Tutubi first read about this new cave when he read a news article about the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which classified a certain Kwebang Puti in Cavinti, Laguna as Cave Class 1 but no information can be found online about it until news spread from Tutubi's friends in Paete, Laguna.

UPDATED: April 2014

Travel Guide: Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex

Tutubi knows how to get to Cavinti, either via public transportation or by private car, finding the site is not hard for him come his turn to actually visit the site. Other information will be posted once available and reviewed by his sources of information.

The poster of Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex, good there are people on the image to add scale

Travel Guide: Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex Tour in a nutshell:

1. Make a reservation for an entrance pass to the Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex by contacting Cavinti Tourism office. Email advance booking/reservations to this email address: lgucavinti@gmail.com
Reservations are limited to 10 persons per group. Contact number and official website will be posted once available.

2. Confirm your permit to tour Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex by getting your permit personally, though your authorized representative or package tour operator. You need to pay the entrance fee of PhP10.00/person (called environmental fee) Walk-in visitors are NOT guaranteed visitors entry permit. The visitors permit confirmation and payment can be paid at Cavinti Municipal Hall in weekdays and at Bumbungan Ecopark on weekends.

3. Go to Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex on your reserved date. Bring proper identification cards (school ID accepted)

4. Enjoy the tour but do observe the rules posted at the site particularly do not touch stalactites, stalagmites and columns inside the Cavinti caves

a giant stalactite of Kwebang Puti (stalactites hang from the ceiling, stalagmites are on the ground, and a column occurs when the cave roof and floor are joined together

The Laguna underground river has mini-waterfalls inside gushing with cold natural mineral water

How to Get to Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex

(Tutubi will create the map via OpenStreetMap once he gets to the place and will post waypoint/GPS coordinates later). An interactive map of Cavinti (helped updated by Tutubi with the cool guys of OpenStreetMap Philippines) can be found here where you can trace back to your origin and jump-off point.

How to Get to Cavinti, Laguna from Manila:

1.0 How to Commute by bus and jeepney

1.1 Commute to Sta. Cruz, Laguna by Bus
From Cubao Quezon City, take HM Transport or DLTB bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna (Bus Fare via HM Transport is PhP148.50)

1.2 From Pasay, near LRT Gil Puyat station, take Green Star Express or DLTB bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna
Bus fare:, travel time is around 3 hours. Bus fare via DLTB is PhP132.00 while via Green Star express is PhP140.50 (yes, DLTB is cheaper plus free Wi-fi Internet)

1.3 In Sta. Cruz, ride a jeepney to Cavinti and request the driver to drop you off at Bumbungan Eco-Park (fare is about PhP20.00, travel time about 40 minutes) which is near a bridge over Bumbungan River (the river that feeds Pagsanjan Falls)

2.0 Driving Directions to Cavinti, Laguna

from Quezon City, it's recommended to take the scenic Rizal route via Marcos Highway, Sumulong passing through the city of Antipolo, the Rizal towns of Teresa, Baras, Morong, Tanay, Pililla, and the Laguna towns of Mabitac, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, Pakil, Paete, Kalayaan.

After passing by the elevated portion of Manila East Road in Kalayaan town, you will need to turn left and pass by Caliraya-Cavinti Road until you reach Bumbungan Eco-park. This route, from Trinoma, takes about 3 hours travel time.

From Makati or southern cities of Manila, take SLEx and exit at Calamba (toll fee: PhP218.00 class 1 vehicle), head towards SM City Calamba then turn right. Follow the highway passing through the towns of Los Banos, Bay, Calauan, Victoria, Pila, Sta. Cruz, Pagsanjan and Lumban. After passing Lumban Public Market (and a police checkpoint barrier), choose the right fork of the road going to Lake Caliraya. Continue until you reach Bumbungan EcoPark which is the jump-off point to Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex

as of posting time, Pagsanjan Bridge near Pagsanjan Municipal Hall is under construction, you need to take the alternate route to Cavinti via Lumban and Caliraya Lake thus the direction provided above.

