On the summer of 2015, we had our
trip to Cagbalete Island in Quezon with our close friends (read about it here). That vacation,
however, was so short (basically just an overnight stay) that all of us felt
the need to have another one before the summer ended. Enter our road trip to
Dingalan, Aurora, Philippines on May 2015. This was our best choice at
that time because we already spent a significant amount in our trip to
Cagbalete. One of our close friend’s relatives had recently bought a
property there so our accommodation would be free and our expenses would mainly
only be for fuel, toll fees and food.
While most people would rather go
to Baler back then, our preference for the “road less traveled” also
contributed to our choice to visit this quiet and lesser known municipality in
Aurora. The province of Aurora has several other municipalities that has a number of hidden jewels and Dingalan is no
exception. The municipality is South of Baler, around the Aurora National
Park, facing Dingalan Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The Tanawan View
Deck and the Tanawan Falls are among the spots that Dingalan boasts of.
This trip was the first time that
our kids would be able to see and experience actual waterfalls. We
weren’t sure yet how the kids would react to the cold water (typical to these
bodies of water).
Our convoy left Manila at around 12
MN. We would be traveling overnight (with some rest stops) and hopefully
we could reach Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija by daybreak. Our rest stop at
Petron gas station at North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) was a bit longer than
planned so at the break of dawn, we were still in Cabanatuan. It was an advantage for us though, because we got to have breakfast at a fast food there before we
hit the road again. After Cabanatuan, the rest of the road was mostly of
scenic country side, mountains and rivers.
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| This is what it's about! The Tanawan View Deck (selfie-han according to locals) |
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| And of course when at the "selfie-han"... |
After a few snaps, we drove to the
steep, rough and rocky road about in front of the view deck. The road at
that time wasn’t really a proper road for a vehicle so it was a difficult
maneuver driving up the path. The rough road lead to the quiet mountain
community of Tanawan. The barangay lies on the slopes of Sierra Madre and the
residents are blessed with a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean and the
neighboring peaks of the long mountain range. This is the same path that
leads also to Tanawan Falls. The house we would be staying in was located in a more remote area of the village and vehicles wouldn’t be able to pass
through. We left our vehicles at a small area with a clearing and just
walked the rest of the way to the house. At the time of our visit, no one
was living in the house yet so we had the whole property to ourselves.
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| To get to Brgy. Tanawan... (sign said "Road Passable". It is but.... errr...) |
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| Some streets in the village are just dirt road |
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| While some streets are already concrete |
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| Kids here are lucky to have this kind of school! |
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| Sign says... |
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| Some houses in the village can only be accesses by foot paths like this |
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| This is where we're staying! |
We rested a bit and then the ladies
went to the market to buy food while the men stayed behind with the kids.
Our agenda for the day, after having our lunch, was to go to Tanawan Falls. We would need to walk up the mountain to get
to it so the men (who did the driving) needed to rest more 
.
There are several other waterfalls
in Dingalan but Tanawan Falls was the nearest. We did not have to bring
our vehicles, we just needed to hike the rest of the rocky path up to the mountain.
The word “near” was in the context of the locals who were used to going up and
down the mountain on a regular basis. When they said 15 minutes hike
only, it was more than 30 minutes for us 
! We were no mountaineers anyway,
just regular people looking for adventure, and besides, we had kids with us so
we had our excuse! There were no trees
along the path so we had to bring some blankets to protect the kids from the
afternoon sun. The hike to the falls was
made easier by the refreshing mountain breeze and the stunning view of the
ocean. We made a quick rest stop when we
reached the shelter where we also paid a small fee. The local who was manning the booth allowed us to drink from the pipeline that was supplying water to the community directly
from the spring up the mountain. The
water coming out the pipe was refreshingly cool.
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| One of the reasons why the hike up to Tanawan Falls isn't that tiring |
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| I envy this mountain community, waking up to this view everyday |
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| Because taking only a few photos doesn't do this view justice (haha)! |
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| We're near the top |
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| Almost there... |
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| But first... |
The kids were so excited when we
finally reached the falls. We found a
spot among the rocks around the plunge pool where we could leave our stuff
(mostly just towels and blankets) then got into the water. As expected, it was so cold! The kids were giggling while they braved
getting into the water. The part of the
basin nearer the shore was of course shallow so the kids just stayed in that
area.
