In the heart of Tanay, Rizal lies the beauty that is Daranak Falls. Its a very wonderful sight indeed and to think that it's just a couple of hours away from the city makes it amazing. Until now, I keep wondering why they wouldn't publicize this place as much as they do with other travel destinations in the country. Aside from the fact that its near the city and very cheap, it is the perfect day trip for nature lover's out there. You won't have to do all the trekking and mountain climbing just to reach a serene landscape.
My friends and I decided to visit Daranak Falls on a holiday, that is the Feast of St. Nazarene way back in 2008. This truly was a budget day trip. It didn't require a lot of money and time which was perfect for us since we were still college students then.
If I remember correctly, our meeting place was in Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall. From there, we hired a van that would take us to Daranak Falls. Its not along the highway - whatever took you there, should get you out of there as well. We paid the driver Php2000 for the round trip transfer. He didn't leave the
resort anymore and just waited for us since he has already earned enough for a day's work. It took us around an hour to get there without any stop overs. Click here for a more detailed instruction on how to get to Daranak Falls.
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| more like a "thank you for coming" sign rather than a "welcome", we took this picture on our way home |
Entrance fee is just Php20, no extra charges or taxes that other tourist spots have thought of collecting. I think it would be best to come here early in the morning so you can get most out of the nature trip. There are a few tables and cottages and it costs around Php300, we were lucky to get the one near the falls itself. We had to bring our own food of course. You can't rely on sari-sari stores to offer you a full lunch meal. Alcoholic drinks are allowed, bring them all!
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| it's a whole new different kind of drinking experience when you're beside a waterfall. |
You have to be a very good swimmer to reach the bottom of the falls. Its very, very deep and you have to go against the flow of the water. There's also an available "salbabida" for rent, I was able to get near the falls with this, plus a very good swimmer friend.
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| we spent most of our time here on the rocks, its a genuine water spa |
Overnight camping is not allowed. We noticed there weren't any lights around the place and its quite secluded, I don't think its safe at night.
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| keep out! don't play around the area, it could be dangerous too |
We stopped by Leonardo's in Antipolo on our way home. It's one of the best spots overlooking the city. Perfect way to end the day trip.
