Treasure Mountain: The Underrated Gem of Tanay, Rizal, Philippines

Last time, I shared with you my trip to Bonsai Island in Hundred Islands National Park, where I indulged myself in the breathtaking views. Today, I’ll share with you our trip to Treasure Mountain, one of the hidden gems in the underrated place of Tanay, Rizal.

After a 3-4 hours journey along winding, dark mountain roads, we arrived around 5 am at Treasure Mountain. Everyone felt stiff from the ride, so when we exited the van, we do some stretches. As we stepped out, a cold breeze greeted us. “Brrr, it's cold!”, exclaimed one of my younger cousins, rubbing his hands together. It was indeed cold, and in fact, within the span of five minutes, I was already shivering. Luckily, I brought a decent thick jacket that would keep me warm.

I took a few steps away from my companions to observe the place, breathed deeply, and had a good back stretch. While getting myself compose, my eyes were widened in awe when I noticed distant city lights. I realized that we were indeed on a mountain, at such a high elevation that lights of houses, buildings, and other architectural structures appeared as clusters of small, faint lights. I called my companions to share what I considered a serene view. I realized Treasure Mountain could rival Baguio or Tagaytay; while those places had cooler temperatures, this spot felt more peaceful and less crowded.

After a while of enjoying the city lights, my father called for our attention to count how many of us were present because he was about to pay for the entrance tickets. All of us line up in excitement, some of my younger cousins doing some happy jumps.

We were welcomed by a garden with a spacious veranda and two shops offering hot beverages and pastries. However, what really captured our attention was the view of the nearby mountains. I approached the edge of the veranda and climbed onto the handrail to take a picture.

We stayed there for a while, sitting on the chairs and enjoying the view. According to my father, who have been to this place before, we were lucky if we witness the sea of clouds. Unfortunately, the wind was strong, and the clouds were easily blown away. Regardless, we cherished the mountainous view.

_{My grandmother who definitely enjoyed the scenery.}

Several minutes had passed, and the sun finally peeked behind the mountains. It prompted us to advance in the upper part of the mountain where more magnificent views awaited us. The path was a bit steeped, and it would take you for around 5-10 minutes of walk, depending on how strong your leg strength and cardio was.

Along the way, you will reach the campsite, where you can obviously set up a tent and spend the night. We even saw some campers packing up their gears. I envied them because I've never experienced camping before. Just to share, our initial plan was to camp, but due to some adjustments, it didn't happen. Since we were already here, we took some time to have a photo.

We continued walking and finally reached the top. In this part of the mountain, you can see the vast nearby surrounding mountains more clearly. Aside from that, there were several attractions and activities to do. Of course, we didn't miss the chance to experience them. We signed up and paid for a ticket to try the giant seesaw first.

You can see that we look nervous here. In the back of my mind, I was thinking if I was still in the right state of mind to try that. “What if I fell down?”, “What if I slipped?”, “What if I got thrown off the edge of the cliff?”. These were thoughts echoing inside of me. But I knew these were just my fears trying to take control of my decision, so I still pushed through.

My knees were trembling, and my heart rate was racing when I got on the seesaw. When it lifted, my knees shook even more, and I held on more tightly. I tried to distract myself with the breathtaking view, but it seemed like I was the one gasping for breath from the sheer height. However, my younger brother seemed to enjoy what we were doing, and that gave me the courage to continue. If he can do it, I can do it too, hahaha.

I got to enjoy it as time went on. The nervousness lessened and I could also focus on the beauty of treasure mountain. After five minutes, the facilitator of the giant seesaw slowed it and helped us to get down. When it stopped, we immediately went to the giant swing. Oh gosh, this one was nerve-wracking, too.

Once I sat on the swing, I made myself comfortable and ensured I was secure. After that, the facilitator asked if I was ready. When I gave the go signal, he immediately pushed me.

I held on tightly as the strong push made me felt like I was going to be thrown away. I tried not to scream, but it was impossible in that situation. I couldn’t open my eyes widely because I felt dizzy and scared from the height. You know that feeling when you were swinging on the edge of a cliff? That's how it felt. I just let the cold air brush through me and listened to the whoosh of air passing by my ears. I opened my eyes occasionally, especially when I felt the swing starting to slow down.

I was happy when I got moved away to that swing. However, I thought the ride on the swing was the last activity, but there was one more left. This final course involved passing through a climbing obstacle course to reach a spider web-like structure made with white thick ropes.

Before we climbed, we were oriented on the dos and don’ts. We were also equipped with harnesses to ensure our safety in case we slipped or lost our balance up there, and we wore helmets for additional protection as well. Whew, this was making me nervous.

After the short orientation, a guide accompanied us through the course, and served as our photographer. Thankfully, they had someone to take pictures, so it wasn’t a hassle holding a camera and getting shots of ourselves.

This was the part of the activity I enjoyed the most. Although I felt a little nervous, this was better compared to the first two activities. I just enjoyed being up there, letting the rays of sunshine warm my skin. Sometimes, our guide would make us stop to take pictures, capturing our candid shots and poses.

I lost track of time, but it probably took us about half an hour to reach the spider web. This was the final course, and we needed to climb again to get there. Reaching the top, it was a liberating feeling to stand at the center and spread my arms in the air. With the help of our guide, we took several photos showcasing the spectacular view of Treasure Mountain. I felt better for a moment; I could smell the clean crisp air, and everything seemed so vibrant and clear.

After taking several photos, we decided to climb down. We thanked our guide for capturing amazing images of us. He played a huge part in ensuring our safety and giving us a lot of Instagram-worthy photos.

We called our companions and found them taking pictures, so we decided to take some more pictures too. After a while, we invited each other to our next destination.

From picturesque mountain views to exciting and adrenaline-pumping activities, Treasure Mountain is truly a gem of Tanay, Rizal. It deserves more exposure since I feel it is still an underrated Philippine tourist attraction. I witnessed the wonder of this place with my own eyes and promised myself that I will go back soon.

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