Abuab Falls 2021: DIY Adventure

Starting 2021 with friends, travel, and a whole new experience…

Hi guys! It’s me Say, and I’m back with a new adventure! I’ll be sharing my first adventure this 2021 in Abuab Falls located in Rizal. Initially, my church friends and I planned this as a year-end tour to conclude the horrifying 2020 with a little joy and excitement. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the “year-end” plan since the rain was pouring and it was too risky. We decided to reschedule it for the 2nd of January 2021, thus making this our first adventure of the year! 

A little bit about Abuab Falls…

Abuab Falls is a hidden gem known for its falls and cliff diving spots. Located in San Mateo Rizal,  in the valley between Shotgun and Mt. Mataba and Timberland side. If you’re a cyclist, you may be familiar with Shotgun and Timberland trails – Abuab falls is a near location to this. And hey, maybe the next time you go on a trail with your friends, you can try out the refreshing waters of the falls!

Preparing for the trip 

Before going to Abuab falls, I contacted my neighbor who introduced this spot to me, Kuya Jerome. I asked  Kuya Jerome if he and his friends could guide us because they have been there and are familiar with the trails. Surely enough he agreed to guide us and asked us to meet in Ampid 1 San, Mateo where we rented a Van going to Monterak. 

But before I take you to my trip experience, I just want to remind you about a few things before doing a hike. 

• Always wear comfortable clothes and footwear. This is a learning experience for me because I wore new sandals for this trip and my feet hurt a lot!! (LOL). Make sure you wear something comfortable to make the most out of your trip. 
• Rethink your hiking trip, especially when it is raining. You should definitely reschedule or rethink your hiking trip when it rained before or during your trip. Most hiking trails have huge rocks and thick mosses, you would not want to slip and get hurt right? 
• If you are not familiar with the trail, find someone who can guide you. Hiking and exploring new trails is exciting, but you need someone who can guide you through it. Not all trails have signs and boards telling you where to go. It is safer to have someone who knows the way around it. 

Abuab Falls Estimated Expenses

Since we decided to pack our own snacks for the trip, we saved a lot! With expenses of less than 500 pesos each.

• Van Rental (Ampid 1 to Monterak) – 100 pesos 
• Food (Pares and water/soda) – 90 pesos

Useful Contacts

If you want to explore and visit Abuab Falls, you need to have contact with someone who resides in the area or you need to have an ID with you because you will have to go through a PRIVATE PROPERTY first before being able to trek to Abuab Falls. 

The Hike to Abuab Falls

The first part of the trail was easy for me but then it became more difficult especially when we crossed rocky rivers, as I have mentioned earlier do not continue your hiking plans when it just rained, my friends and I got scratches from the big rock formations and what made it more difficult was the uncomfortable sandals that I wore. Lesson learned: Do not wear new sandals! 

After a long trail, we have reached our first stop! This place had a cliff diving spot. The water was about 5 ft. deep and the cliff was at 10 ft. high, although it is not as deep and high as most cliff diving spots.

All my friends tried cliff diving except for me! I was terrified to jump and they spent most of our time there trying to convince me to jump, but I failed them and did not jump. (Sorry friends). We didn’t spend too much time there because more people were arriving on the spot and we didn’t want to be around so many people (social distancing). 

Our next stop was the falls itself which got us all excited, but the trail going there was not easy!! This is why you really need to know someone and do a little bit of research of the place, if it were not for our guide who helped us, we would not have made it through the trail. 

Arriving at Abuab Falls

We spent a few minutes chilling, breathing in the fresh air, and just enjoying the majestic view of God’s creation.  

For more insights of the beauty of Abuab Falls, check out my vlog!

After a few minutes of breathing in all the goodness of the place, we got hungry and pulled out our snacks. Mine was a home-made sandwich that I prepared before the trip hehe.

We spent about an hour or so in the place where my churchmates and I gathered to share with each other our top 3 Faith Goals and declaration for this year.

It’s lovely to have all these people around me and talk about our goals knowing that God will be with us throughout the year. 

After our small sharing session, we realized it was getting dark and decided to head home. On our way back, we tried out delicious meals sold by a roadside vendor. We really enjoyed the food and headed home with a satisfied (but tired) feeling and a full stomach! 

If you are not into physical and strenuous adventures, you can check out my previous blog about Luljetta’s Hanging Garden Spa, located here in Rizal as well!

For more blog updates you can:
– Check out my website @ www.lakwatsanisay.com
– Follow me on Facebook @Lakwatsanisay
– Follow me on Instagram @lakwatsanisayph