Hulugan Falls — Attraction in Luisiana

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Tour Guides : 3/10. They tend to discourage you to visit other attractions near Hulugan falls, especially when you are just a joiner (someone who joins a group for a cheaper tour guide fee since 1 guide = ₱500) due to the reason that the group of tourists are not allowed to have separate destinations with only one tour guide accompanying all.

Even though they’ve oriented you regarding the agreements and all of you accepted the terms, once someone feels tired along the way after your visit to Hulugan falls, majority of the guides tend to discourage you saying that the next stop (which are the two other attractions) would take 2 hours even though it’s just 15-20 minutes away and is only a little bit steep since the path is mostly flat and beginner friendly.

Although they are kind, some of them could make you feel offended and humiliated.

I would say that the tour guides are NOT the “tour guides”.

Imagine walking on a slippery rock and you have no assistance of any sorts because your tour guide is just walking in front of you leading the way and literally just doing the walking— no fun facts, no equal assistance for all the tourists assigned to them, and no cleaning up after.

It is just too disappointing that there are also tourists who do not know how to properly dispose their trashes then there is their guide not doing their job properly.

As beautiful as the waterfalls and scenery the nature provides the eyes of every wanderer who visits it, the entire opposite is the service and maintenance of the place.

I have nothing against locals having to get a job/ opportunity out of this, but if this is the case… then they are just out there making money for a service that ain’t worth the price.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend best to visit the Hidden Falls first before heading to Hulugan Falls if you really want to explore all the sites and just appreciate nature while walking your way to your destinations because it is harder to head back from Hulugan Falls since its path is the steepest among all. Plus, the guides do not ask you which destination you would want to visit first and would just lead you to Hulugan Falls instantly— perhaps because you will feel exhausted on your way up from Hulugan Falls to the Hidden Falls due to how crazy the elevation is and you would think that you can’t do it anymore and would just want to head back home.

Also, based on our experience, it is advisable to have a guide all for yourself and not join other groups, especially when you really want to explore all the sites. That way, you could maximize all the fees you paid for: tour guide, registration (₱70 each), transportation (₱240 back and forth from the Jump-off point that is good for 5 people including the guide— this is if you do not have your own vehicle)

Overall, the place is amazing simply because ang ganda...

Good place to go if you want to unwind but expect bad customer service.

You will need to pay ₱70 for the entrance fee and ₱500 for a tour guide (max of 5 people per tour guide, so if you are 6 people, you pay ₱1000).

I've been to other falls in Laguna and it's my first time to encounter such an expensive place with poor quality of service. Firstly, the tour guides are required even though the location is quite okay to go to on your own. In addition to this, I expect for the tour guides to at least be careful or lookout for visitors who trash and pick up things if they saw some waste but when I gave the trash to the tour guide, I saw him just throwing it near the cliff.

That's when I realized that the this place is such a scam and only a money-making business for them here.

With my experience during my visit, I feel like they do not train and certify these people to be decent tour guides. I also think they do not have ecotourism trainings for them to have sensitivity when it comes to preserving the environment and nature. During the registration they say they conduct a clean up but really? I've seen a lot of trash while walking and even saw some tourists picking up trash and not the guides.

I also heard one guide saying, "Kapal ng mukha niyo, sila (rescuers or maybe higher official of tour guides) ang batas dito!" -- addressing the group who are questioning the high cost and the credibility of the rescuers and guides because they don't have certifications and don't provide receipts.

I mean, is that how you address questions of your customers? You say they are the law in this land? What are them, the 1987 constitution? 🙄

It's actually my second time coming here (first one was in 2018) and it was way too different now. They don't control the number of people nor they really explain about the place.

The tour guides are not really tour guides but just people who will accompany you and take your money (and they don't issue a receipt too which is kind of questionable). While I am okay with giving livelihood to locals of these kind of places, it's still disappointing to see how they manage this place.

I am also not happy with the way guides were acting during our visit. They are just flocking, laughing, and looks judgy with the way they look at people. I heard a male tour guide saying "Buntis ba yon? Ang taba ah" pointing one girl with his mouth and laughing with the other guy and lady.

If you ask for money, the least thing you can do is show good service.

Better not go here and explore other falls in Laguna. Luisiana government, DENR, and DOT should do better and preserve this place before these so called local...

Whether you like adventure, chilling by the water, or nature photography - Hulugan Falls is the place to go to for a few hours on a nice sunny day when you're in the Laguna province.

There are two trails going down towards the Hulugan Falls, but first you will have to register at the Barangay Captain's house where you will be assigned a guide. You will have the choice over two trails: and easy one and a hard (and steep) one. The steep one is faster and there is a time difference of about 30 minutes there. Take good care of the weather when you're picking out the perfect time as well: the steep trail will get muddy, slippery, and just plain dangerous when it has rained.

The easier trail passes by the top of the falls as well where you can stop to take a refreshing swim. The harder trail is just a steep and rocky climb down better suited for the experience hiker/climber or adventure lover. Especially the way back up on the harder trail, can get exhausting and in the end you might find yourself bulging sweat when you arrive back up onto the mountain. There are showers available here and there though for 15 PHP as well as a food stand ('sari-sari-store') where you can get something to drink as well as other...