Taytay Falls, Majayjay, Laguna

road to Majayjay

Ever since I started riding my bike in 2008, Majayjay, Laguna is one of my favorite spots to visit. The twist and turns of the road from Nagcarlan, Liliw and Majayjay will surely give you the goose-bumps while you are riding your mountain bike or your motorcycle. I have passed this route for so many times ever since I enjoyed my annual visita iglesia of the different provinces in Southern Luzon and the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban.

It was a welcome opportunity for me to take this route anew for my motorcyle tour of the different falls in Laguna. Usually, I travel alone but Alvin Mendoza decided to join this tour and it was another opportunity that I won't miss.

How to get there

There are so many options on how to reach the spot.

Option 1 - Sta. Cruz Route (best route)

From Buendia, Pasay, ride the the bus (DLTB or Greenstar) going to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Fare is P140.00. Travel time is 2-3 hours depending on the traffic in Calamba and Los Banos, Laguna. Then, alight at Sta. Cruz and ride the tricycle to Sta. Cruz market (loob ng palengke). Ride the jeep going to Majayjay. Fare is P35.00. Reaching the town of Majayjay, ride the jeep going to Taytay Falls. Fare is P16/pax. The availability of the jeepney ride is from 6 am - 10 am only. After the said hours, you have to rent the tricycle for P700.00.

Option 2 -San Pablo Route

From Buendia or Cubao, ride the bus going to Lucena.

From Buendia, ride the Jacliner, Jam, DLTB or Lucena Lines bus going to Lucena. Fare going to San Pablo City is around P100.00. Travel time to San Pablo City is more or less 1.5 hours. Reaching San Pablo City, ride the tricycle to the terminal of the jeep going to Nagcarlan. Then, jeepney ride to Nagcarlan. Fare is P40.00. Then, another jeepney ride to Majayjay. Fare is P16.00. Then, ride the jeep going to Taytay Falls.  Fare is P16/pax. The availability of the jeepney ride is from 6 am - 10 am only. After the said hours, you have to rent the tricycle for P700.00.

Option 3 -  Antipolo Route

From Antipolo, Rizal, ride the jeepney going to Siniloan. Reaching Siniloan, ride the jeepney going to Sta. Cruz. Fare is P35.00 and travel time is 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reaching Sta. Cruz,   ride the tricycle to Sta. Cruz market (loob ng palengke). Ride the jeep going to Majayjay. Fare is P35.00. Reaching the town of Majayjay, ride the jeep going to Taytay Falls. Fare is P16/pax. The availability of the jeepney ride is from 6 am - 10 am only. After the said hours, you have to rent the tricycle for P700.00.

Option 4 - Lucena Route (farthest from Manila)

Ride the bus going to Lucena either from Cubao or Buendia, Pasay.

Fare from Buendia to Lucena Grand Central Terminal is P209.50 (127 kilometers). Travel time is 3-4 hours from Buendia. Arriving at the Lucena Grand Central Terminal, ride the mini-bus/jeep going to Lucban, Quezon. Fare is P35.00. In Lucban, ride the jeep going to Majayjay. Fare is less than P10.00.  Alight at Barangay Gagalot, Majayjay, Laguna. Then, ride the tricycle going to Taytay Falls for P20.00/pax.

But it was different on our part, Alvin and I are from Tanauan City and we used our motorcycles for this tour. We left Tanauan City 5:30 am and after 2 hours of biking, we reached the town of Majayjay. We have not taken our breakfast and we took it at Titanic Restaurant. They offer a variety of dishes from pork, chicken, goat, carabeef, horse and beef. A place for your appetite!

Alvin and I enjoying the meal

  

We tried their kambing (goat), horse and carabeef dishes. And we were all set and ready to go to the falls after the meal.

Alvin with his favorite pose

Just beside the resto is the famous and national treasure, Majayjay Church. And we visited the church as part of the morning ritual.

From Majayjay town, we rode for more or less 15 minutes before reaching the Barangay Hall of Gagalot.

There I met Kagawad Larry who was kind enough to give me the details of the Taytay Falls and even his contact number.

