A small hill of just around 196 meters above sea level in San Miguel, Bulacan, Mt. Manalmon is one of the best hikes for first timers looking for a quick adventure near Manila. Now I won’t bore you with the details that you can find in other websites, but here’s a quick overview:
- It’s a very easy one to two hour hike that’s great for beginners.
- Aside from hiking, there are also rivers you can swim in and caves for you to explore. You get to try at least three different adventures all in one day.
What to bring for your hike:
- Some money for registration and guide fees.
- Note: Registration and guide fees change often, but expect the registration fees to be less than P100 per person, and the guide fees to cost around P500 or so (P300 for Manalmon hike + P200 Bayukbok cave). These prices may increase, by the way, so prepare a little extra.
- Wear good sports clothes and good shoes or sandals.
- Water (1-2 liters) and snacks. Put them in a backpack for your hike.
- Change of clothes and towel. There are showers in the area if you want to change into clean clothes for your ride home.
- Headlamp or flashlight for Bayukbok cave.
- (Optional) Gloves. Handholds in Bayukbok cave are often muddy.
- (Optional) Swimwear if you want to swim in the rivers.