Decided to re-visit Lake Balanan yesterday, never made it gave up road is so HORRENDOUS that only a military style vehicle could get there. 6 years ago went HabalHabal from Siation. Dissapointed as I remember it being nice. Come on Philippines....improve your infrastructure and allow businesses to prosper.
I have to admit that road conditions to this venue could need some improvements. However, I did make it up till the entrance with an hatchback last year upon special request of visitors staying with me, driving carefully so avoiding potholes and pebbles of unusual sizes. All in all a rather time consuming drive. Was there before on a motorbike (Yamaha 125 YBR) a bit easier.
I have been there a few times in SUV and on a bike, if it not been raining I had been many worse places. It's around 10 km from the highway on a rough road with a beautiful view in the mountains, though I will not go there with a low tied car. The lake is nice, you can rent a floating cottage and bring your own food. The food you can buy in the restaurant is nothing special, I would call it a snack. I meet many Filipino on bikes with up to 5 persons on, impressed the way the can handle the bike
I really loved it up there 7-10 years ago, staying nights in that room with balcony that overlooks the lake. Road was bad; sad to hear that it's gotten worse and the gov doesn't fix it!! (wouldn't be difficult). Last time I was there, worst problem was that the lower "bathing pools" were totally overrun with biting red ants!! Like a hollywood horror movie "The Ants"!!! Staff took no action on that, said that eco-rules forbid them from using ant-killers or repellents -- that seemed to me a wrong/stupid attitude for a tourist resort in the jungle.....
Not sure I can agree with you on that (my polite way of saying I cannot agree). Tourists should take second place to preservation of the eco-system ( a reason I will not do the 'whale shark' trip) - do we kill all the snakes, crocs and other potentially dangerous life-forms so that tourists will be safer? In fact, do we destroy the very things people come to see as that would be madness? I know some may think "Ants! but there are billions of them" - true, but they form part of a food chain and so add chemicals to their bodies and we do not know where those chemicals eventually go (and concentrate).
I'm all in on project wild animals from elephants to ants in nature, but not in my hotel room or public area in hotels/resorts, let us keep a balance
