Being home to more than 7,000 beautiful islands, the Philippines surely never disappoints. From the pristine beaches and jaw-dropping lagoons to the breathtaking rolling hills, there's something for every traveler, and that will make you want to come back for more.
Of all the Philippine destinations I've been to, one of the places that left a mark on me was Batanes. With its lush greenery everywhere that will make you sing the hills are alive and socializing with the kindest people you'd ever meet, how can you not love Batanes?
Must-read: Batanes Through the Eyes of a First-Timer
But did you know that there is a place near Manila that almost looks like Batanes? Read on to find out where this place is.
Behold, Tanay in Rizal Province, just one to two hours away from the metro. We just saw this accidentally when we decided to pass by the Marilaque Road. Marilaque stands for Marikina (Ma), Rizal (Ri), Laguna (La), and Quezon Province (Que). It's a famous road for riders who are coming from Manila and traveling to Rizal or Quezon provinces.
The moment I saw it, I already thought it's really like Batanes. Wherever you look (at least in the part of Tanay in Marilaque) is a mountain range and rolling hills. But it was almost dark so we didn't stop. I told myself, I have to come back and see it again. And when we did, my jaw dropped just like when I saw this road in South of Batan Island in Batanes.
Sure, it's not really 100% look-a-like but there is a resemblance. My point is, in Batanes, hills and mountains are the usual sights on the road. And in Rizal lies a somehow similar spot where you can see beautiful landscapes as you drive along the road.
And just like taking a photo in Batanes' road, it's also not easy playing patintero with the cars passing by so, in case you're planning to take a photo, be extra careful because vehicles there are fast and they wouldn't stop for your photoshoot. Luckily, the cars passing by that time were only a few.
Being a Rizal resident, I was really surprised that there is actually a place like this in our province. Even restaurants have overlooking views of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. It's pure, divine, and breathtaking.
How to get to Marilaque Highway
Where to go near Marilaque Highway
- Lutong Pugon
- Regina Rica
- Ricardo's Vista del Cielo
- Kape Natividad
- Cafe Katerina
- Pranjetto Hills
- Martessem Resort
You are so lucky to be surrounded by beautiful sceneries. the photos you uploaded are so beautiful what camera did you used in taking them? how I wish I could go back to Philippines and explore more places..:)
ReplyDeleteYeah it is a beauty ano? hindi man natin na papansin at times, pero it is indeed one of rizal's gems. i mean yung tanawin. the last ive been to around the area was 2011 pa yata hahaha.. nag sierra madre resort kami and then regina rica yata
ReplyDeleteHello! Batanes is also my fave destination in the country! Good to know you were able to relive your Batanes memories through visiting Marilaque. I enjoyed your photo shoot :) It's only this time that I knew what Mariaque meant by reading your blog post haha! Anyway, I've been here with my friend but we did not take photos like you did. We just dined in at Ricardo's Vista del Cielo.
ReplyDeleteIt's so beautiful! Lovely shots too! Grabe, I really should explore our country more. Nauuna yung malayo kaysa sa destinations na nandito lang locally. A photo op there would be so cool too. The place looks like it would be great for reflecting and just thinking about life, hehe.
ReplyDeleteI live in Tanay, so I know how beautiful the place looks and I couldn't be more grateful for this blessing. There are so many places to explore in Tanay and I'm sure you'll be amazed by their outstanding beauty. I read your about me and to my surprise, we're of the same age and our line of work is almost the same. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI want to go to Batanes but I also want to see Tanay. We've been planning on joining a group tour for Tanay but the 4AM meeting time seems so hard when you have 3 kids with you.
ReplyDeleteSuch amazing pictures you have here! Could never take stunning pictures like that... Makes me miss traveling talaga!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! In another blog, I commented that Rizal is so near Metro Manila but it's so foreign to me. It's a breathtaking province but I haven't explored it yet so I might just do it after the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteyou took really nice photos, very tumblr-ish! how i wish i can go there too!
ReplyDeletelove the view! Nakakamiss lalo mag travel. Is it true that they are implementing stricter travel/ tourist rules in MARILAQUE HIGHWAY? read an article about that months ago, wasn't able to confirm nga lang if that is true
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.
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