3.0 To get to Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex from Cavinti, you need to pay PhP1,000.00 fee (inclusive of transportation and lunch) you still need to ride a jeepney (rent one (rental rates vary but about PhP200.00/person) or drive to the caves if you're adventurous and have a 4x4 vehicle) for 14 kilometers on bumpy, dirt road then trek for 2 kilometers (about 30 minutes walk over a dirt road) to get to the actual newly-discovered cave. (this is already easy compared to the previous 4-5 hour trek when the dirt road was not there)

4.0 The final travel part of Cavinti spelunking adventure is a short bamboo raft ride (balsa) to cross the Lalangawan River to reach the cave entrance which is near the boundary of Cavinti, Laguna and Mauban, Quezon

Notes:

1. The road from Cavinti town proper going to the site is not paved, only 4x4 vehicles (for off-road) or jeepneys can traverse it.
2. Bring your own high powered flashlight or gas lamp as it's dark inside the caves
3. At present, this is still undeveloped, tourism facilities are inadequate, guides are ill-equipped, area is restricted to 50 tourists (non-Cavinti residents) but cave entrance fee is now at PhP1000.00/person with transportation and lunch
4. There's an underground river and waterfalls inside but most parts of the cave complex and chambers remain unexplored, wildlife (if there are animals, lizards, snakes, pythons, spiders) taking refuge inside not yet documented
4. There are hotels and resorts near Cavinti particularly Pagsanfalls resorts or resorts in Lake Caliraya for you to spend the night, wash yourself or overnight accommodations.
5. You can take a swim in the Lalangawan River with cold mountain water and huge rocks and boulders

This will be updated from time to time to remain fresh and current. Tutubi's planned tour of this new "place to see in Laguna" last April 20 didn't push through due to the new rule on reservation and with fully-booked place for tour bookings.

Labels: Calabarzon, Caves, Ecotourism, Laguna, Spelunking, Travel Guides

Kinabuhayan Cafe cont'd...

part of the Kinabuhayan Cafe package and photography seminar is a light trek to Mt Banahaw's green slopes, streams, and caves. A short jeepney ride to the jump off point will pass by numerous churches and shrines by groups (avoid to call them cults for political correctness) believing in the mysticism of the mountain.

First stop is Dolores where more than a hundred concrete steps that i didn't bother to count leading down to a stream below but along the way you'll encounter an image of Sta Lucia where you're requested to light a candle and say a short prayer.

Another icon you'll see hundred steps further down before we reached the end of the steps where images of the Holy Family and of Mary and a genuflected child (shown below) perched on a large rock against a backdrop of mystic mountain's lush foliage including ferns.



the stream and small waterfalls below (the truth is i expected a larger falls than the one I saw so a bit disappointed, that's what you get for such "great expectations"). I also don't like concrete steps on mountains for I prefer unspoiled and pristine off the beaten track places but that's just me.







going back up after taking photos and getting drenched and refreshed wasn't easy to some of us and we proceeded to another place locals call Jacob's well which is a small cave with an opening suited for horizontally-challenged or non-claustrophobic individuals. Inside the cave is a cramped chamber and pool of water where people take a refreshing dip seven times that locals believe would wash away their sins (not that i believe such claims but i respect them and not say a word). It was probably named Jacob's well due to the presence of a ladder in the pool akin to Jacob's ladder in the Bible. Anyway, i should've dipped much more than seven times since it's really refreshing and more efficacious than Dr Wong's and Dr Kaufmann's sulphur soap!
(picture shown lacks scale since i forgot to include people but the cave entrance can really make "healthy" people squirm and wiggle through the narrow crevices of the cave)

the trail back to the jeep again we saw stalls selling various talismans, amulets with the all familiar eye enclosed by an equilateral triangle symbol, souvenirs, food including sweet bukayo, and things that looked like stalactites and stalagmites blasted from the caves by unscrupulous individuals looking for quick cash to the detriment of the environment that they should be looking after.

Mt Banahaw is a nice place to visit and re-visit (and re-visit) and perhaps because i wasn't able to see and take pictures of my enigmatic namesake, the tutubi, that JB informed me of. Maybe next time.

to be concluded...

Related Posts:

Kinabuhayan Cafe Gateway to Mt Banahaw, Kinabuhayan Cafe Day 2

Labels: Calabarzon, Caves, Mountains, Quezon, Southern Tagalog, Spelunking, Trekking, Waterfalls