July 21, 2024
Making travel plans is as exciting as anticipating for a special day in your life. May it be a reward after a long month of tedious work or just to hang out with friends and the people that you love, traveling is a good way to release stress and build deeper connection with the people you are with.
Hi! My name is Shiela, and in this blog, I would like to share our first local travel to the three falls found in Luisiana, Laguna namely Talay Falls, Hidden Falls, and Hulugan Falls, and another in Majayjay, Laguna which is the famous Taytay falls.
Planning for the trip
I came across a Facebook reel featuring a majestic waterfall. As I read through the caption, it was described as the Hulugan Falls located in Luisiana, Laguna. As someone who loves traveling, I sent the reel to my partner and asked if we could go to the place since it’s just close to where I am currently staying which is in Los Banos, Laguna. My partner immediately planned the trip (and I appreciate it so much even if he was not sure since he has strict parents) and told me about the plan and was excited to say that we will not just see one falls but FOUR for the trip he was planning.
I currently have a full-time job thus, he planned the trip to be on a weekend. My partner being a natural planner (he wants to make sure that every minute count), created our itinerary as follows:
TRAVEL ITINERARY:
Day 1: Saturday (July 6, 2024) Luisiana (Talay Falls, Hidden Falls, and Hulugan Falls)
- 5:00 AM — Departure from Batong Malake, Los Banos Laguna
- 5:00 AM to 8:00 AM — Travel to Luisiana, Laguna (Breakfast in between)
- 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM — Orientation for the hike to Talay Falls, Hidden Falls, and Hulugan Falls
- 8:30 to 9:00 AM — Hike to Talay Falls
- 9:00 AM to 9:10 AM — Hike to Hidden Falls
- 9:10 AM to 9:45 AM — Hike to Hulugan Falls
- 9:45 AM to 11:00 AM — Picture taking and swimming at Hulugan Falls
- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM — Back to the orientation area (change of clothes)
- 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM — Travel to Taytay falls (Lunch in between)
- 3:00 PM – onwards — Rest and strolling
Day 2: Sunday (July 7, 2024) Taytay Falls
5:30 AM — Wake up time
- 5:30 AM to 6:00 AM — Obtain Entrance Ticket at Barangay Hall
- 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM — Walk to Taytay Falls plus picture taking and swimming
- 9:00 to 9:10 AM — Back to the rental room
- 9:10 AM to 11:30 — AM Rest
- 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM — Preparation for Departure
- 12:00 AM to 3:00 PM — Travel back to Los Banos, Laguna
OUR EXPERIENCE
We did not commute for this trip. My partner used his motorcycle to drive us off to the drop off point of Hulugan Falls and to Taytay falls, which made this trip more convenient. When we reached the jump-off point to Hulugan Falls, a man riding a motorcycle accompanied us to the orientation area. My partner parked his motorcycle in the parking space beside the orientation area. Below is the list of fees that we paid for the first day and second day of the trip:
Fees for the Hulugan falls and 2 other falls (all in)
- Entrance fee: 50 per head
- Tour guide fee: 800 pesos (500 pesos is the minimum, we just added 300 pesos since Kuya Guide took good photos of us!)
- Life Vest fee: 70 per head (Optional)
- Tricycle fare: 60 per head, back and forth (Need a Ride from orientation area to trailhead)
- CR fee: 5, 10 or 20 pesos (pee, poop, or bath)
Fees for the Taytay Falls
- Entrance Fee: 50 pesos per head
- Room for rent: 1,000 pesos for 2 beds, 2,000 pesos for four beds
For this two-day trip, we spent a total of 2,500 pesos. This excludes gas expenses since my partner has his motorcycle on full tank before the trip.
After our orientation for the hike to Hulugan Falls, we were informed that on the way, we will be able to see two other falls which is the Talay Falls and the Hidden Falls but we can opt to go directly to Hulugan Falls. However, as someone who wants to explore more, we opted to explore all three falls.
