Ipo View Deck and Bitbit River in Norzagaray, Bulacan

Sometimes, you just have to go nature tripping with the family when life gets really monotonous due to the pandemic. And I’m so grateful that our province is nothing short of a nature retreat!

Just minutes from home is a mountainous area (although our place is already a mountain area that’s why it’s called San Jose del Monte), but what I’m referring to is a more mountainous neighboring town in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Last December, we were actually about to revisit Hilltop View Deck as per our original plan. But we were surprised to know that it’s already closed since 2018 (which was a year after our last visit!). So the guard on duty redirected us to the new Ipo View Deck which we actually passed by along the way but didn’t notice because we were too early!

 

About Ipo View Deck

Ipo View Deck is the newest attraction that has been getting lots of social media attention the past months. It’s a cliffside site offering an unobstructed view of the Ipo Dam and the Sierra Madre mountain range at the backdrop. It also offers Bali-inspired IG-worthy photo-op spots!

Entrance Fee: 5 php. No joke! Some areas don’t even have fees, just donation.

 

 

It’s conveniently located on the road side so it’s impossible to miss (unless you’re too early like us). The site is completely accessible since the roads are paved. But since it’s a mountainous place, expect an uphill, downhill, and zigzag path so you must ready your motion sickness medicines if you’re prone to dizziness. Our baby Sabrina (photo above with her parents) vomited several times 😢. So please be mindful if you’re bringing children.

When it comes to safety from covid, it’s generally safe since it’s an outdoor open space where air flows freely. Just make sure to keep a safe physical distance from other groups of visitors, and of course wear face masks (we only removed our masks when taking pictures).

 

 

If you happen to have a sudden craving for Samgyupsal, there’s an eatery called “Samgyup sa View Deck” just along the roadside with other stores. We haven’t tried it though since it was so early in the morning and we also brought packed lunch.

And since we haven’t had our breakfast yet, the “Unli Lugaw” looked enticing to us. Just spend 25 php and you’ll have a happy tummy filled with hot rice porridge. What a steal!

 

See also: Bulacan Tourist Destination – The Greenery

 

Bitbit River

After having our breakfast, we drove right away to Bitbit River. It was a nice sunny morning, although the night before was super duper rainy. We were a bit disappointed because the river was unclear due to heavy rainfall last night. We still went down to the river anyway, to have picnic and grill some barbecue by the riverside.

 

 

Here are the fees we paid upon entry:

• Parking Fee = 40 php
• Cottage Rental = 300 php

Note: No entrance fees required

It was uncrowded that time as it was off-peak season. There were only 2 groups (us included) during our trip. But this place gets really crowded during summer, and the river is clear perfect for swimming. But I guess if we are to visit again this summer, we will make sure it’s on weekdays.

We roamed around and looked for that certain spot that we frequented during our childhood years. It’s a shallow part of the river. Thankfully our mom still can remember so we followed her. Then poof! We found it!

 

 

Then we went back to our cottage to rest. It also started drizzling and we didn’t bring an umbrella and our camera’s not waterproof so we really had to go back!

 

 

I told my husband that he still didn’t see the true glorious shape of this place. Just like what I told him about Calaguas (I urged him to visit during summer and see what I saw!). So maybe, we’ll be back here this summer, or next summer. I want him to see it’s true color, and how refreshing it is to swim in this river!

Actually, there are many undesirable stories going around about this place like deaths and accidents. But really, that could happen anywhere, folks. Just be careful and responsible enough. Don’t drink and swim, don’t go far if you’re not a swimmer, etc. And of course, always pray for a hedge of God’s protection to you and your loved ones.

 

Location

Ipo View Deck and Bitbit River are just 3km apart (about 10-minute drive). They are both located at San Mateo, Norzagaray, Bulacan. You can refer to the map below.

 

 

Few more photos!

 

 

Read Next:

More destinations in Bulacan with scenic views:

• Kabayunan View Deck in DRT Bulacan
• Pugpog Bikers Highlands in Angat Bulacan