CAVITE DAY TOUR NEAR MANILA

Written by Dezza, 31 March 2019

I’m often asked about some places that people can visit from Manila for a day trip. Places that don’t really require a lot of planning, cost much money, and don’t take very long to get to.

One of those places that fit the bill is Cavite. And yes, I’m talking about Cavite, the most populated province in the whole of the Philippines.

Most people associate Cavite with being an industrial centre, and not really one of the best places in the Philippines.

However, if you are prepared to contend with the hustle and bustle, you will be rewarded with some of the best attractions that nature has to offer.

Cavite Has Some Beautiful Places Near Manila

Cavite is right on the doorstep of Manila and does have some fairly decent beaches, waterfalls, and even hiking trails in the mountains. All of these places you can visit in a day.

Being so close to Manila, it takes you 1-2 hours to get there, depending exactly where you go. By Manila standards, that’s nothing.

Cavite is not quite as blessed with natural beauty compared to its fellow provinces in the Calabarzon region like Laguna or Batangas.

This means that a lot of people don’t think of beaches and waterfalls when it comes to Cavite. I myself am guilty of that.

However, there is some amazing natural beauty in this province. If you are stuck in the daily grind of living in Manila and don’t have much time to spare, Cavite is a great place to visit.

You can easily do it in a day trip because its less than 2 hours drive from Manila.

Sure, you won’t find the white sand beaches like you get in Boracay, Palawan or even Batangas however, you will be able to go and visit Cavite’s best places quickly.

At the very southern end of Cavite, on the border of Batangas, is where the mountainous areas begin and it becomes a little more spectacular.

WOW! Foreigners Epic Day Trip in Cavite | Deztreks

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The western side of Cavite is more coastal and there are a number of beach resorts. This includes Puerto Azul and Paniman Beach which I have also featured in some of my blogs & videos.

However, don’t expect Boracay style beaches here. Then if you go inboard and more central, you will find some great hiking trails and waterfalls.

Malibilic-bilic Falls Epic Waterfall In Cavite

So if you are looking for a place to visit for the day, then Cavite has a number of options. One of those options is Malibilic-bilic Falls and the other one is Pantihan Falls, also known as (Balayungan Falls).

You can see both of these places together in the one day. It takes you approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach Malibilic-bilic Falls and from there, it takes another 15-20 minute drive to reach Pantihan Falls.

If you are looking for a bit of adventure, then Malibilic-bilic Falls is the place to go. It isn’t an overly intensive hike and only takes you about 15 to 20 minutes to reach the main falls.

So you get to enjoy the beauty and natural wonders of the place along the way without overexerting yourself.

The walk to Malibic-libic Falls is a peaceful stroll and not too vigorous. The last part of the hike is along the river coming from the waterfall.

For Malibic-libic Falls you first need to register at Barangay Poblacion III Brgy. Hall, Ge. Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite, Bailen. This place is reasonably difficult to find as there is no signage at all.

Here you will be able to get a guide from the local Kagawad and they will accompany you on your journey. They will also bring some life jackets.

You don’t really need life jackets, they are really only a precaution. The rock pool at the bottom of the falls isn’t very deep, particularly around the edges.

However, it does fall away and there is a cave right next to the waterfall. This acts like a vacuum and sucks the water into it as it comes crashing down into the rock pool.

We were warned by our guide not to go near there because of this particular force of physics. That is the main reason for having life jackets just in case.

However, you can still go for a swim in some of the deeper parts without any problem. The water here is so cool and fresh and is a great relief after hiking to be able to cool off while swimming here.

Malibic-libic Falls is a three-layer waterfall set inside a massive gorge and is a great place to relax in the cool waters.

Pantihan Falls A Great Place To Relax

From there you can hike back to your car and then you have about a 15 to 20-minute drive to Pantihan falls.

There isn’t a lot of signage around for Pantihan Falls either but you can find it using Google maps.

If you do happen to get into any difficulties with your directions the friendly locals are more than happy to help.

You don’t need t take one of the local guides or Kagawad here, as it’s not really a hiking trail. It is more like an in land resort.

The entrance to the top of Pantihan Falls looks like a house so it’s easy to drive straight past it. Therefore, keep your eyes open for a long white fence with a gate which is where you enter.

I think this is a privately owned property. There are a number of cottages set up in which you can have a picnic and relax for the day.

The water that feeds the waterfall is more like a small stream. The flow of the water has been controlled so that it heads towards the top of a cliff and then trickles down the cliff face into the river below.

You are able to actually sit under the waterfall as the water flows down the stepped ledges of the cliff. This is very popular with the locals pick you up to have their photos taken with the water crashing down on them.

The more adventurous locals actually jump from the top of the cliff into the river below which is about a 10-15 metres high.

You can see here that you can actually go right under the waterfall and get a should massage from the water cascading down on you.

Where Are All The Foreigners?

This place is certainly popular with the locals however, I didn’t see any foreigners here at all. Once again, this is one of those little hidden treasures that I found which isn’t flooded with foreign tourist.

The locals here are very friendly and they do enjoy seeing foreign tourists taking in the natural beauty of their place. As mentioned earlier, you can tie these two locations together and easily visit them both in one day.

Both places are ideal for a picnic-style lunch however, you will find Malibic-libic Falls a lot more private and peaceful.

So there you have it, a great little day trip that you can take to escape the craziness of the concrete jungle in Manila.

Make sure you are prepared to get wet and bring your swimmers, a towel, and possibly a change of clothes or at least a shirt.

You don’t necessarily need hiking boots however, it’s advisable to bring some good running shoes for the hike. Then you can just bring a pair of thongs (slippers) to wear for your visit to Pantihan Falls.

Costs:

The entrance fee for Malibic-libic Falls which you pay at the local barangay hall is P20. Then you can tip the guide whatever amount you feel comfortable with. P500 is an acceptable figure.

Then for Pantihan Falls entrance fee is P50. The cost of hiring a cottage I think was about P500 for the day and they range in size from being able to accommodate as little as 6 people right through to about a dozen people.