Zambales Archives | Meghy Was Here

Mt. Pinatubo: A Travel Guide To The Beautiful Disaster

Meghy — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 02:59:17 +0000

A Beautiful Disaster – that’s how they describe Mt. Pinatubo. From its disastrous eruption on June 15, 1991 which considered to be the world’s second largest eruption of the 20^th century, until how it stands beautifully in the Municipality of Botolan in the Province of Zambales today. It even became more famous after being featured in the blockbuster movie of our country’s most famous loveteam Kathniel, Crazy Beautiful You.

This active stratovolcano has been a dormant volcano for the past 400 years before its 1991 eruption that affects not only our country, but also our nearby Asian countries forming the now most visited site on the area, the stunning turquoise to emerald colored Mt. Pinatubo crater lake. The place is so dreamy that you would never know how many lives it took and how many families it left homeless.

How To Get There?

You can either jumped off on Capas, Tarlac or on Botolan, Zambales in order to get to the actual crater lake. In our case, we opted to choose the Capas trail.

DIY

You may ride a bus from Cubao or Pasay going to Capas, Tarlac (these are buses bound to Baguio, Urdaneta or Dagupan). From Capas (Mcdonalds Capas Junction), ride a tricycle that will take you directly to Capas Tourist Information in Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas. You may register your visit there and they’ll help you out arranging a 4×4 ride for your group.

Book a Tour

For your convenience, you may also want to book a joiner/exclusive tour with a travel and tour agencies. We booked our tour from LFC Travel and Tours for Php 2,800 per pax. Please take note that prices may change without prior notice and may vary depending on your pick-up location (they offer pick-ups across Metro Manila and Pampanga). This package already includes your van transportation, 4×4 ride (ratio 1:4), entrance fee, conservation fee, tour guide/coordinator fee and a bag tag. Definitely worth the convenience you can get.

Start of our Journey

We were picked-up from our pick-up location at around 1:00 AM and reached Brgy. Sta. Juliana in Capas at around 4:00 AM. We had some breakfast first and logged our registration at around 5:00 AM. After a short briefing from the coordinator and settling everything from the registration, we started our 4×4 adventure at around 5:45 AM.

The 1.5 hour 4×4 ride is already an exciting experience everyone should look forward on this trip. It is such an experience passing through jarring dirt roads full of volcanic debris, beautiful landscapes and rivers while seeing the sun slowly rising along the way. The ride may be bumpy but my heart is so full with the scenes right in front of me and excited with the stunner waiting for me on the top. You’ll pass through what they call “Toblerone Hills” and may have the chance to take photos with it.

After a 1.5-hour ride, you’ll be reaching the jump point where trekking starts. Please note that the distance of the trek may vary depending on the season/weather. For some cases, you may only trek for about 5 km but there are cases that you have to trek for about 7 km when 4×4 rides can’t pass through rough river trails.

Trekking to the Crater Lake

We started our trek at around 7:30 in the morning. The trek consists of a lot of river crossing, walking through volcanic debris and rocky terrains. Mt. Pinatubo is a minor climb with 2/9 difficulty making it a perfect mountain for any beginner. The trail is mostly flat and easy, the easiest trek I’ve ever had (so far). The only challenge you may take is the last ascent going to the actual crater but they already established stairs going up there so nothing to really worry about.

There are few stores along the way owned by the Aeta settlers in the area where you can buy your refreshments. Also, don’t forget to greet and talk with the Aeta kids you’ll meet along the way. There are a lot of them on the trail, who shares big smiles on their faces while greeting every tourist passing by with enthusiasm. You can really feel their excitement to meet people, so if you have extra goodies why not share it to the kids. For sure, they’ll be the happiest!

We reached the crater lake marker after 1 hour and 20 minutes, and we were stunned by the beauty the crater lake holds. The scene was so picturesque that a photo I seen online can’t justify how stunning it is compared on seeing it with my bare eyes, real time. The charming panorama is so relaxing to look at, completely different on how it enraged and released volcanic plums few decades back. The lake itself is fascinating on its blue to emerald color with the caldera’s walls full of lushes as its contrast.

You can get down with their established stairs to get near on the actual crater lake. It is another 5 to 10-minute trek depending on your pace. I suggest to don’t miss the chance of getting near the actual lake for the experience. You already made you way to this stunner, why not make the most of it right? You may touch the water on the lake but swimming is strictly prohibited.

They renewed the view deck area into a park where tourists can take a rest and eat while appreciating the majestic scenery. There are few food stalls available that sell snacks but be mindful that prices are way higher than usual. It’s understandable in the other hand, as locals invest so much effort and money just to bring these goods up there. We decided to reward ourselves with a cup of pancit canton and cold soda. A 100-peso pancit canton and a 100-peso coke tastes more delicious after a worthy climb with a worthy view!

It took us another 1 hour and 20 minutes to go down to the jump point where our 4×4 parked. Overall, it’s is an experience worth every penny, sweat and tread.

Things to know before going:

Bring masks or anything that can cover your nose since the trail is so dusty especially on the 4×4 ride.
Make sure to apply sunblock or bring a hat to protect you from the scorching heat of the sun. The trail might be too hot when you go down.
The time allocated by Capas Tourism Office and Philippine Air Force for tourists is between 5AM to 10AM. So, make sure to be early on the tourism office to avoid the cut off time.
Cut off time may change without prior notice so better to visit and contact Capas Tourism Office Facebook page for more updated details.

