Mt. Kulis - Tanay, Rizal
Mt Kulis turned out to be a pleasant surprise for us. Despite hearing and reading about the easy trail and the potential crowds on weekends from various blogs and videos, we actually enjoyed our hike.
We traveled approximately two hours from Dasmarinas, Cavite, to reach Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Farm in Tanay, Rizal. We don’t have any contact at Mt Kulis or have prior reservations when we went there so when we arrived we didn’t know that there was a trail run taking place on the same day.
Rose and Jack yarn?
At the gate we were asked which camp we’d like to take:
Camp A
Mt Kulis Summit
Spider web
Heart peak
Sambong peak
Bahay ni Kardo
Camp B
Noah’s ark
Overflow river pool
Hanging bridge
Waterfalls
We were greeted by the cold mountain air (at 4:30 am) and a wave of people getting ready for the trail run. We paid 300 pesos per each for camp A & B tour, which gave us access to all activities. We were also assigned a guide for 500 pesos, ensuring a safe and informative trek through the day.
We started by walking for about 15mins to highest point of Mt Kulis! Yes, it’s that short BUT you have to remember that this mountain is just 620 MASL and more than half of it is flat land where you can actually bring your car. It was still dark when we got on top and had to wait for about 30mins before we started the activities. Our next stop was the spider web.
It's a massive human-made spider web that allows you to walk in the center and snap some photos. If you have good balancing skills, you can walk, or if you prefer to play it safe, you can crawl – both options were fun.
Arriving early paid off as we were ahead in all the activities. Following the spider web, we headed towards the Heart Peak, took some photos, and then continued towards Noah's Ark. For the Camp A tour, a guide is not mandatory, but for Camp B, it's advisable due to potentially confusing trails. During our trek, we encountered some trail runners who got lost, likely due to the lack of clear signs for them to follow.
Noah's Ark is a crowd favorite, probably due to its scenic backdrop and the thrill of being on a boat on top of rock pillars. We spent approximately 30 minutes here waiting in line to take photos, which went by quickly as we relaxed and enjoyed the view.
It was around 8am when we headed back to the start point, where we had breakfast and waited for other passengers to ride the jeep going to the other side of the camp however we weren't so lucky so we opted to just walk. It wasn't the best decision as the trail was going downhill and slippery.
Honestly, there isn't much to do at camp B unless you plan on swimming in the overflow river pool. We opted to not visit the falls because our guide told us that there's no water flow during the summer, and it's an additional 30-minute walk from the overflow river pool (and we were both tired! LOL). On the way back, we took a bumpy jeepney ride and paid 50 pesos each.
In general, the experience was fun. We recommend that you visit during weekdays to avoid the crowds. If you do visit on weekends, remember to bring along plenty of patience as the lines can become quite long.
Here’s the breakdown of the fees you should expect:
Camp A (only) - 250 pesos
Camp B (only) - 250 pesos
Camp A & B - 300 pesos
Parking fee - 50 pesos
Guide fee - 500 pesos
Jeepney ride - 50 pesos per way
NOTE: You can camp at Mt Kulis just ask the front desk about the fees and camp rules.
