BAKASYUNAN: A Vacation Resort in the Literal Sense of the Word Perched in the Highlands of Tanay

There are so many places around the country that we have visited but this is the first time we visited a place literally named in the very sense of the word.  "Bakasyunan" is the local translation for the word "Vacation".  The owner must have really had a very difficult time thinking of an appropriate word to name this place.  Now it can be told that for every person who had visited this place, one would be confused when during a conversation whenever the name of this place will come up and the one who he is conversing with will always ask what's the name of the place when in fact the name has already been mentioned.  Talk about being deaf or stupid, but this is probably what would happen if you converse with someone who has not visited this place.  A pleasant moment happened upon our arrival when we crossed paths with my former Biology student "Hannah" who is with her family on vacation as well.

We have visited Tanay on several occasions but for today's trip, we took the route going up to Tanay on the coastal road along Laguna Bay.  Travelling along this route was a big mistake because it took much of the time due to the traffic when passing thru several town squares of Rizal province especially the town of Morong.  I wouldn't recommend anyone to take this route because of the many road constructions along the way.  I suggest taking the upland route from Antipolo and go downhill thru the zigzag roads of Teresa.  Better yet, take the Marcos Highway route for a more scenic drive in the countryside.

The town of Tanay is divided into the lowland and upland areas.  One would start the uphill drive beginning from the junction of the highway bypass.  This is the one and only road going to the highlands  in the past but since the opening of the Marcos Highway beginning in Masinag, the highland towns of Cogeo, Jala-Jala, Baras, Tanay and Infanta can now be easily reached.  In the past, the only well-known establishment up there is Camp Capinpin, a military camp, to check and control the insurgent activities of the Communist New People's Army.  When insurgent activities were finally neutralized, developments soon began in the place and new establishments were built such as the resort of Past President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and now the newest site is the Regina RICA, which is the biggest statue of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The all-time most popular tourist destination in Tanay is still of course Daranak Falls. The visit to that falls will be written in another blog.

Our primary destination was a hotel and conference center at the top of Tanay.  While ascending about three-fourths to the top, we came across a sign which one would not be able to miss because of the very familiar word that describes the out-of-town purpose of every individual seeking recluse from the hustle and bustle of city life.  The sign that dotted several posts along the way bears the name "Bakasyunan".  It was the first time we have seen this sign because the last time we went to Tanay on February last year, we didn't notice it.  Curious about the name we decided to check it out when we finally passed by the entrance of the resort.

  What greeted us when we reached the clubhouse was a fantastic view of Laguna de Bay from afar with a gleaming and inviting swimming pool in the foreground. At the edge of the pool is also a big sign of "Bakasyunan" that provides a perfect photo opportunity for just about anyone who arrives in this place for the first time.

We proceeded to the reception office and once again used my time-tested story. "We would like to inquire about having a company outing for a group size of 100 persons."  Sure enough the receptionist's face lit up seeing an opportunity in the making.  Immediately they were very accommodating and we requested for a quotation be done.  Actually, we were really on an ocular trip for an upcoming summer outing, but "Bakasyunan" was not yet in our itinerary of places to visit.  Serendipity got the better of us since we had already a resort in mind to visit.  Discovery of Bakasyunan was purely accidental.  We were told to wait for a while for them to prepare the quotation, so we decided to snoop around.  As serendipity was still waving its aura of coincidence, we came across a former student of mine Hannah Celendro and what a surprise, she was with her family on a vacation right in this very resort.  We exchanged pleasantries with each other and found that her family just lived in Taguig and can easily visit this place via the C6 highway. Such meeting truly makes this a small world indeed!

While waiting, we also decided to check out the restaurant.  The interior and dining furnitures project a cozy, wooden architecture that fits the countryside atmosphere where there is no need for airconditioning these days because of the cold weather.  

Since we really do not plan to eat a heavy meal here, we opted for a clubhouse sandwich complemented with a cold vanilla frappuccino and a hot capuccino to the cold.  The artwork on the foamy capuccino was truly cute and inviting!  Most of all, it was delicious!

There are moments in life where you need to just sit back and relax and simply enjoy the moment especially when drinking capuccino in a place you just visited for the first time together with your lovely wife.  Just savor the moment and let it go.  We rarely take a close up picture of the food we eat, so as soon as the waiter laid the clubhouse sandwich platter, we started picking on it right away and soon it was all gone! Ha ha ha ha!

