"Life is a waterfall, we’re one in the river, one again after the fall."
There are several ways to explore Batad and in particular the Tappiyya falls. You can trek for 2 hours going to the famous waterfalls.The surrounding environment of the falls is covered in a dense jungle, (the hike is bearable though i have some struggles reaching it) and it is the best way to experience the beauty and marvelous nature of the Tappiyya falls.
There are several travel companies that offer travel packages to this destination. In addition, in the recent years several camps and accommodation facilities have been established within the waterfalls, however as of February 2014 the projects were stop.
In my mind while trekking going to the falls, getting to Tappiyya falls was not easy by any stretch of imagination.
Even though there was enough infrastructure (the man made stairs) to make the falls accessible to nature lovers without unreasonably risking lives, i still had to spend a more effort, and time to finally lay my eyes on this amazing and mystical waterfall. But mind you the scene is breathtaking, surreal, and larger than life.
To give you an idea of the trekking involved, i've broken down my experience below.
*my trek started from Ramon's Homestay and restaurant, from Ramon's Homestay the views of the mountain trail is visible, i was told it was a short, easy walk to the falls.That wasn’t too far from the truth.
*up,up,up i climb , one step at a time, the views from above is a lush, diverse scenery of the mountains.Just a few steps from the trail , is a cliff and it will change you forever for a single wrong step.
*I stayed right behind my guide for the first hour. Over some huge rocks, through streams, water canals and hovering over rocks, I held my own.The way that i maneuvered the treacherous rocks, was amazing.
*up and down the narrow terraces i went, passing by clusters of small native ifugao houses and seeing some old native women in their ifugao customes ( walang pang itaas).
*reaching halfway of the trek signify an easy trek going down the falls but mind you going back is a big trouble.
*Descent, of course, is undoubtedly more easy but i still need to take every step with utmost precaution.
*I take a lot of pictures, but i know that there is no way for me to capture the glory and impossibility of it all. Sitting on the edge of the cliff, hearing the noise of tappiyya falls, I feel a profound sense of awe, wonder, and humility.
*going down the waterfalls and seeing the glorious view of the falls clearly is a pretty special experience, one i'll never forget.
*The water from the falls is a little bit colder but its really clear and its was surrounded by nestle panoramic valley
*This is the absolute best falls Ive ever been to yet- the trek to it is a must - the one i did was somewhere from 2.5 to 4 hours maximum but it was quite muddy, humid and at times tricky.
*going back to Ramon's Homestay is a different story ( naubos ang pasensya ko). The walk going back is tough. Very steep back up the steps.
Waterfall Information
Name: Tappiyya Falls
Starting point:
Batad Saddle
Getting to the Falls:The hike down (2 hours) and up (3 hours) to the falls is very challenging but it is sure worth it
Hiking Technique:
Difficult
Writing about something more fascinating is difficult, my stay with Batad was one of my best experiences in my life.
If this has tickled your travel taste buds for a true adventure, then go for it – before the rest of the world discover it.