Tanay
Tanay, located in the province of Rizal, has always been one my favorite place for a quick getaway away from the city, yet  not traveling that far. It houses famous landmarks like Ten Cents to Heaven, Palo Alto, my personal favorite Cafe Katerina and the well-loved Regina Rica. Plus, Tanay is becoming famous for all nature lovers as Daranak Falls and a handful of mountains perfect for trekking are found here.
It was a spur of the moment when i saw Celinism’s blogpost about the Giant Sapot and Duyan, which captured my eyes, and all of my friends’, in a heartbeat. The photos were awesome and looks like a unique adventure awaits to anyone who visits. And it was – it really was.
Booking
One of my friends initiated to check into their website but the entire January-February was already full booked. So yeah, this one’s the first struggle. And after the long wait (and thorough checking of their website), my friend finally got to book us a slot! Yay!
Entrance fee is P1000 (up to March) then P1,400 starting April. 50% downpayment is required to secure your slot.
According to our guide, there are 4 batches per day – two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Morning batch starts at 7:30 while the afternoon starts at 12:30. And oh, they only accept a group of 7-10 persons, though I would recommend to stick to just 7 so you won’t clog up the trail.
There, now set! Let’s go!
How to get there
I deeply, STRONGLY, persuasively ask you to come here on a private vehicle. Like seriously, DO NOT COMMUTE going to this place. Just rent a van, or anything. It will take you forever if you commute, if you’re lucky to grab any public transportation up to this area.
Won’t be giving you any instructions via commute so you won’t even try. Lol. You are a group, after all, so just rent a van and share the cost like we did.
Via private transpo, driving to Tanay is so easy even on your first time in the area. Just follow a straight road – yes, just straight. But i’ll be honest with you, this one’s a really long drive. The straight road i am talking about is the famous Marcos Highway. So here are the landmarks you will be passing on your way: LRT Santolan Station, Robinsons Metro East, SM Masinag, Masinag Intersection. When you reach the intersection, just go straight ahead all the way to the part where you cannot see any cars behind or in front of you. The place that you should be spotting should be Palo Alto. Don’t worry, you will see well enough as it has a huge signage in it that no one won’t miss. When you are already in that area, just go straight ahead and be mindful that you are already near Garden Cottages (where Masungi Georeserve is).
Slow down a bit (since you might be already on a full-speed – can’t blame you though, the road is very good and hey, no other cars! Hello, traffic-free road!) and you should find a small road with a small white and cream cottage on the right. Turn there as that is the entrance to the Garden Cottages. A guy would took us from there and instructed us where to go.
Van Rental costs P2,300 all-in so it’s just P329 per person.
Garden Cottages
Entrance to Garden Cottages
Once we’ve entered the gate, we went down on a very steep road so be extra careful here. We passed by, obviously, some garden cottages. Not sure if this is available for rent publicly but nonetheless, the cabins looked really creepy I wouldn’t mind knowing any detail about it. Moving on, we followed the instructions given to us until we reached the part where we saw a golf caddy and a few people on the road. A staff approached us and already collected the remaining balance for our entrance fee.
Rough Road to the Georeserve
After that, they led the way to Masungi Georeserve – this one’s an obstacle that only a great driver (kidding, kinda) can survive. The roads -not one, but many- are very very steep, but on this instance – going up. Good thing we did it! Lol. Parking area and the way to the entrance is still on a rough road, might be on an ongoing development. No big deal though, the area was perfectly fenced so looks like its secured.
Orientation
Officially, we are in.
Briefing Area
Our guide, but he preferred the term Ranger, led us to the entrance and holding area of the Georeserve. From there, they will conduct the orientation and hand over the things needed like helmet, binoculars and whistle – free of use and must be returned after the tour. They also provided us a bottle of water for consumption. And, to those who have a bulky bag, they provided bags to store what’s really just needed during the tour and we just left the rest of our things in that area.
At this point, we took advantage to already use the comfort room (especially for girls) because once the tour starts there’s no chance we could use one (well, for the guys they can, obviously. lol). And oh, their comfort room is really posh! They basically got everything in there- lotion, repellant, Beach Hut sunblock spray, and M&S powder. Mehehe.
Before the tour starts, our guide gave a quick background on the area plus some dos and don’ts that must be strictly followed. After that, we’re all set. Time for the much awaited adventure!
Start of Trek
Well-constructed stairs to pave the way
 Brace yourselves for 3-4 hours of walking and climbing and walking and climbing. Haha! The first 10 minutes might be a struggle for first timers but this will definitely go away once you’ve reached each of the destinations along the way. The area has stairs or stone trails so need not to worry going around the place. Better to wear closed shoes instead of sandals so you can comfortably walk through.
The first rope to climb
 This one’s the first of the many rope ladders to be used in the trail. For those who are chickened out to do this, fret not because every single spot has their ‘alternative’ route but clearly you’ll be missing out 100% of the adventure.
Sapot
One of the highlights of the tour. The web is credibly safe, if you follow the instructions though, and well-engineered to give the tourists that awesome experience. Better stand on the center though as the sides don’t come with narrow webs for you to step on.
Best. View. Ever.
Helpful chunks of wood you can step on
View from below
Bridge to the next destination
Ditse
Not sure what exactly Ditse was on this tour but we passed by some of these – logs and swing.
Just for props. This log is a dead end.