Entrance fee - P20.00

Overnight fee - P30.00

Rent of tent - P200.00 (good for 4 pax)

Rent of tent - P350.00 (good for (7-8 pax)

Tent space - free

Rent of hammock - bring your own

Best time to visit is summer.

Lean month is December.

Barangay Hotline - 0915-527-8826

parking area

  From the Barangay outpost to the parking area, the walk itself is less than 2 minutes.

food establishments

Food is not a problem here. There are so many food establishments (or turo-turo) within the vicinity. There are even lodging houses inside the parking area for your accommodation in case you do not want to sleep at the falls. But I saw a videoke bar just beside the entrance of the falls and surely, that would deter the tranquility of the night.

entrance

From the entrance/jump-off point, it took us only less than 10 minutes before we reached the site of the falls. You will enjoy the scenery along the way.

If you happen to be a nature lover, then, you will surely enjoy the sight of nature as it unfolds right before your eyes while you are taking your walk towards the falls.

And after minutes of walking, you will reach the camping site. There are toilets and places for your cooking needs which are provided for free once you have paid the entrance fee.

A couple more of steps and you will reach the Taytay Falls. There is actually a man-made basin nestled at the bottom of the falls. There you can enjoy swimming in the cold waters of the falls!

Again, you will surely be delighted to the sight of the falls and its surrounding areas.

You will surely stare at the falls for a couple of minutes. We did!

After more than 30 minutes, we decided to go to our next destination, Bunga Twin Falls in Nagcarlan, Laguna. There are a total of 14 prohibited acts at the site of the falls. Just make sure you read the banner at the entrance. Almost all the acts mentioned pertain the eco-tourism activities.

There is another falls in Majayjay called Bukal Falls. We decided not to go there since the trek to the falls is 2 hours. The site of the falls is near the boundary of Majayjay and Liliw, Laguna. Another place to visit is the Majayjay Paradise. 

It was Really Fun in Taytay Falls!

  

Bunga Twin Falls, Nagcarlan, Laguna

Underground Cemetery

Nagcarlan, Laguna is known for having its Underground Cemetery.

But other than this tourist spot, there is also another one that you should not miss.

Inside the Underground Cemetery

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and Alvin Mendoza and I decided to cruise around Laguna and visit the various water falls of Laguna. Our first stop that day was the famous Taytay Falls in Majayjay. Going back from Majayjay, our next stop was the Bunga Twin Falls in Nagcarlan, Laguna. But along the way, we had to stop and take souvenir pictures of this national treasure - the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery. 

After our souvenir shots, we decided to head towards our destination.

The starting point of the tour was Nagcarlan Municipal Hall. From there, we headed to Barangay Bunga and you will definitely enjoy the view while cruising towards the falls.

How to get there 

From Manila (Pasay) or Cubao, ride a bus going to Lucena.

From Buendia, Pasay (Manila), ride either DLTB, Jam Liner, Lucena Lines or Jac Liner going to Lucena. Fare is around P100 only. Travel time is more or less 80-90 minutes. Alight in San Pablo City, ride a tricycle to the terminal of the jeep going to Nagcarlan, Laguna. Travel time to the tricycle terminal is 12-15 minutes. Reaching the Nagcarlan jeep terminal, ride the jeep to Nagcarlan. Fare is P25.00 and travel time is 15-20 minutes from San Pablo City to Nagcarlan. Alight at the Nagcarlan market, and then ride the tricycle to Bunga Twin Falls (Barangay Bunga). Rent of the tricycle is P60.00 or P20/pax. Tricycle ride is 8-10 minutes.

You will enjoy the trike ride to Bunga Twin falls because of the scenery along the way.

There is another mode of going there. But this time the route is from Antipolo. But I do not recommend this if you are staying in Manila. 

From Antipolo, ride the jeep going to Siniloan. From Siniloan, another jeepney ride to Sta. Cruz. From Sta. Cruz, another jeepney ride to Liliw, Laguna. And from Liliw, another jeepney ride to Nagcarlan. And from Nagcarlan Market, the tricycle ride to Bunga Twin Falls.

And the last mode is via Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

     

From the town of Nagcarlan, it took us less than 10 minutes before we reached the parking area. The fee for the parking area is P15.00/ vehicle.

