Norzagaray, Bulacan
Travel date: May 16, 2021
Hey! I know you’ve been looking for an escape and break from our stressful situation. Sometimes we do need to disconnect from everything to reconnect. Keep reading because this might help you planning your next trip. We all know that we are still on community quarantine but we all deserve to unwind and get some fresh air as long as we travel responsibly and follow the community guidelines.
It is a three hour drive from our place( Candaba, Pampanga). I suggest that you travel early in the morning to avoid traffic. Along the way you will see that a lot of bikers and riders that are also visiting the place.
How to get there:
We got a little bit lost when we followed the instructions shown above so I suggest that you search for San Mateo’s Barangay Hall using your Waze app. Then from there we just asked the locals for the right directions to get to Secret Haven. They have a parking area for those who brought private vehicles. From there, you can walk for 30-40 minutes or ride a tora-tora for Php100 each. It is forbidden to bring your own vehicle to avoid traffic considering the narrow one-way road.
Entrance fee: 20% downpayment is required
Daytour: PHP80 0600H-1600H
Overnight: PHP250 1600H – 1400H
Tent pitching: PHP100
What to Bring:
- Food
- Sunscreen
- Face mask
- Face shield
- Waterproof bag
- Tent
I recommend that before your trip don’t forget to withdraw cash, bring/prepare food. We planned this trip for only less than a week so we didn’t have enough time to prepare and research that much about the place. You will save more if you bring your own tent and food. But if you are like us, don’t worry because you can rent upon arrival to the campsite and avail their food. Our tent cost us Php600/day tour(0600 – 1600H). As for the food, when we arrived we ordered our breakfast for around 0830H but it got served at around 1045H. 😦 It took a while because unfortunately they ran out of gas. So it would really be better to bring your own food. It was good though. We ordered Tapsilog that cost us PHP150.00. You can also rent a grilling stand for PHP100 and PHP20 for a bag of charcoal.
To be honest the long wait for the food stressed us but the moment we got to swim. SHEEEEEEESH! The long drive was worth it! It is amazing to know that we have a river that gives us an El Nido vibes. Just look how clear the water is.
You can just simply enjoy the river but they also offer a tour inside Banahaw Cave. It would only cost PHP100/head. You would need to ride a balsa to get to the cave. And inside you will see a different rock formations. Just make sure to bring headlights or you can just use your phones. If you feel a little adventurous, there are also cliffs that you can jump into.
I didn’t took that much photos with my phone but here are some from my film camera.
Always remember to live in the moment. 🙂
Follow my instagram account for more film camera photos. @antoneen__film
Rengie Antoneen 