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| Some people bring their vehicles up the path but only up to this clearing |
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| And down into the jungle |
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| Errr... that looks scary... |
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| Is it safe?... |
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| What the heck... let's do this! |
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| (no caption) |
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| Clean clear water |
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| Time to brave the icy cold water! |
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| But first! |
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| The falls is actually bigger than what it looks like here (and it's deep there!) |
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| See?! |
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| Only big boulders and rocks around the plunge pool |
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| It's cold! |
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| Having a blast! |
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| Take a picture of us! |
When it was time to go back, we
didn’t bother to change clothes because we didn’t bring any. Our place was just a downhill hike away
anyway. Besides, because our bodies
adjusted to the cold water, we felt warmer when we got out of the water. Back at the house was where we finished
cleaning ourselves up and changed to night time clothes.
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| Time to go home... |
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| But first!... (haha!) |
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| And another! (This one's a must) |
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| Can't get enough of this view... |
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| Going back to the village while immersing ourselves to the view |
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| One last shot before reaching the village |
Night time was the typical quiet
and relaxing night in a remote rural community.
Kids were happily playing around the yard while some of us cooked
dinner. It was good that the house
didn’t have TV. The night was filled
instead with stories, food, laughter and a few drinks (for adults of
course) with the pleasant sound of nocturnal creatures in the background. Very late in the evening was when we finally
called it a night and recharged for another adventure the following day.
Tanawan Falls may be considered as a beginner waterfalls. The hike required is relatively short and not too difficult. Also, the falls isn't that high nor is the water very turbulent. This makes it worth the consideration of families with children. For children in the autism spectrum, this will depend on where in the spectrum a child is. A good reference for autism families is that the waterfalls may not be suitable for infants and very young tots because of the hike involved, the fragile bridge that needed to be crossed, the icy cold water and that there would not be an even, flat surface around the basin where you could comfortably sit or lay down your little ones. It is also important to note that the sound of the rushing water can be a little loud for autism kids who might be sensitive to noise. Aside from these points, a visit to Tanawan Falls can be a great experience. The hike itself offers a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. The whole experience can be a good introduction to nature trips for children and first timers.
(On to our second day...)
Tips:
Travel means:
Private Vehicle: A full tank before leaving Manila is recommended when traveling to the province of Aurora. For vehicles with smaller tanks, you may consider topping up at Cabanatuan before driving the final leg to Dingalan, although there are also a few petrol stations along the way. There are also petrol stations at Brgy. Poblacion (the town proper) of Dingalan. Plan your travel well. If traveling overnight (especially with family), as a safety precaution, schedule it so that by the time you reach Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, it would be daylight already. The travel time from Manila to Gabaldon is about 4-5 hours. The same goes when going back to Manila from Dingalan. Leave before it gets dark.
Public Transport: We are not that familiar with public transport going to Dingalan but I believe there are buses in Cabanatuan that ply that route. (We're very sorry but although our blog can be a source of information for travelers, our main objective is to help families and those in the autism spectrum be able to enjoy traveling).
Going to Tanawan Falls: There were those who braved bringing their vehicles up the rocky dirt path to the falls. But for us, a hike up there is the best means to better appreciate the view, the surroundings and the reward that awaits when you finally reach the falls.
Kidsentials and advise for autism families:
- As we mentioned in the last paragraph of the blog post, a visit to Tanawan Falls may not be suitable for everybody. Assess first at which stage your kids already are. Remember that this trip could be difficult for them or worse, be an unpleasant experience overall. Children two years and older (or autism kids whose developmental stage are equivalent to that of a two year older up) are the ones who are more likely to appreciate this trip.
- Our special one is already used to outdoor activities and even camping out (we'll tell you all bout it in another post). It can be beneficial for both the kids and the parents to expose autistic kids to the great outdoors because a natural environment can be calmer than the busy city life. A good introduction for children in the autism spectrum is a day trip to the beach, preferably the ones that aren't developed into a crowded, full blown resort or you may schedule the trip on an off peak season. Another good way to start is a trip to the park with lots of trees and man made bodies of water.
- Floaters and lifevests is a must for kids because there are deep parts in the plunge pool. Keep your eyes on the kids at all times. There should also be at least one among your group who knows how to swim because the water falls isn't a resort and there aren't any lifeguards.
- First aid kit (this is of course an essential in any adventure) with some insect repelent.
Other general tips:
- Tanawan Falls isn't a resort so obviously there weren't any facilities, cottages, tables, shower rooms or change rooms when we went there (and we hope that it would stay that way, as natural as it's supposed to be).
- You might want to bring a bottle of water during the hike up the falls. A small bottle (about 300 ml) will do.
- It is better to bring prepared food rather than cook at the falls because it can be difficult to find a place to set up your cooking area.
- As with any adventure trip, always respect nature. It is sad that there are some people who still forget this core rule: "Take nothing but memories/photos, leave nothing but footprints".
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