How To Commute To Lucban's Tourist Spots

If you're going to Kamay Ni Jesus in Lucban Town of Quezon Province and you don't know how to get there, just read this quick commute guide and you will surely reach your destination even if it's your first time in Lucban. St Luis Bishop Church, Pahiyas Festival every May 15 and the famous Pancit Habhab are among the other major attractions Lucban is famous for. Meanwhile, Kamay ni Jesus actually refers to the healing church outside Lucban town proper. Aside from the healing church, popular attractions flocked by lots of travelers and tourists from different parts of the country as well as balikbayans are found in the sprawling territory of Kamay ni Jesus. Most prominently of which is the Via Dolorosa Grotto and the Garden of Eden where lots of characters and elements of Old Testament are featured including Noah's Arch House of Prayer & Spirituality. Hill of Ascending Christ is where the grotto is located. While inside Kamay ni Jesus land, you can also check out the following: Eden Falls, Rock Theater, Marian Park, Angels' Hill, Gallery of Saints, Luklukan ni Maria, Souvenir Shops, Candle Station, and you can get valuable info at the Information Center. There are also canteen and restaurants as well as Retreat Center and Religious Stores.

How To Commute To Kamay ni Jesus

Hill of Ascending Christ & the Grotto

There are two routes you can take from Metro Manila, choose one:

Bus Route To Lucena Quezon

Bus Route To Sta Cruz Laguna

Bus Terminals:

• EDSA Kamuning in Quezon City - JAC Liner and Lucena Bus Terminals along EDSA between Kamias Road and Mapagmahal St
• Taft cor Gil Puyat in Pasay City - There are Bus Terminals of JAC Liner, JAM, Tritran, DLTB, Ceres located few meters from LRT-1 Gil Puyat Station.
• Alabang in Muntinlupa City - Alabang Bus Terminal located in Metropolis Starmall
• EDSA in Pasay City - Philtranco Bus Terminal along EDSA's northbound lane.
• Araneta Center Cubao - JAC Liner in Araneta Bus Terminal.

How to get to Kamay ni Jesus via Lucena

Yummy Pancit Habhab

Ride a provincial bus bound for Lucena City at any of the terminals mentioned above. Your destination when asked by the conductor is "Lucena Grand Central Terminal"

After you have alighted from the bus at Lucena Grand Central Terminal, you could use a comfort room and a fast food to freshen up. After that, look for a jeepney with "Lucban" sign. The jeepneys are long and bigger than the ones you see in Metro Manila.

Tip: In a nice way avoid talking to barker, just look for a jeep only bound for Lucban. If you talk to them, they will let you board a jeep bound for far flung location that will pass by Lucban. And you're going to wait longer before the jeep leaves. So, my advice is to ride the jeepney bound only for Lucban. It leaves momentarily. Pay 20 pesos to the conductor that collects fare. Tell him you're going to "Grotto", the most common reference to Kamay ni Jesus. The trip to Lucban Proper is approximately 45 minutes. So in around 25 minutes, remind the conductor to drop you off at the grotto. That's it.

How to go to Kamay ni Jesus via Sta Cruz

Garden of Eden & Noah's Arch House of Spirituality

Ride a bus bound for Sta Cruz at any of the terminals mentioned above. Tell the conductor that your destination is "Pagsawitan" where the terminal of jeepneys bound for Lucban is located. Ask the conductor to drop you off near the jeepney terminal.

Ride the jeepney with "Lucban" sign. It's going to be a bit longer jeepney ride, approximately one hour and 30 minutes. You get to pass by three Laguna towns before you reach the border of Quezon Province. These towns are Pagsanjan, Cavinti and Luisiana. After the border, the jeep still needs to pass by remote areas before you finally see Lucban Town Proper. Get off the jeep at its terminal so that you know where to take the ride back to Sta Cruz. The jeepney terminal is located along Rizal Ave formerly Lucban-Sampaloc Road.

Tip: I recommend to take only this route on broad daylight. The jeepney I have ridden has warning sign that reads like this: "Mag-ingat sa Holdaper, Manunutok at Mandarukot".

From Lucban terminal of jeepneys or anywhere in the town, take a motorized tricycle and ask the driver to take you to Grotto or Kamay ni Jesus. Fare as of this writing is 20 pesos if you're single and 15 pesos per person if you're in a group. The trike will take some municipal roads before it takes Quezon Ave and as soon as you exit the town proper, you get to see the majestically towering statue of Jesus Christ from afar. Soon after, you're right at the gate of Kamay ni Jesus sprawling territory. Enjoy!

How To Go To Lucban's Other Attractions

San Luis Obispo Church - St Louis Bishop Parish

Pahiyas Lantern

Mount Banahaw

Patio Rizal Hotel is a landmark in Lucban town

There are motorized tricylces' queue just outside the gate of Kamay ni Jesus complex. Just ride the one in the front and ask the driver to take you to San Luis Obispo Church, you will like it definitely if you are into church photography. If you're purpose is the Pahiyas Festival, I suggest don't get there few days before May 15 more so on the fiesta day itself. Why? First of all, thousands of passengers are headed to Lucban so the travel itself is hard right from the bus terminal in Manila. Second, it's hard to get accommodation as hotels are fully booked. Now you wouldn't want to squeeze into a friend's house when all their relatives from different parts of the planet are also on vacation with them, right? Maybe 3 weeks before the festival is a good day to have arrived in Lucban before the Pahiyas Festival day. You can still search for an affordable transient. Patio Rizal is the major hotel located only in Municipal Plaza where Town Hall is also located. The hotel itself is an attraction. It's a few minutes walk from the San Luis Church. By merely walking along the streets you can get a good vantage view of Mt Banahaw and take its photo from any angle. Pansit Habhab which is available from street vendors around Municipal Park during mornings are a must-eat once in Lucban. I've really enjoyed it, both the taste and the manner it is eaten which in Tagalog term is "Habhab". To eat in habhab manner means holding a rectangular banana leaf where the pancit is served, take it to your mouth and eat the pancit slowly. Don't ask for utensil as it is insulting to the tradition and culture. Now if you're eating Pancit Habhab at Buddy's, go and eat with pork and spoon. The unique part of eating pancit Habhab is you need to pour some vinegar into the pancit before eating it to really enjoy its exotic taste. Speaking of Buddy's, the original restaurant is located right here opposite Patio Rizal. And yes, you can also eat in habhab manner inside the famous authentic restaurant. Just ask the waiter to give you banana leaves.

How To Commute Back to Manila From Lucban

Via Lucena

- Just take a jeepney with "Lucban-Lucena" sign. Alight at its terminal in Lucena Grand Central Terminal. Wait for any bus bound for any destination in Manila e.g. Pasay, Cubao, Kamias or Alabang.

Via Sta Cruz

- Go to the terminal of Jeepneys bound for Sta Cruz. See map below to locate the terminal. Don't mention to conductor the word Pagsawitan. This time ask the conductor to drop you off at the terminal of buses bound for any destination in Manila e.g. Pasay, Cubao, Kamias or Alabang.


As you can see in this map, the terminal of jeepneys bound for Santa Cruz Laguna is just a short walk away from Patio Rizal, Municipal Hall and San Luis Obispo Church. Lucban-Sampaloc Road is now named Rizal Ave.

Kamay ni Jesus Healing Church and its territory is situated approximately 1.7 kilometers outside Lucban town proper.