Travel, Dito Kay Shellan, Page 4

New Things You Need to Know Before Hiking Tungtong Falls and Nagpatong Rock Formation

Posted on December 17, 2019 by shellan

I’ve been in this place last year (Nagpatong Rock Formation and Tungtong Falls) and was reconsidering to return here. And so last week, we scheduled a trip here; them for the first time, me for the second.

Since we were only a group of 5, we decided to commute all the way here because it will cost us much if we’ll rent a van. I will breakdown our expenses at the end of this blog for your reference.

So, what’s new?

During our hike at Nagpatong Rock Formation, I noticed some new signage aside from that it’s pretty well the same.

We reached the summit of Nagpatong in less than 3 hours. Unlike last year, we spent almost 5 hours climbing up and down because of the muddy trail.

At the top, we were amazed by the creation of God. Sierra Madre Mountain range is as beautiful as always. I didn’t took its photo this time (the mountain range) because I don’t want to exploit its beauty. I don’t know, but I felt like not everybody deserves to see the beauty at the top. Besides, to be able to appreciate its beauty even more, one must be in the process or experience the climb if they can. They will worship God even more through that beauty.

Here are some of the photos during our climb:

After having lunch near the registration area, where we walked our way for around 20 mins. We rode a tricycle and a habal-habal to the jump off of Tungtong Falls.

Now, here’s what you need to take note before trekking Tungtong Falls: the other entry/exit point of the trail here (that is privately owned) is not allowed for tourists anymore. So you will be rapelling down and up on your way in and out there. Yup, twice the exhaustion and difficulty. We weren’t aware of that until Mang Pablo, our tour guide, clarify to us, while we were rapelling, that we’ll be doing this again (back trail). I never knew we could do it twice, I was actually pleading to Mang Pablo to take us to the other trail on our way back instead because we can’t do it anymore, but he kept saying that it is prohibited now. So yeah, we were left with no choice, armed with prayers, we marched our way back to rapel up after taking some rest at Tungtong Falls. Thank goodness I was with my fiance, he insisted on helping me carry my stuff.

We didn’t get amazing photos at the falls but that doesn’t mean it was less awesome and amazing. It was even more memorable than before. Still, here’s some of the few:

Check out the footage of our adventure here for further detail: Nagpatong Rock Formation and Tungtong Falls 2019

As promised, the budget breakdown for DIY commute from Cubao and vice versa:
80 – Van fare to Tanay
150 – (750/5) Tricycle from Tanay to Brgy. Cayumbay and to the jump off
100 – Registration fee
160 – (800/5) Tour Guide Fee including tip
20 – Habal-habal to Tungtong Falls Jump off
100 – Tricycle from Cayumbay to Jeep Terminal
24 – Jeep to Tanay
52 – Jeep from Tanay to Crossing

Itinerary:
6:15 – Crossing
8:00 – Registration Area
8:15 – Start of Trek to Nagpatong
11:20 – Summit
1:00 – Jump off
1:30 – lunch
2:00 – Trail to Tungtong Falls
3:30 – Tungtong Falls
6:00 – Brgy. Hall
7:00 – Uwian
9:00 – Dinner at Starmall

There you go! Have a safe trip and enjoy! By the way, Mang Pablo is a recommendable tour guide. And say hi to this buddy:

Road Trip to Kaybiang Tunnel

Posted on December 14, 2019 by shellan

If you are a motorbike rider, then most probably you get to set an scheduled road trips to awesome scenery in the country once in a while. And here in the Philippines, Kaybiang Tunnel is one of those attractions a rider (even tourists) must see.

Kaybiang Tunnel made an easy way access from Maragondon to Nasugbu and vice versa. It connects two wonderful provinces: Cavite and Batangas. Travel time from Manila will take 3 hours or more via Motorbike. If you want to know more about Kaybiang Tunnel, Google is just a click away.

Witness our road trip here: Kaybiang Road Trip

And here are some of the photos we had on our trip:

Plus the bonus scenery few meters away after passing through the tunnel from Maragondon:

Enjoy and God bless on your trip! Wear proper safety attire, riders! And be armed with prayer.

