Mount Purro Nature Reserve is one of the ecotourist destinations in our country. It is a hidden paradise located at Calawis, Antipolo City. The place is indeed a place to “disconnect to connect” with nature. If you’re looking for a weekend escape from the city life, then it’s time to take a break and discover the beauty of nature.

Mr. Toto Malvar together with her wife, Mrs. Baby Malvar set up and established Mount Purro Nature Reserve.  Mr. Toto was influenced by her mother and grandfather, General Miguel Malvar to restore Mother Earth to her formal glory. It was 1960 when Ondoy and Yolanda, Typhoon Lucille caused massive flooding and devastation in Metro Manila that made her mother encouraged him to plant more trees in Sierra Madre Mountain Range.

It was started with a bahay kubo and a vision of a place where their families can enjoy and appreciate nature as much as he did. However, they want to have a mission, that is when they have devoted their time building the Mount Purro Nature Reserve. “Love. Country. Family. Nature. God.” That is their motto, that really inspires me a lot. It was my first time visiting and able to experience an ecotourism destination.  And I, as an urban gardener was inspired by their family mission and motto. I wish many people will visit MPNR and be inspired by their mission, we really need to do something to restore our Mother Earth.  I’ll be forever thankful to MPNR for having us and enlighten to what we can do more for our nature.

Sharing with the mission of Mount Purro Nature Reserve :

• Environmental Rehabilation. MNPR is an ecotourism place in Antipolo that is uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. The primary motivation of their business is the love for environment. TThey have planted thousands of tress around the Mount Purro. They encourage to inspire everyone and especially their visitors to be one with nature and to rebuild the forest. They are now aiming for “zero wastes to landfill”, they want to redesign  the resource life cycles so that all products are reused. MPNR is also in partnership with DENR in proposing to make the Upper Marikina Manila Watershed to be an ecological center  of  Manila.
•  Local livelihood participation.
  • Bayanihan sa Kabuhayan (BSK). MPNR created a people’s organization called Bayanihan sa Kabuhayan (BSK). They are the caretakers of the forest.
  • Scholarship Program. MPNR provided scholarship programs to the BSK members.
  • Mount Purro Primary Health Center. MPNR established the Mount Purro Primary Health Center to provide quality health care and affordable medicines to the community.
• Dumagat Outreach. The Dumagats are the original inhabitants of Mount Purro. MPNR together with the Dumagats are working jointly in restoring the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
• Clean Water Initiative (Patubig). MPNR improved on the existing water system of the community.

Why #EnerosOnTheRoad Approved the Mount Purro Nature Reserve to be your next perfect weekend trip?

Martha Stewart Gazebo. MPNR has seven Martha Stewart Gazebos in various sizes around the area. Best for bonding area with family or friends and reading a good book. I just love lying in gazebos and simply doing nothing.

Loli’s Kitchen at the Mess Hall. Loli’s Kitchen provides best home-cooked foods in buffet-style that makes Mount Purro Nature Reserve’s a “Home Away From Home”. This is one of my favorite spots in MPNR because aside from the fact that I am a foodie, it provides a homey-rustic and laid-back feels that made me really want to stay and enjoy the buffet meals.

Loli’s Kitchen serves buffet-style meals, which include three specialty dishes, soup and/or salad, dessert and unlimited rice. Buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner is P400 per person and P100 for merienda that includes snack of the day and juice.

Warning! Next photos will surely make you hungry (Yes, I’m craving now… Gah!) Sharing with you The Loli’s Kitchen’ specialty dishes on the buffet table. Other dishes not included in each meals (sorry na mga bes… gutom much na).

Acquaint with the Dumagats. The Dumagats are indigenous peoples of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. We were able to interact with Datu Sonny, Kuya Rey and Kuya Isok. They have cooked for us, we were able to witness how they cooked their foods using bamboos and build a fire using kusot.  It was my first-time interact with indigenous peoples that I have just read in my history books.They have cooked sinigang na baboy and rice for us.  Dumagats used Pilukaw leaves, it is a plant which servers as their pampaasim or sinigang mix as known nowadays.

GAME ROOM. They have “Game Room”, it is an Indoor Playroom wherein families or friends can play billiards, table tennis, foosball and board games. It is also equipped with a comfy couch for TV those who love watching movies.

MPNR’s Activity Field. Outdoor activities in MPNR are hiking, trek to falls, camping and  tree-planting. We did not experience it on our stay but will surely try on our next visit. Mount Purro hikers’ usually preferred tent stay for their accommodation, which cost P500 per person.  This space can also be set-up for games, outdoor functions, and garden weddings.

Infinity Pool. Another favorite spot in MPNR is their mountain-side infinity pool. This is child-friendly pool as it has its child section where they can freely swim and enjoy the outdoor pool.

MPNR Night Activities :

MrsEnero Tips : The outdoor pool is so romantic ambiance at night as the pool has its colorful water effect and whimsical lights

A post shared by Angel Caronongan-Enero (@mrsenerodiaries) on Jul 20, 2017 at 4:11am PDT

The infinity pool at night.Spa

Massage Room is also inside the Mess Hall. For me, a perfect laid-back vacation always includes a night massage. Indeed MPNR not only relaxes our mind but also our body. I had a one hour traditional hilot massage.

S’mores Bonfire night. This is one of the fun night activities in MPNR. I just love roasting my marshmallows over a bonfire. There are two bonfire areas in MPNR, the common area in front of the slide gazebo and the other one is the mini bonfire near the cottages.

Cozy farm-style Accomodations. MPNR’s accomodation is inspired to Filipino bahay kubo, with the native-looking accommodation, indeed a modern-day bahay kubo. Nature-cation at its best! MPNR’s cottages and cabins are open but has screens, allowing us to experience nature by seeing our surroundings. MPNR’s accommodation is inspired to Filipino bahay kubo.

They have different accomodations types : Casitas, Cottages, Loft Cottages, Suite Home, Bamboo Cabins, Pavillion Hostel and the Garden Tent Area in Activity Field.

To know more of MPNR’s accomodation type and prices, click here.

How to go to MPNR?

• Along Aurora Boulevard/Marcos highway, you can take a Jeep going to COGEO

• From COGEO, take another Jeep that says PAENAAN. Tell the driver you would be going down at KANTO VETERANS

• From KANTO VETERANS, ride 2 tricycles to Mount Purro Nature Reserve in Barangay Calawis. (130 pesos for the 2 trikes)

Experience a nature-cation at its best! Be one with nature and be inspired. #EnerosOnTheRoad APPROVED! Visit Mount Purro Nature Reserve with your family or barkadas.

Follow Mount Purro Nature Reserve on Facebook and Instagram. For bookings and reservations, you may contact them at 09985612815 or book directly on their website.

For our more of our  Mount Purro Nature Reserve stories, kindly check our hashtag #TheEnerosInMPNR on Facebook and Instagram. And for more of our family adventures on the road : #EnerosOnTheRoad. Till our next adventure.