DIY: Tangadan Falls, La Union

by - Sunday, June 04, 2017

Last Labor Day long weekend, my workmates and I along with my boyfriend Chad went to La Union to attend Labor Union. We didn't have a concrete plan on what we'll do there LOL. But one thing's clear in my mind, I want to relax beside the beach and at the same time, I want to visit Tangadan Falls. Finding the resources to be able to visit Tangadan Falls is quite easy with all the blogs writing about it. I planned our trek just the night before. However, there is an important missing information that I was not able to know until I was able to talk to our tour guide. So to help you guys if you are planning to visit the majestic Tangadan Falls and its refreshing waters, here's my step-by-step DIY guide:

GET A TOUR GUIDE

Ang tour guide namin na wala nang pakialam sa SPF dahil di na sya tinatablan, Kuya Jacques! LOL
At first, I thought that we should go first to the jump off point of Tangadan Falls to be able to get a tour guide. Thankfully, I read some blogs and they gave their tour guides' contacts. The tour guide that I called, Kuya Jacques, was the one who corrected me that we should not head straight to the jump off point without going to San Gabriel Municipal Hall. If you don't have a guide yet, here are some of the contacts of Tangadan Falls tour guides plus Kuya Jacques':

  • Kuya Dan: 09956437922
  • Kuya Pedro: 09953992099
  • Kuya Jacques: 09454051679
If you want a funny and quirky guide, I suggest you go for Kuya Jacques. He never ran out of jokes and hugot's while we're trekking LOL. Guide fee costs 500 pesos per group.

WHAT TO BRING

The Long Weekend Warriors!

We did not bring spare clothes when we trekked to Tangadan Falls. We went home a little bit wet. I didn't saw any showerrooms plus we don't really intend to so here are just the things we brought:

  • water(The long trek is more than an hour long so better bring lots of water!)
  • coverups(Para di sobrang basa pauwi)
  • umbrella(Kung takot ka umitim or bawal ka maarawan)
  • sunblock(apply it before the trek!)
  • pocket money(500 is already more than enough for all the expenses)
I heard you can go camping there also so what to bring really depends on your own essentials. :)

HEAD TO SAN GABRIEL MUNICIPAL HALL


All tour guides will ask you to meet them at San Gabriel Municipal Hall. You will have to pay an Environmental Fee of 30 pesos per person that's why you can't just go straight to the jump off point.

How To Get There from San Juan, La Union:

Via Tricycle
There's a tricycle terminal just across the road from the resort we stayed in(Sebay Surf Resort) and they offered us 500 pesos Tangadan Falls RT per tricycle. One tricycle fits four persons. 

Via Jeepney
This is what we took. We rode a jeepney up north with a San Gabriel posted on its windshield. Fare costs 18 pesos per person.

CHOOSE YOUR TRAIL


Right after we paid for the environmental fee, Kuya Jacques offered us two options to get to Tangadan Falls: long trail or short trail.

 Long Trail
Long Trail Jump Off Point





The long trail lasts for one and a half hour one way. The long trail is an easy trek. Most of the paths are just long walks. The paths also are shaded with trees so it is not that hot. It also consists of river crossings but since it's summer, the water is shallow and it is way easier to cross. Just be careful with slippery rocks(the ones with algae). Getting to the jump off point can be reached via a tricycle with 20 pesos fare per person.

 Short Trail
May hagdan nga, sobrang tarik naman huhu

The short trail lasts for only 30 minutes max one way. However, getting to the jump off point of the short trail is difficult. You can only reach it via private vehicle, jeep, or habal-habal. Let me break down the options for you:
  • VIA PRIVATE VEHICLE: The way off to the jump off point is not easy. Trust me when I say that it's literally a rollercoaster ride. The road is smooth but the elevation is not a joke. Most of the time we found ourselves going up a steep curve more than 45 degrees of elevation angle. You will need a professional driver for this one. 
  • VIA JEEP: You can rent a jeepney that costs 1500 pesos RT. If there are a lot of you, this is already sulit! 
  • VIA HABAL-HABAL: Habal-habal rates cost 150 pesos per person one way but this is pretty much dangerous considering the road it will take.
Aside from the difficult road, the short trail has steep trails which literally sent my leg muscles crying for help huhu. Yes it's short but I wouldn't mind taking the longer one due to its steepness.

