Daranak Falls nestles quietly at the foot of the Tanay Mountains, preserved with the natural vegetation, complemented with beautiful waterfalls, ponds, and rivers cascading through elaborate tropical trees and plants. This 14 meter high falls is truly a refreshing site. It is located at Tandang Kutyo in the town of Tanay.
Daranak's sign on the main highway on the road was a bit narrow and there was a stretch of unpaved road. Finally when you reached the end of the road which was Daranak's parking lot for P20 per day. There were many picnickers swimming in the area of Daranak falls. Some were grilling their barbecues and fresh fishes in shaded areas near the river. The sight of Daranak falls was marvelous, thanks perhaps to the on and off rains.The water drop from the main falls was around 25-30 meters high. There is a smaller falls somewhere near the viewing deck, after descending from the stairs. The wind was strong so you can feel the gust of water droplets on your face. Which is bad for a lens change in the area. Further down the slope of boulders and rocky terrain leading to the edge of the water stream and catch basin.
Near Daranak is another falls, Batlag, from where the water gushing down Daranak falls is coming from. It is in a private property so another P20 per person is collected. To get there you will need to go back to the area where a small store and comfort/dressing room are located, then cross a small, make-shift wooden bridge across the river. The trail going up Batlag is cemented. You can reach the falls area after 15-20 minutes of walking. Batlag has a lot of small catch basins with mini-waterfalls.. The river is shallow and the area is canopied by tall trees with some roots wrapped around the boulders and crawling above the soil. The place is not well maintained, though, as the picnic huts were already dilapidated, despite which, still the general area is a very refreshing sight to marvel..
