A day off to Minalungao National Park - A Natural Wonder in Nueva Ecija

Shallow area of the Peñaranda river recommended for swimming and picnicking

Night-shift work left us feeling exhausted and tired, so we took a day off to regain and refresh our energy. A dip to a cool clear water and a relaxing natural scenery is enticing us, so here we go.

Our destination? Minalungao National Park.

As we only have a day to spare, we decided to visit and explore Minalungao National Park since it is just a few hours travel north of Manila. The National Park, from the basic information we were told, is located in the Municipality of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija, Philippines and is an ecotourism destination known for its clean flowing river, and breathtaking scenery of the high limestone walls and unique rock formations in both sides of the Peñaranda river. The best time to witness and experience the greenish clear water is during summer time.

Limestone walls, rock formations and greenish clear water

Activities we did? We crossed the river via Bamboo raft ride and enjoyed the stunning beauty of the natural scenery. Hiked the concrete stairs which lead us to the cross and savored the peaceful moments with the lush greens. Dipped and waded in the cool and clean shallow water, and picnicked with our classic adobo baon. A whole day of fun and relaxation that have truly restored us.

We also tried trekking the limestone path which lead us to a small cave with glittering stalactites.

The limestone wall cave. Inset - glittering stalactite inside the cave.

How did we get there?

• From Cubao Bus Terminal, we hopped in to a bus bound for Cabanatuan City and have requested the bus conductor to drop us in Bucana, Gapan, Nueva Ecija.

• From Bucana, we hired a tricycle bound to General Tinio Municipal Hall. The trip is about 45 minutes.  (btw, Gen. Tinio is also known to the locals as Papaya). Since we are new to the place, we decided to drop by at the Municipal Hall to ask for additional information and guidance.

• We then hired a round trip tricycle ride from the General Tinio Municipal Hall to Minalungao National Park.   

The trip from Cubao Bus Terminal to Gapan is about 3 hours, from Bucana to Minalungao National Park is about 1 ½ hours. 

Travel story and photos contributed by meldbackpackmom