Hey there! I know I promised to talk about our Malapascua Trip on my recent blog post about Kalanggaman Island, but since we are still on Enhanced Community Quarantine, I have yet to access my Malapascua Photos which I left back at the office. So instead, let me pull something out of my backlogs and tell you about our (not so long ago) trip to Tangadan Falls in San Gabriel, La Union!

Yes, you've read that right. Our favorite go-to Elyu has something more to offer aside from the already crowded (but still very worth it) San Juan beach. Not very far away from San Juan is this very pristine waterfalls in San Gabriel.

For this blog however, I'm not just going to tell you about our experience, but also how to properly arrange your trip to the area. We unfortunately did some unforgivable tourist mistake, which we hope nobody else follows. So here we go.

How to get there?

We booked our Airbnb at San Juan area, very near the beach. From there, you have two options which you can take to go to San Gabriel. First is hailing a tricycle which is faster but definitely pricier, and the second option, which is the first on our DO-list is to ride a jeep bound for San Gabriel which will only cost you about 19 PhP.

Where to alight the jeep?

This one is where we got it wrong. Despite our research prior to the trip, we still had a bit of a rough time trying to figure out our way going to the drop off point for Tangadan Falls. So... we asked the jeep driver and our fellow passengers for help (this is not a bad thing to do considering the locals supposedly know the best about their area), and they told us to alight at a tricycle terminal where we can hire a tricycle and a guide to take us to the falls.

What should we have done? When we arrived at the end of the trail, we met a guide who was assigned to another group. He asked us where we got our tour guide and to our disbelief, the tourism office of San Gabriel actually has designated tour guides which are authorized to give tours to visitors in a much lower price than what we paid for ours. Second on our DO-list, research about the tourism office in each place you're about to go to, the guide which we were able to talked to showed us an ID which was issued to them by the LGU, meanwhile ours never showed nor worn an ID. We were lucky that we had no problem with the guide that we were able to have but it is still better to be safe next time.

What to wear?

The trek to the falls isn't that extreme, and may take up to 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your pace. We were a bit slow because we were talking and taking photos and were definitely not fit enough to hasten our pace. Third on our DO-list is to make sure you wear comfortable clothes which you are willing to soak on water, also make sure that your slippers are sturdy enough to last the trek (one friend of mine broke hers during the trek and had to go barefoot before being able to buy another at a store in the middle of the trek), you can also opt to wear aqua shoes, just make sure that it also has enough grip to avoid slipping.

What to bring?

We started our trip quite a bit late in the morning and the sun was glaring upon us for the most part of the trek. Luckily I was able to bring a light scarf to help ward of the sun's heat. That being said, fourth on our DO-list is to bring sun protection, we were lucky to have thought to put on sunscreen before heading out from our airbnb that morning!

Also, if you're a heavy snacker like me, and is worried that you might get hungry and thirsty during the trek, worry not, because there are a lot of stalls where you can buy food and drinks along the trek. Of course it doesn't hurt to bring your own baon-- just don't get too carried away, a pack of biscuit can do it!

Don't forget

Since we have covered almost every do's for the trip, we should always remember to keep Tangadan Falls as the pristine tourist destination that it is. Don't forget to throw your trash properly during the trek and while in the bathing area (actually, throw your trash properly wherever you are!), refrain from vandalizing the area, and take only photos and memories with you!

Also, don't forget to take care of yourselves and your companions, avoid jumping on shallow waters, avoid running during the trek, and make sure every step you take will land you on a sturdy stone!

See you on the next blog post!