The hike to Talay Falls is 30 mins long. We were informed that it rained before the hike thus, the path was a bit muddy. My partner who wore a rubber slipper had difficulty during the trek because it was slippery. If you plan to go to this trip, I recommend you to wear hiking shoes or shoes with spikes to avoid slipping and hurting yourself. After reaching the first falls which is the Talay falls, we took a few photos and proceeded to the next one that is located just above the Talay Falls, the Hidden falls.
After taking photos, we took the 30-minute trek to the Hulugan Falls. The trail was a little muddy and direction is going down the mountain. There were bamboo culms that served as support for visitors and it was especially helpful for my partner who had difficulty trekking with his slippers. We reached the Falls and was in awe of how tall it was. We brought a mirrorless camera during this trip but we did not use it to take pictures of this falls up close because it was very misty and windy caused by the speed of the water falling from the top of the cliff. The rain poured while we were in Hulugan Falls and we somehow regretted that we did not use the waterproof bag and left it in the orientation area.
We took pictures and went swimming below the falls. It was a good time to take pictures because there were only a few people when we arrived there by 9:00 AM. People started to gather at around 10:00 to 11:00 AM. We asked the guide to take photos of us together. I was so happy about the photos and the Tour Guide was kind. I was able to talk to him during the trek and he told me that he recognized that I was a Bicolana because I said “tabi apo” while passing by big trees. He happened to be a Bicolano as well. What a coincidence! He asked me about the shoe I was wearing and I told him it was a hiking shoe worth 400 pesos I bought in Shopee.
We went back to the orientation area by around 11:00 AM. We did not go the same way as the path we took to go to the Hulugan Falls instead, we took a steep stairs that let us ascend back to the trailhead. In general, I would not recommend that you bring your grandparents or anyone who has weak bones or stamina during this trip because it would be difficult for them to ascend. We changed our clothes and prepared to go to our next destination which is the Taytay Falls.
Trip to Taytay Falls
It took almost an hour for us to reach Taytay Falls. It was raining during our trip and we had our clothes wet when we arrived at the destination. We were able to reserve a room with a double-deck that is located just at the entrance to Taytay Falls. We took a stroll and rested and waited for the next day.
We woke up at 5:30 AM to get breakfast and prepare to go to the Taytay Falls. We brought our mirrorless camera and other things and took a 10 minute walk to the falls. It was located at the foot of Mount Banahaw, a Protected Landscape legislated under RA 9847 that is monitored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Gathering and destroying of plants and wildlife are prohibited in the area.
We were surprised by how clear and cold the water is! The water was bluish and it feels like a ton of ice was placed on it. We took pictures as usual, and enjoyed the scenery and took a dip in the water for a few minutes. We cannot last that long, it was too cold! There were danger signs on the way and even below the falls as there are signs of landslide (the rocks beside the falls were detached from its original location). The place was very relaxing and I can say that it was all I needed to be able to regain my motivation to work and save for the next trip!
Some reminders:
✓ Consider the season (wet or dry season) when you will visit especially for the Hulugan Falls. During the dry season, the falls may have less water flowing down. It is recommended to visit between the months of May to July.
✓ When traveling on a motorcycle, make sure to bring extra clothes in case of rain.
✓ Wear proper gear (field shoes or hiking shoes).
✓ Use a waterproof bag or bring plastic bags for gadgets.
✓ Attend to your belongings at all times or have someone to look after it for you (you may ask your guide to attend to it, just add an additional tip, it is not their responsibility to look after your stuffs).
✓ Leave no trace behind. Bring your food packs and other trash with you or find a designated trash bin. Do not destroy plants or hurt any wildlife in the area. They havelife too.
✓ Enjoy the moment and take good pictures and videos for memories!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this blog. You may leave a comment or questions and I will try to answer as fast as I can <3. You can also watch our Tiktok video for this trip and leave a follow!
When you visit me in Laguna let’s go there!
Bring us on your next adventure plsss
Nice one. Bring us on your next adventure plssss
Yes! Samahan kita if you wanna visit!
Gandur. Hays. 🫶
Leave a Reply