“Siyempre ikaw minessage ko, ikaw kasi yung kaibigan kong madaling makaladkad eh,” my friend explained after telling her how I thought it was sweet that she invited me to go with her (and her boyfriend) to the newly opened Masungi Georeserve Discovery Trail. (Though I didn’t know exactly what to feel after being tagged as “the kaladkarin” friend. Hahaha). She messaged me on Facebook just three days before the trip, asking me if I was down for an adventure. Uh, well, DUH.
Anyway, being the impulsive girl I am, I said “G!” right then and there, without doing any research on the place (babala: wag tularan). Besides the fact that everyone was talking about it, the only thing I knew about the Masungi Georeserve Discovery Trail was that there was a giant hammock somewhere along the trail. I went there completely unprepared, not knowing what to expect, either – but hey, we survived!! (So, if you’re reading this to do some research before your trek, then very good, I commend you for being a responsible hiker. lol. ).
6 Things to Expect from the Masungi Georeserve Discovery Trail
6. No private booking, no trekking!
To preserve the area, the Masungi Georeserve Discovery Trail only allows four (4) groups of people to take the trail perday. Lucky for us, my friend’s boyfriend had it all covered. He was able to book us a reservation a week before. (You can do so through the Masungi Georeserve website, though I heard booking a slot can be quite the challenge). Take note that there should be a minimum of seven people and a maximum of ten in a group!
I asked my friend who else we were going with. Apparently, it was her boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend. However, after complaining about how I didn’t want to be a fifth wheel that day, she replied, “I’m also bringing another friend, though, and I heard they’re bringing a friend, too! Who knows? Baka cute pa yung friend nila, diba?”.
“Hay, okay, fine,” I said, giving in. In a funny twist of events, I found out on the day itself that both of their friends were girls, and well, I’m straight, so yup. Really funny, fate.
Meet the Masungi crew (basically just comprised of two super-in-love couples and three fifth wheelers). Hahaha. Say hi to Cess, Ichi, Joseph, Alex, Kar, and Kersten!
5. A three-to-four-hour trek!
EAT YOUR BREAKFAST (or lunch if it’s an afternoon trek). Bring water. Wear comfortable clothes. Snacks are allowed in the trail as long as you don’t litter. There won’t be any bathroom breaks in the midst of trekking, but you’re free to use their bathrooms at the start and end of the trail.
There’s gonna be A LOT of climbing, so make sure to wear really comfy shoes! The weather was really hot and humid that day, so it helped that we wore light clothing.
There will be a lot of instances where you’ll pass through and in-between rocks, so I recommend you wear leggings instead of shorts.
There is a pathway of concrete blocks and rocks to walk on during the trail, but A LOT of climbing is involved (!!!) , so you better have good endurance. Completing the trail normally lasts 3-4 hours, but you may opt to shorten it or take a shortcut—just tell your friendly tour guide. 🙂
A few reminders while at the trail:
- no smoking
- no littering
- no feeding and touching of animals
- no picking of flowers and rocks
- no shouting
4. Complimentary trail kits for everyone.
A helmet and 1L of water each— the Masungi folks have got it all covered for you! Plus, they lend out Masungi Georeserve sling bags, too!
Say hi to our tour guide that day:
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