A couple of steps from the parking area, we reached the entrance of the falls and paid P5.00/pax as entrance fee. 

From the entrance, Alvin and I had to descend towards the falls. The path is quite easy, unless it rains of course, and it then becomes slippery. It took us only less than 2 minutes before we reached the site of the falls.

And finally, we reached - Bunga Twin Falls!

panoramic view

Honestly, I prefer Bunga Twin Falls vis-a-vis Taytay Falls for the simple reason that it is not yet developed compared to the numerous structures in Taytay Falls. More so, the crowd is lesser than in Taytay Falls.

Entrance fee - P5.00/pax

Rent of cottage - P200 or P300

Overnight rent of cottage - P400

Payment for the barangay tanod (security) for overnight stay - minimum of P300 or higher depending on your kind discretion

Tent rent - bring your own 

Tent space - no fee (best spot is at the parking area)

hammock rent- bring your own

Place to set up your hammock - there are plenty to choose from at the parking area

Activities

swimming, nature tripping, trekking, camping

Water is deep!

Contact person/OIC at the entrance - Ms. Rema Ortiz (0949-625-9301)

With Biyaheng Tipid (lady in brown) and Larga-Bista (guy in red)

The best part of the tour was that  I got the opportunity/privilege of meeting my fellow bloggers who were taking a dip in the cold water of the river. I met Biyaheng Tipid and Larga-Bista! I hope in the near future I will be given the chance to meet my idol Pinay Travel Junkie! That would surely be a moment to remember! =)

It's Really Fun in Bunga Twin Falls!

Hidden Falls in Hidden Valley Springs, Calauan, Laguna

from www.traveltophillippines

From Majayjay, Laguna, Alvin Mendoza and I cruised our way back to Batangas. 

We had our motorcycle tour and went to Taytay Falls in Majayjay and Bunga Twin Falls in Nagcarlan, Laguna. 
Our target that day was touring the different falls in Laguna. 

Bukal Falls in Majayjay was stricken out from the list since the trek was good for 2 hours. The last stop of the motorcycle tour was the Hidden Falls in Hidden Valley Springs in Calauan, Laguna. It was past 1 pm when we reached Alaminos, Laguna. 

And the rain was about to pour. 

Apasan tricycle terminal

How to get there

From Manila (Pasay) or Cubao, ride a bus going to Lucena. 

From Buendia, you can ride either Jacliner Bus, Lucena Lines, Jam or DLTB. Travel time from Buendia to Alaminos less the traffic is 1 hour. Fare is P90.00. Alight at 7-Eleven (town proper) in Alaminos or in Alaminos market. Then, go to the market and look for the terminal which says "Apasan." The fare in the tricycle ride is P80, for non-guest, or P200 for guests (2-3 pax only). The distance from the terminal to Hidden Valley is 5 kilometers.

I asked the staff of Hidden Valley whether it is possible to go directly to Calauan instead of using the Alaminos route and he told me that it was not possible since the connecting bridge is broken. 

Well, If you have your car, you can drive directly to Alaminos, Laguna.

It was different on our part since we came all the way from Majayjay, Laguna. From the tricycle terminal, we passed by Alaminos Church. Initially, I thought that Hidden Valley Springs was in Alaminos, Laguna.

Alvin Mendoza onboard his bike

 Until we passed by the signage which says - Calauan, Laguna.

The motorcycle ride was  a bit tough since the road leading to Hidden Valley was rough. But it was all part of the adventure and I was so excited since it was my first time to see Hidden Valley Spring.   

Hanggang gate lang ako =)

And after nearly 10 minutes of joyride in my bike, we reached the entrance of Hidden Valley Springs. I made the necessary inquiry about the spot and we were told that the day tour costs P2,200. Unfortunately for us, it was past 1 pm and it we already missed half of the day. And so we decided not to have the tour. 

But nonetheless, I will still give to you details of the brochure handed to us by the staff of Hidden Valley Springs. =)

Hidden Valley Springs

Alaminos, Laguna, Philippines

Resort Tel. # 0919-540-1766

G/F Cattleya Gardens, 111 C. Palanca Jr. Street Legazpi Village, Makati. Philipipnes

Reservation Office Tel # (02) 840-4112-14 / (02) 818-4034 / Fax # (632) 812-1609

Overnight package Rates (effective May 1, 2013)

Casita De Luxe          Overnight package per night

1 Adult / room             P9,000

2 Adults / room           P12,500

Prices of the other accommodation ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 depending on the number of persons.

