After a brief stopover at Sampaloc Lake in San Pablo, Laguna, we continued our Viaje del Sol. This time we were headed for “San Pablo’s best kept little secret” –Lake Pandin.
Environmentalist Mandy Mariño referred us to Mang Tano, president of the Samahang Mangingisda ng Lawa ng Pandin (SMLP). From the San Pablo town proper, we went on a 10-minute drive to meet up with Mang Tano at Barangay Sto. Angel.
Lake Pandin is away from the main road. From the main road we trekked a narrow path surrounded by tall plant life. Along our trail, we were occasionally greeted by children on horseback. We observed that horse dung is scattered along the trail. So we kept a keen sense so as not to step on one.
After a 15-minute trek, we sighted from atop of a hill the calm waters of Lake Pandin.
At the lake shore, we were greeted by Evelyn, vice-president of SMLP. She led us to the bamboo raft that would ferry us across the lake. The raft was about 30-feet long and 10-feet wide.
We enjoyed the scenery as Evelyn and Mang Tano paddled our raft across the Pandin. Surrounding the lake are forests of coconut trees and lush greens. Occasionally, we would hear unusual sounds from the forest which according to Evelyn are hawks and other birds of prey.
The water of Lake Pandin is so inviting that we started dipping our feet into the cold water while the bamboo raft slowly takes us to the other end of the lake.
The lake is 63-meters deep according to Evelyn. We observed a couple of fish cages. The lake is for one a source of livelihood. According to Mang Tano, they are exercising all efforts to preserve the lake. We learned that residents surrounding the lake (which are kept to a limit) source their drinking water from its center.
Pandin is the only one among the seven lakes of San Pablo where visitors are encouraged to swim. We were warned by Evelyn though that the part of the lake where we were about to jump into has “no bottom,” meaning it is so deep that our feet won’t be able to touch the bottom. But that did not stop us from not diving into the cold aqua crystal waters of Lake Pandin.
As we were ferried back to the lakeshore, the calmness of Lake Pandin made us hope for the natural beauty of the lake remains as how we are leaving it on that day.
Related links:
Traveler on Foot 
MY ENTRANCE BA PAG PUNTA DITO
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Hello! 🙂 pwede po ba mag-overnight dito? or may mapapag-overnight stay na malapit?
San Pwede mag Overnyt after mag stroll over the lake?
I’m gonna visit this asap. I’m a nature Lover and I’m very excited to visit this place. It’s more fun in the Philippines. Thanks for the info dear! appreciate it.
HI, manggaling po kaming alabang. how much po magagastos if pumunta kami jan?
ung sa balsa po tapos ung lunch on balsa??
*ang pamasahe po is 97 bus from alabang to sanpablo, (ung byaheng lucena.) then sbhn nyo KM82.
*baba sa 711 highway ng snpablo-
*20 pesos trickel hangang cathedral- (tanong nlng kayo kung san ang skayan ng papuntang liliw. dun un sa may cathedral).
*jeep na me signboard ng liliw/nagcarlan ang sasakyan (wala pang 15 un) tpos sabihin nyo baba kayo sa pandin. me sign board nmn na pandin sa left side.
*from there. maglalakad na kayo.
Thank you Kari. Appreciate this.
nice blog! my mother’s clan is from San Pablo and i’d never realized there’s a beautiful and peaceful place like this! first time i saw it (pictures though), it was a love at first sight for me! i’ll take my family here this coming summer. please post how to commute! thanks!
pano po pumunta dito????manggagaling po ako ng pasig…at sino po pwede kontakin???
ako po si jovelito
Thanks
Jovelito..you can contact Aling siony @ 09299789565
Believe me ang magagastos per pax is less than 1k.. you can start in Cubao.may mga bus doon papuntang San Pablo… then tricycle going to pandin..Aling Siony will be meeting you there..enjoy!
I took my family to Lake Pandin last Dec. 31, 2011 for a very wonderful experience. Was in contact with Sion as soon as I left Manila at about 630am. We did not go through San Pablo but thorugh Calamaba because we first bought a stack of buko pies at Orientaql Original where people line up to buy their pies.
The walk up to Pandin was a challenge for me, a sedentary person for most. But slowly we reached the top. the return was more or less a brieeze.
Food was good, coming from the lake and surrounding areas. Dont forget to order kulawo, an eggplant disk with coconut milk. Pako salad was the best I ever had.
If you like peace transquility and good food, Pandin is the place to go.
the Saturday before, we went to Sampaloc lake but gone are the balasas that used to offer food and rest. Too bad they scuttled them all. Pandin was indeed a blessing.
DOT should improve the access .On the way back we passed the long route via Sta Cruz and brought stack of special kesong puti past the Shell station on the right. Aling Dory’s Kesong Puti. Its the best in all Laguna I think.
wew! nice place 🙂
we are planning to visit Laguna next month. we are thinking of visiting lake Caliraya or the lakes of San Pablo. which destination do you think is better? and cheaper? thanks
you have a wonderful blog by the way 😀
how do i get to lake pandin by car if i’ll be coming from manila?
Regarding toll fees, how much will it cost me and which exits do i take?
I plan to go there next week. 1st of April. I’m from Makati and I plan to go there by public transpo. How can I get there?
Also, Should I contact first ate siony before going there for reservation? Or can I just “walk in”.
hi John, you can take a bus going to Lucena at the terminal along Taft corner Gil Puyat. Ask the driver drop you off 7-eleven San Pablo then look for a tricycle. Ask the driver to take you Pandin Lake.
