Travel Dust

The only way to get to Mount Pinatubo is to rent a 4x4 vehicle from the jump off point at Sta. Juliana / Pinatubo Spa Town. The 4x4s look cool but they don’t have air-conditioning and the road is really dusty so you’d definitely get a fun, bumpy and dusty ride. As much as I like the outdoors and 4x4s, I’m not a big fan of dust. BUT, I was spared from it because our friend decided to bring his car - thank God! haha. You can bring your own 4x4 to Mount Pinatubo as long as you pay the PHP500 car fee - it’s cheaper than renting the 4x4, you’re only taking the 2-hour hike, and you’re willing to get insurmountable amount of dust on your car haha. The heavier duty 4x4 cars in photo are the only cars allowed to take you to the 4-hour hike jump-off point. Someone I know who took that route said it had deep ditches & huge rocks you’d be driving on. Based on the Top Gear shows I’ve watched, I don’t think the Subaru we rode in was made for that kind of drive; a Land Rover perhaps. But I don’t think a Land Rover owner in the Philippines would be willing to test out his Jeep there.

If I go back though, I wouldn’t mind renting the local 4x4s. I want to know how I’ll cover up lol. It’s also a good way to support the indigenous people living there…