A Glimpse of Lake Pandin and Lake Yambo

Lake Pandin and the bamboo rafts.

Plenty of coconut trees in the area.

Freshly cooked food for lunch,  green surroundings, bamboo rafts cruising on the peaceful waters, it’s a simple depiction of our visit at Lake Pandin and Yambo. Two of the seven lakes in San Pablo Laguna. Also the cleanest and the most preserved (wikipedia). Only a 2-hour bus trip away and you can escape from the stressful city environment.

Upon arrival at San Pablo City, you need take a jeep and a tricycle ride or a tricycle ride straight to the twin lakes which will cost Ps 120.00 - Ps 150.00, it will pass Carmelite Road. It will take about 12 to 15 minutes.

And say hello to hiking. We were accompanied by a ten-year-old boy who seemed really used to taking tourists to the lake. The president of the group (Twin Lakes) Teena, and Ate Mailyn attended us on our lunch tour. They were very friendly and accommodating. These group of rowers were all female. Girl Power!

Teena and Ate Mailyn our female rowers

Since it's the start of summer, almost all the rafts were loaded. Good thing we managed to reserve one raft. You may contact Teena at 09079952983 for booking/reservations.

Bringing of your own food is allowed. Raft rental will only cost Ps 180.00 per head. If food will be included, they will charge Ps 360.00 per head. For two persons, they will charge Ps 400.00 per head which is the minimum rate. They will be serving cups of rice, ginataang hipon, inihaw na tilapia, seaweed salad and buko juice, all freshly harvested from the area. They would also offer ube halaya, leche flan cassava and sweetened tamarind. Three pieces of any would cost Ps 100.00.

We started eating lunch when we reached the grotto of Mama Mary.

The Grotto with fresh drinking water.

Its also where they get drinking water.

Swimming time! Because Lake Pandin is about 180 feet high, they would always require wearing a life vest. We did not swim because restrooms/bathrooms were still not fully developed. But if you have a vehicle you can just go to the nearest resort (Tala Resort) to continue swimming time.

After eating, its now time to see Lake Yambo. And we are just a strip of land away from it. This lake is more shallow than Pandin, with an average depth of 40m (wikipedia). The scenery, still peaceful. There we also saw fish pens and a very simple life style of people.

Overlooking at Lake Yambo

There were no reported aligator / crocodile attacks in the lake said Teena. And also, no lost people were reported. So I may say that the lakes are safe.

On our way back to shore, our guide Ate Mailyn  told us about the legend of the twin lakes. There was a couple whom for a very long time together were still not blessed to have a child, after doing almost all the methods they could do. Till it came to a point when they said that if they will be given a baby, they will not let him or her step on the ground. Until the wife got pregnant and bore a very  beautiful daughter. She named her Pandin. They taught how to make banig and they never let her step on the ground. Their house was made of a bamboo, and Pandin never gets out of it. Suitors would come to their house to pay her a visit. One of them was a lad named Ambo.

One day, her parents asked her to make a banig  while they were gone. Unfortunately, her scissors fell out of the house and on to the ground. She tried to get help but nobody heard her. When she was about to go down the house, she saw Ambo and tried to ask him to get it for her. But, Ambo did not obeyed. She wanted Pandin go down the house. He told Pandin that he would be willing to assist her on going getting the scissors. As soon as Pandin stepped on the ground, everything became a body of water, including Ambo.

At around 2:30 to 3:00pm we were heading back to the road when we saw this. 

And we are looking forward to it. :P

Budget for Trip:

Php  127.00 - Bus Ride from Pasay to San Pablo City
Php  120.00 - Tricycle to Lake Pandin
Php    17.00 - Back to City Proper
Php  127.50 - Bus Ride from San Pablo City to Manila

Php  400.00 - Lunch and cruise at the twin lakes

Php  100.00 - Pasalubong
Php  892.00 - Total Expenses per head