BUCAL/BUKAL FALLS

Brgy. Bukal
Majayjay, Laguna

Discover another hidden paradise of Majayjay, Aside from its well-known Taytay/Dona Imelda falls, Bucal/ Bukal falls also made a name as one of finest destination in Majayjay. From the word ''bukal means spring, as in freshwater coming up from the ground. Located at Brgy.Bukal, Majayjay Laguna, a part of Mt. Banahaw between the boarder of Liliw and Majayjay town, the falls is known for its finest clear and icy cold water carpeted with green moss and crimson-colored rocks.

Visitors will surely enjoy the scenery and can take a swim on its inviting pools. Although some part of the trail is already cemented, the way leading to the falls is challenging. It is adviseable to have a guide if it’s your first time going there.  It took us 1hour to 1 and a half hour to reach the falls.

There are some concerns when you are planning to visit Bukal falls. There is no campsite, no restrooms nor cottages for your personal belongings so I advise everyone to visit the falls on daytime and spend the night on nearby resorts.

To get there, there is a bus form LRT/Buendia or Cubao to Santa Cruz, Laguna. Once you reach Santa Cruz, there are jeepneys available bound to Majayjay, Laguna. Once you are in Majayjay, you can hire a tricycle to take you to Brgy hall of Brgy Bukal and have your name registered. Registration is 20 pesos. 

The experience is awesome and breathtaking. Enjoy and promote tourism in Laguna :)

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CAVINTI UNDERGROUND RIVER AND CAVES COMPLEX

Brgy. Paowin,
Cavinti, Laguna

As of the meantime, visitors are required to drop by at Cavinti Municipal Office to secure a permit before going to Cavinti Underground River and Cave so as to monitor the number of persons visiting the cave since it was only operational last March 30, 2013. You can also visit their facebook account or email them ahead of time regarding the date of your visit or updates.

We are from Santa Cruz, Laguna so travel time from Santa Cruz to Cavinti Municipal Office was approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pagsanjan Bridge was closed due to road constructions so we took the Caliraya Road instead. From Cavinti Municipal Office to Brgy. Paowin was approximately 15mins away.

Actual travel to Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex

We did not expect the trip approximately 16 kilometers of bumpy, rough, up and down road going to the cave. I can actually describe it as "alog bituka ride."

One consideration that must be noted is the weather. Best if you go there during summer. The rain will surely make the road very slippery and muddy. Take note, only few houses were there so if ever you will get stuck, you will have to walk that 16 kilometers road to seek help. Make sure to double check the vehicle you are using before the trip. Cars will have a hard time in that rough road so you might want to consider 4-wheel drive or large engine vehicles.

For commuters, according to Municipal office, you can hire a jeepney for 2500 or 100/pax roundtrip.

When you reach the site, there are personnel that will assist you. They will also discuss the do's and dont's before entering the cave.

You will ride a balsa to cross the river about 20 meters long. Expect to trek for about 2-5 minutes to reach the entrance of the cave.

The Cave Itself

One word to describe it was "UNBELIEVABLE." I cannot say in numerical form the actual distance of the cave when we took the tour. As what Kuya Rommel, the guide, said "kasing laki ng Cubao ilalim." I cannot believe it at first that the cave was that spacious inside. It was full of stalactites and stalagmites. It was astonishing. The grandness formation of those rocks. I will let the pictures speak for itself.

Stalactites 
Remember letter "C" for ceiling. Formation arises from the ceiling.
Stalagmites
Remember letter "G" for ground. formation that arises from the ground.

And when stalactites and stalagmites meet or come in contact with each other, it is now called "column."

Inside the cave was total darkness. Your eyes will never compensate the darkness inside so better if you bring portable emergency light in color white or LED flashlights. We brought 2 LED flashlights and one yellow light flashlight. The latter did not help us much because it was really dark. There are parts of the cave that's dry, some areas are muddy and wet, so make sure not to use slippers. Best if you use rubber shoes or trekking slippers.

Also, be cautious inside the cave. Always watch your step. There are so many rock formations inside, some of it were really sharp so it will surely hurt if you slipped. Anyway, safety hats will be provided. No kids 12 years old below are allowed inside which is justifiable because kids might freak out inside since it's really dark. You don't want accident to happen. Since it was 16 kilometers rough road drive with only few houses nearby, we don't want to take the risk. And also there was no cellphone reception in the area.

