Masungi Georeserve Ecapade

Reservations

Masungi Georeserve just opened December 2015 but due to popularity, getting a reservation is quite challenging. They do not entertain walk-ins so you have to secure a schedule before going. As of writing the earliest weekend schedule available is by November 2016. They only had 2 schedules per day when they opened but now they have tours scheduled every 30 minutes from Tuesdays-Sundays. You can make reservations through their website http://www.masungigeoreserve.com. Minimum of 7 and maximum 13 guest per scheduled tour. The tour costs PHP1000-1400 per person. You can pay the required 50% deposit via BPI or via Credit Card. The fee includes the kit you'll be needing for the trip and a light snack.

Getting There
Masungi Georeserve is located at KM47 Baras Rizal. It is so much easier to bring a car which would be about 1.5 hours drive from Manila. But my group decided to rent a jeepney, and since I have an uncle which lives in Cubao and has a jeep, we paid for it for the whole day.

We arrived a bit early in the morning, so we have to wait for our 1pm trekking schedule. We went for a sidetrip first which is Daranak falls. It is a magical place! 

No justice on this photo.. its such a nice place

SILUNGAN

Silungan (shelter), the starting point and briefing area. Once you get here, you can start preparing your gears and make your final bio breaks because there are no shower rooms along the 4-hour trail. So, make sure that you are 100% ready.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

– Wear a casual, lightweight & comfortable clothing, paired with non-slip closed shoes, is the required attire.
– Bring your important stuff: Water, towel, sun protection, camera, and change of clothes.
– Loud noises are not allowed. Wildlife can’t be disturbed and feel harmed, right?
– Strictly no alcohol and smoking. Self-explanatory I guess? 
– Always wear the helmet provided to avoid injuries.
– The trail can take 3 – 4 hours including the time spent for picture-taking and resting.
– Enjoy and have fun! Remember to give respect to one another because we all want instagrammable shots, right?

Next to it is the level 1 challenge of rope climbing. At first, you might be overwhelmed if this is going to be your first time. It was also my first time. If I did it, why can’t you? Trust me, this is just easy. My tip is to take the sideways because the rope is tighter there so you can have a better grip. 

You can't climb to those ropes without washing your shoes first, to maintain its cleanliness

SAPOT

Moving on, the first attraction and probably my favorite because it was really awesome. .This is made of weaved steel and is pretty stable. This is one of the famous attractions in Masungi. According to Kuya Jason, our guide, they were supposed to just build a structure here made of rocks to create a view point where you can see Nanay and Tatay but it will take more time and ruin the already existing rock formations so they just decided to work around it to preserve the natural beauty of the place hence the "Sapot". You can notice that they try to be as non invasive as much as possible to preserve the rock formations.

PATAK

Patak (droplet) is like a tree house but instead of being suspended by a tree, it is hanging by the bridge that’s really high from the ground. It is named patak because of its shape being similar to a water droplet.

Actually, you can rest here for a bit because the next
one will be a tough one. All these hanging bridges
 are nothing at all after all the things you’ve gone
 through the trail.

Ditse

A small peek after Patak, you have to climb a Lambat to reach this.

My knees were shaking seeing how we should go down. It's quite a high fall after all and there were no safety harness. So far there's no fatality... yet.

DUYAN

Duyan (swing) is a giant hammock that stretches from Ditse to the other end where you’ll get to the next attraction. You have to be extremely careful here with your stuff like camera, one single mistake, and your gadget is gone.

It was indeed fun and exciting here. Your legs may get shaky if you are afraid of height. But after some time, you’ll get used to it and you will feel relaxed lying down the hammock while you feel the cold breeze.

NANAY

Nanay (mother) is the second highest peak and has a better resting place and instagrammable view of the area. The bridge that connects the limestones is perfect for doing some moments and photo shoot. Finally, nanay completes the family of highest peaks in Masungi Georeserve.

And I reached the very top of the mountain!

After the trek, they will serve a light meal (sandwich) then go back to the shed to claim your things and freshen up. The trek lasts for 3-4 hours back and forth depending on the pace of the group. We started around 2pm and ended around 5pm and that is with a lot of stops and rests..