Taytay Falls: Majayjay, Laguna

6/29/2014 - Majayjay is a municipality of the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is situated at the foot of Mt Banahaw, south of Manila. It's a 3 hours drive from Manila and less than 2 hours drive from Sta Rosa, Laguna.

There are a lot of tourist attractions found at Majayjay, Laguna. But the most famous is the Taytay Falls. Some people mistakenly called this as the Majayjay Falls. But the truth is Majayjay is the home of Taytay Falls.

I am fortunate to be able to visit this place as an anniversary gift of my partner (also my travel buddy). We travel from Sta Rosa using a motorcycle all the way to Majayjay Laguna. We passed through steep and rough roads. Along the way, we saw the Gigantic Buddha at Isdaan Calauan Laguna, the variety of hot spring resorts in Pansol Laguna, and the Palayan and vegetable farm near the Barangays in Majayjay.

Upon arriving, we paid Php20/head as an entrance fee (The watchmen there used the money for the maintenance and improvement of the place). Since we have a motorcycle, we are to pay Php10 for the parking. Limited stores can be found so I suggest you to bring food since there's also no corkage fee and before walking going to Taytay Falls, vendors are no longer allowed. In our case, we bought "pansit habhab", chips, cupcakes and drinks before going to Taytay Falls (it's optional to buy water since the water in the falls is crystal clear or as good as mineral water if your not the delicate one).

The way to Taytay Falls is pretty smooth because of the blocks placed on the way to the river. There were unfinished infrastructures said to be for room rentals and for the improvement of their public toilets though there were public toilets found but not as orderly as expected. Since there are no cottages available yet, you'll have to bring with you a tent or anything to shelter you and your valuables. There are tent rentals as well as blankets near the barangay, prices ranging from Php 100-300. The temperature is quite low/cold so it's your choice to bring a jacket. Everything in there will be done manually so if you wish to bring hotdogs, fish or pork to roast, you'll have to bring charcoal and matchsticks/lighter.

We rested for a while, eat lunch and change swimming clothes. We passed through gigantic stones to be near the falls. The best words to describe the water in the falls are: icy cold, crystal clear, good as mineral water and unbelievably clean. I was amazed to find out that there are still clean water that you could even drink and an awesome place like Taytay Falls. We swam near the falls itself and the current was really strong. I felt like my hands were freezing and my skin's becoming so white. Though I am not chillin' like most people there, I can feel that if I stayed longer under the water, I'd feel the same thing.

It's my first time to experience this kind of adventure. And I can say that this is remarkably AMAZING!. I will always remember Taytay Falls.

HOW TO GET THERE:
As mentioned above, I was able to visit this place riding a motorcycle, but you may CLICK THIS LINK for instructions.


BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES:
Gasoline (Full Tank) ---> Php 300
Entrance Fee            ---> Php 20/head
Food                         ---> ^_^
Pasalubong/Souvenir ---> Optional