Minalungao National Park Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija

Holy week is a time for most of the Catholics to ponder and repent. It was a Holy Wednesday when I finished doing my penance and it looked like it's a time for me to explore as well. So.. I browsed one of the Facebook groups and asked if there's any trip I can join for the following day. To my surprise, there was an instant message and an invitation to join a travel to the North almost that evening. With few hours left, I prepped up and packed my bag for an adventure in Minalungao, Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija

Early meet up in Shell Ayala, I instantly connect with new found sisters and a bro. Ashley, April, Mark and Maya. I was on a moving on phase that time so I can't sleep easily so we all chatted majority of the road trip. We talked about every thing and any thing under the sun which is very very pleasing that we all have our little mid puts from politics to showbiz to travels and food.

(photo credit: Mark and Ashleigh Villarba)

   Almost Lunch time when we reached our destination, the traffic jam.. oh. urgh. anyway, We were humbly welcomed by Ate Liberty and drive with us to the National Park where we will be meeting her hubby Kuya Darine and start the discovery of the Minalungao National Park.

 

Famished by the long and winding road, we munched our lunch first. Grilled dishes, soup,  rice and soda.. all set! Since it was a holiday. Swarm of visitors dominated the place. Luckily we have Ate Liberty and Kuya Darine, we didn't have to worry about the whole tour.

Burp. Done eating and ready to kick off. We first took a quick "balsa" to cross the river and meet .. the STAIRS!!! lol it's a pretty high climb but don't worry, its mainly cemented and yeah.. stairsssssssss!!! I'll keep the numbers a secret but I'll tell you, its more than the one in Mt. Tapyas in Bohol. Along the trip, we dropped by the tomb of a famous Korean monk who chose to be buried in the mountains of Minalungao as she adored the gift of nature in that area.

 

At the top, there's a cross built in shiny mirror like material. It has a great view of the mountains.

(photo credit: Mark and Ashleigh Villarba)

Descended from the hill, we then had our rest in our balsa. the cold water of the river was a fresh relief from the staircase encounter. Exploration not over yet! We then took off to the cave of park. It was just a few minutes but the fun with my new found friends was awesome. Due to time constrictions, we weren't able to complete all the activities but it's all worth it. That's the purpose of travelling, meeting new people, discovering and having fun.

Overall the experience that I had with the new found friends and the Minalungao National Park adventure is something I can recommend for those who have a day off with their families and they have a reliable wheels. It's a good quick getaway too for those who are also wanting to get a stress free day from the busyness of the city. And ahem, for those who wants to forget the one who they loved yet broke their heart multiple times.

You may contact Kuya Darine and Ate Liberty and they can give you great packages. They offer day tour and over night stay from a minimum of 2 pax to approximately more than 10. They can meet you somewhere in the city and ride with you to the park or give you detailed instructions on how to get there. And oh by the way, Kuya Darin takes good pictures too so have your camera's ready and let him capture your Minalungao shots.

Minalungao National Park Tour Guide Darine Facebook page
Papaya Gen.tinio Nueva Ecija, Gapan, Nueva Ecija
Tourguide Darine Package,Tour and Services
0928 347 5716