Just a few hours away from Manila, travelers can find peace and solitude. Pandin Lake has been one of my favorite getaways in South Luzon. It's so peaceful and relaxed that even for a few hours, you can forget how busy your life is.
Pandin Lake is one of the famous seven lakes of San Pablo and the cleanest one. There is a small community around the lake and the women get their income from the balsa rides (yes, women maneuver the rafts). A day before you get there, make sure to arrange a reservation with Ate Siony(+639299789565)especially if you prefer to have lunch. The standard rate is P360 per person for the two-hour balsa ride + lunch. They don't have a minimum number of persons so it's fine if you are going alone or with your whole barkada.
To get there, hop on a bus bound to Lucena and get off at the Junction to San Pablo City. The trip lasts for about 1.5 - 2 hours and costs P120. From there, ride a jeepney or tricyle to San Pablo Poblacion (P10). They all stop near the church. Beside the church, there is a 7 Eleven store and in front of it is the terminal of jeepneys that go to Pandin. Ride the jeepney with the route "ILOG" and ask the driver to drop you off at Pandin. It costs P12 and lasts for about 30 minutes. The drop off point is a parking lot. During the weekends, there are children there waiting for tourists. They will guide you to the lake since you still have to walk for another 10 minutes to get there. These children won't name their rates and it's up to you how much you are willing to pay to them.
After ten minutes of walking, you will find yourself completely amazed by the view. The lake has a shade of blue - green depending on the weather, the surrounding place is covered by grass and there are small nipa huts around the lake. You will be welcomed by Ate Siony and she will guide you to your raft. Their sizes vary depending on the number of guests. If you are early, you can enjoy the ride immediately after they finished preparing the lunch. It consists of grilled Tilapia, rice, shrimp, fern salad and fresh buko juice. I don't really eat vegetables but I really enjoyed the freshness of the fern. There are also locals who sell leche flan and ube for 3 for P100. DO NOT miss them! They're one the best sweets I ever tasted. Once everything is ready, they will bring the raft to the other end of the lake and you will stay there for two hours. You can also eat your lunch here. The beauty of the surroundings plus the all-natural lunch just make everything perfect. After eating the delicious lunch, don't missing taking a dip in the lake.
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| Lunch in Pandin |
Life vests are always required since the lake is so deep at more than 60 meters. You can also ask them to bring you to Pandin's twin lake - Yambo Lake. It's just another 3 minutes of climbing from the other end of the lake. Note that you cannot swim in Yambo since it is used for fisheries. However, it also offers a magnificent view to the tourists. Two hours is really a short time because for sure, you will love everything in Pandin. And a lot of tourists do so don't be surprised if there are many people waiting for their turn when you get back. There is a simple bathroom just beside the lake where you can wash and change your clothes.