Child (5-10 years old)  P2,400

The fee includes welcome drinks, buffet lunch, afternoon snacks, buffet dinner, full breakfast, de luxe accommodation with full amenities and use of resort facilities. Extension lunch for overnight guests P1,100.

Day Tour Packages per person

Includes welcome drinks, buffet lunch, afternoon snack and use of resort facilities

Adult - PP2,200

child (5-10 years old) - P1,100

4 years old and below - FREE

Night Tour Package per person

Includes welcome drinks, pm snacks, buffet dinner and use of resort facilities

Adult - P2,500

Child (5-10 years old) - P1,250

4 years old and below - FREE

Hidden Valley Springs

Going home, the rain poured...

   

Honda Philippines, Inc. Plant Tour

One of the tours that I enjoyed most is my motorcycle tour and for years that I have been riding my bike and passing in First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, I've always wondered what the interior of FPIP looks like.

And after years of wondering, I was finally given the chance of a plant tour inside FPIP and the tour was in Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI).

From Tanauan City, I hopped into my Honda motorcycle and cruised my way to HPI. Along the way I saw several establishments like Canon Phils, Nestle and Brother, to cite a few. And after 20 minutes of motorcycle ride from Tanauan City, I arrived at HPI around 1:00 pm. The plant tour was supposed to start at 1:30 pm. It was actually a family plant tour and joining me in tour are my sibling, Kuya Derick and my sister-in-law, Ate Aleli. 

With my brother, Engineer Jayson Villegas of HPI

Again, it was called family plant tour and my younger brother Engineer Jayson Villegas accommodated us for this plant tour. He was the one who made the necessary reservation for this tour. I was excited since I was given the peek of FPIP's interior and a chance to experience  how Honda motorcycles were manufactured.

The program started 1:30 and the first part of the program was a film showing of the history and profile of Honda. Now I know why the tagline of Honda is - "The Power of Dreams." The concept of making the motorcycle started from a dream.

After the film showing, a talk about nutrition was made and then followed by safety measures inside the plant while touring. The last part was the do's and don'ts while you are having the tour. And the most important thing to remember was that use of camera or cellphone is not allowed during the tour.

And finally, the tour started after 1 hour of preliminaries. The plant tour was very informative and educational. It was a good thing I joined this plant tour. From the engine assembly to the last part of the assembly line, I was amazed to see how the Honda motorcycle was manufactured.

I also learned that Honda motorcycle can be built in just a matter of 32 seconds per motorcycle. Imagine, how many motorcycles they build in a day or in a month's time!

photo op with all the participants

 And after nearly 2 hours of plant tour, we went back to the conference room and took our merienda. The members of HPI staff were very accommodating and courteous during the tour. HPI treated us with a welcome snack and another merienda snack at the end of the tour. We were even given certificates of appreciation and souvenir items. And concluding tour  was the photo opportunity with all the participants.

I was really glad to have joined this very informative plant tour. Thank you Engineer Villegas and to all the staff of Honda Philippines, Inc. 

I highly recommend this plant tour. Should you be interested in joining/participating in this tour, please coordinate with the HR Department of HPI.

It was fun having this Honda Plant Tour! 

  

Borawan, Dampalitan and Puting Buhangin Revisited in 2014!

Dampalitan Beach

It took us almost three years to have this done! 

After several futile attempts to have a tour/outing, finally, the long wait was over. 

Our destination is one of the best tourist spots in Quezon i.e. Padre Burgos.

going to the boarding area

From a group comprised of 12 persons, only 8 decided to join the tour/travel. Thanks to Ara's boyfriend, we became 9. Only Ara, Jean, Kathy, Claire, Cyrene, Jaey, Aris, Anjella and I joined this event. Daisy, Doreen, Rizza and Joy were not able to join. Nonetheless, the fun and excitement were not diminished. Instead, we were overwhelmed by the fact that it was our first get together after several years of not seeing each other.

