Rediscover Los Baños

Day 1

7:30 AM Departure

9:00 AM Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at La Vista Pansol in Pansol, Laguna
La Vista Pansol is home to the Laguna Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (LWRRC), a rescue site privately run by the Feathered Friends Foundation and wildlife veterinarian Dr. Nielsen Donato.

To get there, drive along the National Highway in Pansol and look for the large La Vista Pansol sign to your left, after Max’s restaurant. Turn left and follow the other directional signs.

In cooperation with the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the rescue center is committed to rehabilitating confiscated or surrendered wildlife and then releasing them into the MakilingNational Park.

You will find endemic species of birds, small mammals, and reptiles: raptors, wild boars, bearcats, civet cats, macaques, as well as parrots and cockatoos from South America. Your P25 entrance fee will help support the center’s activities.

 

10:00 AM Depart from La Vista Pansol

10:30 AM ETA Magnetic Hill, Los Baños

Magnetic Hill is located along the PCARD/DOST access road. Along the National Highway, turn right just as you enter Los Baños and look for the metal arch with the sign “Magnetic Hill.” Make a full stop at the bottom of the hill, put your vehicle on neutral, release the brakes, and observe how your vehicle is pulled up an incline of about 100 meters. 

Throw an empty tin can and see it roll up the hill as well. The jury is still out on whether the magnetic force is real or just an illusion. According to one psychic, a UFO landed on the spot and consequently reversed the gravitational forces around the area where it landed.

 

11:00 AM ETA Makiling Arts Center

Further up the PCARD/DOST road is the UPLB Campus. Just as you reach the Jamboree Site of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, turn right to visit the Makiling Arts Center. There, you’ll find the Makiling High School for the Arts, where national scholars train in the visual and performing arts.

Halfway up the mountain stands what may be the most beautiful garden chapel in the country. The hanging roof, giant crucifix, fern-covered pews, a wishing well by the altar, and a romantic, panoramic view of greenery will make you wonder why few weddings are held here.

Drive farther up to reach the multipurpose hall on top of the mountain. This vantage point directly overlooks the hot spring resorts of Pansol and gives you a chance to marvel at the vastness of Laguna Lake. On a clear day, you can see as far as Alabang.

 

11:30 AM Depart from Makiling Arts Center

 

Click here to read on about The Forest Club in Los Banos, Laguna.

[previous|page|next]

Read on about The Forest Club in Los Banos, Laguna.

11:45 AM ETA The Forest Club

The Forest Club is a hot spring resort set amidst a three-hectare nature sanctuary in Bay, Laguna.  

Nestled between Mts. Makiling and Banahaw, the club was created around a natural ecosystem where rare flora and fauna thrive.

 

 

You may stay in any of the four native cottages. Each can fit up to eight persons, while family suites can house 20. 

Although equipped with facilities for various functions, the club controls the number of visitors to maintain a solemn atmosphere. The club will give you a map, detailed directions, and a menu once you book your stay.

12:00 PM Lunch at the Forest Club

Lunch is a sumptuous buffet of Laguna specialties, pre-arranged when you book your stay.

Items include fresh fish from the tilapia farms, barbecued meats, organic vegetables from the club’s garden, fresh fruit juices, and fresh fruits in generous servings.

 

1:00 PM Rest/Sleep

2:00 PM Walking Tour of the Forest Club

Walk off your heavy lunch by exploring the Forest Club’s nature sanctuary. Be astonished by the variety of trees—from hardwoods, such as kamagong, molave, mahogany, and narra; to the flowering trees, such as the Palawan cherry, ilang-ilang, and white santan.

You will also encounter various bamboo and palm trees, as well as newly introduced trees like neem and acacia crassicarpa (a fast growing hardwood tree from Australia).

The sanctuary grows a medicinal herb garden of indigenous plants like damong maria, lemon grass, aloe vera, mint, and menthol. A half-hectare of rice paddies produces gourmet rice from India and Japan.

3:00 PM Dip into the Mineral Hot Spring Pool

Situated along the Bay Fault, the Forest Club is blessed with natural hot spring water from a volcanic source.   

