Disconnect to Reconnect @ Mount Purro Nature Reserve

What is MPNR

A fellow parent from our homeschooling provider recommended Mount Purro Nature Reserve or MPNR to us when we were looking for a vacation spot. I went ahead and checked out their website and immediately fell in love with the place. It has been a long time - and I mean a really long time - since I last experienced hiking. I thought it would be fun to re-live those experiences I had with my friends, only this time, I'll have my family with me. Our first trip was intended for Tatay Ritsard's birthday but it felt like me and my daughter were the ones who had so much fun.

While looking for reservations in their website I was touched by the story behind the founding of the Mount Purro Nature Reserve. It was a mom who planted a seed in her child heart back in the 60's. Nature is there to nurture us and protect us, all it asks is for us to protect her and nurture her as well.

Mount Purro isn't just a resort that you can go to so you can escape the city life. It shares its love for nature to its guests. It shows how sustainable living a simple life is during this modern times. I love how they have amenities for children and adults alike. It's not everyday you find a resort that has a mini kitchen with lots of kitchen toys. I think this is the part of this ecopark that renewed my daughter's love for kitchen toys.

Last year, around September, there was a super typhoon that was expected to hit the Philippines but all of a sudden, it disappeared. At first, we did not know what happened but we soon found out that it was the Sierra Madre mountain range that saved us all from that super typhoon. The people behind Mt. Purro Nature Reserve planted trees all over the Sierra Madre mountain range in response to the deforestation that is happening. It's an opportune moment to teach my daughter about how nature works.

How to get to MPNR

On our first trip to Mount Purro Nature Reserve, we booked a car rental for a hassle free trip to and from MPNR. Getting there by car is easy, the trip is about 2 hours more or less. If you wish to travel there by car, you just have to take note of the roads. They recommend MPV or SUVs because as to what I've seen so far, the roads are uneven and are almost always going through repairs. I went there last March and we saw construction going on, we went there a couple days ago, and it is still happening. Aside from the rainfall that made the road slippery, the mud made it more challenging to travel to. But I tell you, it is all worth it.

The second time we went there, we chose a more adventurous commute. We took public vehicles from our house to MPNR. It is quite easy and fun, actually. It just took longer because of all the wait time on the queue for each ride.

If you are going there by public transport from Manila, the first thing you have to do is to get to Antipolo. From Antipolo, go to the jeepney terminal for jeepneys going to COGEO Gate 2. From Cogeo Gate 2, walk towards the main road and take the jeep that says PAENAAN. Right now, the fare is Php15 each passenger. You won't miss it because there will be barkers shouting PAENAAN over each other trying to win passengers to ride their jeeps. Just tell the driver to drop you off at KANTO VETERANS. This trip costs Php30 each. So that means it's a long ride. Once the driver drops you off at KANTO VETERANS, cross the road (it's a really wide road so best be careful, look to the left and to the right before crossing.) There's a pedestrian lane so make sure to use that one.

From here, you'll take 2 tricycle rides. The first one is going to Brgy Calawis. The road is zigzagging, and going upwards and downwards, plus there are blockages due to the road repairs. Aside from that, there are big vehicles that you need to share this challenging road with. The Tricycle driver will charge you Php75 for this but be nice to them, give them a little bit more. From Calawis, take another tricycle going to Mt. Purro. Once you cross the river crossing, you're practically almost there. Overall, both tricycle rides are scary and requires excellent driving skills from the tricycle driver. When he tells you it's only Php70, give him some extra too. Overall, the commute took almost 4 hours.

What to expect

The website pretty much states that there is no signal for Globe and very minimal signal for Smart subscribers. Even from the tricycle ride, I can feel the weak signal on my phone. It's like nature is really trying to catch your attention. It wants you to be there and cherish the moment. As soon as you enter the road going to Calawis, you can already feel the fresh air filling your lungs. When you get to the resort, you'll see nothing but luscious greenery. Trees, bamboos, colorful flowers, plants of different shapes and sizes greet you at the entry way.