You can also check some of the previous photos we had at Kaybiang Tunnel few years ago: Pico de Loro (Mt. Palay-Palay) and Expectation VS. Reality: Carabao Island (Maragondon, Cavite) When Summer’s Over

Cavite Beach During Pre-Christmas Holiday

Posted on October 25, 2019 by shellan

If there’s someone among my followers here in this blog who misses my hiking adventure, don’t worry, I miss it too. And I was hoping to climb another soon, together with my fiance, just like these road trips with him.

But anyway, being connected with nature is not limited with climbing mountains. Where we went on this trip can relieve stress too. Peace and serenity were found too (only during this season, I guess). Wonderful nature can be seen too. Instagrammable spots are just bonuses. Besides, we travel to enjoy and savor the moment; to refresh us from within and not to get many likes nor countless post shares. Otherwise, you’ll end up draining yourself even more.

Obviously, if you’re in Cavite and you wanted to reconnect with nature, beaches are the ones you can easily go to since it is a coastal place. Hence, we went to one.

There were only few people in this resort, and we even went there weekend. So if you’re the kind of person who hates crowded places but loves being on a beach and has no money to rent one just for yourself and your family then go there during this season.

Here’s my vlog to see exactly what I’m describing: Beach Vlog and Roadtrip

Meanwhile, here are the instagrmmable photos we got on this place:

And if these photos urge you to visit a beach now, please do yourself a favor by going. But remember that instagrammable shots are just bonuses, it must never be your reason why you travel.

Thank you and shalom!

A Road Trip At Angono, Rizal

Posted on July 15, 2019 by shellan

I’ve been far from keyboard for quite some time now due to some personal reason? Will I tell it here? Okay, I’m not updating this online travel journal because obviously I haven’t been on any trip (or a trip worth sharing) since our last trip at Tanay Rizal and it is because my mom is on a medical condition that we need to attend to every now and then. (Yes, prayers are still appreciated though she is doing great already.) I can schedule a trip, but I choose not to because scheduling itself is harder than planning the trip.

Okay, enough of the background story and let’s get it on the topic. Just this week, my boyfriend and I went on a motorbike trip to Angono, Rizal and have tried to discover places to visit in there. Why Angono? The very reason why the question pop up your mind is the very answer to that: it is one of the least “to go to” places in the Province of Rizal when it comes to travelling like this. And as a result of our exploration, here I am sharing quite instagrammable pictures of the places we went about the place:

If you want to know the whereabouts of these photos just go around the place of Angono because we, ourselves, don’t know it either. Just use helmet and most especially, prayers, on your road trip.

You can watch our vlog here for more cinematic escapade ? : Places to go on a motorbike roadtrp

And here’s a bonus photos from our trip:

These are my favorites:

Treasure Mountain, Calinawan Cave (Tanay Tour Highlights)

Posted on March 12, 2019 by shellan

If you are eager to see wonderful scenery and be amazed with God’s creation on top of the mountain but not in the mood for an exhausting climb, then Treasure Mountain is one of the few that awaits you.

After conquering Mt. Ulap, most of us in our group are now looking forward to climb Mt. Pulag next, but few of us request for a least difficult climb for the next trip. And since I am one of them, the next trip was of course an easy one, and which led us to plan a trip to Tanay, Rizal, specifically Treasure Mountain.

