Location: Sitio Maapon, Piis, Lucban, Quezon Province, Philippines
This is a 3-day vacation in Lucban where my host is my best friend, Teresa "Tess" Corpuz. I frequented to stay in her sister's farm resort outside Lucban town proper during day time but stayed in her sister's apartment in the town proper at night where I do my paper works and internet access.
It was such a grand vacation with full rest just in the sala watching movies or chatting with Tess and her sister. Her sister has been always busy cooking for our meals in their farm resort.
At night, Tess' nephew would drive me to her sister's apartment in Lucban town proper where I stay there alone with some paper works and doing an online course for my massive open online course in TESOL Methodologies.
I had a good time when I am alone in the apartment since I go out and experience night life in Lucban. One memorable experience was having a fruit shake mixed with a maximum of 5 fruits mixed together for only P45 per glass serving. Though I had my dinner at the farm resort before I am being brought to the apartment.
In my strolls I had a chance to peek in a few resto bars, pasalubong centers, souvenir shops and dining restaurants. The town is still vibrant till 10:00 P.M. You can see a lot of tourists roaming around with some trying to find best buy for pasaubong and food delicacies.
The last day of my vacation was spent for a 3-water falls day tour. From Lucban, we chartered a vehicle going to Sitio Maapon. its location is on the boundary of the municipalities of Lucban and Sampaloc where we drove through the Lucban - Sampaloc Road for more than 30 minutes.
We had trekked for more than 1 1/2 hours from the vehicle parking lot. Trekking then was not a problem as the trail is flat and even passable by a small vehicle. Some parts are narrow cemented pathways while the rest are not.
The following pictures are shown to describe how the trail looks like.
Finally, we reached our destination. The trail led us first to Hangga Falls. The locals call it as Maapon Falls but it is not. Maapon is the river which serves as the source of Hangga Falls. Its basin which serves as the swimming area is not that deep.
Going on top of the falls is manageable. There are a few points which is slippery. The midpoint of the water falls has catchment basin which looks like a small pool with cold water but very inviting to dip with.
There is an entrance fee of P20 per person and a parking fee of P20 if you take with you a vehicle. You need to get a guide which cost P300. It is advisable that you have to take with you food and drinking water as there are no available stores around or even locals who will sell food like other water falls of Bukal and Majayjay.
Not far from Hangga Falls is Lanot Falls. It would only take a trek of 10 minutes to go there walking on shallow stream which is a part of Maapon River. In fact, Lanot Falls is just a tributary of Maapon River.
Unlike Hangga Falls, Lanot is just a small one hidden with big trees. There is no need to pay for another entrance fee because whatever you paid is good for the three water falls. Its catchment basin is shallow and the deepest part is the bottom edge of the falls at around 7 feet. The swimming area is too narrow and its edges have protruding roots of the growing trees around.
From Lanot Falls, you need to wade from a shallow part of Maapon River for 5 minutes going to Asana Water Falls. However, you will end up on top edge of Asana Falls since there is no trail yet going down to the falls. it is like standing at the edge of the cliff looking down to the cascading water of Asana to the basin's pool area at the bottom.
It is clear that Asana Falls is just a downstream of Maapon River coming from the upstream Hangga Water Falls. According to our guide the height of Asana Falls is approximately 50 meters down.
HOW TO GO THERE
Coming from Manila, board a JAC Liner on its Buendia (Pasay) Terminal going to Lucena City's Grand Central Terminal for 4 hours road travel at a distance of 133.5 kilometers with a bus fare of P270. From there, ask for the jeepney terminal going to Lucban and get off at Lucban Public Market. Then, look for a tricycle going to Sitio Maapon.
