Ditumabo Mother Falls: The Hidden Gem of Aurora

Background

Ditumabo Mother Falls is a hidden gem located in Barangay Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora. It provides a stress-relieving view and one of a kind swimming experience for visitors and nature lovers. Ditumabo Mother Falls has a height of 42 meters or 140 feet. Because of its towering height, a thirty-five-meter-wide basin provides tourists with a natural cold swimming pool and insanely cold water coming from the Sierra Madre mountain range, it’s become one of the best tourist destinations in the province of Aurora.

Ditumabo Mother Falls is widely considered by many locals as the Mother Falls of San Luis, Aurora. It is the loftiest of all waterfalls situated in the Aurora province. Although the Aurora province is popular for its stunning beaches and is widely known as the best-surfing haven on the eastern side of the Philippines, Ditumabo Mother Falls in the past decade becomes a must-see destination and the main attraction for tourists who want to experience its cold water.

Ditumabo Mother Falls jump-off point is 16 kilometers away from the widely popular Sabang Beach which is the birthplace of Philippine surfing. It is a forty-minute drive from Baler municipality. In addition, the total trail length going to Ditumabo Mother Falls is 1.3 kilometers. Undoubtedly, your trip to Baler will not be completed without visiting and enjoying the refreshing cold water from Ditumabo Mother Falls. Presently, Ditumabo Mother Falls is considered one of the most majestic waterfalls in the Philippines and one of the popular tourist destinations in Aurora and the East-Central region of Luzon island.

Name: Ditumabo Mother Falls
Location: Barangay Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora, Philippines
Features: a stunning view of the 140 feet cascading waterfall

My adventure to Ditumabo Mother Falls

It was in the month of September in the year 2018 when I told myself that the best therapy is a long and calm road trip. At that time I was so stressed about my work and current state of life. So in the following days, I search on the internet for a popular day tour place that is wonderful and I’d never been to before. Fortunately, I’ve found Sabang Beach and Ditumabo Mother Falls as my next travel destination. As a result, I joined a well-coordinated day tour trip to Baler. The event fee cost about 1000 pesos but I never mind since I want to ease my anxiety and stress.

It was Thursday morning when our group arrived at the municipality of Baler. Our group has a quick breakfast at the small local store. Later we have our group pictures taken at the Baler Marker and other nearby historical sites. After done exploring and taking pictures at the Museo de Baler, our group coordinator told us that our next destination is Ditumabo Mother Falls. For this reason, we go inside the private van, and our private van headed towards Mother Falls.

For about forty-three minutes, we have amazing sightseeing of how beautiful is the province of Baler. There are lots of coconut trees, vegetable plantations, and farm animals we saw while having a scenic road trip. In my perspective, Baler is a perfect getaway for nature lovers. We arrived at the registration site of Ditumabo Mother Falls around 9:20 am. The driver pays 30 pesos for the parking fee.

From there we saw another group of tourists register and secure a tour guide. As a result, we waited for seventeen minutes before we start to trek. We snap photos of the surrounding hydropower plants, and we change our outfits. It was 9:45 am when our group did the registration process and we start to walk on the craggy ground. The first twelve minutes of the trek are so easy and manageable.

After that, we passed by a gradually ascending trail with some stream crossing and bouldering of the big rocks in between. Then our guide showed us the fresh potable water coming from the stream and said it is good to drink. Some of the members refill their empty bottled water while some members have a hard time navigating the pathway.

Even so, with the help of the installed bamboo wooden bridges and the helping hand of our tour guide, our group managed to cross the wet, deeper, and slippery trails. Afterward, we appreciate the lush green of the surrounding forest halfway. We feel like we are in a perfect setting for creating an ancient movie. Also along the way, we saw big water pipelines and mini waterfalls that lead to the grandest falls. For this reason, we take our time to snap photos and slowly walk on the 950-meter concrete walkway.

After thirty-nine minutes of trekking in the thick green foliage and breathing some fresh air, we finally reached the Ditumabo Mother Falls. First, we have our group pictures taken at the majestic waterfalls. Second, we have ten-minute sightseeing at the strong cascading waterfalls that are about 45 feet drop to a cool deep pool.

At that moment, we got all moist by a sheer drizzle of water blown by the wind. For this reason, our camera becomes blurry whenever we take a closer picture of the falls. The falls plunge wonderfully into a basin of ice-cold lucid clear water. It’s simply unbelievable in my own two eyes. For this reason, I just fell in love with Ditumabo Mother Falls. This is definitely one of the prides of Aurora province.

On the other hand, we have a small chance to take a clear picture of the falls. In my opinion, Ditumabo Mother Falls has the same beauty as Buruwisan Falls in Laguna. As of today, it is one of the best waterfalls I’ve ever seen. Third and last, we swim in the shallow part of Ditumabo Mother Falls.

We felt the freezing water of the falls but we enjoyed the moment while bathing in the relaxing falls. According to our tour guide, the water from the basin of the falls is mainly deep and super cold. Moreover, as stated by our tour guide there’s a bigger waterfall cascade than Dimatubo Mother Falls. It is called Father Falls however it is not yet opened to the public due to the water in the falls is mightily super freezing. Also, tourist needs to trek for six kilometers and have to start in the early morning in order to reach Father Falls.

Our group stayed in the falls for nearly an hour as we have a great ambiance of the place. We take so many selfies and videos of the gorgeous falls. The falls are truly a sight to behold. It was 11:15 am when we left Ditumabo Mother Falls and started our descent on a well-maintained footpath going back to the registration point. 

