Monday, September 29, 2008

Forest Camp in Valencia

wish i live here...in the resort, not in the wishing well (hehe)

It rained that Saturday morning in Dumaguete. Our itinerary was to visit Valencia, a town about 10 kilometers away from the city, to visit Forest Camp and Casaroro Waterfalls. I was secretly grateful that it rained…I woke up with aching limbs, and the wet weather meant extended bed time! But around 9 am, the sky cleared and my stomach was already grumbling. After a late breakfast at the Silliman cafeteria, we boarded a tricycle to the Valencia jeepney station.

All seats were already taken but instead of waiting for the next jeepney, we decided to sit on the “extensions”---these are small benches placed in the middle of a jeepney (it reminded me of high school and our habal-habal ride the day before). It was an easy 30-minute trip to Valencia. Valencia is a first class municipality, a quiet town located at the foot of Mount Talinis, with mountain terrains, a cooler climate, and a laid back lifestyle. No wonder many expats have settled in this town.

From the town plaza, we hired a tricycle to take us to the Forest Camp (50 pesos one-way), a resort and camping site with natural pools and cascading waterfalls. There are nipa huts for picnics, cottages for overnight guests, and a hanging bridge over a pristine, rushing river. Forest Camp is a verdant oasis, a great place to relax and be one with nature. Entrance fee is 60 pesos each.

destination map



"Rivers are magnets for the imagination, for conscious pondering and subconscious dreams, thrills and fears. People stare into the moving water, captivated, as they are when gazing into a fire. What is it that draws and holds us? The rivers' reflections of our lives and experiences are endless. The water calls up our own ambitions of flowing with ease, of navigating the unknown. Streams represent constant rebirth. The waters flow in, forever new, yet forever the same; they complete a journey from beginning to end, and then they embark on the journey again."

~ from Lifelines

a coconut tree house


April and Franzia
listening to songs of the river

guest rooms

12 comments:

Webradio said...

Nice photos, but keep cool !
Are tey Your daughters ???

Unknown said...

hi, webradio! no, they're not my daughters. they're my grand-daughters.:D

nutart said...

very nice! Senor Enrique should go here! :-)

How did you fare crossing the suspension bridge? I know it can be quite tricky and since we have several here in the island, I had to master them! I recall also a lot these suspension bridges when I was in Taiwan and the school kids would jump up and down to frighten us. They usually succeeded!

Unknown said...

i'm one of those who love the thrill of walking on moving suspension bridges. and like those kids in taiwan, i would jump up and down, even shake the bridge to annoy my companions.:D

yeah, senor enrique should visit this place. but he should visit your island first.:D

thanks for stopping by, bernadette.

nutart said...

ay, second comment, Luna! Forest Camp!---of course! how witty! I had to read your post once more! Pinoy talaga! The map would make my husband's head reel---ang gulo ng dating (hehe!) ang saya kasi ng lay-out.

 gmirage said...

Hey, who's the sexy gal in red?

Keith said...

Luna, I enjoy the waterfalls. Reminds me I have to get down to see them again. I mis island archipelagos. I miss the 20, 000 islands formed through the movement of the Philippine tectonic plate.

So, in your pictures I do find pleasure. Buit I get antsy being here, in California.

Unknown said...

hehehe Bernadette, i was also confused when i saw the map...parang ang lalapit lang e 'no?:D

Unknown said...

'yan ang diwata don sa gubat, Gizelle! hahaha

Unknown said...

hi, keith! i'm glad you enjoyed these pictures, and i hope, that somehow, these pictures would fill your longing to see the islands again. but hey, you can always hop in a plane and see the Philippines again.:D

 gmirage said...

I thought so too!

Now ko lang napansin yung sabi ni nutart na why Senor Enrique shoud be here hehe..ok yun ah! I envy your travel...sana ako din!

Unknown said...

yeah, Senor Enrique's fave Pink Floyd song.:D you live in a historical, picturesque city, a center of culture and all of Europe is your neighbor. sa 'yo ako naiinggit.:D