After eating, a resort staff arrived and we started the tour of the place.  The first stop was the poolside rooms.  The architecture was modernly square with glass panel doors and windows.

The interior of the room was clean with shiny floor tiles and well- kept bed, clean toilet and bath. Artworks adorn the wall, cable TV, airconditioning and a refrigerator truly will make a guest very comfortable and relaxed throughout the duration of their stay here in Bakasyunan.

Next, we were led to another row of similar-looking lodges and come to think of it, a drunk or sleepy guest coming from the pool or merry-making have a high probability of entering the wrong room and end up becoming sober in the face of embarrassment.  I hope it rarely happens here in Bakasyunan.  Actually, I remembered when I was in the Middle East, the houses in the suburban villages all looks the same that one can easily get lost in the desert country because the streets have no names and signs that you just have to rely on the stars, the moon and sun. Just kidding! you just have to a good memory when visiting those countries or you might end up in trouble with an Arab or any foreign neighbor.

The rooms here are a little better because it has a balcony at the back that gives you a good view of Laguna de Bay. 

However, sometimes every good thing always has a bad thing in exchange.  I'm really a nature lover and would prefer to see less anthropogenic structures in the surrounding.  Viewing Laguna Bay from afar becomes less inviting especially when you are distracted by the reflection of the roofs of the rows of houses underneath.  Not to mention that these roofs also reflects the heat towards your eyes.  It's a natural photobomb for a nature-loving person like me.  The good thing about this house  though is its close proximity to the swimming pool. No hassle going back and forth.

The best room for us is this one which is adjacent to the 2nd swimming pool at the base of the resort.  It still gives a glimpse of Laguna Bay from afar and an enticing view of the swimming pool below.  The balcony would be a cozy place to hang out especially when there's a pleasant view displayed by avid guests who like to show off their hardware or software whatever you prefer! ha ha ha!

Because of the steep incline of the resort where most of its cottages are perched precariously on the slope, it creates a very "roofy" appearance of the houses.  But despite these all, we are still considering this place to celebrate Valentines' Day this coming February!

The centerpiece of the resort is still the swimming pool.  With its glisteningly clear water reflecting the blue sky above.  I wouldn't be surprised if the reason to visit this place is due to the ambiance of the pool because not only does it provide you with a refreshing dip, it also gives you a picturesque view of Laguna de Bay.

Time to make the posterity pose by the pool! No one does it better for me than my lovely wife over there! Hi hi hi!

But for that spectacular jumpshot, no one does it better than yours truly!  This I name the "Solar Jump"! Definitely, this is one for the books! Hmp!

Our traditional hug wraps up another successful expedition in discovering this new place in Tanay.  Although the resort is actually only 3 years old, It still looks new and definitely will still be frequented by the ritzy urban crowd longing for a relaxing vacation in the cool highlands of Tanay.

There are actually many outdoor activities that can be done here in Bakasyunan. Obviously, they have a mini golf course here, but aside from that they have an obstacle course, wall climbing, an ATV course for the avid rough rider, a skywalk, and a zipline to top it all.  With the sprawling area of the resort, you can basically just stroll around and enjoy the serenity of nature and the clean country air of the Sierra Madre countryside.

Today's story is probably a teaser for the Valentines' Day celebration this February.  But unfortunately, that story is for us to enjoy in exclusive privacy.  After the recon that we did today, we can pretty well say that Bakasyunan is definitely the place to be in Tanay,especially these days when the cold weather adds up to the already cold climate of this mountain town of Rizal.

AMBON-AMBON & MALAGASLAS FALLS: Eternal Drizzle and Cascading Waters in Laurel's Jungle Interior

Perhaps this is one of the challenging  treks that my wife and I did because it was an exploration that we did alone in a place we have never been before and just relied on directions given by locals in order to reach the falls.  Malen was really very reluctant in proceeding because she was already scared during the downhill drive along the endless sharp curves and landslide marred zigzag road from the Tagaytay rotunda  down to Talisay, Batangas which is the coastal town of Taal Lake.  It really took a huge deal of persuasion before she agreed with the expedition.

