.  Do not expect stairs, handrails, or wheelchair access.
You may read a newspaper article that Taal Volcano is on alert level 1.  It is usually on Alert level 1.  If it goes to Alert level 2, Trips are cancelled.

LECTURES

TLYC Volcano Tours- Lecture

Upon special request, especially when we have large corporate groups, or school groups, we can give  special lectures about the volcano, which shatter many common misconceptions that are taught in local schools, and offer new insights to the real power of this volcano.  You must have a discounted reservation (non-refundable) for at least 5 boats, to avail of a free shoreside lecture. Lectures are reserved separately from bancas.

Everything below this line is old. We have kept it here below because we expect to go back to it again, and you will know what to expect when we can Officially land on the island again.

REFUNDS

We do give refunds. If we can give you a refund on the spot, we will. Alternatively,  The Makati office can  credit your local bank account, or if its Your fault, you may have to pick up the refund at the Makati office.

REFUNDS THAT ARE NOT YOUR FAULT
– If you come at a time when the weather is bad, and we tell you that we wont take you, because of it, you are entitled to a full refund.
–  If for any reason We cant take you, and its our fault, you are entitled to a full refund.

REFUNDS or RESCHEDULING THAT ARE YOUR FAULT
– If you can’t go on the scheduled date or time,  you can reschedule without penalty, for up to a year from the time you deposited into our account.
– You forgot your ticket/deposit slip at home. You went to the club and asked for credit equal to your deposit slip because you have a picture of your deposit slip on your phone.  Sorry, but you need to pay again. Your deposit slip is like a check or a concert ticket. You need to present it at the ticket window.  Anybody can use that ticket/slip, so we need to collect the original copy from you.  You will therefore need to pay again. HOWEVER, our staff will make an annotation on your new receipt from us, that you can get a FULL REFUND of your deposit, by presenting the receipt, and the original deposit slip, to the Makati office when you find your deposit slip.
– If you have a problem on YOUR side, you can’t go and you want a refund, there is a  penalty equal to the discount we gave you.  P900 per boat. It is therefore better to find time to reschedule, or give your deposit slip as a gift.

GIFTS
-The deposit slip can be used as a gift check.

Contact Person/s
Makati Office: Ronnie Pablo  Landline: +63 2 811 3283
cell +639178045857
email: ronpablo1966@yahoo.com

For the best/fastest service, call the  club:
Arlyn Caringal or Sonia Lucero TLYC Landline: +63 43 773 0192 Globe: 09171231403 Sun cell: 09338595220

Complaints or suggestions:
Peter Capotosto:  +63 917 838 3726 (cell unavailable from June-August)
eMail: peter@tlyc.com

GETTING HERE

Click on this link to visit or page with DIRECTIONS TO TLYC this page has maps, and details of how to get to us by private or public transport.

Have a good trip!