TULAY NA BATO FALLS: DIY Budget Travel Guide, Itinerary + Useful Tips

Laguna is best known for its waterfalls and there’s a handful of them that we already know and maybe plenty of others we have yet to discover. One of these not so well-known and isolated waterfalls is Tulay Na Bato which is located within the lush mountains bordering the provinces of Laguna and Quezon. Unlike the other waterfalls such us Hulugan in Luisiana and Bukal in Majayjay which have made headlines in social media in recent years, Tulay Na Bato Falls on the other hand has always been around but is rarely spoken of. This actually makes the journey to this waterfall special because rediscovering its beauty and wonder is like rekindling a long-gone love story. They say that love is always the sweetest the second time around so that makes a visit to this jewel certainly worth a shot.

THE JOURNEY TO REDISCOVERING TULAY NA BATO FALLS

My visit to this waterfall came when I needed it most. I was in one of my darkest hours. My life was a total mess. Myself shattered. I won’t be going into the details of what it was and for what reason was I in that situation but let’s just say that visiting this waterfall helped me cope somehow. My tears wouldn’t stop falling while we were inside a Raymond bus tracing the roads to this falls. The bus was cramped and filled to the brink. And even with the cold morning breeze, I never felt so warm and uncomfortable. The only saving grace it had was the fact I was seated at the window and the scenery was there to take my mind flying elsewhere.

I was with some of my frequent travel buddies and that weekend we  agreed to chase as many waterfalls as we can. First stop was Tulay Na Bato. From Famy junction, we hired a tricycle to take us to the jump off. If you are riding a Raymond bus from Legarda, you can actually ride the bus all the way to the jump off. Us however were to meet another friend so we alighted in Famy. The ride to the jump off lasted almost an hour even passing by Buruwisan Falls. We had no idea where we were headed and so were our tric drivers. Thank heavens I saw the “Trekkers” sign flashed at the left side of the road slightly obscured behind a parked SUV. I hailed my tric driver to stop. We parked outside a gated property and went to confirm with the locals if we were in the right place.

The jump-off doesn’t look like it conceals 3 beautiful waterfalls but more like farmland with owners who seldom visit to check their crops. As two of the local boys led us inside the property, we found out that it was indeed a farm. A coffee plantation that is. The boys called out the owner and popping out of a dilapidated door was an old woman, maybe in her 60’s who ushered us in. At first, it was unclear whether she would allow us access to the falls because her only staff and usual person to hire as guide didn’t show up for work that day. We suggested that we were okay with those two boys guiding us to the falls which she agreed to a bit reluctantly. She’s quite a talker for her age but found her stories amusing. She’s Luz Saldivia by the way.

We started the hike after getting our stuff safe under the care of Ms. Luz. The first part was of slippery and a bit steep descent along a rock-strewn path that stretched down for about half a kilometer. Passed that were moderate up and downhills but were still muddy and slippery. We also crossed two small streams before covering half the stretch of the hike. There were steep ascents and descents but nothing was too difficult. The trail also was shaded with trees towering over. Passed half the entire stretch of the hike were more slippery trails and a short steep ascent followed by the most difficult descent that led to the final stretch to the falls.

Before reaching the final stretch to the falls, we had to go down a very steep and narrow trail. It was just short but what made it difficult was the absence of any support. There were no twigs stretching from a nearby tree nor a bush that could break the fall in case we mindlessly screw ourselves. But with our own will and efforts to be careful, we managed to reach the flat ground unscathed. We covered the final stretched with the last few meters got us navigating along huge rocks. After what seemed like over an hour of sweaty hike, Tulay Na Bato Falls revealed itself, just in time for us to take that much-awaited dip into its cold waters to battle the heat of the scorching midday sun.

Tulay Na Bato Falls was exactly as I have expected. Silky waters falling into its deep basin that looked like a natural pool. The water was cold and refreshing. The rock formations were marvelous and one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. The canopy of trees concealing us from the sun was a perfect pattern to the blue skies. And as we afloat its natural pool, I thought this life keeps on getting better and better despite the storms that would occasionally come around. I drifted into a dream for a moment and taking me back to my senses quite abruptly was the voice of a mildly infuriated and super hungry gay thrice my size that was my friend, asking that we head back. Haha. I planned to see the other waterfalls beyond Tulay Na Bato but we all know when someone’s hungry and the food is nowhere near in sight. That means we always have no choice but to head somewhere we could get some.

HOW TO GO TO TULAN NA BATO FALLS

Option 1: In their terminal in Legarda, ride a Raymond Bus bound for Real Quezon. Asked the driver to drop you off at “Trekkers”. Some bus crews and drivers are not familiar with this place so better to sit in the left at the back of the driver. The Trekker sign is easy to spot after 10-15 minutes passing by Buruwisan Falls. (3 Hrs ; P150)

Option 2: In Legarda, there are vans bound for Famy Junction just adjacent to Raymond Bus Terminal. This is another option for those who hate frequent stops during travel. Fare is P130. From Famy Junction, hire a tric to take you to Brgy. Magsaysay for P200/tric.

TIPS & OTHER INFO

• • Always follow LNT (Leave No Trace). Don’t leave your trash. Keep them with you and dispose of it once you get back home.
  • To minimize trash, bring a reusable water bottle with you to fill with your water. Also, put your snacks and packed lunch in reusable containers.
  • Tulay Na Bato Falls is not frequently visited so the place lacks the facility and personnel to do maintenance such as trash clean up and disposal so as previously mentioned, please observe LNT.
  • There are two other falls below Tulay Na Bato which you can cover within the day. Trek is easy to moderate which involves navigating over huge rocks and wading on gushing water.
  • Visiting the falls needs no advance reservation.

BUDGET & OTHER ESSENTIALS

There you have it lovelies. There are probably a dozen more waterfalls hidden in Laguna and I have set my eyes to discovering each one of them. Will you join me then?

For questions, suggestions and violent reactions, just drop them on the comments. Show me some love if you found this post interesting or helped you out in anyway on the comments as well. Until next time. Ciao!