If you are following my blog, you already know that we are a DIY climbers, but since having a trip to Treasure Mountains comes with other Tanay Travel Destinations, such as: Calinawan Cave, Pililia Windmill, Regina Rica, Kawa Hot Bath, Daranak Falls, etc., we booked a trip at Tiff’s Travel and Tour Agency

As early as now, I am telling you that the highlights of this tour are Treasure Mountain and Calinawan Cave. Highlight means the best among the destinations (this was based on my taste, of course). Daranak Falls can also be considered a ‘highlight’ but because we missed the chance to enjoy the place for a longer period of time due to the travel agency’s itinerary, it did not fall under that category. But we will schedule a trip back there for that falls, and I’ll be making a separate blog about it. But just so to tease you, here are some of the photos at Daranak Falls:

We started the tour at around 8AM at Treasure Mountain, and is only a 5-10 minuter trek, which kind of reminds me of Mt. Gulugod Baboy. To further help you organize a DIY tour here, below are the photos of our tour in chronological order (from Manila):

Regina Rica
We did not explore much of this place, that’s why these were only the photos we captured. This place is most likely a retreat camp venue; a sacred sanctuary. It has a large statue of Mother Mary at the center that again, we did not take photos of.

Pililia Wind Mill

There are souvenir shops surtounding this site. Snacks can also be bought here.

Lunch at The Gathering Cafe
Expect 10-20 minutes before they serve your meal after you’ve made your orders. You can check their menu below. Sisig and Sitaw/Kalabasa taste great.

Calinawan Cave
This cave is 10-15 minute trek, which has a different exit point. We passed through only the first and 2nd floor of this, again, due to the travel agency’s itinerary, but 3rd to 5th floor are available and optional, just add additional payment for the tour guide. I will not write about the details which our tour guide mentioned and explained during the trek to make your trip here more informative and exciting when you visit it.

Daranak Falls
Aside from the pictures I’ve shown above, here are the others.

Kawa Hot Bath and Hobbit House
These were located in one place — El Patio. This is near Treasure Mountain and you can actually make it your second destination but since this is also along the way going home, we saved it for the last, also there were no available Kawa when we checked on it after our Treasure Mountain trek.

There you go. I hope this blog gave you an idea for your future trip in Tanay. I don’t know the exact budget breakdown for each place since we were booked on a Travel Agency but do prepare not more than P1,000 for a DIY tour.

Here are some of the fees:
Treasure Mountain: P150
Daranak Falls: P50 Entrance / Cottage not included

Check out our short video with this trip: https://youtu.be/AObgZNdLwEY

Also, this is so good. You should never fail to try this at Pililia Wind Mill.

P.S. Don’t forget to start your trip with prayers. 🙂

Majestic Summer and Winter at Mt. Ulap (Overnight Camp)

Posted on December 12, 2018 by shellan

I once believed that there were only 2 seasons here in the Philippines: Summer and Rainy seasons. But spending a night at Mt. Ulap made me realize that Winter is possible in our country too. ?

Mt. Ulap is located in the Northern highland part of Luzon: Itogon, Benguet, a province where you can also visit the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio City. It was coined as that because of the large number of tourists during summer because everybody was after its cold weather. And yes, we had a short side trip at that place (which is my very first time): Baguio Market and Burnham Park.

Ulap is a Filipino word for Cloud and Mt. Ulap is also famous for its scenery with ‘sea of clouds’, that’s why we were expecting to witness such. And if you are following my blog, you already know that I am very excited to experience that majestic scene. But again, we fail. But that didn’t mean we were less than happy compared to our previous climb.

Benguet is an 8 hour-drive away from our place (more or less, depending on the traffic), so we started the road trip night before the climb.

We reached the registration area / jump-off around 8AM and started the trail at 9AM after a short activity and warm up, hosted by our travel agency.

I decided to contact a travel agency this time because I was not in the mood to know the requirements, places to eat, and all other necessities a traveler should know to an unfamiliar place. And also, I was considering the expenses between DIY tour and having a travel agency; it turned out that the additional payment for travel agency wasn’t that big.

We were a total of 17 backpackers: 12 from our group, 1 coordinator, and 2 pairs of joiners.

The first lap is, of course, a warm-up but already trying to push us to our warm-up’s limit. ?

I am not going to discuss anymore our step by step journey to the summit. So, here are the scenery as we climb up higher:

Some part of Mt. Ulap reminded me of Mt. Batulao because of how worn out they are.

