ESCAPE

Little Eden Tour Service

Some people travel to relax, some people travel to adventure

If you are coming from a different place as a tourist, chances are you want to see as much of what the new land has to offer as possible. Our location is the perfect base to launch your adventure from - central to beautiful beaches, lofty mountains, mysterious caves, wild rivers, cascading falls, and deep forests - for sure there is something here to scratch any curious itch. How much you see depends on how far you want to travel and how much you want to spend, but don't worry, Quirino province has many attractions close by.

We don't make any money off the tours you choose to take - we just connect you to experienced guides and drivers who will give you the full experience of what northern Luzon has to offer. The exception is, if we are not busy, we are happy to take you to see the local sites for a smaller fee than you would otherwise pay (regular/MPS packages only), and you still get your meals for free. Don't worry, you don't have to book local tours now - there will be plenty of options to arrange to see the sights when you arrive.

More adventurous trips (Banaue rice terraces, Sagada cave, Dinadiawan beach) require a bit more planning so if you want to journey a bit further, please let us know at least a couple weeks before you arrive.

Local Tours (<35min drive from Little Eden)

Ganano Falls (30 minutes from Little Eden)
30 minutes drive south from Little Eden will bring you to Baguio Village. Here a tour guide can take you "falls hopping" where you can hike, swim and selfie to your heart's content. Taking the trail leaving Baguio Village, in 500m you will come to Sabangaran falls. A 5m high waterfall with two lagoons. Climbing 100m further will bring you to Nantugaw falls - a smaller waterfall falling from huge boulder into the lagoon below. Just 50m further and you arrive at Sinipit falls - famous with visitors for its emerald coloured lagoon, perfect for swimming. The last sight is the icing on the cake: Ganano falls awaits the persevering adventurer! The second largest waterfall in the province, clean water cascades 80m down a rock face, running into a lagoon below. Feel the vitalising energy of forest, falls and wildlife invigorate your being and inspire you with the beauty of nature.

Ganano Falls

Nagbukel (20 minutes from Little Eden)
Nagbukel (Ilocano for "round") just a 20 minute drive from Little Eden and 5 minutes from Diffun central, to this 300m high limestone mountain and surrounding nature park is very accessible for our guests. Trails through the park and up the mountain will lead you by an intriguing cave, and a summit which affords beautiful panoramic views of the sounding area all the way to Santiago City in Isabela. Enjoy the fresh air, magnificent views, and beautiful features of nature with an easy visit to Nagbukel.

Nagbukel Mountain

Susong Dalaga (20 minutes from Little Eden)
From the Tagalog words, suso meaning "breast", and dalaga meaning "maiden", when you see this pair of mountains, it's not hard to imagine why they are named as such. On arriving at the base of one of the "mounds", you begin the climb up the 180 concrete steps to the summit. Along the way you will see small caves in the side of the mountain, then caves a little bit larger that you can enter and explore, and finally the Cathedral. An amazing open top limestone cave, complete with relics of religious veneration from the past. Climbing to the height of the mountain, the views of the surroundings gives you a glimpse into the culture of the place. Rice fields, small villages, dirt roads complete with native buffalos, the view itself gives you an experience in Ilocano life - a taste of rural living in a Philippines province.

Susong Dalaga mountains

Cabarroguis Watersports Complex (25 minutes from Little Eden)
Cabarroguis is the capital municipality of Quirino province. It is also the water sports capital of Cagayan Valley due to its watersports complex located just one kilometre from the main highway. Consisting of a beautiful infinity pool and a natural lake that has been developed into a fantastic wakeboarding arena, you can get your relaxation and excitement all in one place.

Cabarroguis Watersports Complex

Aglipay Caves (35 minutes from Little Eden)
A system of 37 caves amid beautiful forestry, Aglipay caves are a popular tourist attraction for locals and visitors alike. For a small fee, a guide will take you through 6-8 of the very large, interconnected caves on a one and a half hour easy hike. Accomodation is available if you would like to take advantage of the campsite and enjoy a longer stay in the health giving forest environment, or use Aglipay Caves as a nice pitstop on your travel to Madella. Aglipay is also host to several falls which you can add to your journey and experience.

Aglipay Caves

Aglipay Campsite

Pensal Falls

Claredita Falls

Overnight Tours (1-2 hours from Diffun Town Center)

Governor's Rapids (1 hour from Diffun)
One hour from Diffun, situated on a pristine section of Cagayan River - the longest and largest river in the Philippines - Governor's Rapids provide more than just a fun, fast flowing current. Named after a Japanese governor general who went missing in its waters, the more turbulent parts offer thrills with white water rafting, kayaking, and tubing, while, if you are more a sight-seer, you can avail of guided river tours which grant picturesque vistas of limestone cliffs, waterfalls, caves - even a waterfall inside a cave. Madella is a very popular tourist destination in the Quirino province, and for good reason. The natural beauty of the place, the native culture, its food and history, draw to its banks national and international adventurers alike. Holiday cottages are available to rent so you can spend as much time in and around the water as you like, soaking up the bounty of fun, sight seeing, and relaxation to be had at Governor's Rapids, Madella.

