White Water Tubing in Real, Quezon

The original plan was to learn how to surf. But since most of us don't know how to swim, we opted for the white water tubing adventure instead. The PARK's owner, Teody Villaflor, who briefed us said that the activity takes about two hours. And luck was with us that morning since it had rained the previous evening, so the river level wasn't too shallow.

What used to be the means of transportation of lumber from illegal logging now carries tourist along the Tignaoan river. The baranggay captain thought of a way to provide a means of living for the townsfolk after logging was banned due to a tragic accident in 2004. Non-stop rain plus the cutting of trees made the mountainside soft and buried a lot of people. Real became isolated and could only be reached by sea. The PARK, as Mr. Villaflor recalls, became the relief and rescue ground for the government.

The adventure starts with a 30-minute trek to the river. Because of the rain, the cement steps were slippery. Good thing that there are handrails even for half of the trail. Our guide told us that the trail will soon be cemented up to the river jump-off point. They are just waiting for the funds to be released to the local government.

The improvised bamboo raft holds up to five people depending on weight with two guides on each raft. The one in front maneuvers the raft from hitting rocks as we dove into the rapids. The guide at the back serves as the anchor or weight.

An added bonus or side trip is Bagumbong falls. It is a small waterfall with a small, but deep catchbasin where you can swim.

The river trek took more than two hours since there were too many shallow areas since it was summer and the guides had to climb down the raft and either push or pull it. The guides told us that the best time to go is September to November where the river current is strong enough to propel the raft across the rapids. I also suggest to go during these months since the water will cover a lot of the big stones. For me, it's more dangerous when the river is shallow due to the raft bumping against the rocks.

Too bad we didn't have a waterproof camera with us. the highlight of our river tubing adventure was three rapids, with one very steep like the crazy river ride in Star City. The only difference is you really feel the strong current and you have to shift your weight around to balance the raft or else, the raft capsizes or turns over.

The adventure ends when you reach the beach of the PARK. What I love and find really unique with Real is that the river and sea meet at the beach and the waters are warm, great for soaking up those tired and achy bones.

The white water tubing adventure costs P350 each. You can tip the guides when you finish the activity, but not required. I've checked around and found that this is the cheapest white water tubing adventure so far and Real is just a three hour drive from Manila.