Binarabudan Cold Spring - Gulang-Gulang, Irosin, Sorsogon

Mount Bulusan

Lush Vegetation 

the path

Some say the best thing in life is free. In Irosin, Sorsogon  and nearby towns there are natural springs that are open for public without entrance fee. One of them is the Binarabudan Cold Spring, which is located in Brgy. Gulang-Gulang, Irosin, Sorsogon. Binarabudan is a local term for spring, it is derived from the word burabod meaning spring. No trail signs to go there, one can ask a local to guide them in going to the spring. It is nestled on the foot of the Bulusan Volcano. Along the Maharlika Highway near Guest World Resort and Inn, in front of Soreco II office there is a path leads to the spring. Just ask the locals along the way they are helpful and gracious to give u  the direction.

Natural Pool

Salog means river

We had more or less 20 minutes trek. Our nephew was gone to the place but he forgot the exact way. It was fun for we don’t know where the right path so what we did was followed the passage of the water. We knew at the end of that water is the spring.  Along the way we were looking and were in awe of the beautiful  scenery, lush vegetation, butterflies flying over us and of course the full view of the Bulusan Volcano.

While walking we could hear the laughter of the people enjoying the water. The deep of the water is more or less 2-4 feet. It is surrounded by trees, ferns, wild plants and boulders. There is a huge stone serves as diving spot.

Diving Spot-Dive on your own risk

At first the water is cold but as time goes on, it’s so refreshing and relaxing. The water is crystal clear and there are fish in it. Why not experience swimming with the fish in a natural spring. We tasted the water right on the spring, it's cold and refreshing one. There is another spring nearby which the water supply of the Barangay Gulang-Gulang is coming from. This is the water reservoir of the community.

Great to explore places that not the usual destination for tourists. Hope the picnic goers and the local officials can maintain the cleanliness. Till next time.

Sto. Niño Cold Spring Resort - Catarman, Camiguin

Our last stop for our  day tour in Camiguin  was Sto. Niño Cold Spring Resort, it is located in Catarman, Camiguin. Camiguin is tagged as the second smallest province in the Philippines, the province born of fire and I want to add to that title as Spring Capital of the Philippines. It has several springs cold and hot. Some of these springs are developed for tourists with huge swimming pools, picnic huts and tables, souvenir shops, restaurants and the likes. The most popular among them are the Ardent Hot Springs Resort , Bura Soda Water Park and the Sto. Niño Cold Spring Resort.

Sto. Niño Cold Spring Resort has crystal clear water that fish can be seen clearly even just merely looking at the water. We were so tired no energy to swim so we just dipped our feet while sitting on the side of the swimming pool. Watching the fish swimming was so relaxing. It was inviting to swim with them lol but sad to say we had to go back to Caayan de Oro City. The swimming pool can be a huge fish spa because when we were motionless, the school of fish got near and was started to bite our dead skin. In Manila it’s expensive but in Sto. Niño Cold Spring Resort its part of the perks and freebies of the resort.

The Resort has two stone pools, one for the adults which has a measurement of 25 meters by 40 meters with a depth varies from ½ meter to 2 meters and the other one is a kiddie pool.

There were ladies offering food, they have package to choose from. I learned that they have organization of housewives offering home cooked food as the livelihood program of the locals. Since we had a sumptuous lunch in Bura Soda Water Park we didn’t order instead ordered fresh buko (young coconut) and rice puto (steamed rice cake) for our snack. Fresh Buko is 20.00 pesos and rice puto is 10.00 not bad for a snack.

End of the tour, it was worth of the time and effort to explore this tiny island but too many things to offer. Thank you Camiguin.

Entrance Fee:

P 20.00 day time

9 years and below is “free”

Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao Province- a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty.

Hapao Rice Terraces


with my sister

Even when I was a child, I dreamed of visiting the well known rice terraces. My sister and I took time to visit this place, more than 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao Province by the indigenous people. We Filipinos referred this as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.
The Banaue terraces is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old.



I was really amazed by the site of the terraces, really thankful. Although locals to this day still tend to the rice and vegetables on the terraces, but more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice Terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic "steps", which need constant reconstruction and care. The high rice fields of the Ifugao have followed the contours of the mountains. The knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance, they have helped to create a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment.
The trip itself is an adventure. The road is literally long, rocky and winding road. I thought it was just a joke that the jeeps in Banaue can carry the passenger on the top load; and it’s true. I was scared and at the same time amazed. There were foreigners chose to ride on the top load instead of inside the jeep. The view is really fabulous and picturesque.





According to the locals the most beautiful and maintain rice terraces is the Batad Rice Terraces, but we were lack of time so we opted to trek to Hapao Rice Terraces, Hapao, Hungduan instead. We visited the hot spring natural pool there; it is not big as much as that of Hot Spring in Bicol. Our tour guide was really accommodating and very patient to guide and guard us as we trail the terraces.

Hot Spring

My sister with our Tour Guide


Hanging Bridge in Banaue