Swing
This part is an owl sanctuary. Unfortunately, they are noctural so we didn’t see any trace of them in the area.
Yungib ni Ruben
Tiny pieces of shell in the center of the well, or whatever it’s called
As seen in the reviews online, Yungib ni Ruben was named after Ruben – someone who guards and take care of the place. First thought on my mind was a mythical or a magical creature that lurks inside the cave. But, astonishedly knowing, Ruben is actually a real person who literally takes care of the place. Haha! We even met him on our way to the cave and said our hellos. Our guide gave us the info that it was Ruben who discovered the cave long ago and he’s the one responsible for making the trails to it. So, kudos to that!
Cave photo op
The entrance to the cave is well lit with lamps (like someone’s gonna propose inside, lol). Inside, there’s a small well at the center plus stalagmites and stalactites on the side.
Patak
Time to go on to our next. This time to their Air House, or commonly known as Patak. It was in the middle of two hanging bridges connecting two peaks.
Hanging Bridge from the air house
Inside Patak
 The view here is so refreshing and you can actually rest a bit and feel the fresh air coming in and out of the air house.
The end of the hanging bridge lies the way to our next one.
Duyan
Finally, we’ve reached the most talked-about Giant Duyan.
View from the top
Climbing down to the duyan requires a lot of effort, and caution. Our guide said this one’s he’s most worried about. The edge is really really steep and really really scary to look at – no railings and all plus no support in case someone slips. All our fate depends on the rope and how well we held on to it.
Way down to Duyan
Nevertheless, it was all worth it. The duyan was a haven of serenity. This was the part were we stayed a bit longer and smelled the fresh air of Tanay.
Chillin’ with the squad
Well, time got longer as we didn’t miss the opportunity to take group and individual photos. We might be here just today for the rest of our lives, after all.
Peace and Happiness
Snacks
Time to eat!
 After the giant duyan, we had a long break to eat the snacks provided by the Georeserve. These were chosen upon registration. Our group had Chicken Sandwich, Banana, and Calamansi Juice (with mint leaves).
Tatay
The highest peak we’ve been. From here you can have a 360-view of the Sierra Madre.
Hello, Sierra Madre!
This part is very windy so better hold on to those rails all the time.
Trail food time!
We had a quick break at this area so time to eat those trail foods we brought with us. It’s really helpful to have some sweets with you to refill those lost energy along the way. I personally brought marshmallows, chocnut and fitbar. Hehe 🙂
Nanay
 Nanay is a rock formation consists of, well, rocks, bound together by bridges. From this area, we saw almost all of the points we’ve been through using our binoculars.
View of Nanay, from Tatay’s peak
Our guide really is an expert on where to get the perfect angle for the shot. We were so amused when he cues “1,2,3 – nice!”. Haha! Defintely gonna miss that.
One of the bridges that connect Nanay’s rocks
Steep trail going down
Nanay itself
It’s getting a bit late and dark so we’re ready to wrap up the day.
Hanging Bridge
Last one on the list. This bridge was beautifully made while ensuring everyone’s safety. As you can see from the top, it looks like it has spaces in between but no -they’re just white and black tiles.
Back to Point One
Bed of flowers
At the end of the trip, we were redirected to the briefing area to surrender the things we have borrowed and of course, to freshen up. This garden shouldn’t be missed for a quick photo op.
The guide led us to the parking lot and instructed us the way out. Be reminded that they do not accept tips from visitors so a word of gratitude will do 🙂
Sidetrip: Cafe Katerina
Ready to eat!
Bulalo, Chicken Curry, Grilled Tilapia and Sisig made our morning great
Our slot is timed at 12:30pm but we opted to came in to Tanay really early – TO EAT! I’ve been to this restaurant bunch of times I couldn’t not let my friends not experience this. We first went to Cafe Katerina (farther than the Garden Cottages), around 30minute more to drive. So if you still have plenty of time to spare, going here is worth it. It has good food plus affordable prices.
Other Details You Should Know
What to Wear (and not to)
- Comfortable dri-fit shirt or long-sleeved top. Remember that you will be climbing most of the time so pick one that wouldn’t be a hassle along the way. The simpler, the better.
- Leggings, not advisable to wear shorts here.
- Closed shoes.
- No need to bring cap or any head gear as helmet will be provided.
Learnings
- Masungi, or in tagalog – Matulis, was the name of the place due to the formation and texture of the rocks within.
- The place is not-for-profit. Any earnings by the place was just to pay off the salaries of the staff and the maintenance costs of the entire area.
- Overall, Masungi Georeserve is a 1,600 hectare area. Only 300 of it can be accessed by visitors.
- They do not accept film shootings. One tv show showed interest in shooting in the area but they did not permit it. Preservation of the area is their main concern.
- They accept night visits but only for biologists-researchers.
- Eldest visitor they had is 75 years old.
Important Notes by our Guide (during the orientation)
- Never wander alone. Paths may be confusing and leaving the group to wander alone may lead you to other place.
- There’s only an allocated place to eat, make sure to bring all your trash with you.
- Always listen to his instruction. He’s the ranger so he knows best when it comes to this area.
- Main goal of the trip is to appreciate and be one with nature. Adventure only comes in next.
Website
http://www.masungigeoreserve.com
Address and other details can be found on their website.
Ig: @kayceegomez
oh, K. 