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Places
to go in Cavinti
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| WIND SURFING
at Caliraya Lake
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Caliraya is a manmade reservoir built in 1943 to supply
water to the Caliraya Hydroelectric Plant.
The deep waters of the lake and the strong,
cold mountain breeze that blows from the Sierra Madre Mountain
Ranges and the distant Mt. Banahaw, make Lake Caliraya an ideal place for
sailing, windsurfing, fishing and
other water sports. There are also campsites, a
nearby Japanese garden, first-class resort facilities and Lake front communities
surround the lake. For the avid golf fans, there are golf courses too.
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| FISHING
at Lake Lumot
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Lake Lumot and Lake Caliraya are two connected man-made lakes which was the result of an infrastructure project.
built by American engineers in 1943 to supply water to the Caliraya Hydroelectric Plant. As the dams were constructed,
entrepreneurs with foresight created two adjacent communities which were envisioned to be ecological
communities, where one can enjoy the beauty and richness of unspoiled nature. The results were man-made mountain lakes
complete with coves and sand bars - Lake Caliraya and Lake Lumot.
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The Americans also seeded the lake with Largemouth Black Bass
imported from the USA, which continue to proliferate and provide
game fishers with year-round weekend excitement.
In fact, the two lakes are some of the places in the whole country where
Philippine anglers can attempt to catch the famed Largemouth Black Bass,
one of the top freshwater gamefish of the United States of America.
| BEAUTIFUL Japanese Garden
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The Japanese Garden is a shrine created by Philippine-Japan Friendship
Society in memory of the Japanese soldiers who died during the
encounter between the Japanese and Filipino-American troops at the
close of World War II. Also to symbolizethe amity and friendship that exist between the
Philippines and Japan. There are picnic huts on the lower level of the garden where
visitors can sit and enjoy a snack.
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| Secluded
Twin Falls
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It is a light hiking destination for
weekend hikers and beginners as well as non-hikers,
the Twin Falls here in Cavinti Laguna is one beautiful
destination to go to with a well established trail
that would entail only 1 hour of hike to reach the destination.
Because of its relatively easily accessible destination point
as well as a beautiful park (Japanese Garden)located as the starting point.
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Cavinti Twin Falls is open anytime of the year. The problem
is that it lies within private properties so its existence relies on the discretion of the owner of the property.
The place is an ideal place to introduce hiking to beginners
as well as a place to bring non-hikers to enjoy nature without
the hassle of strenuous hikes and inconvenient facilities.
From the waterfalls, you can have a family picnic or swimming on
the wide and deep basin at the base of the falls.
It is truly more of an excursion or "walk in the park" than nature hiking.
| MAGNIFICENT
Magdapio Falls
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The trip to the famous waterfall,
known as "shooting the rapids", is exhilarating,
three-hour boatride in a narrow banca expertly
manuevered upstream over more than 14 rapids by seasoned boatmen.
At the top of the river is the Pagsanjan Falls. The real name is actually the Magdapio Falls
and they are actually located in Cavinti, not Pagsanjan but because the tour up river starts at Pagsanjan, they have become popularly known as the Pagsanjan Falls.
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It has become the premiere, world-class tourist destination in the Philippines,
owing to its natural scenic wonders and the most visited waterfalls in the country - the famous
"Pagsanjan Falls". Pagsanjan is also a favorite location for the shooting of local and international
filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now", which was filmed here from 1975 to 1976.
On the way to the magnificent waterfalls, one may feel the relaxing atmosphere and beauty brought
by the experience of harmony with nature. While entering the tropical gorge, one will see wild orchids,
ferns, vines, spiders, dragonflies, lizards on the rocks, chattering monkeys and the beautiful sun rays
filtering through the trees, as multi-colored birds hover in the greenery.
Two to three tourist passengers are treated to a thrilling river ride on board a "banca" or canoe expertly
paddled and bodily lifted upstream against the strong current through an amazing panorama of tropical canopies.
It is then maneuvered downstream between the steep canyon walls, and through the rapids, rocks and roaring current
at breathtaking speed by two seasoned and skilled "bangkeros" or boatmen. Passengers should synchronize their
positions to maintain balance.
With the dexterity and skill of boatmen who have spent their whole lives on the river, a navigator and a pilot will
safely guide your "banca" on an exciting three-hour journey. At times, you will be skimming through the gorge with
walls of rock mass formations and vines that rise up over a hundred meters. There will also be times when you will
be tossed and twisted through the rapids as you speed downstream to the two towering waterfalls. Depending on the
water's height, there are a total of 12 or 16 rapids altogether. Upon reaching the last major waterfalls, you can
transfer from the "banca" to a bamboo raft that will take you through the cascading water to a hidden cave
(which looks like the profile of a devil) formed by the walls of the gorge.
No trip to Cavinti is ever complete without embarking on this exhilarating, adrenaline-filled, two-hour boat ride from the Bumbungan River to the "Pagsanjan Falls",
whose booming water cascades down the 300-feet cliff in full view. The volume of water falling is so great that the site is filled with a never-ending thunderous sound.
All in all, it is a trip that's definitely hard to forget. ( Sol Jose Vanzi )
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