Kairukan Falls in Morong Bataan

One of the wonders of Morong Bataan is the majestic Kairukan Falls located in Sitio Kanawan in Barangay Binaritan. Its waters flow from Mt. Silangan, part of Bataan National Park, a forest reserve established in 1945. Hiking to the heart of Mt. Kairukan is a jaw-dropping experience because of its dense trees and undergrowth. Its diverse flora and fauna are similar to the trekking experience to Pasukulan Falls in Mt. Natib on the northeastern part of Bataan’s National Park.

The Kairukan Falls in Morong Bataan

Kairukan Falls is approximately 150 meters in height and has a satisfying torrent even during the dry season. I just can’t imagine how strong the full-fledged waterfall Kairukan is in the rainy season. The plunge pool is 30 meters in diameter and its depth is about 1.5 meters (5 feet); expect a deeper plunge pool during the wet season.

Manong's usual back-fie on our adventure trips.

Day Hike to Kairukan Falls

A friend visited this place a few months ago and I was inspired by the pictures he posted on his blog. You might want to check his adventure blog too! (lakwatserongrex.wordpress.com)

Anyone can have a waterfall massage

I was impatient to find out what the waterfall has to offer so I invited my coworkers who are into an outdoor fun. We were four in the group; two from the province of Pampanga and the rest were from Olongapo City. Since the location of Kairukan Falls is in Morong Bataan, the closest for us to get there is to meet at Harbor Point Ayala in Subic Bay. (Jeepneys and minibus terminal bound for Morong are only available at the Harbor Point.)

Kanawan Hanging Bridge (source - creative commons)

Traveling from Subic Bay Freeport Zone's jeepney terminal to Morong took us almost an hour. From Morong town, we then hired a tricycle to Barangay Binaritan and took UN Avenue passing Bataan Technology Park and the gated Morong Special Economic Zone. We reached the famous hanging bridge that connects Binaritan and Sitio Kanawan in 20 minutes. The Kanawan hanging bridge is the fastest access to the Aeta Community when going to Morong town.

Magbukun Tribe of Kairukan Falls

Crossing the bridge led us to a narrow cemented path only for motorcycles. Walking through that road for 30 minutes, we reached the Magbukun Tribe where we asked for a guide.

The Kanawan School

The tribe's chieftain is Rudy Tamundog. He assigned his son Rico to accompany us on our hike to Kairukan Falls. A registration fee was paid by the group before the hiking started.

We passed the multi-purpose hall to the Chieftain's house

Rico was a bit shy the first hour of the trek, but eventually, he got used to us when we started making jokes and asked questions about the place and his past experiences guiding hikers. We learned from him that the Magbukun tribe consists of 135 families and 300 voters. Their means of livelihood are basically modernized farming as they have received advanced agricultural training from the local government. Wild bee hive hunting for honey and guiding tourists generate income for the tribe.

These type of bamboo marked the start of our trek

Kairukan Mountains from afar

The trail excites us!

The easy trail fuels their dreams to see the waterfall

Rico told us that this tree is so slippery even monkeys can't climb on its trunk.

Rico became our photographer on our trek, he told us he loves photography and was happy to experience to take pictures using a bulky camera. We finally reached Kairukan Falls after two hours and twenty minutes of ascending and descending to our goal. Our effort was paid off upon gazing at the magnificent tourist attraction of Morong, Bataan.

A huge and tall tree along the way

Relaxing...

There were also nature lovers in the area. They're cooking their lunch and had already pitched their tents for an overnight stay.

A candid shot of these two ladies on top of a rock boulder.

We had our lunch with the sound of rushing water from the falls in the background. After filling our stomachs I had to take a nap because of an extreme headache. Good thing Francis, one of my co-workers, has his medical kit with medicines. Francis is an experienced mountaineer in the group.

Our hearts were heavy when we left the waterfalls at 2:00 PM and felt envious to those who pitched their tents for the night. Surely there will be another time when we visit this place for a real backpacking adventure.

The horse with no name hehe

Teth struck the pose and nailed it!

Rico - the best guide ever!

There were surprises on our way back to Sitio Kanawan. We passed by a horse along the trail and the two ladies were scared to proceed. Rico spoke in a humorous way and advised them to walk in front of the horse to avoid being kicked. Successfully overcoming the horse hurdle, we maintained our pace in preparation for the ascends. We reached Kanawan Bridge before 5:00 PM.

Photo opp while resting.

Stopping at the Chieftain's house to wash up, Francis had the chance to ask for Honey for his relatives but unfortunately, they already took it to the market. I also asked for cashew nuts and luckily, there are cashew seeds available but still needed to be roasted. I bought two kilos for 80 pesos then I watched them roasting.

It was getting late when the roasting finished and they still needed to remove the burnt shells. I decided to do it myself at home so we can catch the bus or jeep bound to Olongapo. The last trip is usually at 7:00 PM.

The result of roasting turned out to be like little black kidneys.

Itinerary to Kairukan Falls

07:00 AM - Meetup at Harbor Point Subic Bay
07:20 AM - Travel by jeepney to Morong Bataan
08:10 AM - Arrive in Morong Bataan
08:15 AM - Travel by tricycle to Kanawan Bridge
08:35 AM - Kanawan Bridge Pictorial
08:45 AM - Trek to Magbukun Tribe in Sitio Kanawan
09:15 AM - Arrive at Sitio Kanawan and ask for a guide
09:30 AM - Start of Trek
12:00 Noon - Arrive at Kairukan Falls

12:10 PM - Lunch
12:40 PM - Exploring/Swimming/Photoshoot

02:00 PM - Trekking back to Sitio Kanawan
04:30 PM - Arrive at Sitio Kanawan (Here we paid the Guide Fee)
05:00 PM - Travel back to Kanawan Bridge by motorcycle for free c/o Rico and his friends.
05:10 PM - Ride a tricycle to Morong Town.
05:30 PM - Bus ride to Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Note that Adjustments of time will vary when traveling from Manila.

Map of Kairukan Falls

Blog Topics:

• Kairukan Falls Day Hike
• How to Get to Kairukan Falls
• Sample Itinerary to Kairukan Falls Morong Bataan
• Bataan Tourist Attraction
• Magbukun Tribe
• Pictures of Kairukan Falls and Trails

Have fun hiking and enjoy the beauty of Bataan! Oh, by the way, Mr. Rudy Tamundog's contact number is 09283172815.