While we were trekking we encounter motorcycle riders coming from Laguna who want to see the magnificent waterfalls. For this reason, we greet the riders good day and to have a safe trip. Then one member of the group named Mico told us some jokes. For the most part, we were laughing along the trail because of the funny stories and jokes he shared with us.

It took us only thirty minutes to reach the registration point. We log out and we thank our local tour guide named Randy for supporting us and giving us knowledge about Ditumabo Mother Falls. Later we had our group lunch at one of the restaurants in Baler. Overall we have a nice and safe day tour trip.

When I got home in the late evening, I thanked God for keeping us safe and providing us with good weather on that day. Nature didn’t disappoint us and visiting Ditumabo Mother Falls was worth it. I think it is a must-visit spot in the province of Aurora and it should be included on the travel bucket list of every Filipino traveler. On the whole, my adventure to Ditumabo Mother Falls sums up this simple quote “Nature’s beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude.”

Sample day tour itinerary to Ditumabo Mother Falls

Day 0
11PM – Assembly at a designated pick-up point
11:30PM – Departure going to Aurora

Day 1
6AM – Arrive at Balete Park, picture taking of Balete tree, and have breakfast
7AM – Proceed to the municipality of Baler, explore Museo de Baler
8:30AM – Going to Ditumabo Mother Falls
9AM – Arrive at the jump-off point, start trekking
9:40AM – Swimming, sightseeing, and picture taking at Ditumabo Mother Falls
11:30AM – Start descent
12PM – Tidy up at the registration area
1PM – Lunch
1:30PM – Going to Sabang Beach
2:30PM – Swimming and surfing at Sabang Beach
5PM – Sunset viewing
5:50PM – Wash up
6:40PM – Buy souvenirs
7PM – Departure going back to Metro Manila, dinner along the way
11:50PM – Arrive at Metro Manila

Disclaimer: the sample above itinerary can be changed and is not absolutely 100 percent perfect due to many reasons.

Things to bring on your visit to Ditumabo Mother Falls:

Face mask and fully vaccination card
One valid ID
Mineral water
Snacks and trail food
Pocket money
Change of clothes
Waterproof cellphone and action camera
Safeguard soap and a small towel
Three plastic for your trash and wet clothes
Swimwear and swimsuit (optional)
Selfie stick (optional)
Goggles (optional)
Sunscreen and mosquito repellent lotion (optional)

How to Go to Ditumabo Mother Falls

By commute

1. From Cubao, Quezon City, ride a premium point-to-point Genesis transport JoyBus going to Baler, Aurora. The approximate travel time is six hours.
2. From Baler municipality, ride a tricycle or a passenger van going to the registration area of Ditumabo Mother Falls in San Luis. The travel time is forty-five minutes. In addition, the tricycle fare is 1000 pesos and it will be divided depending on the number of people in your group.
3. Then from the jump-off point, trek for forty minutes going to the falls.
   

By private vehicle

1. Use your Waze app or Google Maps and pin the Ditumabo Mother Falls. 
2. From Metro Manila, take EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) and proceed to NLEX (North Luzon Expressway). After that exit to San Simon, Pampanga and drive through the municipality of San Simon, Santa Ana, Arayat, Cabiao and San Isidro. 
3. From San Isidro municipality,  take the Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA) also known as the Olongapo-Gapan Road. Then turn left to Vallarta street and drive going to Cabanatuan City.
4. From Cabanatuan City, drive straight leading to Bongabon municipality in Nueva Ecija and continue driving until you reach the Bongabon-Baler road. Then once you reach the Aurora province drive your way passing the San Luis municipality and proceed to the jump-off point of Ditumabo Mother Falls.
   

Note: If you are coming from Nueva Ecija province, then you have the option to follow the Nueva Ecija – Aurora Road. However, bear in mind that this road has a lot of rough narrow pathways and more zigzag roads.

Reminders and Tips:

• The entrance fee in Ditumabo Mother Falls is 30 pesos per person. Moreover, getting a tour guide is required before visiting the falls. The tour guide fee is 300 pesos per group or per batch with a maximum of 10 people.

• The average trekking time from the jump-off point going to Ditumabo Mother Falls will last thirty-five minutes. However, it will depend on the pacing of the group. In addition, wear good trekking sandals because some pathway is rocky and wet as you will pass by some streams.

• You can buy refreshment drinks and a variety of foods at the jump-off point. 

• Please be a responsible tourist and don’t leave your trash along the trail. It will help Ditumabo Mother Falls a sight to behold for a longer period of time. 

• Swim at your own risk and don’t attempt to swim near the basin of the falls because the water current is strong and it’s deep. 

• You can bring your own bottled water during the trek or you can drink water in the fresh potable stream of the nearby falls. 

• I highly recommend visiting the falls on weekdays only because it can get very crowded during holidays and weekends. In addition, the best time to visit the falls is in the early morning.

• You have the option to get a photographer in the entrance area and after the tour of the falls, you can get your hardcopy and softcopy of the pictures from the photo booth for a minimal amount.

• Please take note that the changing area is near the registration site or entrance area. Changing clothes costs a small amount only from five pesos to twenty pesos.

• Above all, please do not litter along the trail and put your garbage in a proper place and in a proper manner.
  
  
  

There you have it, folks. Invite your friends and treat yourself to a relaxing trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city. In general, I hope this travel guide to Ditumabo Mother Falls has emboldened you to visit this hidden gem in Aurora. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments kindly leave them below. God bless and stay safe.