The actual experience was breathtaking! World class experience!


P10/head entrance. So be quick to visit Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex.

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PAGSANJAN / MAGDAPIO FALLS

Brgy. Anglas

Cavinti, Laguna

Pagsanjan Falls which is locally known as Magdapio Falls is one of the most visited tourist spot in Laguna. Known for its majestic cascading waterfalls, Pagsanjan Falls have grown into a major tourist destination for the region and also one of the premiere world class tourist destination in the Philippines.

Pagsanjan Falls is accessible via Pagsanjan. From the plaza, there are many boatmen or "bangkeros" that offer boat ride (shooting the rapids) going to the main falls. I'm not so sure but I think  the boat ride services costs around P1200 to P1500/pax.

Bangkeros

Another way is via vertical trek at Brgy. Tibatib, Cavinti, Laguna where Publo El Salvador Nature Park and Picnic Grove is located. Entrance fee is about P250 to P280 per head which includes rappelling gear and guide.

We first walk in a well cemented trail in the forest. Not all the roads are well paved. Although it is not as simple as a walk in the park, you will really enjoy the sight of nature. It is about 15 to 30 minutes walk, then we went down on concrete steps with safety railings. You have to wear a safety harness to go down the cylindrical tube with steps. It is up to you if you want to take the steps down or you want to rappel to make it faster.

After our challenging experience, we finally see what we're looking for. The magnificent Pagsanjan Falls. Your visit is not complete without experiencing the raft ride.

When we are approaching the falls, everyone got excited and some were already shouting out of excitement. It was like a natural massage with a little bit of pressure because the water gushing down our head and body is so heavy. Nonetheless, It was really fun. Something we Filipinos should be proud of! World class experience!

Bangkeros

Black and White :)

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NAGCARLAN UNDERGROUND CEMETERY

Nagcarlan, Laguna


This Cemetery can be easily reached because it is located along the highway. Many tourist just pass by the place not knowing it was the Underground Cemetery because it was not obvious that it was indeed a cemetery. The cemetery is a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture. It was built by a Franciscan priest Vicente Velloc in 1845. It has an octagonal grounds which was enclosed by walls. The airy and spacious plaza was impressive. The brick wall and fence were picture perfect. The place was like a park for me, because what you will see when you enter the place was the arched structure and a spacious ground adorned with bermuda grass leading to a small baroque style church. Both sides of the chapel was occupied by the tombs of the locals.

The chapel was small with a few pews, according to the one in charge, only three masses was celebrated for the whole year. Inside the chapel you will find a large notebook where all the visitors of the cemetery use to log. There is St. Sepulcro placed in the middle of the chapel. There were also several renovations done but according to the care taker, they are trying their best to keep the original details of the chapel as much as possible.

At the right side of the chapel, there is a staircase which leads to the underground cemetery. You will feel that the temperature was a little bit cold when you're going down. It feels really historic down there. It's a bit creepy because we all knew that it was a cemetery after all. There were I guess around 20 tombs inside. We stayed underground for a while trying to read the epitaph on each tomb. The place was somehow dark but there were small openings, small window which allow sunlight to seep through to produce enough illumination. It was like you're in another world, another era. Sitting there reminds me of the scenes in the movie "the Da Vinci Code." It also reminds me of my Alma mater UST. Looking at its structure, it was like the Main building of UST.

According to the caretaker, before, anybody can be buried there, some were rich, some were priest, some were Cabeza de Barangay and some were just locals. The place was also used as a secret meeting place by Filipino revolutionaries. It also became a safe house for Filipino Guerrillas during World War II. There are no entrance fees to be paid. You may take photos of Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery but these should be for your personal use only and no flash is allowed.

The place was impressive. It speaks its own beauty without advertising. Leaving the place, I came to realize that life is short and there are so many places waiting for us to be explored. You don't need to spend thousands of pesos just to travel, because travelling should start in your own place, in your own town..here in LAGUNA.




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TAYTAY FALLS

Brgy. Gagalot,

Majayjay, Laguna

Taytay Falls is located in Majayjay, Laguna. According to the locals, the word Majayjay comes from the two word " MA" which means many and "HAY" means sigh in English. Some say, to reach this town, one had to pant, saying "hay,hay" which means "sigh". It is also called Imelda Falls named after Imelda Marcos, former first lady of our country Philippines, because she financed the promotion of the tourism in this place. 

