| Minalungao National Park photo by Ryan Riguer |
| Puno's Ice Cream & Sherbet Ube Flavor |
Nueva Ecija is the last place for anyone to have any sense of trepidation about life. For decades, most tourists in Metro Manila had to beat the odds in far-flung areas of the Philippines just to experience the remote beauty of nature and the satisfaction of unique delicacies. When they had to experience the burden of intrepid travel in such trips, the opposite is entirely true of a visit of this province in Central Luzon. It's a travesty that it's usually overlooked for the more glossy island destinations that tend to cost more.
What not many people know is that, in one province, they can actually stay at a four-star hotel as a luxurious tour base of a natural attraction called Minalungao National Park and even linger in Cabanatuan City where the hotel is for memorable meals of local fare. And all it takes is just three days or less.
| Enjoying the scenery of Minalungao National Park |
| Aling Otya's Batutay |
| Minalungao National Park photo by Ryan Riguer |
| Harvest Hotel photo by Aubrey Gacer |
Check out where I stayed, where I went, and what I ate in this landlocked province of mainland Luzon:
What To Visit: Minalungao National Park
Known For: the emerald green waters of Peñaranda River, a 1,000-step pilgrimage site, and massive limestone citadels
| The glass-covered cross in Minalungao |
"One of the country's 240 protected areas, the natural attraction is roughly an hour away from Cabanatuan."
One of the country's 240 protected areas, the natural attraction is roughly an hour away from Cabanatuan. It's just one of 34 other national parks in the Philippines. At the site, tourists can enjoy the rural scenery that the foothills of the Sierra Madre can provide -- a couple of limestone walls towering at more than 52 feet where the mighty Peñaranda River flows, a cave that's accessible from the river bank, and a well-paved 1,000-step pathway to a mountain top where a glass-decked cross stands.
| Minalungao National Park |
| Minalungao National Park photo by Ryan Riguer |
| The view from inside the cave in Minalungao |
| Crossing the hanging bridge in Minalungao National Park |
Before It Was Famous
Prior to being a popular tourist destination, the area was the access point of mountainside settlers whose livelihood come from forest-grown crops. They can still be seen traveling through the area via the newly-installed hanging bridge and most of them -- roughly 200 in total -- have become available tour guides.
From a high point of the pilgrimage site, visitors can actually see the plains of General Tinio and neighboring towns on one side and, on the other, the mesmerizing silhouette of the vast mountain range of the Sierra Madre.
"From a high point of the pilgrimage site, visitors can actually see the plains of General Tinio and neighboring towns..."
| Tackling a pathway inside the park that has 1,000 steps |
| Penaranda River of Minalungao |
| The massive limestone walls of Minalungao National Park |
| The Sierra Madre view from the Minalungao pilgrimage site |
How To Get There
Tourists can rent a tricycle from Cabanatuan City for P600 or more, depending on the number of passengers (see the end of this article for a tricycle contact). In General Tinio where Minalungao is, a tourist outpost will welcome visitors to the park where a necessary environmental fee needs to be settled. Available at the outpost are local guides whom you can eventually tip after being shown how to experience the area (see the end of this article for a tour guide contact).
"The destination is frequented by guests on weekends, so a weekday visit is highly recommended..."
Best Time To Visit
The destination is frequented by guests on weekends, so a weekday visit is highly recommended to have a real whiff of what the area is about sans the sight of a tourist-thronged scene. With the influx of visitors for the past six years, various structures have been built in the area that include restrooms, rooms for overnight stays, and open cottages for relaxation.
Graffiti can also be seen on some rocks where they shouldn't be which is something that the park administration needs to address and monitor.
"...it's known that the river turns murky after a full day of rain."
It is also advisable to check with Accuweather.com for a 5-day clear weather forecast prior to your visit of the park because it's known that the river turns murky after a full day of rain. It usually reverts to being emerald green after only five days.
| Batutay via the buffet breakfast of Harvest Hotel |
| Burgerniza by Cafe Ecija |
Dinging At Cafe Ecija
While booked at Harvest Hotel, I found its F&B affiliate called Cafe Ecija to be not just an accessible dining spot but also one that's worth spending tourist cash on. For serving decadent cakes for desserts and longganisa-oriented options, it's a must-try in the province.
| Longganisa Spring Roll |
I tried its appetizing Longganisa Spring Roll which made use of hamonado, a local longganisa flavor favorite. At the restaurant, I also had a delicious slice of its Mocha Caramel Cake.
The best-seller, however, was what I enjoyed the most before leaving the hotel -- the Burgerniza which had the sweet hamonado as its thick patty under a layer of Milka Krem's kesong puti (white cheese), a local Nueva Ecija product.
| Mrs. Puno with her staff at an outlet of Puno's Ice Cream & Sherbet |
I also made a tasty side trip to the nearest Puno's Ice Cream & Sherbet outlet from the cafe in Cabanatuan City. The more-than-five-decade-old family enterprise is homegrown and is known in the province as more than just an alternative to big ice cream brands. It's actually what locals indulge on for random snacks. What started with just one flavor now has a plenitude thereof from Langka Cheese Cashew to Coffee Crumble. For being only P12 per cup, it's understandable why the brand has endured this long.
| Aling Otya |
| Making batutay at the public market |
| Longganisa Pandesal |
Before you leave Cabanatuan, it's best to buy the original source of the city's longganisa at the Cabanatuan Public Market where its original producer -- Dorothea Lajares -- still has a market stall named Aling Otya which her young relatives are currently overseeing.
| Cabanatuan Public Market |
Without using extenders, this type of longganisa is full-on savory when cooked and enticing to tear into because of its caramel coating. A pack is available for P200 and above, depending on the weight. The stall also sells other longganisa variants like the hamonado (sweet pork) and rekado (garlic pork).
Also available in Cabanatuan City is a bakery-eatery that sells longganisa pandesal with hamonado and rekado fillings. The store is called FM Breads and Noodles and it's just a stroll away from the public market.
| Enjoying the swimming pool of Harvest Hotel |
| Harvest Hotel Standard Room photo by Aubrey Gacer |
| A lounge area at Harvest Hotel (photo by Aubrey Gacer) |
An easy option for a tour base of Nueva Ecija is Cabanatuan City and it's where the four-star Harvest Hotel is. Offering more than luxury in terms of well-appointed rooms, the hotel is accessible from the city's numerous landmarks, the staff members are hospitable, and it has a family-friendly swimming pool.
For more Harvest Hotel information and photos, check out my blog post about it here.
Before you overburden yourself with a crazy itinerary at some remote destination in the Philippines, isn't it reasonable to try visiting a highly accessible province first like Nueva Ecija?
Photography by Aubrey Gacer and Ryan Riguer
| Our Minalungao National Park tour guide |
Minalungao National Park Guide Contact
Tour Guide Mobile Number: 0907-731-6175
Cabanatuan City Tricycle Contact For Minalungao
Driver: Harold
Mobile Number: 0905-773-6590
Harvest Hotel
Official website of Harvest Hotel
Address: 1179 Del Pilar St., Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines 3100
Phone: (044) 950-8888
Mobile: (+63917) 539-6125
Email: [email protected]
More Photos Below:
| Getting wet in Minalungao National Park |
| Viewing the sunset from my booked room at Harvest Hotel |
| Our tour guide waiting for us to cross a makeshift crossing in Minalungao |
| After tackling the 1,000 steps of the pilgrimage site |
| The view from the pilgrimage site of Minalungao National Park |
