Mount Purro Nature Reserve — Hotel in Luzon

We stayed in the Suite Room. All screened so don't worry about insects. Huge for a family of three adults. The inner room was with two single beds and by the entrance, the living space is with trundle beds for two. We liked to stay in one place so we pulled the lower bed and placed it in the inner room. The room is clean. The bathroom is separated from the toilet. Both are very clean. the outer room was screened and wrapped around veranda-like sitting areas with clean pillows all over great for naps on a cool day. I read the primer thoroughly and brought our own toiletries, including our towels and toilet paper- just to be sure. But there was abundant fine TP in the toilet, and belatedly found a cabinet in the toilet with towels- which we did not use. The outer and inner rooms were sufficiently dark in daylight, good for more snoozes! ||||Reception - On our way, I have been sending text messages to the number on their website. No- I did not get any response. I also sent messages to the Msgr Account- also no responses. They do not respond immediately for some reason. And if they do- it will be very, very late. This is a problem. As guests- this will really try our patience.||||We arrived at around 1230noon- very hungry. I paid our DP via Gcash and I was told by the reception that I should complete all my payments before getting in. I asked to be served lunch first as we were all famished, the lady told answered a flat no- until somebody from the team told her that we should be allowed to take lunch first and then complete the check-in. I was mortified! ||||Food- lunch, dinner, and breakfast (coffee was bad- sorry) were alright. Home-cooked meals in good serving sizes. Appetizer, soup, salad, main course, veggie dish, rice, and simple dessert. Tables were shared and huge, clean, and done tastefully. The lighting is a bit dim for me. Being a weekend, the owners' family was also dining at another table. It's good to know the owners live in the same place. We felt safe. Lots of cookbooks and knick-knacks on the shelves add to the homey atmosphere. The kitchen staff, mostly women from the community I guess, were nice, respectful, and kind. I love the quiet chatter I hear from the kitchen! So homey!||||There were just us and a couple staying in for the night. My husband went for the River Walk after lunch, and my son and I went for a swim in the pool. The pool was ok. ||||The River Walk- says my husband is uneventful. Nothing was memorable, in the heat of summer when the water in the river was really low. He also told me he saw a lot of garbage by the riverside. Their guide, a young man, just led the walk, saying nothing in the two hours of the walk. I guess if the reserve would like to add this to their attractions, they should train good guides who can fill people in on the local history, the river, and how the reserve relates to the community they want to help.||||I felt sick in the afternoon and was promptly attended to by a very good nurse - Ms. Jam. She got my bp, Oxy level, and temp, stayed with me until I got a little better, asked for my needs, and sent me meds. Having a full-time competent nurse staying in the reserve is reassuring! She left me a radio and checked on me from time to time. Thank you so much Nurse Jam! I guess it would be difficult when you are alone and no way to communicate with the staff- could they do something about this?||||Some thorns on my stay: ||I have full knowledge that there is no internet nor phone signal in the reserve. I accept that. However, upon checking in at the reception, there were a lot of staff (?) on their phones, apparently connected. It just feels bad that they were connected and the guests are not. When we were about to check out and we asked to be briefly connected to get our MAPS/WAZE working so we can use another alternate way to the main highway. The lady in the reception said they do not know the password! Indeed they do have an internet connection! I hope they can just be a little more discreet about this. ||||On the way to the reserve, there were lots of road work and trucks installing electric poles. But this is ok, this will help the community. I just found that the reserve was along the road- going up the hillside, vehicles going up, mostly trucks and motorcycles made so much noise until the early evening. By 10 PM though, all was peaceful. ||||Our Suite had no hot shower. When I asked why - a lady staff told me the heater was out of order. I asked why were we billeted there when they knew this? I complained by dinner time and they got it fixed while we were having breakfast the next day. Being a senior, the NO AC was alright, but a warm shower by the end of the day is non-negotiable. Again, the nurse kindly allowed me to take my night shower by their office, a little down the road from our Suite.||||I'm not picky at all, I read all the Rules, The Website Primer, and sat through the briefing before checking in- followed all the rules because we respect the owners and the place. There is not much we can do around really, perhaps, if you come as a group, you will enjoy the facility better. So guests bring your books, ebooks, or download some good movies on your phone - I watched a good one while lounging- it felt great! I'm not much of a trekker, I have asthma. I just want to enjoy some quiet time with my husband and son. And yes- we did have a good time. Thank you Mount Purro owner and staff for sharing your...

TL;DR | Great place for relaxation but could improve more.

The place is amazing especially for families or groups who loves hiking and forests. They have activites just for them like riverhiking, mountain trekking, or you can just stay within their complex and enjoy the sound of birds and the fresh air. They also have a playground, swimming pool, and a game room (with table tennis, billiards, sungka, and foosball).

The river trek activity is not inside the complex. You have to first walk by the main road to get to the riverside. A guide will be assigned to your group and you will be provided with walking sticks. The trek is relatively easy except for the 1st part where you have to descend from the road to the river. It was very slippery probably because it just rained when we were there. But once you reach the river, it's a walk in the park. You can also bring your kids in this activity. Then there's a bamboo raft ride at the end of the riverside which will only take you farther to the deeper part of the river but returns for after like 15 minutes. Depending on the group size, you might have to wait for your turn before you can ride the raft. While waiting, you can swim in the river.