You may indulge in a therapeutic massage by a traditional “hilot,” who holds an impressive track record of patients cured, miraculously, of various ailments like strokes and paralysis.

4:30 PM Fishing and bird-watching at the lagoon

The Forest Club is host to a wide range of bird species, such as the White-collared Kingfisher, Spotted Dove, Black-naped Oriole, and Large-billed Crow.

Club owners, members of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, can lend you a set of binoculars and a field guide to help you identify the birds. You may also borrow fishing rods and fish with the kids for tilapia and catfish by the lagoon, and then request the cook to include your catch in the evening menu.

7:00 PM Dinner at the Forest Club

Dinner is another buffet of local fare, such as sinigang na hito sa miso and kalderetang kambing, or dishes you had pre-arranged to have from Manila, prior to your visit.

8:00 PM Bonfire

After dinner, you may arrange for a bonfire on the open, grass field to exchange stories and relive wonderful memories. This is also the best time to walk towards the bamboo grove and watch the dance of hundreds of fireflies.

9:00 PM Night swimming

Kids may be ready to hit the bed at this time.  However, the warm water of the hot springs makes the pool

ideal for night swimming. Guests typically stay and enjoy the pool until way past midnight.
 

 

Click here to read on about Mt. Makiling in Los Banos, Laguna.

[previous|page|next]

Read on about Mt. Makiling in Los Banos, Laguna.

 

Day 2:

8:00 AM Breakfast at the Forest Club. Check-out

9:00 AM Depart for the sulphuric mud springs of Mt. Makiling

9:20 AM ETA UPLB College of Forestry, Mt. Makiling Entrance

The trails of Mt. Makiling start at the entrance of the Makiling Forest Reserve at the UPLB College of Forestry. The road is accessible only by 4x4 vehicles, AUVs, and pick-ups.

Expect a rough 30-minute ride up Mt. Makiling and a short 750-meter hike from the roadside to the boiling volcanic mud springs.

The mud springs at the end of the trail pique the imagination of children about quicksands and ancient fossils that may be buried beneath the boiling mud.

12:00 Lunch at Los Baños Square

Los Baños Square is a large garden plaza surrounded by food stalls selling a variety of food and drinks at student-friendly prices.   

Items include sizzling plates and barbecues, as well as exotic Thai, Arabian, and Japanese dishes.

Meals are served on garden table settings under the cool shade of large mango trees.

1:00 PM Depart for the Makiling Botanical Gardens

Visit the Makiling Botanical Gardens to appreciate the centuries-old forest trees of the Makiling Forest Reserve.

 

 

Here you can gaze at pristine lowland forest trees that tower up to 40 meters high.

Within the Makiling Botanical Gardens is the Philippine Center for Raptors, another rescue center run by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. The center is home to dozens of raptors, among them the majestic Philippine Eagle.

Getting to the center is approximately a kilometer- and-a-half hike on a well- paved but steep trail. The trail is challenging and the forest environment can get very humid. Bring plenty of drinking water and extra shirts for the family.

 

3:30 PM Shopping for pasalubong before going home

Of course, no out-of-town trip would be complete without pasalubong shopping.

The UPLB Dairy Bar continues to sell dairy products like fresh milk and white cheese, while the Carabao Center beside it sells carabao dairy products.

Nearby, Don Andres Soriano’s Hacienda de Makalawan in Calauan also produces and sells first-class fresh dairy products.

Try D’ Original Buko Pie for the best buko pie. This place is notorious for producing long lines and minor traffic jams. Word around town is that it is the only place where pies are already sold even before they are baked.

For shorter, hassle-free cues, Sheila’s buko pie is an excellent alternative. Buy your pies early, as stocks quickly disappear by the afternoon. If you like espasol, try the flat round kind at Elvie’s.

 

For reservations and inquiries, you may call Wawel Mercado at 0917-831-2583 or e-mail wawel_mercado@hotmail.com

 

Photos: Forest Club, Makiling Botanical Garden, Pansol Resort