I recommend you call Siony for reservation details.
thank you…
First time at Pandin last December on a Christmas Party with a friend’s company, was truly a beauty and very serene, enjoyed the food thoguht at first site it wont last the whole day but there were in fact left overs pa, buko juice was also sweet, it was truly refreshing want to go back again and this time will swim and bath in the nearby water fall.
[ PLS CONTACT ATE SIONY; +63929978965 ]
Is the number missing a digit?
🙂
two weeks ago i was in san pablo and initially wanted to tour it…didn’t materialize. another trip on oct 5 is in the offing. hope to do it for it may take years before i find the opportunity again hehe thanks btw, from mabitac, you can just ride a trike to take you to Siniloan if you can’t ride the jeepney 😛
pwede po bang malaman yong cel no. yong taga dyan na nagluto.. Para dyan na kami kakain ulit…..
OKEY SINCE I HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER OF ATE SIONY THE WIFIE OF THE CHAIR OF THE PANDIN SMALL FISHERMAN ASSOCIATION . PLS CONTACT ATE SIONY;
+63929978965
presently uplb graduate students in Environmental Science 242 class is conducting a study to value the ecosytem services of lake pandin. we visited lake pandin twicealreadyand planning to present the results of the study to the community maybe 2nd or 3rd week of Sept 2010.
since we missed to get the perception of some of those already visited lake pandin, we would like to post the following questions which guide us on your willingness to pay if lgu-san pablo in tandem with lake pandin association who provide the services on the site.
TO KEEP LAKE PANDIN SCENERY, CLEAN AND AESTHETHICALLY BEUATIFUL HOW MUUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY (WTP)PLS SPECIFY IN PESOS________________
IF YOU CANT PROVIDE A DIRECT AMOUNT OF WTP, PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
1. HOW MANY HOUR YOU SPENT IN TRAVELLING FROM YOUR PLACE TO LAKE PANDIN IN ONE TRIP________________
2. ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN GROUP? HOW MANY ARE YOU IN A GROUP_______________________
3. DO YOU COMMUTE/TRAVEL BY YOUR OWN CAR OR BY BUS/REGULAR TRIP PLS SPECIFY__________________
4. IF YOU TRAVEL BY YOUR OWN CAR, HOW MUCH IT WILL COSTS-TOTAL?_______________
BREAKDOWN: GASOLONE/DIESEL_____________
TOLL FEE _________________
BREAK FLUID-LUBRICANTS_________
FOODS/SNACKS ____________________
DRINKS AND BEVERAGES______________
OTHER INCIDENTAL EXPENSES __________
IF BY REGUALR TRANSPORT HOW MUCH THE TOTAL COSTS PER PERSON _________________
BREAKDOWN: PER PERSON: TAXI FROM YOUR HOUSE TO BUS STATION:_________
BUS___________
TRICYCLE_________
JEEP____________
FOOD EXPENSES PER PERSON WHILE IN PANDIN____________
RAFT RENT PER PERSON___________
PASALUBONG: KAKANIN (ubi,etc)_____________________
FRUITS( lansones, buko, etc__________
isda (tilapia, etc.)________________
souvenier _____________________
other ncidental expenses___________________ Pls help the UPLB student in coming an estimate for improving or maintaining lake pandin natural scenery an aesthetic ecotourism value by giving up your time in providing the information needed.
Thank you
dexter cabahug
gradaute student
School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM),University of the Philippines at Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines.
email add: orisssa@gmail.com
dex_cabahug@yahoo.com
I’ll be encouraging our batch that we will celebrate our reunion at Lake Pandin….Ganda… never ko naimagine na ganito pala lake na ito…. Sana yung iba ganito ding kaganda….
been living here all my life but i haven’t had the chance to see all the 7 lakes. i just had seen 4 or 5 ..i think.=)
i’ll be road tripping this saturday.. i got to see the PAndin lake.i feel shameful i live in san pablo but haven’t seen her beauty at all=)
we only got to see sampaloc and pandin. San Pablo is a charming city Minella.
nakapunta nah kmie dyan nung field trip nmin!!!!!!!!!!!
eii nakapunta kmi jan ehehe nitong sunday lang sept. 13 wow super ganda.. and tnx po
Any motor boats will not be allowed at lake pandin, it is said that motor boats will only pollute the waters of pandin. Thats the reason why you bamboo rafts and paddled boats are the most common mode of transportation around pandin lake.
I agree with you clifford. motor boats or any type of device that may cause to pollute the waters of lake pandin should not be allowed.
wow!
it was so great!
we also went there once and it was such a memorable experience.
hope many people can also go there and enjoy the beauty of nature.
It was a great experience Chris.
reading all the coments, I felt that it’s must to go.
How do I go there? Is there an entrance fee? Is permit necessary?
will powered personal watercraft like jet skis be allowed in the lake?
It will be a challenge to bring a jet ski to the lake Rene since there are no paved roads leading to the lake (you need to pass through a dense forest to get to Pandin).
And we want to preserve the prestine nature of the lake. Having a jet ski hovering its waters might ruin its serenity.
I second the motion.
Jetskis don;t seem to be compatible with
what Pandin is all about. Serenity.
🙂
Unfortunately ibon I lost the number of Tano. President of the Samahan ng mga Mangingisda sa Lawa ng Pandin. I will try find the number.
For the mean time try to google with Mandy Marino. He conducts a tour of Sampalok Lake and may provide the contact number of Tano. Thank you.
thanks for sharing! do you have a number of anyone who can accomodate us there? 😀
That’s good to know Abba. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the scenery.
hehe.. nakpunta kme jan! haha
Thank for visiting KeftFape.
Brilliant!