The mountain hike to Malvar's peak is amazing. It is recommended for you to start the hike with the group at 5:30AM to catch the sunrise and the sea of clouds. There is a point in the hike where you'll have to choose wether you're going for the 'hard' trail or the 'medium' one. Kids and some active elderly people can handle the 'medium' trail but it only lead up to the middle of the trail. There's only an open space there with stone benches to sit on. There's no view of the summit. The 'hard' trail though, is actually kinda easy for people whou are used to climbing. They already prepared a path to the summit. But it may be challenging for some because it is slippery. From the deciding point (the point of the trail where you'll have to choose either from hard and medium), it's going to take you about another 45 minutes to reach the summit. (Note: make sure you have insect repellent on because there's a lot of mosquitoes on the summit). The view above is wonderful. You'll definitely enjoy watching the clouds flowing like a river. There's just one problem though, the space on the summit is a bit cramped. It can only allow up to about 10 people. You won't enjoy the view as you hoped if there are groups of people racing to get their photos. Thankfully, more than half of our original group opted for the medium trail and there were only about 15 of us left to continue the hike.

The guides are helpful and friendly. You can tell them if you want to rest a bit and they'll gladly answer your questions about the hike. Our guide (Macky) patiently waited for us before descending back because we haven't taken a proper photo of the view.

Activities aside, the room we stayed in is fine. No, they don't have wifi, phone signal, and airconditioners. But that's what you came for. Connect to disconnect. But if I really want to just absorb the nature around me, I would appreciate it better if there were no videokes blaring noises from day to night. Seriously, I was still awake at 11pm trying to sleep with the sound of crickets and nocturnal birds but someone's singing their heart out. I know those 'singers' are not inside the complex and probably from other resorts but I wish there's a curfew in place to limit their singing up to 10pm.

For your meals, you will be provided a stub that you will present to Loli's Kitchen. Food is ok. My favorite was our dinner. I enjoyed the pasta and soup and once again, the staffs are friendly. The brewed coffee was quite underwhelming tho but that's just nitpicking.

Overall Pros: Good for families Friendly staffs Great advocacy

Cons: The late night videoke Unwelcoming...

A balikbayan friend and her foreigner husband requested for an overnight trip with the barkada to be able to bond. We wanted something different other than the usual Tagaytay, Batangas or Subic trip. A friend who had long wanted to go to Mount Purro Nature Reserve suggested it and everyone agreed. Selling point was that it was around an hour and fifteen minutes away from the Eastwood area. Some friends were into hiking and loved being around nature. Some were not used to being without the usual comforts of home. It was synonymous though that we all looked forward to this new kind of bonding and adventure, and have the kids experience being outdoors for a change.

Another plus is that I knew the family who owns Mount Purro Nature Reserve. Even before having the privilege of visiting on several celebrations of the family, I was already well aware of their warmth, kindness, and generosity. Every time I visit, I feel and see these same characteristics in how each staff was trained and how every detail of the surroundings fell into place. The briefing videos upon check-in, which aimed to share the roots and vision of Mount Purro Nature Reserve, set the tone for the weekend. Acknowledging God and His creation and giving back by caring not only for nature but for each other was effectively related.

I have been to Mount Purro Nature Reserve several times already, but it was my first time to stay overnight. From inquiring up to check-out, we were dealt with kindness and with overwhelming Filipino hospitality. Since it was a new kind of adventure for our barkada, there were a lot of inquires made, from food restrictions to facility concerns, among a few. Each inquiry was handled patiently and promptly. Since one of the family members was a batch mate of our barkada, we could’ve “name dropped” to our advantage. We never had to though since each and every guest was naturally treated specially by the staff.

A tag line of Mount Purro Nature Reserve is aptly “Disconnect to Connect.” There was no wifi, no cellular signal (at least for Globe subscribers), no television, and while we’re at it, no aircon. There were a lot of pre-scheduled activities (all with guides slash “photographers” who had our safety as their priority) that could be joined that didn’t make us realize that there were none of these. As soon as we arrived, we joined the river trek, which was the activity that the kids enjoyed the most. Then in the afternoon we interacted with the Dumagats, who were the natural inhabitants of the mountains and generously welcomed by Mount Purro Nature Reserve. In the evening we joined the community bonfire. The next day we hiked to Malvar’s Peak as the sun was rising. During lull times, which were very few, we enjoyed staying in our accommodations and in the many cabanas, while the kids swam in the pool, explored the play area, and braved the zipline. Actually, we found ourselves eating in the very homey Loli’s kitchen every few hours. The food was just excellent. The home-cooked buffet spread always hit the spot and the staff was attentive. Not having an aircon wasn’t an issue at all. We came first week of February, so it was pleasant even in the afternoon. We slept without even opening the ceiling fan in our loft.

It was a different kind of adventure for our barkada indeed. A special kind of adventure. We were able to bond with each other, with other people, with nature, and with God. We were reminded of the basics which truly matter, and left with a sense of respect and responsibility. On the way home, we were already talking about going back with our own families and recommending the experience to other friends. Thank you Malvars for opening up your beautiful haven to everyone. God bless your hearts for finding joy and peace in what truly matters – God,...