P500 Budget: Mt. Daraitan and Tinipak River Overnight Camp | Tanay, Rizal

Stunning huge marble boulders of Tinipak River

 View at 700+m above sea level, Mount Daraitan summit

If you're up for an overnight camp/hike adventure not too far away from Manila, Tanay Rizal is it! When I say adventure, I mean camping up the mountains, preparing and cooking meals outdoors, swimming through a natural jacuzzi inside an underground cave, crossing through raging river waters.... Oh, did I just spark up your imagination? Keep reading.. :P

Somewhere in the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges is a hidden paradise with a laid-back, barrio vibe–a village called Daraitan. Carabaos and horses dominate the one-way streets, roosters on choral alarm as the dawn breaks, drinking water freshly fetched from deep wells or fresh springs, and all that simple life we all crave for every once in a while to break free from the hustle and bustle of the wild and sickening city.

Daraitan boasts of tourists' favorite activites such as mountain ridges to conquer, a river so beautiful it features large rock formations as if you're in the lost world, and a stunning cave where one can take a cold dip in mother nature's very own jacuzzi pool.

Climbing from rock to rock is a bit of a challenge, actually! :P

Mount Daraitan

The trail is challenging as it is mostly a steep assault, but the view from the top is magical. You get a feel of that "I'm the king of the world!" moment, if you know what I mean.

As a newbie mountaineer, this, by far is the most challenging climb I've done. As a reference, the trail is far difficult than Mount Manabu in Batangas. My personal difficulty level rating of Manabu is 2/9, and Daraitan is 4/9. Pretty much an easy one for the pros though.

It takes about 4-5 hours to reach the campsite which is about 20 minutes more worth of assault trek to the summit. We camped overnight and just before the dawn breaks, we started trekking to the summit.

 We cooked longganisa and adobo! :D

My camp buddies!

And voila, the view from the top!

Tinipak River and Underground Cave

After the exhausting summit climb comes a refreshing reward that will take your breath away. Tinipak river features raging waters, majestic rock formations, and a cave so beautiful it has its own natural jacuzzi pool inside.

It's like you're in the pre-historic era with all these perfectly sculpted white marble and limestone boulders all over the river.

Tinipak river, by the way is awarded as the cleanest inland body of water in Region IV, so imagine how crystal clear the water is.

Tinipak Underground River's natural swimming pool jacuzzi.

If Tanay Rizal is in your bucket list, which I expect it is, a detailed itinerary of our trip is included below.

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Detailed Itinerary:

DAY 1
08:00 Meet up at McDonald's along EDSA Shaw near Teleperformance
09:00 Take jeepney from EDSA-Shaw to Tanay, Rizal
10:30 ETA Tanay, Rizal. Take jeep to Sampaloc, Tanay
10:15 ETA Sampaloc, Tanay. Take tricycle to Brgy. Daraitan
11:00 Arrival at Daraitan River. Cross with raft and take trike to barangay hall
11:30 ETA Barangay Hall; Register and secure guides.
12:00 Lunch

12:30 Start trek up Mt. Daraitan
17:00 ETA campsite. Set up camp.
20:00 Dinner / socials

DAY 2 

06:00 Sunrise viewing at the limestone formations
07:00 Breakfast / Break camp
08:00 Start descent to Tinipak River
11:00 Arrival at Tinipak River. Lunch / Sidetrips
15:30 Proceed to Brgy. Daritan via riverside trail
16:15 Back at Barangay Hall; tidy up
17:30 Head back to Tanay, Rizal via tricycle
18:30 Back in Tanay Rizal. Take jeepney back to Shaw
20:00 Back in Manila

Estimated Budget:

Php 7,000 Jeep from shaw to daraitan back and forth (20 pax)
Php 2,500 Guide fee for 10 pax (overnight): P1,250 x 2

Total Damage: Php 9,500 / 20 = Php 475 each