There was an element of danger throughout the downhill drive because the road was empty of any other vehicle except ours and the vertical walls of the cliffs are so steep that the recent rain created numerous landslides that littered throughout the highway.  It was kinda risky to stop to take pictures despite of the scenic views offered by the Taal Lake from a distance because the highway looks so eerie not seeing a single soul and having that post-apocalyptic zombie illusion running thru our minds or worse, somebody might just jump out of nowhere and declare a holdup which could really ruin the expedition.  It was only when we reached the boundary between Cavite and Batangas about three-fourths of the way did we stop to take a snapshot before formally entering Batangas province thru Barangay Leynes.  We finally reached the bottom safely and turned right towards the direction of the town of Laurel.

Before commencing on this adventure, we did some research of the place thru stories of various bloggers who have reached  the place.  All of them actually made Amansinaya Mountain Resort as their base and have to avail the daytour amounting to 280 pesos per person if you do not intend to check-in their accommodations.  The fee would consists of a tour guide, a service vehicle to bring you and fetch you to and from the jump off point in Barangay San Gabriel.  If you drove in at least the resort would provide the needed security for your vehicle.

However, one can actually reach the falls without even having to use Amansinaya Mountain Resort as a jump off point because many of the people going to the falls didn't have to start from Amansinaya.  All you have to do is follow the road leading to Amansinaya until you reach the entrance that bears the name Los Haciendas.  There's a dirt road where you can turn right that leads to Barangay San Gabriel.  If you are just commuting, take a tricycle from the national road.  But if you have a vehicle, you can just drive through the dirt road until the narrowest point where there are already several  dwellings of the locals just before the hanging bridge.  

You can arrange for folks there to guard your vehicle and just pay them an ample amount for their service.  In the past stories of other bloggers, the bridge walkway is still made up of bamboo.  Now, they had renovated it with more durable metal floors, G.I. pipes and chicken wires.  But crossing it is still fun since it bounces with your weight.

Upon reaching the other side of the bridge, there is a barangay sentry that will require you to pay an entrance fee to the falls,  If you are a guest of Amansinaya, there's no need for you to pay since it is already included in the resort's tour fee.  Only direct visitors are required to pay the entrance fee.  Anyway the price is just minimal and it will already include visiting the two waterfalls.

The trek to the falls will take around an hour or less if you are in a hurry.  But as a first time visitor, it's best to enjoy the scenery because you will be crossing the river 2-3 times, hike across a small rice paddy, pineapple plantation, a few simple abodes of the locals and a few short uphill climbs that would at least make you sweat.  It was a cold and cloudy morning that day, so the trek was relatively easy.

Going on this trek requires you to get wet so don't act like a prima donna on this trek or else you won't enjoy it.  

Crossing the stream is quite fun because the water is so clear and clean that you don't even get to disturb the river bed.  In fact the substrate is sandy brown and your feet doesn't get muddy at all.  A local was accommodating enough to take a picture of both of us in the middle of the stream.

The area is not rugged anymore because of the ricefield that blankets the landscape.  Bamboo trees are the dominant vegetation in the place and there are already several dwellings scattered around.  Although the vegetation is still thick enough to for you to get lost around the woods but at least there are already worn out trails that will help you reach your destination.

Life is still simple here and the day passes by on a snail's pace.  People are busy tending their crops and gathering grasses to feed their livestocks. Some are quite friendly and hospitable, although it seems clear that poverty is a pervasive situation here and the tourism that the waterfalls bring is not enough to uplift the economic plight of the folks here.  

Finally, we arrived in our first destination, Malagaslas Falls.  Undeniably, any Tagalog-comprehending person can immediately 

figure out why the waterfalls was named "malagaslas".

Overall, the waterfalls look like a stairway from the top of the mountain and water goes down by cascading down the steps in what is described as "lumalagaslas na tubig" hence the name "Malagaslas Falls".

Tired but not yet exhausted from the trek, we didn't waste time resting and relaxing, so without a moment's notice I was already in the water in no time at all.  

The water was not really that cold although the weather during January this year is a little bit cold but the water was in fact a little bit warm and very refreshing.  So I really enjoyed the moment in blissful ecstacy.  

Of course we took the opportunity for a traditional snapshot together with the falls in the background.  Malen was actually reluctant to get completely wet because she is still recovering from a cold so she doesn't want to risk getting sick again.  

But of course she also doesn't want to miss this opportunity to visit thi mystical falls because we might never get to visit this place again in the near future.

