Hidden Valley Springs — Hotel in Calauan

Finally got to visit and I regret that my family only visited recently!

Many people who haven’t visited & (some have visited ) complained about the costly entrance fee but you must understand how big the place is , and to maintain it, you gotta have a lot of staff, I mean dozens, or maybe a hundred to keep it clean and maintain its aesthetical appeal. People are constantly sweeping the pathways and cleaning the pools and their overhead expense must be really high.

You gotta remember that the place is in a rainforest and leaves are falling nonstop, so it’s understandable that they charge that much so prices are fair & reasonable. We also encountered some animals like family of native pigs, and a small snake while we were hiking to the mini falls! It even crossed my path as we were walking back from the hidden falls !

It seems like there are tour guides on stand by if you want to trek into the mini falls which isn’t for everyone. We were accompanied by one when we decided to go.

Its a 20-mins trail (a light hike) pababa if you’re going and of course pataas na if you’re coming back. Seniors might not be able to go though my 69 yo dad who’s quite sporty, kinaya naman, so it really depends on one’s stamina. We even came across a couple who looks like they’re in their late 40s or mid 50s who’s halfway through & was planning on turning around dahil hinihingal na .

If you’re a curious traveler who’s up for an adventure, the hidden falls is definitely worth visiting. Pero if maselan ka, ayaw madumihan or you don’t like dirt, or getting your feet wet in brown water, then don’t go. The water in the hidden falls is clear but the soil or sand underneath it brown so don’t expect to see a blue waterfall/body of water. It’s definitely a place with visiting.

You always have the option to just swim in the main pools which they have 3 and each are multilayered. They have a warm pool, soda pool and lovers pool. We didn’t get to swim in the lovers pool bec we decided to leave before 3 and catch-up on the pm snacks but don’t expect much sa pm snacks it’s just light snack.

Yung buffet lunch, consists of home cooked meals, very filling naman and hearty.

The locker rooms and restrooms looks like they have just been refurbished so two thumbs up on that.

The pools are huge and are located in different areas so even if the place is packed you won’t really feel it- we went here on Father’s Day so you can imagine the crowd, but which was okay cause ang kawali ng Lugar.

Another thing to look forward to are the massive trees- again if you’re a nature loving person, you’ll appreciate it but if you’re more of a city person, we’ll you can still maybe appreciate the surroundings pa din as you don’t get to see that often.

We got there as early as 7:30am and we got the warm pool all to ourselves for 2-3 hours straight- it pays to be an early bird 😍

I only hoped they have more on the menu for breakfast time bec my family was hungry and they only have tuna sandwich and ham & cheese sandwich (if I remember it right). I’m sure about the tuna cause that was what my father ordered along with coffee. I was hoping there’s be fruits and more filling items. Good thing I ate in the car. No food and drinks allowed tho we brought our water tumblers with us.

I didn’t rate the rooms since we didn’t stay overnight- rooms are under renovation as we were told.

Overall, we had a memorable visit to Hidden Valley. I only wished we stayed overnight para talagang masulit ung pools. I regret that I didn’t try to swim in the deep pool as much as I did, (puro picture ginawa namin) cause we were really in awe and since kami lang yung tao in the morning.

I definitely bring my family back here !!

As for the price, it’s worth every cent & Im surprised that the place has been operating for 70+ years. For a place that old, it is very well maintained.

We love discovering delicious food and going to places that lets you connect with nature. Watch our full review on our vlog/channel: THE CANDY...