It was my second time in Padre Burgos. My first adventure was May 2014. 
Related link: http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2014/05/island-hopping-tour-in-padre-burgos.html

The call time was 5:30 am in Jollibee Sto. Tomas, Batangas. As usual, arrived ahead of time (5:15 am) but the rest arrived past 6:00 am. And Jean arrived 6:55 am. Thank you Jean.

How to get there

From Cubao or Buendia

Board a bus going to Lucena. Fare from Buendia to Lucena Grand Central Terminal is P209.50 (127 kilometers). Travel time is 3-4 hours from Buendia. But I am from Tanauan City, and we boarded the bus in Sto. Tomas, Batangas and the fare was only P119.00 (72 ,kilometers).

Arriving at the Lucena Grand Central Terminal, board a mini-bus to Padre Burgos.  Jay-R is the only mini-bus servicing the route to Padre Burgos.

The fare is only P35.00 and normally, travel time to the jump-off point is 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The bus leaves after it has filled up majority of its seats (normally, 1 hour). Along the way, enjoy the scenery in Pagbilao, Quezon. The uphill twist and turns will surely keep you awake during the travel. Travel time depends on the traffic at the area.

It is better to go early in the morning if you want to have an island hopping tour only. You can finish it in 3-4 hours, unless you want to take a swim. You will pass a big signage which says - Barangay Marao and on the left side is the Iglesia ni Kristo Church and you are a couple of minutes away. Then, alight at May Ann's Store at Barangay Marao and look for either Mang Rudy or Aling Tess. They are very cordial, accommodating and kind. In other words, you belong here. It is better to make a reservation prior to your tour/vacation. They have 3 boats.  

Aling Tess and Mang Rudy - boat owners/operators 

Boat for Hire

May Ann Store - 0921-454-3137

Marlon - 0909-762-5342 / 0921-639-0821

May Ann - 0928-482-6408

Odchel - 0912-405-8187

Benji - 0907-896-5617

Do not bother to bring cooking utensils, plates and other kitchen materials. They will be lending it for FREE. You can even ask them in advance to reserve for you crabs, squids, fish or lobsters at an affordable price. Quezon offers the best and lowest price for sea foods. Mang Rudy and Aling Tess are simply the best!

Island Hopping Tours (hire for the boat)

Borawan only - P800 

Borawan and Damapalitan Beach - P1,200

Borawan, Dampalitan, Kuwebang Lampas (Puting Buhangin Beach) - P1,800

Puting Buhangin only - P1,800

The Borawan tour includes hopping to Bagosina, Talabahan and the surrounding islands. It is a lot better to hire the boat for P1,800 and hop to ALL the islands. You can finish it in one day. Only Borawan island has a canteen. It is better if you already have your food supplies prior to going to the islands. 

Aling Tess also has a store and you can buy your supplies at a very affordable price. There are several options for your food. 

Option 1 - Bring the raw food and cook it yourself in the island. 

Option 2 - Have the packaged food prepared already by Aling Tess. 

Option 3 - Buy the food from the market and hire the cook for only P350.00 for the entire day/overnight.  

Best time to go the islands is from March to June. 

Worst month is August when the waves are really strong!    

We took our early breakfast at Jollibee Sto. Tomas and boarded the DLTB bus in Sto. Tomas past 7 am. We reached Lucena Grand Central Terminal around 9:30 am and boarded the minibus to Padre Burgo and reached our destination 11:00 am. Due to lack of time, we took our lunch onboard the boat to save time and it was a great experience for ALL of us! 

Puting Buhangin Beach

Our first destination that day was - Puting Buhangin and Kuwebang Lampas in Pagbilao, Quezon. The boat ride to the island was good for 45 minutes. 

You can also reach this destination through Pagbilao but the boat rental is P2,500 and you have to walk for less than a kilometer in order to reach the spot. And in case yo want to go to Borawan and Dampalitan, they will charge another fee (P1,000 - P2,000) for the boat ride. So it is a lot better to hire the boat in Padre Burgos for only P1,800.

