Photos of Hulugan Falls have spread like wildfire all over social media and so tourist and adventure-seekers alike started flocking in Luisiana, Laguna. I, too, decided to join the bandwagon. Countless features and blogs have been written about this newest gem (and this has to be the nth) but I'm pretty sure that each of them are still worth reading for each experience, no matter how similar to others, is still unique on its own. With that, allow me to share my own.
Luisiana, Laguna, home of three lovely waterfalls: Talay, Hidden and Hulugan Falls, is roughly 4 hours away from Manila, depending on the traffic. (A quick shoutout to Barefoot Travels for a hassle free adventure.) I'm not just talking about water which happens to drop from rocks here, no. These waters beautifully cascade through what seemed to be carefully carved rocks. How often do you get to visit three lovely falls in a day? Carpe Diem, indeed.
From the registration area, we rode a tricycle for (insert number) minutes to the jump off point. T'was quite a ride, steep roads that somehow reminded me of Baguio. Our first stop was Talay Falls. The trail was muddy but not as muddy as Mt. Romelo or Daraitan on a rainy day. It's fairly easy, no ascends whatsoever. At this point, one could already think that this would be just another walk in the park. Roughly thirty minutes and we're already at the first level of Talay Falls.
Isn't it cute? Haha. Took a quick dip here just to cool myself out but most of us just took some pictures and went straight on to the second level. Just under five minutes and you're already there. Going there was quite a challenge for some, though, since you have to go through a short but steep and muddy trail and cross a makeshift bamboo bridge. It was so much for some that they just chose to wait for us in the picnic area. Well, at least they had the first level to themselves.
The second level's nice and sheek. Haha. I like that it's framed by thick wall of rocks and that its basin is surrounded by huge rocks. It looked quite man-made actually. The kind of garden waterfalls that professional landscapers make on lifestyle channels. :)
Chill hike, you say? Not so much going to the next falls as it involves hugging of boulders and a bit of rapelling. Personally, I found it challenging. Even experienced mountaineers are no match for mossy rocks. I'm more scared of the idea of falling and bumping my head on these rocks than falling per se. It should take you about fifteen to twenty minutes to get to Hidden Falls. Just follow exactly what your guide tells you to do and you'll be safe.
If you think the two-leveled Talay Falls is lovely then Hidden Falls is even more so. Its water cascades over beautifully stacked boulders that resemble bricks. Most in our group opted to be up close and personal with Hidden Falls but honestly I was satisfied with the view from where I was, so I passed. Plus by the time that we reached the falls it's already crowded. So while they're struggling with the buwis-buhay rock climbing just to get close to it, I took advantage and did quick long exposure shots of the falls. I was done when they got close to it so I'll save that up close and personal for my next visit. :)
And the main event of the season... drum rolls please... Hulugan Falls. Yes, saving the best for last.
The trail to Hulugan was mostly descent. I found that kind of weird, actually. Usually the main events are full of ascends. The path's clay and grass all throughout. Good thing it wasn't raining yet otherwise it would be like a mud slide though the thought of it kind of excites me. Anywho... The trail's pretty straightforward, just one fork that either way would lead you to the same trail.
Our guide said it should take us about twenty minutes to reach Hulugan but I didn't keep track, just savored every step. As soon a we heard the gentle running waters, we knew we're almost there. Then we saw a glimpse of the falls, it was captivating even from afar. It thrilled us even more.
It was lunchtime when we reached Hulugan. Quick photo ops while the others were still on their way. It wasn't as crowded as I expected. Perhaps because the weather was quite unexpected these past few days, whatever it is, lucky us.
See that beautiful drop? Quite dreamy and rather picturesque, like it's flowing in slow motion. However, such a small basin for such a towering waterfall, don't you think?
After taking some photos, me and my adventure buddy Vanni had our lunch. I wasn't that hungry but I finished my lunch as fast as I could 'cause I wanted to make the most of our stay. Quick yosi break (be responsible for your trash), sat by the cave beside the falls, breathe in, breathe out, and admired its beauty. Few minutes later, I couldn't hold it anymore. Thinking how can I let myself get soaked by the rain (yes, its already drizzling) yet not take a dip in its basin? I'll get soaked either way so might as well jump in. I had to. I had to swim. I had to feel its icy waters wrapped around me. I find a certain comfort when I'm in the water, so. :)
I know how to swim but my weight could only handle so much of the current. Good thing they have this buoy tied by the foot of the falls. The good souls at the other end would throw it whenever someone wants to go under the falls and just pull them closer. I hope I didn't cause the person that was pulling me much trouble. I threaded as much as I could, I promise. :)
Halfway through, it started to pour heavily. We didn't mind it. After three minutes, perhaps, the heavens started trembling and the what used to be dreamy drop of the falls had started gushing. In my mind, I think we should get back. I glanced over at our group at the cave and our coordinator's already signaling me to go back (Yes, they didn't join me so I joined the other group. Haha). There goes my cue and I obeyed. The weather worsened by the minute. Voices in my head went "Houston, we got a problem", "This is the real deal. This is not a test".
Such a relief to have reached the shallow part of the basin. It was time to trek back to the jump off point and yet it's still raining cats and dogs. Much to my surprise, the "descend" was actually an ascend, an all assault trail. Wait, I'm I missing something here? The ascend was a descend and the descend was an ascend. Mind boggling. Here's the thing, I enjoyed it and by that I meant a lot! Yes, it was an all assault trail but the heavy rain kind of worked. I imagined myself taking the same trail but on a sunny day, that wouldn't have worked for me. I would have sworn with every step. Pointy rocks, steep assault, but I almost didn't noticed it since the rain was very relaxing. It's like you're being massaged while climbing. That's how good it was.
So there. Hoping for the same weather on my next visit. Check out my IG @jasiticer for videos of this trip. :)
TIP BITS:
1. Waterproof all your stuff. As you can see, the weather's very unpredictable.
2. Drop by Aling Taleng's at Pagsanjan on your way home. "The best halo-halo in town". :)
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