Nature Tripping at Masungi Georeserve

Now this is a welcome change in my daily routine of eating, sleeping and doing a little work. A couple of months ago, Bangs asked if I'd like to join their group on a trip to Masungi Georeserve. This place in Rizal province has become popular because of its "instagrammable" spots.

The Masungi Georeserve is a conservation area and a rustic rock garden tucked in the rainforests of Rizal. Masungi’s name is derived from the word “masungki” which translates to “spiked”–an apt description for the sprawling limestone landscape found within the area. (Masungi Georeserve website, 2019) Read more about this place here.

I was hesitant to join at first, thinking it will overlap with the finals of my Bahasa Indonesia A1 class. But the class ended earlier. And I thought it might take years before another friend would think of going in there. And Bangs even paid for my fee, so I ran out of excuses to say no. 😄

It is difficult to get a slot for a trip to Masungi. One has to wait for weeks and even months. To reserve a slot/schedule, we paid PHP 1,800 each. I'm just not sure if it is the same amount with all groups regardless of the number of people in a group.

We were a group of 12, all young lawyers except myself, Bangs (soon to be lawyer but for now, my legal consultant), and Dona, my medical consultant. 😄 Bangs' friends even brought vehicles so we just simply tagged along.

Once we reached the place, we walked for a few meters until the jump off, where we received a quick orientation from one of the guides. According to him, the amount paid by each visitor goes to the conservation of the area and to the schooling of their scholars. The fee is inclusive of a guide and snacks at the end of the trail. We were also told that a tree seedling or even more will be planted on our behalf.

A couple of months prior to this trip, Bangs had already been asking me about directions going to the area. I told her to ask me again a week or days before the trip because I am really not used to planning for trips in advance. 😄 Thus, it was only the night before our trip that I googled about the trail. I assumed it was an easy trail. Well, because a lot of non-regular hikers have been there. I wanted to wear my mojo slippers because I was too lazy to bring shoes. But in the end I'm glad I wore shoes because there are a lot of spiky rocks along the trail.

But it's not only rocks that the place shows off. The biodiversity is amazing as well! There are a lot of species of plants, vines, and trees I've seen there for the first time.

I have to have a photo taken with this giant balete

It has been almost a year since I went hiking. The last time was during my trip to Kanchanaburi last year. I did not also do a thorough research on this one so I was wearing a dress. I stopped going on hikes, well, because my friends whom I go with on trips, moved away and some now had different priorities.

Being around nature, the limitless views of greens, the sounds from various insects and animals in the wild, never fail to make me happy. Walking in the forests, aside from its health benefits, is always good for the soul. Sharing it with awesome people is just a bonus. 😊