Everybody was enthusiastic when we reached the island. They were having second thoughts to swim because it was very hot that day and the waves are a bit strong (due to the LPA somewhere in in Northern Luzon). Entrance fee in the island is P80.00. It is the best spot to do snorkeling, swimming and diving. The water is clear and pristine  compared to the other islands.

What we did was to go and explore Kuwebang Lampas as our second adventure for the day. The boat ride going to Puting Buhangin was the first adventure! We had to wear our life-jackets since the waves are quite strong inside the cave. 

And we stayed inside the cave for almost 2 hours and enjoyed the strong waves going inside the cave. It was really fun! Personally, I really enjoyed it! =)

After the adventure, we decided to swim back to our boat (approximately 700-800 meters). But half-way through the swim, we decided to walk. We are definitely NOT swimmers! 

The tour will not be complete without a jump shot and why not have one! Contact persons in the island are Rolly Ferrer (0918-268-9402) and Gemma Raminto (0947-591-1630). Cottage rent is P250-P350. It is better to bring your own tent or rent the tent of Mang Rudy for only P300/tent. 

Second destination for the day was Dampalitan Beach. It took us 30 minutes to reach the spot and once there, the first thing that we did was to take our second lunch. We were exhausted and famished because of our wave adventure inside Kuwebang Lampas. Entrance fee is P80.00. 

Rates 

Entrance fee - Regular - P60 / Students, Senior citizens, PWD - P50

chirldren 4 years old and below - exempt

Kubo (hut) Large - P1,000

Kubo medium - P850

Tent space - P200

Tent rent - P500

Water - 5 gallon P40 / Big - P50 / Drum - P400

  It was low tide when we reached the island (around 2 pm). And we explored the island!

We took a lot of souvenir pictures in the island and nobody bothered to swim.

other side of Dampalitan

We even went to the other side of the island by foot. Dampalitan is a small island and you can trek it in less than an hour.

Some of us enjoyed the hammock offered to tourists for free. Dampalitan is the only island which offers hammock for your respite.

panoramic view of Dampalitan Island

After an hour, we decided to go to our last destination for the day.

I think the best/worst part of the island hopping tour was the ride from Dampalitan to Borawan. If you are a thrill seeker, you will definitely enjoy the ride! But if you are not used to have strong waves hitting you while onboard the board, you will surely ask for Divine Intervention.

And after 20 minutes of boat ride, we reached the spot - Borawan Island. 

Rates

Cottage (small) - P700

Cottage (large) - P850

Overnight additional - 400

Entrance 

Day - P80

Overnight - P120

Students and Senior  - Day P60/ Overnight - P100

4 years old below - FREE

Tent space (small) - P200

Tent space (large) - P250

Tent rental - P500

Shower room - P20

Comfort room - P10

Contact persons

Cherry - 0922-300-7395 / 0998-184-9901 / 0915-682-2443 / 02-425-8212

Allan - 0920-413-3127 / 0922-899-3255 / 02-330-5897

Mar - 0921-461-8726

And after 45 minutes, we left the island. It was already 5:50 pm and we had to go back and pitch our tents and fix our dinner.

In order to save time, we decided to divide the duties into 2 groups. The first group will be in charged of pitching the tents and the other group will be cooking our dinner. 

It was already dark when we were able to finish pitching the tents.

Due to the LPA in Northern Luzon. there was no sunset that day.

With the help of Mang Rudy's men, we were able to prepare a sumptuous dinnder composed of Pork Afritada (spaghetti sauce?? just kidding Ara! LOL), grilled fish, and steamed crabs! And dinner was served!

After finishing our respective chores, we had a little bit of drinking spree and played several games. The best part of it was when we had our bonfire! 

   

I slept past 11 pm but some of us decided to sleep/rest in the beach. I woke up 3 am and they were still in the beach. They were enjoying the splendor of a full moon that night.

Around 6 am, we decided to prepare our breakfast. We were able to take our breakfast around 7:30 am and broke our tent afterwards. We went back to Many Rudy's house along the road and fixed ourselves. We bought crabs and tikoy for our pasalubong and left Padre Burgos around 10 am. We definitely enjoyed this tour!

It was really fun in Padre Burgos, Quezon

 with you guys!

Till our next adventure...