Easy Family Hiking at Bulabog Puti-an National Park

After two weeks of self-isolation for my family due to a Covid case in our neighborhood, I’ve been dreading to get out of the house and commune with nature. This pandemic has taken a toll on all of us in different degrees and only nature can heal it.

A chance for my boys to also take a break from screen time, off we went to Bulabog Puti-an National Park. Why Bulabog Puti-an National Park? Well it is close to the city and it is one of the easiest hiking trails.

If you are looking for a beginner hiking trail in Iloilo, Bulabog Puti-an National Park is the one.

Location: Dingle, Iloilo ( The park covers other municipality but this trail is located in Dingle)

How to get there: Take a jeepney to Dingle from Tagbak Terminal. Once at the poblacion, hire a tricycle to the park. It is not far. For those with cars, just follow your GPS once you arrive at the Church ( takes less than 10 minutes). The park is relatively easy to find.

Entrance fees: Locals – Php30; Foreign- Php100; Tourist Guide Php350

Hiking Duration: An hour or two. We stayed for more than 2 hours with all the photo ops and my lecturing. Besides, take your time as you immerse yourself with nature.

Hiking Level: Very Easy. The trail is just over a kilometer.

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A quick walk inside a forest. I first came here for my Local History class trip and it's surreal to bring my kids here again. Luckily, they don't have to endure the rocky path to the main cave (except for the last 100 meters). We skipped entering the cave and it was starting to rain. An easy hike of 2 kilometers but we were inside the national park for 2 hours taking photos of plants like coffee and plantita collectibles and of course, the century-old Dao tree. #nature #forest #momblogger #bloggerph #bulabogputian #hiking #momblogger

A post shared by Valerie Caulin (@writervalerie) on Oct 17, 2020 at 3:24am PDT

What to see at Bulabog Puti-an National Park

• Caves including historic caves used by freedom fighters during the Spanish Colonization to the Japanese Occupation and natural formations such as stalactites
• Century-old Dao tree
• Native trees like narra and other plants like coffee just to name a few
• Birds (more on hearing them)

Nature Therapy at Bulabog Puti-an National Park

I first visited Bulabog Puti-an Park as part of our class trip for my History course in UP. I went back again just months after giving birth to my 2nd child ( though we just stayed near the entrance and enjoyed the canopy) – therefore it’s been a decade since I came here!

The major difference is the paved trail which really makes this place kid-friendly. I’m not sure though if it’s due to the lockdown but some parts of paved trail were covered with moss and it was slippery (it was raining for the past few days) – so be extra careful.

Given the accessibility, Bulabog Puti-an National Park is now our weekend hiking trail. Hopefully we can explore the caves next time and visit other areas. Bring your older kids here for a digital detox weekend.