My feet have been itching to go to La Union to explore the place. I have been to La Union a multiple times, sure. But my visits were usually work-related. I am so glad that during my recent trip, we were able to squeeze in some adventure.

Since summer is here, and I am sure everyone is very excited to plan and have his/her vacation, let me share our simple itinerary. We did all our planned activities in just one day, because we have to go back to Manila that same day. While it was very, very fun and adrenaline-filled, let this be a word of caution that what we did was very draining, but in a good way. 😀 As in plakda-level ang pagod, bes!

Our first activity was the Tangadan Falls Trek. Pablo and I went to Flotsam and Jetsam to get our guide, and to inquire about their surfing rates. Because we are newbies, we thought it will be much safer if we will book our tour with them. But to our surprise, we were charged with double the price. Nonetheless, we still availed the trek package, but we did not pursue their surfing lessons. Our trek cost us Php 980 each (I know, too pricey. We know better now. And we already know someone to call when we go there next time). That includes the fare back and forth, tour guide fee, environmental fee, and a Flotsam and Jetsam water bottle, which you could fill with drinking water before leaving the hostel. The surfing rate they offered us was freaking Php 950 per person for 1 1/2 hours. I have read multiple travel blogs, which consistently note that the surfing lessons across different surfing schools in La Union are just Php 400 per hour, so we did not buy this one. #LiterallyAndFiguratively But don’t get me wrong, I like Flotsam, and if I will go to La Union, I would still want to book a room there, have a feast in their restaurant, and enjoy the beach.

It was roughly a 45-min ride from Urbiztondo (where Flotsam is situated) to San Gabriel (where Tangadan Falls is located). We started our trek at around 9 AM. Our tour guide was Kuya Samuel. He is very talkative, and got loads of daddy jokes to tell, but he is not annoying. He also knows a lot of “hidden” spots that you could explore.

Below are some snaps of what the beginning of the trek looks like.

Kuya Samuel is a great photographer, too. He volunteered to take our pictures in almost every spot. 😀

After 15 minutes of trekking, we finally arrived to our first stop – cliff diving! Wow! I’m still having sweaty hands by just recalling this experience. Hahaha! I was supposed to try it first, but when I heard that we’re going to jump from a 10-feet cliff, I immediately got too scared because 1) we don’t have a life vest, and 2) I’m not a pro in swimming. So Pablo took the lead to encourage me also, because I was at the verge of backing out. 😀

While I was still trembling, Kuya Samuel was already asking us to try the 20-feet cliff dive. This time I did not give in to peer pressure. Hahaha! But Pablo still tried it.

To make me feel better, Kuya Samuel asked us to try a mini-waterfall that gives a good hydro-massage, and to float on a mini-whirlpool. Those are some of the hidden spots he claimed that only he knows, and let his clients try. In fairness, only Pablo and I did these activities, even though there were other people trekking.

After those activities, we resumed trekking. Here are some of the pictures we took while walking.

The walk may be tiring but when we saw Tangadan Falls, it made us realize that it is worth the aching feet.

After some poses, we swam to go under the waterfalls. The water was so cold!!!

After a good 10 minutes under the waterfalls, we transferred to the other side of it. Kuya asked us to try the 15-feet cliff dive, which I still refused to do. Hahaha! Pablo, on the other hand, was soooo game to do it.

Because the water was super cold, we decided to go back, and finish the trek.

It took us at least an hour to go back to our starting point, and another 45 minutes to go back to Urbiztondo to meet our friends for lunch, and to continue with our next activity.

I know in my heart that we will still go back here, and when that time comes, I promise to jump off the cliffs. 😀

To more adventure, please click here.