My husband and I recently visited the place on July 27th during our honeymoon. We rented a private van in order to go there with some relatives to enjoy a couple of hours before we fly back to Canada. Prior to visting the tourist spot, we went on their website to get some information. Nowhere in their website the rates are indicated nor the hours of operations. Nevertheless we asked our hotel where we were staying in Manila and they informed us that the place is open daily. Hence off we go to see the place which took about 2 1/2 hours from Manila. ONCE WE ARRIVED, WE DID NOT PASSED THROUGH THE GATE. This place was a total disappoinment and as a Filipino, I was embarassed how we were treated tourist or not. WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY ONLY TAKE CASH (they do not have card machines with signal due to lack of internet connection) AND WE HAD THE ONe PRICE which is A FULL DAY PACKAGE WITH LUNCH AND SNACK INCLUDED FOR $2300 PESOS EACH PERSON. I explained to the person that THEIR WEBSITE did not MENTION IT WAS CASH ONLY AND ONLY FULL PACKAGE DAY TOUR IS ADMITTED FOR $2300. We told the gate we cannot stay a full day and DO not want any food. It was already 10 am and we just want to spend only 2 or 3 hours maximum since we still had to drive back for 2-3 hours to Manila. We explained that we have a flight back to Canada the next day, so we really could not spend a whole day there, and just want to dip in the hot springs and take some pictures. We asked them how we can get in since we did not have enough CASH. We asked for the supervisor since the GATE KEEPER kept repeating PAY PACKAGE or YOU cannot get in. WE WAITED 20 MINUTES FOR THE SUPERVISOR. Once 2 of them got to the gate they said the same thing...PAY FULL PACKAGE ONLY IS ADMITTED. I told them the only cash we have wiil be to pay for $1500 per person, SINCE THEIR WEBSITE HAD NO INFORMATION ABOUT THIER RATES OR POLICY. we TOLD THEM we only want stay for 2 hours and DO NOT WANT any food or snacks, just to swim (this is just $800 pesos difference). This was the only AMOUNT OF CASH we had since they had no machines. They checked with head office and overall WE WAITED ANOTHER 30 MINUTES JUST TO JUST GET A NO ENTRY REPLY!!! WASTE OF TIME!!! THEY ARE SCAMMING AND LEAVING PEOPLE NO CHOICE TO PAY A WHOLE DAY FEE & FORCED PEOPLE TO EAT THEIR FOOD. THEIR WEBSITE DO NOT GIVE PROPER INFORMATION NOR DO THEY OFFER CARD MACHINES TO PAY...ONLY CASH ACCEPTED??? HHMMM SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT?? THIS IS HOW YOU WANT TO ENJOY MOTHER NATURE'S CREATION??? WHAT A BUNCH OF UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNRASONABLE PEOPLE. WE DROVE TOTAL OF 5 HOURS...

Hidden Valley Springs lives up to its name. First time visiting with family and friends for a relative's birthday as they had been visiting from abroad. Although a long drive from Manila, we still found the visit very worthwhile. During this time of the year it was nice to soak in some warm, but not too hot, springs whilst enjoying the picturesque view.

Be prepared for lots of walking as there are many sights in nature to tour. Besides stairs most places had ramps so it's accessible to the whole family.

The buildings were well maintained and were styled after olden times of haciendas and the likes, bringing in some cultural charm.

Bringing of drinks and food were not allowed as the entrance fee already included buffet style for lunch and a merienda in the late afternoon. The menu wasn't extravagant nor ostentatious but it was very flavorful and had a decent variety: pumpkin soup which was delightfully creamy, sweet and sour fish, lumpia, pork adobo which was packed with flavor, chicken cooked in hawaiian style, beef salpicao, white rice and pancit. For dessert during lunch/buffet there was some sweetened banana, gulaman and nata de coco. One could get some coffee or sago gulaman for beverages included in the buffet, or order soft drinks or beer for a resort/restaurant price. The merienda was a simple macaroni soup, some puto (Filipino pastry) and a coconut dessert. Sadly we were too hungry from swimming to snap pictures.

We spent most of our time on the main pool which was warmer closer to the source although it wasn't overly hot. Definitely on the warmer side and the lower pools were each slightly cooler further away from the source of the spring. We also visited the soda spring which was less warm. The pools were decently sized and not too deep. You can definitely stand with your head above the water for most depths if you're above 5'5 feet tall.

Overall, I personally loved how it was full of picturesque sights with much greenery, and was very clean and well maintained. Definitely a great place to visit if you want a break from concrete jungles. Note: at the time of this writing the price of entrance per head was roughly 50USD and it was inclusive of the buffet and merienda mentioned above for...