Before we go to the views at the summit, you should know that there are 2 peaks before reaching the final summit:

We reached Campsite 2, which is very near the summit, at around 3PM. Imagine how exhausted we were with that almost 7 hours trek. ?

We started to build our tent to have some rest before climbing the summit and witness the sunset there.

Due to exhaustion and very cold weather, 2 of us did not join them, ?. Yes, I was one of the 2. ? But I was able to witness the majestic sunset at the campsite.

Meanwhile, here are their shots at the summit during sunset:

If you think I gave up climbing the very summit, you’re wrong. ? After some breakfast, we went to the top and this time witness the sunrise. It was more majestic for me.

I almost forgot to share the view of our night sky (captured by our friend) at the campsite, which has a degree of 7 Celsius that night, here it is (click the picture to clearly see the night sky):

We started the trek (traverse) down Mt. Ulap at around 8AM. And it took us 3 hours to reach the bottom. Traversing Mt. Ulap was easy but the scenery were still breathtaking. Here the photos on our way down the mountain:

There you go. I hope these insights motivated you to visit a mountain too, if not this mountain. Ever since I started climbing, I realized that reconnecting with the nature is important part of life. We need to see these awesome creation of God once in a while. There are reasons why He created the nature that way and us too. They are vital part of life and therefore need to be taken care of and be preserved.

Thank you Lord, for this awesome experience. 🙂

P.S. The photos above were taken by these fun loving people:

P.P.S. If you are planning a trip here and is looking for a travel agency, I am highly recommending Tiff’s Travel and Tours. Aside from being very accommodating, they are fun-loving with a touch of TLC.

Also, if you’d like to see the footage of our adventure, you may click this link: Majestic Overnight at Mt. Ulap

The Historical Intramuros of Manila

Posted on November 21, 2018 by shellan

It’s been 7 years (more or less) since I last put my feet on the ground of my Alma Mater. There are lots of changes inside the University but my fascination with its location never changes.

My Alma Mater, and I am proud I was part of it, is located inside the historical Intramuros. I am not going to discuss here how and why it became historical, you can do your research on your own. What I am going to share here is some of the beautiful scenery inside and adjacent the walls of Intramuros.

These pictures were taken just along my way home. If you are planning to visit this place, you may want to ride kalesa to take a tour around the place. Or by feet and go deeper into the streets of Intramuros. But I am suggesting that you take a ride on Kalesa instead, it’s convenient and safer and will help kutchero/tour guide to gain income.

So here are the pictures (hope they bring good vibes to you and nostalgia at the same time):

Nagpatong Rock Formation and Tungtong Falls of Tanay, Rizal, Philippines

Posted on August 31, 2018 by shellan

Finally! After being cancelled for several times due to bad weather and certain circumstances, this trip has finally happened. And indeed, it was considered a ‘right timing’. It was neither hot nor raining on the day of our hike.

I already lost count of all the mountains I have conquered, but this one is surely memorable. Just like in Mt. Daraitan, we have experienced not just trekking but also several kinds of outdoor activity such as: cliff diving, rappelling, etc. And that made this adventure a memorable one.

We registered at Brgy. Cayumbay and started the trail at around 7:30AM. And because we were already in rainy season here in the Philippines, as expected, the trail was muddy and that made it a bit harder for us to climb.

It took us almost 2 hours to reach Nagpatong Rock Formation, because we had to stay and wait for our turn to go to the top/summit at a kubo, just like the other group of hikers. Refreshment are available there. We took this chance to rest for a while and eat our packed lunches although it was only around 9AM.

And after several minutes of waiting, we resumed climbing all the way to the top of Nagpatong Rock Formation. And then, charaaaaaann…

Nagpatong Rock Formation

IMG_20180828_154203 IMG_20180828_154305 top DCIM100MEDIA top tambay topgroup topsit topsitlong top posing 1 top posing 2

topedge

But before seeing that wonderful scenery at the top, here were the obstacles we had to go through:

(Yes, it was a little bit difficult. You will need extra courage, and of course, you have to listen to your tour guide’s instruction carefully.)

