A Day at Mount Natib (Bagac, Bataan)

The semester is finally over and the midyear vacation has begun! It’s been a while since my last getaway with my good friends and we’re really hype for new trips and breaths of fresh air. As for our first journey, we trekked to Mount Natib to hit two birds with just a stone! We went to see two amazing falls, a tall and a short one, mischievously connected by the same river.

Starting the hike

Our meeting place is at the Bataan Common Terminal, and from there, we have to ride a jeepney going to the town of Bagac with 35 pesos as fare. We left the terminal at exactly 10:30 am, as there is a 30 minute-interval in every trip to Bagac.

A jeepney ride headed to Binukawan, Bagac

The jeepney dropped us off at Oximoso Street in Binukawan, Bagac as it is the road leading to the registration area for hikers who want to see the falls. There is a fee of 50 pesos, and I think it is for the conservation and protection of the area.

A store few steps from the jeepney drop-off

Registration Area

(Tip # 1: You may want to start your trip as EARLY as you can unlike us. We’re lucky because it’s a bit cloudy when we went there, it’s still hot, but not that much.)

The trail is a good 2 hours walk (we decided to walk because why not! HAHA). We started walking by 12:30 pm and mind you, it is hot! It is not advisable to bring a car (unless it is an off-road 4×4 one) because even if it is a concrete road, there are areas that are so steep. (but I think motorcycle will do)

In the middle of the trek, still good but tired as hell

Concrete road and a nice view

End of the concrete road

Reaching Limutan Falls

Our lengthy march is indeed veryyyy tiring! We had some stop-overs and water breaks. And speaking of water,

(Tip # 2: Bring as much as water as you can. There is a hose of water at the river, and folks said that it is safe to drink. We fetched water from that hose and we even consumed it, only to find out that it has bits dirt and “tining”. For mineral water babies out there, I advise you to bring your own water bottle I mean BIG water bottle.)

Limutan Falls

Hiking is really exhausting, but upon seeing the marvelous Limutan Falls, all the fatigue and muscle pain paid off! We landed at the top of Limutan Falls, and we have to take an exorbitant side path in order to get down to the waterfall.

(Tip # 3: Path ways there are steep, I mean VERY steep! Wear shoes with a tight grip especially when it is raining, just be careful for you not to stumble and fall.)

Love at first sight

The icy cold water from above is dropping benevolently over the naturally formed pool! It was not that big, but it’s definitely a cool place you should be planning to go to. Dipping in these waters relaxed my overworked leg muscles and took away the feeling of tiredness. Just beware of snakes and blood leeches or “limatik” on this spot.

Poolside photo

Pool top view

The Way to Ambon-Ambon Falls

We still don’t want to leave but we have to because it’s getting late and we still have to catch another waterfall. The route that we took to Ambon-Ambon falls is so thrilling. From the pool of Limutan Falls, we walked through the boulders embedded directly on the river path.

Slippery, rocky path

(Tip # 4: The boulders are a bit slippery so be extra careful. There are many rocks behind and if you happen to slide and fall, it is really dangerous.)

There is a little waterfall before the Ambon-Ambon Falls, and we ended up being trapped there. We couldn’t find a path to go through it so we decided to go back and take the steep path at the riverside instead.

(Tip # 5: If it is your first time going to this place, make sure to bring a tour guide with you. You can hire a tour guide for 300 pesos at the registration area. There’s a big chance of getting lost if you really don’t have an idea where are you heading to. It just happened that my friend just went here years ago so we didn’t take a guide with us.)

Ambon-Ambon Falls’ Majestic View

Can’t provide you guys a photo, so I grabbed one. Photo credits to the owner

Atlast! We reached Ambon-Ambon falls and it is really towering! Travel journals say that it is over a hundred feet tall, and there are big rocks at the bottom. There is also a pool before it, made by the little waterfall that put us into a dead-end. The view is so majestic! We could literally sit at the side of the falls (but I can’t because I’m afraid of heights). We didn’t have the chance to reach the bottom because folks say that the only way to reach it is through rappelling. It is really an amazing scenery!

Wonderful view at the top of Ambon-Ambon Falls

Summing it up

The experience is indeed exhausting. But all the tiredness will be gone when you reach those falls! Just don’t leave trashes and do not alter some natural occurrences over the area to preserve and protect it.