Mt Banoy in Batangas City
Mt Banoy in Batangas City is fast becoming a favored tourist destination, at least for those who have cars and are planning to camp near its peak. But for context, it is a bit of a challenge for those who are used to driving the wide roads as the paths leading to the site can very narrow at many points. Van can be used, but definitely not buses, not even coasters probably.
What makes Mt Banoy an ideal attraction?
For me, it will be the cool weather that can somehow compete with Tagaytay. The view is not as breathtaking as the latter, but impressive enough. And the place is quite raw as a tourist attraction due to the absence of so many commercial establishments, traffic and yes, tourist scammers. One can even bring a tent a camp on the open field which is currently allowed by some of the landowners. But I don’t know until when this situation will last. Best to bring your own food as finding a place to eat can be quite a challenge since the very few establishments could hardly accommodate an influx of tourists,
The reason for the road leading to its current height is the presence of a number of cell site towers that started to be set up years ago. So there, the so-called development was not really caused by tourism, but people are now discovering what the area offers.
How to reach Mt Banoy
The mountain area is about 45 minutes by car or van from Batangas City. You will have to traverse very narrow roads that at some points could only accommodate one vehicle. Your driver must be very skilled and comfortable in backing up or slowly navigating a challenging curb.
Is it worth it to visit Mt Banoy?
if you are a nature-lover and loves cold weather and awesome landscape and seascape, definitely! You can spend an entire day gawking at the view, or even a night should you decide to camp in an open field (again, allowed as of this writing). I may have exaggerated the narrow road thing and you may find it part of your travel experience. Just make sure you bring enough food, specially if you’re visiting on a weekend or holiday.
And because the site is still too raw, I may have to return to Mt Banoy sometime in the future and see how the place has changed, I hope for the better.