We stayed at the top for more than an hour because there were no group next in line yet. We took that opportunity and took lots of photo for souvenirs. 😀 Our tour guide, Kuya Pio, was the one who served as our photographer because he already knew the perfect spot and angle for each shot.

We went down at around 11AM and reached the jump off point at around 1PM.

Here’s another beautiful spot along the trail, (it’s up to you to discover the others :p):

forest

We went back to Brgy. Cayumbay to start the trail going to Tungtong Falls at around 1:30PM. And it only took us an hour to reach the falls.

Here, you can do cliff jumping with the help of a rope, held by an authorized guide, wrap around your waist or a life vest, provided by your tour guide.

cliff diving

We stayed there for only an hour. But the highlight of Tungtong Falls could only be experienced when you do a shortcut back to Barangay Registration area.

It is where we experienced two sets of rappelling and it wasn’t that easy but with the right amount of courage and strength and prayer, you too can do it.

fallsway rapelling

But first, we stayed there for more than 30 minutes to take lots of picture, of course. 😀

falls

fallspose

fallsstand

It took us almost two hours to reach Brgy. Cayumbay again because of the time we spent taking pictures at the falls you see above. And it was all worth it. Challenging and satisfying at the same time.

To further understand what we went through with this adventure, click the following link where you can watch our video footage at Nagpataong Rock Formation and Tungtong Falls.

Meanwhile, here are additional tips if you are planning a trip at this place:

Itinerary:
3:00AM – Tejero
7:00AM – Cuyambay Jump Off Registration / Gear up
7:30AM – Start of Trek
9:30AM – Lunch
10:00AM – Nagpatong Rock Formation
11:00AM – Trek back to Jump Off
1:30PM – Trail to Tungtong Falls
2:30PM – Tungtong Falls
3:30PM – Back to Brgy. Cayumbay with picture taking
5:30PM – Clean / Freshen up
6:30PM – Back to Tejero (Dinner along the way)
10:00PM – Tejero

Budget breakdown:
350 – Van Transpo (3500/10)
100 – Registration fee
100 – Tour guide
50 – Tour Guide Tip

600 – Total / each
Note: Kubo near Nagpatong Rock Formation costs P50.

Also, bring a pair of gloves. It will help you a lot with the climb. I also encourage you to look for Kuya Pio and ask for him to be your tour guide. You will enjoy your adventure (and pictures) more with him. 😀 Use waze to navigate your way to Nagpatong Rock Formation located at Brgy. Cayumbay, Tanay, Rizal. When you pass by Masungi Georeserve, you are already near the barangay.

And here’s a bonus picture to encourage you to go there 😀 :

Nagpatongpuppy

Reminiscing Independence Day at Aguinaldo Shrine

Posted on June 9, 2018 by shellan

This post will tackle a different kind of adventure. The one that many of us find boring but pretty much informative. But actually, I will not go into details or write historical facts or whatsoever you think connected to it. Instead, what you’ll read hopefully makes you appreciate, if not love, your country more.

Three days from now, Philippines will celebrate its Independence Day — the day when our country was declared truly independent and free from the leadership of other country. So, my boyfriend and I decided to celebrate it ahead of time. ? We went to the place where the Philippine Flag was first waved, held by President Emilio Aguinaldo, to the public. A symbolism of our country’s independence.

Yes, I was talking about Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, which also served as the mansion of the President during his time.

This was actually just the second time I’ve been inside the mansion. The first time was during a field trip back in elementary / gradeschool. I was kinda feeling guilty about it since I live in a town of Cavite and is just a ride away from it. I know that was quite an ignore but I think that’s just it. We often take for granted the best that we have. Be it human or things; we, most of the time take it for granted simply because we have it. And I am guilty of it.

I was once again reminded that I should be proud of my province when my boyfriend excitedly told me that we should visit Aguinaldo Shrine because he hasn’t been there and he was curious of the history it holds inside. And so we went.

I will not show everything we saw and captured inside the historical mansion because I don’t want to spoil your visit there just in case you have decided to.

