Excursion d'une journée au Pinatubo - Clark / Manille

We had an epic day out! Starting at 2am in Manila, we had a very comfortable transfer to the entry area. The 4x4 jeep into the park and then the trek into the crater was not easy, but rewarding once all completed. Helpful staff and lots of friendly like-minded adventurers made the day out really worthwhile.

We had the Pinatubo Tour in June 2024. Our on-line reservation was seamless. The communication was consistent in giving us information and updates until the day of the tour. Kuya Ramil, warmly greeted us at the jump off site and gave us the run-down of what to expect during the tour, making sure we have everything we need before embarking on this beautiful journey. He made sure we got the 4x4 as requested ( the only way to enjoy the ride ). We were accompanied by our tour guide Ranier and driver, Patrick. Both made sure we got there and return safely. Ranier helped us through the streams of water, making sure our shoes stay dry. Special mention to Patrick, our daring driver, who got us through the tough terrain during the off road, while some group got stuck, we breezed through it. Great experience with the Pinatubo Mountainero. Tip: You just need a bottled water and a candy or power bar. Due to the long walk to the crater, last 20 mins slight uphill (almost 1.5 hrs for us) the lesser/lighter you bring, the better. There is no restroom in the rest areas or checkpoints or when you reached the crater, the drop off site has a rest room for 10.00 pesos. Overall, the beauty and serenity of the crater is all worth it. We were lucky to enjoy it all to ourselves for at least 20 mins before everyone arrived. Thank you, Mauntainero.

We booked a tour for 2 persons for Mt. Pinatubo with transfer from Clark. They were very helpful in getting us foreign national travel clearance on short notice and communicated with us every step of the way. Transfer was simple and a streamlined process. Upon arriving at the jump-off point we were greeted warmly and debriefed on the day’s itinerary. Everything felt very organized and safe. Our guide Kuya Rener was amazing, he made sure that we were comfortable and checked up on us frequently. It was nice to be able to choose our own pace going up/down the hike, and Kuya was able to answer all of our questions and helped us to cross some more difficult streams of water. He took some awesome pictures of us at the main locations as well. Overall a very good experience.

Pinatubo Daytour - Clark / Manila

Excellent 5 star tour and organisation. I can't recommend this tour enough to those wanting to visit Mt Pinatubo.
Because of recent updates by the Office of Tourism for the Municipality of Capas, foreign visitors are now required to obtain military clearance to gain entry. The tour operators made this a total breeze. All I had to do was send them some photo ID and they handled the rest. When it's all approved you'll get a visitor clearance letter from the Office of Tourism.
The tour began with an early morning pickup, and drive to the military check point to provide ID and obtain a pass. Further on we changed over to a 4x4 vehicle. From that point on i knew we were going over some rough terrain, open dirt tracks, small rivelets. Heaps of fun.
Eventually we arrived at a point where the 4 wheel drive could not go any further and we then began the long but inspiring walk to Mt Pinatubo. Along the way we met several small villages with straw huts which offered a cooling relief and rest stops. Talking to the locals was such an insight. As the trek continued the rocky tors gave way to lush tropical rainforest. Truly amazing.
Eventually after a long but not overly difficult uphill trek, we arrived at our destination. The view from the top of the crater was spectacular and absolutely breathtaking. The trek was well worth the effort.
And if that wasn't enough we then had the opportunity to descend into the crater! The place is truly serene, a far cry from the massive eruption that occurred in 1991 which destroyed many villages.
And that was not the end of my surprises. On our journey back I spent time with the chief of an indigeneous community that live in the vicinity of the volcano. He was an inspiring man to speak to. Sponsored by his local church he was able to travel the world, to places such as Sweden, France, Portugal, Australia and showed me his many photos. And yet despite all this, he still preferred to live in his humble abode, a simple straw hut, unprotected by the 4 elements of the earth, hunting wild boar, farming, gathering and being a true leader for his people. He even taught me to shoot a bow and arrow.
My gratitudes to my wonderful guide, Roberto. He was caring, patient, and helped me to navigate the slippery rocks strewn in the flowing rivelets on our hike to the top. There were several times I could have tripped over but he supported me each time. It was his birthday so I made sure to treat him. It was like having a brother, a kind and caring person.
And a big shout out to Pinatubo Mountainero, for doing all the leg work to make this a truly not-to-be-missed, once in a lifetime, memorable experience.
I had hoped to upload some photos and videos of the tour, but that would take too long and I will endeavour to do so later, when they have been properly edited.
Thank you again Pinatubo Mountainero!