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Liwliwa, Zambales Travel Guide: Places to Stay and Eat in Liwliwa

Meghy — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:01:14 +0000

Zambales is probably one of the most popular weekend destination for those who just wanted to have a quick beach trip over their weekend off. For about three to four hour drive away from Manila, you can enjoy their beautiful beaches, coves, and even campsites.

I’ve been to Zambales couple of times before and by this time, I finally got the chance to visit the famous Liwliwa! Located in the silent town of San Felipe, a lot of beautiful resorts perfect for chilling and relaxations can now be found in Liwliwa. Aside from resorts, a lot of restaurants, cafes and bars by the beach can be spotted in this paradise that I would like to compare the place and vibe somehow to the San Juan beach area of La Union (only with less people). Other activities you can enjoy here are surfing and ATV riding. On this blog, I would share places to stay and eat in Liwliwa that you can use as reference on your next visit.

How to go to Liwliwa, Zambales?

Ride a bus (from Cubao, Pasay or Caloocan) bound to Iba or Sta. Cruz, Zambales. These buses will pass through the town of San Felipe. Just tell the driver to drop you off in San Felipe, upon reaching San Felipe take a tricycle that will take you directly to Sitio Liwliwa. Just tell the driver your resort name so they can directly take you there.

If you will not be able to catch a bus bound to either Iba or Sta. Cruz, you can take a bus bound to Olongapo. From Olongapo take another bus going to Sta. Cruz or Iba and just tell the driver to drop you off in San Felipe. From there, take a tricycle that will take you directly on your resort in Liwliwa.

In our case, we took a bus from Victory Liner Cubao to San Felipe for P530 and tricycle ride from San Felipe town proper to Liwliwa costs us P40 each.

Where to Stay in Liwliwa?

I had a hard time looking for accommodation during our stay because first, there’s a lot of instagrammable resorts to choose from and second, resorts are almost fully booked given that our visit was on a weekend. Luckily, we were able to book at The Fishers

The Fishers (Fishers by the Sea)

The Fishers claims to have the first A-frame huts in Liwliwa. The resort is just a few minute walk to the beach. Each A-frame huts costs Php 3000 for fan rooms while Php 3500 for AC rooms good for 3 pax. You’ll have the whole hut by your group, you need to take a few steps of stairs to get into the main room and you’ll have tables, chairs and hammock just down below it if you want to chill and rest outside. Each room also includes own comfort room located just across the huts. The place is clean, well-maintained, peaceful while owners and caretakers are friendly.

Facebook page here.

Kwentong Dagat

Definitely one of the most famous and trending resort in Liwliwa. With its popularity, it’s always fully-booked especially on the weekends. The resort highlights IG-worthy cabins and serves vegan meals.

Facebook page here.

Gasera de Liwliwa

Another place I wanted to book but already fully-booked during our target date. I love their room concepts as their name suggests, “gasera” means a traditional lamp used when there is still no electricity. The resort has villas that resembles a lamp and also offers tepee huts and tent accommodations.

Facebook page here.

Zambali Woods

A Bali-themed resort in Liwliwa that offers villa accommodations for 4 up to 8 pax. Overnight stay in each villa will costs Php 4000 up to Php 8000.

Facebook page here.

Kapitan’s Liwa Beach Resort

This resort offers various choices of accommodation based on your budget. What I love about this resort is they have their own restaurant and cafes that serves variety of foods. They also have common areas in the resort where visitors can chill, have a drink and mingle with friends and strangers.

Facebook page here.

Where to Eat in Liwliwa?

Board Culture Liw-Liwa

Aside from being a resort, they also offer sumptuous meals. Though their menu does not offer much variety and a bit pricey compare to other restaus but rest assured, each food on their menu is delicately-cooked and prepared using imported seasonings/ingredients that makes each bite worthy of its price. From steaks, wagyu, pastas, burgers and inasal, each bite will melt in your mouth. They also offer imported drinks and you can enjoy playing board games and billiards while waiting for your food. We also got a chance to chat with the owner and he is very accommodating, a plus points for our overall experience.

Taco Joint

Located inside the Board Culture Liw-Liwa compound is this authentic Mexican Taqueria. Definitely a go-to place to eat and unwind as it settles few walks away from the beach. Satisfy your cravings for Mexican food with their tacos and quesadillas. Also, right across this taqueria is a bar where you can grab a bottle of drinks or beer. A perfect combo to chill the day out.

Mommy Phoebe’s Place

I would say it is the most affordable food hub in Liwliwa. The place has this “karinderya” concept but offers a lot of freshly cooked food choices. They also serve fresh fruit smoothies in an affordable price, definitely a must have when you dine with Mommy Phoebe’s.

Kapitan’s Liwa

This place aside from being a resort, also houses their very own Kapitan’s Liwa restaurant and Sestra’s Café. The restaurant offers various Filipino meals and even a bowl of ramen! If you want to take a sip of coffee (hot or cold) you can also order from Sestra Café located on the same compound. A cozy place to eat and relax at the same time.

Have you been to Liwliwa before? Share your experiences below!

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