Rushing waters, adrenaline, and unforgettable thrills—shooting the rapids in Laguna was pure adventure. Curious how I survived (and loved) every splash? Read my blog!

Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated

July 20, 2022
Manila, Philippines

Date of Trip: July 16, 2022

I’ve been impressed by the local attractions in the Philippines, especially those off the beaten path. When I was in grade school and high school, I would look at postcards and books to view pictures of Pagsanjan Falls. This experience has given me the postcard memories I’ve always dreamed of having.

Pagsanjan Falls, or Cavinti Falls as it is sometimes referred to, is a well-known waterfall in the Philippines. The province of Laguna, just south of Manila. Travel time by car is almost three hours. The waterfall is reached by a river trip on dugout canoe, also known as Shooting the Rapids or by hiking trails. I tried shooting the rapids and I did not regret single ounce of it.

Restrictions

Pagsanjan Laguna is accepting leisure travelers provided that they follow the standard health protocol. No medical certificates, S-pass, RT-PCR test or vaccination card to be presented to some establishments or checkpoints. But I suggest to always bring your vaccination card and for your protection, have yourself vaccinated.

Getting Around Pagsanjan

It was a lone adventure. It’s been a while since I went somewhere by myself. Since I’m a bit of a loner, I prefer spending time alone, but of course, having people around makes everything better.

I first booked with Pagsanjan Falls Tour for my Shooting the Rapids adventure. I took a bus from Buendia, Pasay to Sta Cruz Laguna. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to the Sta Cruz bus terminal. You can take a jeepney to Pagsanjan from the Sta. Cruz terminal. Traveling to Pagsanjan by jeepney took between 15 and 30 minutes. When I arrived in Pagsanjan, I took a tricycle to the tourism office, which was only 5 minutes away from the town plaza.

Budget

My budget for this trip is Php4,500. The tour costs Php1,075 per person, however the boat can only accommodate two people, thus I must pay for two in order to participate in this tour. This was one of the disadvantages of traveling alone; there was no one to split the costs with. You must also tip the driver and boatmen based on how much you wish to offer. I spent a total of Php1,000 on simply tipping. I overtipped because I was overjoyed, and I will never do so again.

The cost of transportation from Buendia to Sta Cruz is Php175. The trip from Sta Cruz to Pagsanjan costs Php15 via jeepney. Returning to Batangas was more inconvenient, with fares of Php81 from Pagsanjan to Los Banos via bus and Php22 from Los Banos to Calamba via bus. Php89 from Turbina terminal to Lipa, Batangas via bus. The total cost of transportation is Php382.

It can get out of hand when tipping individuals in Pagsanjan, therefore I wouldn’t recommend booking any travel agencies there. You must pay for their assistance with every change of location. While there are ATMs in the area, it is recommended that you always carry cash in case you need to make a purchase.

Language

People speak Tagalog and English.

Shooting the Rapids

Since there was a massive downpour on Friday night, I had to wait until Saturday morning to find out if the tour would go ahead; I was determined to see the falls and enjoy this experience. By the time I got to Pagsanjan, it was already midday. I had left Manila at 9 a.m.

The first time I saw Wernan, my tour guide, and his son was in Pagsanjan. Before the pandemic, he ran a hostel not far from the Pagsanjan waterfalls, but now he’s had to shut it down. Thankfully, visitors are beginning to return to the area after a precipitous decline in the wake of the outbreak.

After arriving at the tourism office, I had a briefing and met two boatmen who would transport me to the falls. I was overjoyed since it was so lovely in the river and environment, with so many dragon flies. It felt like a Lord of the Rings river scene film, but without Mordor lol.I appreciated the air and the warmth of the day; it was a lovely day to be shooting the rapids. It was one for the books! I enjoyed every minute of our adventure, and when I saw the falls, I was enthralled. I’m at a loss for words to describe how fantastic my trip was.

