the viewing deck: Mt. Balagbag Day-Hike and Resort Visit with my Nephews

Monday, March 14, 2022

Mt. Balagbag Day-Hike and Resort Visit with my Nephews

March 13, 2022 Sunday in Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal Province, Philippines

Mt. Balagbag (754masl) Traverse to Maranat Self-Guided (DIY) Solo Day-Hike (2016)

BUDGET WARNING: Mt. Balagbag is one of the easiest and shortest hike near Metro Manila. Guide is now mandatory, even checking in to bare minimum resorts along the way is required.

My 29th family outing initiated and of course, usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure.

MT. BALAGBAG DAY-HIKE AND RESORT VISIT DIY ITINERARY (1 adult, 1 teenager, 1 child):

0600H ETD Home; jeep to Tungko 54

0645H ETD Tungko; jeep to Licao-licao 87

0730H ETA Licao-licao; walk to Registration; Environmental Fee 20; Guide fee to Resort 250

0830H ETA Carillo Tolits Resort; Entrance fee 180; Ice cream 72

1330H ETD Resort; walk down the trail

1430H ETD Licao-licao; jeep to Tungko 87

1530H ETA Tungko; jeep to Home 63

TOTAL: PHP 813

MT. BALAGBAG HIKING FEES UPDATED AS OF MARCH 2022:

* Environmental Fee: PHP 20 (free for age 12 and below)

* Guide (up to 5 tourists): PHP 250 up to resort, PHP 350 up to Mt. Balagbag summit

* Resort Entrance: PHP 80 (adult), PHP 50 (children)

* Mt. Balagbag summit entrance: PHP 50 per tourist

I already hiked Mt. Balagbag traverse to Mt. Maranat on self-guided solo trip with total expenses of only PhP190 only last 2016. Mt. Balagbag is one of the easiest and shortest hike near Metro Manila (2 hours for a minor trek with very wide and obvious trail). In my honest opinion, requiring a guide for more than an hour hike is a form of cheating to think that the mountain is a nature no one owns. I lost my work too because of pandemic. But that doesn't give me the authority to scam people. I've been to a lot of major and minor hikes in 5 continents around the world, I think Mt. Balagbag trek is one of the expensive and scam I did for a dayhike.