After resting enough we continued with trek on towards the final destination "Ambon-Ambon Falls".  One would wonder why the falls was named that way.  Initially, the assumption would be that the cascading waters hitting pouring out of the cracks in the stone wall of the mountain sprays the water in the air creating a spectacle of eternal drizzle in the gorge.  We'll find out upon arriving in the place.  Reaching the falls will require entering a gorge where flowing water has carved out a huge gorge in the mountain.  The entrance of the gorge is found on the right side of the picture above.  From this point point on we will be treking on the river itself.

The gorge is a narrow pass where only a small amount of light illuminates the pass.  The walls begin to bounce off our voices as we approach the falls where the sound of the cascading waters can now be heard from afar.

As we got nearer the falls, the vertical walls begin to rise steeper and higher and huge boulders are strewn all around and some actually obstructed the pass and will require climbing them in order to get to the other side.

After negotiating the last obstructing boulder, this is what greeted us! 

We were dumbstruck that moment as words cannot describe the beauty and emotion of the moment because of the awesome beauty of the place! Water that formed the falls actually carved the limestone mountain creating a huge circular hole where the bottom is the very floor we are standing on. This wonder of nature came into existence after millions of years of attrition and erosion of the massive rock in the foothills of Laurel, Batangas.

Ambon-Ambon Falls is a two-tiered waterfalls where the first tier drops the water unto a pool perched high in the limestone rock around 200 feet from the base.  The small collecting pool is obscured from the ground but apparently as water begins to fill up the pool, it begins to overflow on the other side and begins to fall unto the 2nd tier that eventually drops the water into the base of the gorge.

The reason why it is called "Ambon-Ambon" Falls is due to the effect that the narrow circular gorge seems to have an eternal mist floating in the air that causes the lens of our camera to be hazy as the drizzle coming from the falls are further illuminated and light coming from the opening above scatters the rays which doesn't really give a good exposure for a camera shot.  The place can be described as being in an eternal state of drizzle hence the local name "ambon-ambon". 

You know why the visit to this magnificent falls is so scary but intensely awesome?  Is the fact that this empty place where only a small amount of light is coming from the opening above the gorge is very eerie when me and Malen are the only living souls in it!  Our hearts were beating fast as the waterfalls finally reveals its entirety right before our mesmerized eyes.  You can only enjoy this kind of nervous state in the very early hours of the morning when there are no other tourists around.  Actually, the barangay tanod tells us that the place can be crowded with picnickers later in the day so this is really the perfect time to enjoy the solemnity of the place. And whoa, we were never disappointed at all!

The next thing is to enjoy the waters of the falls.  We executed a traditional victory sign for a very successful expedition in this obscured town of Laurel, Batangas, the last town in the western tip of the Tanauan-Talisay Road.

Malen then approached nearer the falls to check out whether the depth of the water near the falls is safe to enter.  She was so excited that the state she was in after a fever struck her the other day immediately disappeared and she became more than eager to jump into the water.  

However, fear still got the better of her so she settled by just wading near  the falls.

Now it was my turn to enter the water.  The pool at the base of the falls was shallow, reaching only at the level of my chest.  So posing directly underneath the falling waters is easy but as soon as the bulk of the water hit my head, I can really feel the immense force of the water hitting my head and back that it becomes unbearable to stand underneath for a long time. The height of the falls together with the gravitational pull really creates a powerful force strong enough to really carve out a gorge out of this limestone mountain.

One of the strange features of the stone wall around the gorge is this hole that seems to have been formed by water.  Actually when you look around the vertical walls of the gorge near the watefalls, there similar opening of this kind but the biggest one is the one I am looking through right now.

Another peculiar structures we noticed are the rock piles we saw on top of some stones along the river.  These rock formations are actually man-made that is slowly growing and evolving as a meditative form of art.  People of the river use this activity to while the time away while enjoying the beauty and serenity of the river.  It somehow helps one to harness all his concentration and effort in balancing and stacking up these rocks in the most unusual way.  

There was even this Chinese horror movie we remembered watching in channel 7 that even linked these stones to enchanted beings and creatures in the forest and forbids the topple or disturb these stone structures or else misfortune will come their way.  Indigenous people as well as the seasoned trekker uses these stones as markers and signs to guide their way through the forest.  But for us it's just one way to relieving the stress brought about by the urban life.  Just relax and concentrate on balancing these stones and eventually release all the tension by toppling it down in the end.  Or you could just leave it standing up for other trekkers to enjoy its unique amusing form.