In order to get close to the falls and go swimming, I had to take a raft ride once we arrived. I had a great time by myself; imagine how much more enjoyable it would have been with others. While I recognize that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for such an experience, I found it to be tremendously entertaining.

The trip to the falls and back took a total of 2 hours. In addition, I came across several vloggers who filmed me from above the falls with a drone. Follow their Youtube channel here.

Food in Laguna

Laguna is known for a lot of delicacies but for this blog, I’m going to speak about buko pies, buko pandesal and cassava cakes. My favorites are Orient – The Original Buko Pie Bakeshop and Mitz Cassava Cake.

I couldn’t miss to buy pasalubongs for my brother and dogs so I had to make a side trip to The Orient and Mitz, I was glad they were just along the highway so it wasn’t hard even by commute. Please note all these delicacies bakeshop only accept cash.

Buko pie (coconut pie) is said to have originated from the province of Laguna .The creators of this Filipino pastry were the Pahud sisters who were locals of the city of Los Baños, Laguna. The sisters stayed in the United States for work and when they came back to the Philippines, they started creating what they learned in the US which was apple pie. However, since apples were not native in the Philippines, they improvised and made buko as a filling and an alternative to apples since buko is one of the most important crops in the Philippines and mostly everywhere. And that is the beginning of The Orient Original Buko Pie.

I loved this pie since it had a buttery, flaky crust, fresh, juicy coconut meat, and a custard filling without being overly sugary. It’s cheap Php250 per box, and it’s delicious hot out of the oven.Among all the buko pies I’ve tried, this one is my favorite.

The pandesal (a light and fluffy flour roll in the PHL) with buko filling from the bakery was heavenly; the bread was soft, and the filling was not overly sweet. Every single bite is delicious.

Mitz’s Cassava Cake is yet another excellent treat from Los Banos, Laguna. Traditional Filipino desserts often feature cassava. The Cassava cake made by Mitz is cheesy, buttery, sweet and nutty, and it practically melts in your mouth. Even better if it’s warm. Boxes were Php350 each.

These bakeries are conveniently located in close proximity to one another. It’s a mile and a half of deliciousness!

Going back to Batangas

I had to return to Batangas to be with my brother after a wonderful trip to Pagsanjan and Los Banos, but it rained excessively on the way to Calamba, where I was scheduled to catch a van or bus to the province. My advisor, Wernan, informed me that there was a terminal in SM Calamba. Unfortunately, when I arrived at SM Calamba (a mall), so many people who I asked where the terminal was didn’t know how to help me, and a tricycle driver deceived and took a chance to offer me a ride while there was a terminal in the mall itself, I paid 150pesos. He drove me to Turbina, which was 15 minutes away from Calamba, where I had to wait for a bus. It was tough to travel because it was pouring, and when the bus arrived, there was such a lengthy line and no seats left for some passengers that I was stuck standing for the whole of the ride.

Even though I had a horrible experience in Calamba, I met a native in Batangas who was also waiting for the bus. Her name is Emz, and she’s hilarious. I enjoyed every chat we had. Although we had to wait 30 minutes for the bus and stood for 1 hour on our way to Batangas, it was still acceptable because we were just having fun sharing stories on the way. It was completely unexpected, which is why I enjoy traveling alone, and the next thing I knew, I had gained another friend. She was fantastic, and I hope to reconnect with her soon for her birthday. We arrived in Lipa, Batangas, around 8:00 p.m.

Going on trips by myself is something I really enjoy. However, some people may try to take advantage of you because of that, and it’s even worse if you’re a woman traveling alone. Unless they were very adorable, I always answered “friends” when people asked me who I was with. haha! However, when I’m on my own, I become more inquisitive, open, alert, and street-savvy. Along the way, I made a ton of new acquaintances and expanded my perspective on life.

I plan to return to Pagsanjan Falls with my daring pals. It’s like a postcard from Laguna. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Love,
Maria, sometimes Niskie