Fresh from our Las Casas Heritage Tour, I had a massive hankering for a nature trip – somewhere down South, if possible, since we’ve already just been up North. Google offered up many options for a quick weekend trip, but what really struck my fancy was Bankong Kahoy Valley in Dolores, Quezon since it boasted of being literally in between a rock and a hard place: Mounts Cristobal (holy mountain) and Banahaw (devil’s mountain)

Bangkong Kahoy – wooden bench in English – is retreat house-slash-jump off point-slash-activity center-slash-organic farm-slash-mini Frisbee stadium-slash-dog haven.

A retreat house because, sitting in between two huge mountains, mobile signals practically get jammed so you could finally disconnect from it all and just reflect. You even get to do it in an open cottage, which, quite frankly, is probably the closest thing I could get to an actual tree house.

A jump off point because if you have more than two days to spend, you can follow some of their trails for a heart pumping hike. We were only there for just one night so we made do with exploring their surrounding properties.

An activity center because they actually offer a zip line ride. We didn’t get to try it though because, well, none of us really were in the mood to. I was with the Cagbalete girls so of course we just wanted to chill and catch up about each other’s lives.

An organic farm since it produces its own produce. Every meal we’ve eaten there included a dish made out of oyster mushroom – one of their main products. I’ve read on blogs that they also grow raspberries but since we went last September, they weren’t ready for picking yet.

A mini Frisbee stadium because Dion Pullan, the owner, looks like a major ultimate Frisbee fan and it seems like he’s already taught all the local kids how to play the game. I mean, with a playground this size, it’d be hard not to get hooked. The grass is also perfect for cushioning you during those intense dives for the Frisbee.

A dog haven because they allow you to bring your pets! We came across the staff’s shih tzu, Cara, who was extremely friendly. A family (who brought their own tents and camped on the grounds) also brought their beagle, Mochi. He was very energetic and excitable.

Booking with Bankgkong Kahoy was a breeze. They responded quickly to my emails and even gave us precise instructions on how to commute to Dolores from Alabang.

Because we booked a full month in advance last August for our September trip, we got to enjoy their August Promo Package, as listed below.

Here are their regular rates (as of August last year):

This trip was one of the more relaxed trips I’ve ever had. Despite the fact that our stay in Bangkong Kahoy Valley was probably less than twenty-four hours, I felt very recharged and refreshed afterwards.

Here’s the round up of expenses:

Contact details:

Bangkong Kahoy Valley

Nature Retreat & Field Study Centre

Bangkong Kahoy, Kinabuhayan,

Dolores, Quezon, Philippines, 4326

09298198537/ 09272061022 / bkvalley@gmail.com