We had some visitors from my mother’s side of the family come over for a few days, and decided to take them out to some of the Touristic destinations around Calbayog. We left Mango Lounge & Estates at 07:00am for a bit of a road trip, the drive time would be 1 Hour, not to mentioned a lot of walking, oh well, luckily the Bar is closed on Tuesdays, so I would be able to enjoy without distraction. I loaded up my USB with the very best of Bon Jovi and stacked up the boot of my car with some travelling essentials, some pre - made Calderetta, Chicken Adobo, rice, and soft drinks not to mention a portable gas stove to heat up the food whilst away from home. Food for Filipinos is considered Essential.
There are some amazing Touristic Destinations residing in Calbayog City Western Samar, we are known to be the City of Waterfalls, Tarangban Falls is a testament to the natural beauty that this world has to offer, away from the roads, untainted by commercialism, where you can still experience peace and tranquility provided by mother nature. I first visited this place in 2017, it was a little different then, it was still as beautiful as ever however was quite difficult to get to and actually quite dangerous. Fast forward to present day, a private investor built a stairway consisting of 516 steps, its still a lengthy journey, but once you have reached your destination, most definitely worth it.
For those that are not prepared to walk the 516 steps, there is Bangon Falls that is also quite beautiful. The water is about knee deep and you are able to walk around safely. The benefits is that there is a shaded area and a Kubo style seating with a table (The Large Tree acts as the framework for the Kubo) which can be rented for 500PHP ($8.95), you are able cook and rest comfortably, and should you require assistance, you can have a guide help you for 300PHP ($5.37) for the whole day, as we had a few seniors with us, this was a great help especially when going up to Tarangban Falls.
So, after eating, half the party decided to go up to Tarangban Falls, it was a long walk in the upward direction and you could feel the altitude taking effect. As mentioned before there is now a stair case and most of the way up is shaded by nature, but it is still quite strenuous. There are resting platforms every 20 to 30 steps which helped however I would not recommend this walk to those that have mobility issues. My Mother who is 74 managed to make it up there, and said to me that it was worth it. Pictured above is Tarangban Falls, it is a beautiful sight, the sounds of the water crashing onto rocks is quite intimidating, whilst overlooking the size of the falls, you realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things but can understand the balance of nature.
Here is a picture of the Three Amigos, even “Fatty” (My furry Son) although hating the water, had a great time. He was so excited that he took a wrong step and fell in the water, dragging me in with him, good night Cell Phone and Cigarettes, I am just glad that the water was not Ice Cold, we were going to get in there eventually anyways. The water here is a little deeper it is almost up to your chest and the current and pressure of the water is much stronger.
There is no entrance fee currently to get into Tarangban Falls although you must register with the LGU (Local Government Unit) Situated at the top of the road leading down to the falls, around 5 minutes drive from the actual location. There is changing rooms available as well as parking (100PHP). Those expenses above are really your only expenses. Please be advised there is no WIFI or Cell Phone Signal, it is advised that you travel early in the morning until the afternoon.
I hope that you have enjoyed my short review, should you have any questions or queries, please do not hesistate as to comment below. I look forward to exploring more destinations and sharing my finding with you.
This is MangoMayhem signing out, It's more Fun in the Philippines!