Below are the glimpse of what will you find on the first floor:

Exif_JPEG_420

The mansion’s second floor is where you can find the rooms and the antiques:

Another thing you might love about this place is that it’s perfect for a discreet photoshoot. And we grabbed that opportunity, of course:

Only the first and the second floor are open for viewing. But they are already filled with historical facts and trivia that I’m sure you’ll be glad to know and hopefully would make you proud also if you’re a Filipino.

Before I end this blog, let me share one of the things I learned during our visit:

Aguinaldo’s tomb can be found at the mansion’s backyard.

P.s. There’s no entrance fee but I highly recommend to drop any amount of money on their donation box.

P.p.s. Aguinaldo Shrine becomes tourist attraction especially during “Ber Months” due to its amazing dancing lights.

Mt. Gulugod Baboy with Anilao, Batangas Beach Sidetrip

Posted on March 27, 2018 by shellan

If you are looking for a mountain for beginners, then Mt. Gulugod Baboy is the right choice for you. As in right and perfect choice. You will reach the summit in less than 5 minutes. No kidding. But that was because we started the trek in a different jump-off, where vehicles are allowed to climb the mountain. So, if you are planning to trek this mountain, try using the jump-off near Philpan Dive resort, yet still, this mountain is perfect for first timers.

Here are the views at the summit:

Meanwhile, here are the photos we’ve taken at the beach just near (walking distance) Anilao port:

beach 1 beach 2 beach 3 beach 4 beach 5 beach

There you go, I hope you’ve been inspired to also take your early summer get-away with the pictures above. Shalom!

By the way, here’s an avp of our get-away: Mt. Gulugod Baboy with Anilao Beach Sidetriip

And here’s our budget breakdown for this trip:
Van Transpo – 370 (4000/11 pax + Parking fee)
Registration – 40
Anilao Beach – 80
Cottage – 45 (500/11 pax)

Total – 535

Things to bring:
Water
Swimming clothes
Sandals
Extra clothes
Trash bag
Plastic bag (for wet clothes)
Energy bar (like chocolates)
Trail snacks
Packed lunch (optional, since nasa baba na tayo ng lunch, may bilihan na)
Snacks at the beach (sharing tayo a :D)
Toiletries
First aid kit (Alcohol, cotton, band aid)

Itinerary: (Expectation)
2:30 AM – Tejero
5:00 AM – Jump Off / Gear up
5:30 AM – Start of trek
8:30 AM – Summit
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM – Photo op / rest
10:00 AM – start of trek going down
12:00 NN – bottom
12:00 NN to 1:00 PM – lunch
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM- going to the beach
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM – free time at the beach
5:00 PM to 5:30 PM – wrap up/pack up
5:30 PM – board the van
8:00 PM – Tejero

Itinerary: (Reality)
2:30 AM – Tejero
6:30 AM – Jump Off / Gear up / Registration
7:00 AM – Start of trek
7:05 AM – Summit 1
7:15 AM – Summit 2
8:00 AM – start of trek going down
8;10 AM – bottom
8:30 – Anilao Port
9:00 – beach
11:00 AM – lunch
1:30 PM to 2:00 PM – wrap up/pack up
2:00 PM – board the van
5:00 PM – Tejero

Dito Kay Shellan

They say people view the world differently from each other. And so, this is how we see ours.

Travel

New Things You Need to Know Before Hiking Tungtong Falls and Nagpatong Rock Formation

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Road Trip to Kaybiang Tunnel

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Cavite Beach During Pre-Christmas Holiday

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A Road Trip At Angono, Rizal

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Treasure Mountain, Calinawan Cave (Tanay Tour Highlights)

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Majestic Summer and Winter at Mt. Ulap (Overnight Camp)

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The Historical Intramuros of Manila

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Nagpatong Rock Formation and Tungtong Falls of Tanay, Rizal, Philippines

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Reminiscing Independence Day at Aguinaldo Shrine

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Mt. Gulugod Baboy with Anilao, Batangas Beach Sidetrip

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