Nature is really patient in forming the Earth.  I could just imagine how long it took for nature to carve out this big gorge in this massive limestone in front of me.  These rugged structures are nature's gifts to us to show beauty in its simplest, crudest but awesome form.  Unfortunately, this place will not be spared by the ravages of Man as its growing population slowly creeps in and eventually overran this place in competition for much needed dwelling space.  

It's a good thing that there are no roads leading directly to this place, unlike other waterfalls in Laguna and Rizal that are very accessible because of the roads so most of them are already exploited and had lost their natural beauty.  Visiting this place is still exciting and challenging because you need to devote time and effort in reaching this place without the benefit of concrete paths.  I wish this place would remain unspoiled for the future generations to enjoy.

It was quite some time that we had the place for ourselves for swimming and taking pictures enjoying utmost freedom of having no photobombers around so we stayed until the next visitors of the falls began to arrive.  When the first signs of people came out of the gorge, soon enough the newcomers seem to deliberately photobombed our shot and everytime we would take a picture, they seem to be eager to part of the shot.  This was probably the time to go.  So we started trekking again through the dark gorge the way we went in.  And as soon as we came out of the gorge on the other side, a number of picnickers began flocking towards the direction of the falls. It was ultimately time to bid farewell to Ambon-Ambon Falls.  

We took another path on the way back to the car through a shorter route and no longer passed by Malagaslas Falls.  And as we approached the hanging bridge again, we realized we were soaked wet to the hilt and a little bit hungry.  So I thought of taking a look at Amansinaya Maountain Resort where we could probably wash up and have lunch.

When we reached our car, we drove to Amansinaya and the guard at the front gate asked our purpose and I told him my most time- tested reply. (This is a secret of my trade as a travel-blogger that enables me to peek into the very rooms of every resort we've visited.)  

I told the guard that we are here on an ocular trip to look for a place for our company workshop and teambuilding activity.  And soon as I mentioned the name of our company, the management is quick to jump to their heels in accommodating us and touring us around their resort.  

There were many instances where our company really ended up spending a vacation on places we've visited but this place probably cannot be feasible because when I mentioned how large our group is, they were sad to say that they don't have that large accommodation to fit our group.   

Having no intention of disappointing them, I told them that we will still consider their resort for future outings.  I ask them how much will swimming in their swimming pool cost.  We almost jumped in our shoes when we heard that it was a whopping 250 bucks per person.  So instead, I requested them if we could just have lunch here and wash up because I felt that this would be the right time to tell them that we just came from Ambon-Ambon Falls without having to avail their daytour package in the resort.

They were quite friendly and affirmative to my request since we were very polite towards them although they probably regret of having not profited from the daytour we should have availed.  Anyway, at least we will be having lunch with them and they allowed us to wash in the shower room with no additional charge.  The price for the food is reasonably similar to any restaurant that you will be dining whenever you're in the mall.  And the good thing is the ensaladang talong (eggplant salad) and inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly) capped with kapeng barako ng Batangas (fearless coffee of Batangas) they served was superbly delicious.

Amansinaya Mountain Resort nestled in the foothills of Laurel, Batangas is a modern-style vacation resort within the sprawling residential subdivision of Los Haciendas. The previous location of their clubhouse has an infinity pool overlooking the peak of Ambon-Ambon Falls but it is no longer open to the public as a new management took over the resort.  Currently accommodation for overnight guests are the two big houses in the background with a private swimming pool in one of the houses.  They also have the Pugad Lawin Adventure Camp that has an obstacle course for team building activities, a horse-back riding area, a mudslide, giant soccer balls and a swimming pool to top it all.  A small company will surely enjoy their stay here since they will have this sprawling area all for themselves.

After having rested leisurely in style in Amansinaya, we bid goodbye to the staff of the resort and began the travel home, as we entered the national highway and drove towards the direction of Tanuan to reach the Star Tollway, it was already a cloudy afternoon and Typhoon Amang was fast approaching Luzon.  Taal Volcano looks gloomy from afar but still remains beautifully silent.  This adventure was merely a roadtrip that turned inexplicably memorable for us because of the magic that waterfalls seems to have on people.  The way it captivates and uplifts the spirit of man can never be explained in words.  Such is the experience of the Dr. and Mrs. of Fun and Adventure.  Until next time on another adventure! See ya!