For first timers, you'll be asked to watch the orientation video. It's just a few minutes long. There you'll see Lolo Toto and his son (the doctor) explaining everything they did in Mount Purro. Here, you'll learn about their advocacy, their mission, their goals, and their heart. I think I fell in love with the ecopark even more because of this orientation.

Lolo Toto Malvar (a grandson to Gen. Miguel Malvar) talked about how he started out the reserve. He left his comfortable life in the city to live in the mountains just to fulfill his dream of reforesting the Sierra Madre Mountains. Here he talked about planting seeds first in the hearts of the people before having them plant the trees. It's not enough that you have the vision and the resources when you are dealing with people. You also have to show them that you care for them too. This is evident with how the staff behaved althroughout our stay there. Everyone is just so nice, approachable, and just really so kind.

Amenities

We chose to stay in a tent because the little one wanted that kind of adventure. I bought her an indoor tent for her toys a few years ago and she's always dreamed of sleeping inside a tent outside of our house. But if you want a more comfortable sleeping situation, you can choose the casitas, cabins, and cottages. They have different packages for different number of persons per group.

My daughter especially loved the Nature Playscape. At first she couldn't decide where she would play first. There's the mini kitchen which I've mentioned earlier. There are kiddie slanted wall climbing area leading to a kiddie slide. There are swings, a treehouse, a hammock, a firefighter post, and so much more. Lolo Toto said his grandchildren often visits there so I'm sure they are the inspiration behind the Nature Playscape.

We also enjoyed dipping at the swimming pool. It is possible that this may have made it to my daughter's core memory because this was the first time she was able to swim with very minimal support. On our second visit, we met another family and we really had a good chat. The kid was still young and the parents talked to me about homeschooling. It is always a joyous encounter when I meet someone showing interest in homeschooling their kid.

Loli's kitchen is one of the highlights of our visit. My daughter, being the curious little person that she is, asked Lolo Toto if the owner of the kitchen is named Loli. Apparently, it the term Loli was an endearment of the grandchildren to their Lola Baby, Lolo Toto's wife, who oversees the kitchen operations. The food here is superb, by the way. You can feel the love poured into the preparation of the food.

Activities

There are lots of activities that you can join in. The first one we had was the bonfire. There's also the option to roast some mallows but since my kid is a hater of candies and sweets, we did not try that one. Nonetheless, we still enjoyed the bonfire because the wind at night was really chilly than here in the city.

Another activity you can enjoy here is the Forest Hike. The receptionist recommended we join the 5AM group so that it's not yet too hot and we'll be able to enjoy the sea of clouds. If you're not into hiking but still want to experience it, there's the mini hike. Since we have a little person with us, we went through the mini hike.

There's also the river walk. Now there is really a lot of walking involved in this one. You'll walk outside of the eco park, then walk towards the riverbanks, then walk until you get to the farm. You have the option to ride the bamboo raft or just simply have a swim on the river. We chose to ride the balsa.

There are also some other activities. My kid was actually looking forward to the tree planting but since the first time we visited was a summer, there are no planned activity on site. The second time, we weren't able to book in advance. So maybe on the 3rd visit, we'll be able to experience the tree planting activity.

We have visited the Mount Purro Nature reserve twice already and we are still planning on a third and maybe a 4th time. Not only is it a way to disconnect from the tiring, busy, fast-paced everyday life, it is also a way to reconnect with yourself, with your family, and with nature. We also took the opportunity to include Nature Studies in our vacation. Because what can you do when you are in the middle of all the beauty of nature but to observe it, study it, and ultimately, appreciate it.

If you are looking for an escape with a purpose, I highly recommend Mount Purro Nature Reserve. I will be writing on a different article about how special the people behind this marvelous eco park made our visit so special. The owner and his wife, the staff, and everyone in this place are truly amazing people with good hearts and very joyous disposition. Til next time!