WHAT TO DO


One of the reasons why I love chasing waterfalls is the refreshing feeling it gives when you splurge to its waters. But in Tangadan Falls, aside from just swimming, you can do the following:

CLIFF JUMP IN BABY TANGADAN FALLS

The first falls you'll see is a site for cliff jumping. There's also a store there where you can buy snacks and refreshments if you're already hungry. If you'll go cliff jumping but don't know how to swim, you can rent a life vest for 60 pesos. 

ENJOY TANGADAN FALLS' REFRESHING WATER MASSAGE
Tanggal lahat ng pagod beshie!

Upon reaching the Mother Falls, we are all already feeling exhausted and sweaty. But seeing the falls and feeling its waters made us all feeling energized. We rented a raft for 300 pesos for all of us to get a natural water massage. We can stay below the falls as long as we want to so we really found it to be sulit especially if you are a large group.

OUR ITINERARY AND EXPENSES


We really enjoyed Tangadan Falls. We chose the long trail on the way to Tangadan Falls and the short trail on the way back. We also did not do the cliff jump and just opted for getting our natural massage. Here's our itinerary and expenses that day:

ITINERARY

Summary of Expenses


Sulit ang 389 petot! If I were to go back there, I think I would choose the short trail on the way to Tangadan Falls so I could save all my energy swimming then I would choose the long trail on the way back. That way, my muscles won't cry because seriously, sobrang sakit sa binti guys! And and, I won't do it during Labor Union or long weekend. Instead, I'll go there during weekdays so I could enjoy it all for myself haha.

I hope this DIY guide helped you guys plan your Tangadan Falls adventure! Add some spice to your La Union trip by adding Tangadan Falls to your itinerary. Tell me what you think or if I missed out on some notes on the comments box. :D

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
Tags : , , , , , ,

You May Also Like

13 comments

  1. April RodeaJune 4, 2017 at 4:52 PM

    Thanks for this tip and the itinerary. I've been wanting to go to this "a-must-visit" place when going to La Union. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Da DominguezJune 6, 2017 at 6:51 AM

    Hayyy, LU is my happy place talaga! We had a chance to visit Tangadan Falls a few years back nung konti pa lang nakaka-discover. Kaya super hirap nung trail namin. But it was all worth it naman when we reached the end. 💙 Would love to come back again next time!

    xx, The Diary Queen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The PolyHobbyistJune 18, 2017 at 11:39 PM

      Ako diiin! Sobra akong nagandahan at namesmerize sa LU. Andaming tao nung pumunta kami huhu. Pero okay lang nasolo naman namin yung sa water massage haha.

      Delete
  3. Dianne KathreenJune 6, 2017 at 7:46 AM

    Sobrang nanghihinayang naman ako na we didn't go there. :-( Sobrang affordable at keri naman pala puntahan. Hopefully next time, though, mapuntahan ko na yan. :-)

    I think I have Kuya Dan's number! My brother gave it to me kasi nagpunta na din kuya ko dyan, hahaha.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The PolyHobbyistJune 18, 2017 at 11:40 PM

      Oo dianne madali lang. Akala ko nga din mahirap buti tinuro nung tour guide. :D Haha nahanap ko lang sa net yung number ni Kuya Dan. Kaso di sya available ng araw na yun kaya nirecommend nya nalang kami sa ibang guide.

      Delete
  4. pearlatonJune 12, 2017 at 6:29 PM

    This is why I need to go back to La Union! I only visited San Juan last year and our time there was very limited. I need to go back haha :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The PolyHobbyistJune 18, 2017 at 11:41 PM

      Yes you should Pearl! Kami din babalik tapos sa Flotsam and Jetsam naman kami magsstay. :D

      Delete
  5. Anne MacachorJune 24, 2017 at 5:49 AM

    Now this is my type of adventure! I suddenly want to go here stat. I'm taking note of your guide suggestions. Hihi. Thank you.

    annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. March Happy ThoughtsJuly 14, 2017 at 5:06 PM

    A must see place to visit in La Union! Great Blog! ;)

    https://marchhappythoughts.blogspot.com/?m=1

    ReplyDelete
  7. XAugust 13, 2017 at 5:15 AM

    I would really love to see Tangadan Falls but I don't think I am fit enough to traverse the trail. Enjoy-in ko na lang pics mo, ate. Haha!

    Xeph | engineerxeph.com

    ReplyDelete