Whitewater Canoeing

Kayaking

Guided Tours

Cave Exploration

Landingan Viewpoint (1.5 hours from Diffun)
A tourist feature synonymous with its host town Nagtipunan, Landingan viewpoint is a place to catch your breath, calm your nerves and soothe your eyes with the magnificent views. Brightly coloured flower gardens carpet the top of the famous hill, serving as a beautiful foreground of the panoramic view which stretches out to distant mountains, rivers and plains. For the hikers in your group, there is a scenic 13km trail to get your legs moving and your lungs pumping.

Siitan Nature Park (1.5 hours from Diffun)
Because the town of Nagtipunan is half an hour out of the way if you are travelling from Diffun to Dinadiawan Beach, most people need a little more than a hilltop flower garden to bring them there. Lucky for Nagtipunan, it also is home to the Siitan Nature Park. Another destination located on the banks of a river - the Siitan river - Siitan Nature Park offers a similar experience to Governor's rapids, with kayaking, guided river cruises, tubing, cliff diving and swimming - albeit more on the relaxing side than the white waters of Madella. A river cruise will afford views of clear waters, limestone cliffs, and an enourmous natural rock formation named Bimmapor - famous for its ship-like appearance.

Landingan Viewpoint

River Cruise, Siitan Nature Park

Kayaking Siitan Nature Park

Tours Further Afield (2.5-5 hours from Diffun)

Dinadiawan Beach (2.5 hours from Diffun)
Philippines is arguably most famous for its beautiful beaches. Beach resorts, a sparkling, clear blue ocean to swim in, white sands lined with coconut trees and nipa huts, drinking fresh coconut juice from the nut; when thinking of a Philippine's beach, the imagination presents a laid back, quiet, sun warmed, very enjoyable - and usually much needed, vacation. Dinadiawan provides all this and more. Described by travellers as a "hidden gem", a "clean", and "white sands paradise." Unlike other popular beach destinations in the Philippines, there are no noisey crowds, there is no rubbish lining the shore, no buzz of human activity. Leave the traffic, the rush, and the world, behind with a trip to Dinadiawan beach.

Dinadiawan Beach

Banaue Rice Terraces (3 hours from Diffun)
No description of tourism in Northern Luzon is complete without mentioning the Rice Terraces of Banaue. Situated in Ifugao, the home province of Little Eden's very own Perlynette, the unofficial "eight wonder of the world" is a sight that will truly inspire awe and wonder. It is said that the terraces were built over two thousand years ago by the ancient ancestors of the Ifugao people. Covering ten thousand square kilometres of mountainside, the sheer amount of labour required to build the terraces boggles the mind - and the fact that a large amount of the rice terraces are still in use today, rice being farmed there much in the same way it was thousands of years ago, grants the observer a unique insight into the ancient lives, wisdom, and determination of our forebearers in their efforts to survive. A tour package will provide a van driver and guide, food, and accomodation at the rice terraces. True adventure is more than a photo op, it involves the experience of becoming acquainted with other people in distant lands and in the distant past. Adventure opens the mind and heart to the lives of others, and the rice terraces of Banaue are peak adventure.

Rice Terraces, Banaue

Daily life in the rice terraces

Maintaining a rice terrace

Sagada Caves (5 hours from Diffun, 2 hours from Banaue)
For those going adventuring to the rice terraces, it might be worth it to journey an extra two hours further to Sagada, Mountain Province. In this mountainous town in the clouds, you will find rice terraces, hanging coffins, blue soil hills, and a cool climate, but what Sagada is truly famous for is its vast network of 60 (discovered) caves. The largest of this is unimaginatively nicknamed "the big cave." The name might not be awe inspiring, but the cave certainly is. Availing of a tour guide at the Sagada tourism office - it's mandatory - your guide will take you to the cave entrance where you will enter and descend into its depths. Deep inside the earth you will discover amazing natural features and formations, the highlight of which are often said to be the mysterious way many formations resemble things on the outside - The bear, the elephant, the tortise and the chocolate cake. Not for little children, the caves will require a moderate amount of fitness and endurance although it is suitable for beginner cave explorers. The shorter course will have you in the bowels of the earth for 1-2 hours, while the longer Sumaguing-Lumiang cave connection will take 3-4 hours to complete. People say they forget a lot of things while on their Philippine vacation, but the big cave of Sagada is something they will never forget. Some return several times to experience the thrill, the adventure, and the sense of pride and accomplishment that conquering the caves bestows. Of all the activities in the Philippines, the Sagada cave adventure is considered by many as the experience of a lifetime above all others.

Sumaguing Caves

Sagada Rice Terraces

Hanging Coffins

Rock formations