The trail was accesible and convenient at the same time because the trail was already cemented and it has railings so its safe also for the kids. While trekking you will enjoy the sight of the forestry, the vegetation is still rich so you will really enjoy sight seeing. To reach Taytay Falls, one has to go down to the stone steps leading to a kilometer long trek in my assumption. But nonetheless the trek was really easy.

You will be amazed by the sight of Taytay Falls. It was our first time to see the falls so we were all in awe when we reach the Taytay falls. The place was not developed so you its still raw as it is which is good because you will really enjoy the nature. The place was unadulterated, quiet, serene. You will only hear the sounds of the birds in the forest and the cascading water of the falls to its catch basin. In my estimate the falls was about 10 to 12meters high. The water was so cold. It was refreshing but we have a hard time staying in the water because its feels like you're being hypo thermic. Its better to stay in the water if you really want to stay and swim because its harder when you get up and then you stay and sit on the rocks you will feel really cold, you will shiver because it was really cold. The place was really nice, you will be able to take good photographs if you're into photography.The water was cold and clear. You will see clearly the stones in its catch basin, no need to wear goggles.The place is perfect and for sure we will come back to visit the place again.

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BUNGA FALLS

Brgy. Bunga
Nagcarlan, Laguna

Located in Nagcarlan, Laguna, the Bunga Twin Falls, named after the "BUNGA" (betel nut) which used to grow around that area. You have to pay P5 for the entrance and trek down for about 5-10 minutes. There are cottages available for P150. Although it's not as high as any other falls, you will still be fascinated by its two waterfalls, about 10-15meters high, identical to each other, made by a big protruding rock cutting through the incoming waters. There is a large catch basin where you can swim on its cold water but according to local stories, there is a creature snatching outsiders so you really have to be careful.

The trail is so accessible that's why if you want the place all for yourself to capture good photographs you have to schedule your trip probably on weekdays because the place becomes really crowded, as in really crowded . We had our trip mid April and it was Sunday, so the place was really crowded. There were also those locals who do their laundry there so as to save from their water bill. As you can see there are locals on top of the falls waiting for their turn to jump off the cliff to plunge  to the cold and refreshing water of the falls. In my opinion the falls is really great but just like any other nature spot, you want to experience its serenity,  the sound of the cascading water to its catch basin, you want as much as possible the exclusivity of the place. You want to experience the unadulterated beauty of nature, but nonetheless Bunga Falls is really worth visiting.

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AMBON AMBON FALLS / PIIT FALLS

Brgy. Piit,

Pangil Laguna

Who would think that there is a hidden natural wonder just along the town's peaceful road. Ambon ambon falls located inside Pangil River Eco Park. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. You get to see the Eco Park and if you decided to see Ambon ambon falls, it is just located in the same area. You just have to approach the person in charge so they can assign a tour guide for the group. The group should consist of 6 persons and each person will have to pay 60 pesos for the tour. You will be provided with a lifevest and hard hats. For me, everything is priced reasonably from food, entrance fees to tour guide. The actual trek including the balsa ride was around half an hour.

The tour guide pulls a rope to bring the balsa to the opposite riverbank. It was an easy trek because the trail is cemented with railings, so some parents tag along their children. But I would never have that courage to bring my daughter to the falls, because just like any other falls, the river becomes swollen and the trail becomes obstructed when the rain pours. So for safety purposes, we left our daughter to my mom. Never mind she enjoys bathing in the water. They just stayed near the cottages. 

Another surprise from Pangil Eco Park: Piit Falls. You will see this falls on your way to Ambon Ambon Falls. The small version of Ambon ambon Falls I guess that's why it is called Piit Falls from the Tagalog word "maliit". Though its small it will surely catch your attention.

Ambon Ambon falls is a small falls. It's like a falls inside a cave because before you reach the falls, there are two huge rock formation that you will pass by. You will be able to experience the cascade of water. Who would think that a falls as magnificent as Ambon ambon falls will be this accesible to the tourist. We really enjoyed the experience. We were able to take nice pictures. We bathe in the cold water of the falls, its really invigorating and refreshing. Hope to come back and visit Ambon Ambon  Falls again.

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