Wandering Soul Scamper

Category Philippines

Binabaje Hills
Jan, Tue, 2018
Binabaje Hills: A Resplendent Rolling Hills of Alicia, Bohol

 C:\ForDriveD\SD Card Backup\Pictures\2018-01-14_Alicia_Bohol

Have you heard of Binabaje Hills in Alicia, Bohol? Well, maybe you’ve only heard of chocolate hills, right?

Bohol is considered as one of the best Provinces in Central Visayas due to its astounding tourist spots and rich cultural heritage. Bohol is known for its beautiful coral reefs and beaches in Panglao island and the amazingly bizarre geological formations in Carmen Bohol, the chocolate hills. The symmetrical mounds that turn into chocolate-brown in dry seasons making it a grandiose vista of cocoa-brown hills contrasting beautifully to the lush green surrounding forests.

Bohol is known for these tourist attractions for so long now. From the wide arrays of tourism offerings ranging from white sand beaches, caves, waterfalls, old structures, the man-made forests, the luboc river, tarsier sanctuary and the infamous chocolate hills, who would have thought that this province can also offer other breathtaking vista like the Can-umantad falls, Cadapdapan rice terraces and the grandiose rolling hills in Camba-ol, Alicia, Bohol – the Binabaje Hills.

I’ve visited bohol few times already but I haven’t heard of this beautiful rolling hills called Binabaje Hills in the municipality of Alicia. Answering to the wanderlust in us, with no hesitations we responded the invite of a good friend – Marc of @theweekdaytraveler, and hopped into an adventure weekend to quenched our wanderlust thirst. The plan is to trudge Binabaje Hills, bask in the beauty of Cadapdapan Rice Terraces and immerse ourselves to Can-Umantad Waterfalls and Anda de Boracay beach.

The Topsy-turvy Trip

We agreed to depart from Cebu on the Saturday morning but due to some of us has still work until 1PM, we adjusted the itinerary and agreed to board the 1:30PM trip bound to Tubigon, Bohol. It was a win-win situation for us since we usually woke up late on Saturdays. We went to the port at around 1PM and tried to secure our tickets, but fast cat is fully-booked already. Our next best option is to get on board the Star Craft trip at 3PM. 

Given the departure time of 3PM plus the travel time from Tubigon to Alicia, we can’t make it to Binabaje Hills before sun down. So, we prepared ourselves for a possible night trek. We buy our tickets then and boarded the Star Craft at 3PM. Sail time is around 2 hours. The excited souls happily hopped in to the vessel with excitement of the adventure that awaits ahead. The universe seemed to be in our side as the waves of the sea were steadily creeping towards us and crawling gently to the shore. The ebbing tide was harmoniously groaning and the gushing waves are beyond comforting like kindling its own symphony. The metronomic gurgling waves is too hypnotic that put us all into sleep.

Past an hour of sailing, the horizon seemed to be stitched with a gray line. The skies dimmed and the quivering sea unleashed its mighty power. The echo of a raspy rumbling from the enraged sea came to us, and battered the vessel that we are in, tremulousness to fear. The waves were sloshing, slurping and slobbering with their salty lips. They pounded into the vessel we’re in, then paused and pounced again slamming the vessel for several times. A rumor of its malevolence gets into the skin to some of the passengers and cause them to panic. Everyone was watchful after some of the passengers shouted “Jesus! Help us!” as the strong wave juddered us causing our vessel to tilt significantly to the side.

After few moments of experiencing the smacking, smashing and expunging awful rage of the surging waves, the port of Tubigon can visibly be seen from afar to everyone’s relief. The slurpy slapping of the sea was muted, back to the metronomic murmur. The waves were merely snoozing, sluggish and slumbering in their liquid robes. A current of cold electricity passed through the air. We shivered. The wind whipped up. The setting sun appeared beautifully. The once gray horizon became a line of silver and gold. The sea simmered. Thank God.

Upon docking in the port of Tubigon, we disembarked and had our last-minute buying of stuffs for the trip. We bought dinner as we are certain that we have no enough time to cook our meal when we get there at Binabaje hills. After buying our stuffs, we hailed on a van going to Carmen. The sun is about to set already and the skies are getting gray again. After few minutes of van ride, we alighted at the gasoline station in Carmen and wait for a bus bound to Alicia. It is already past 6PM and the skies started to shower its blessings upon us.

We hailed a bus going to Alicia few minutes after but unfortunately the bus is full. We have no choice but to hopped in and stand inside the bus throughout the trip. The rain poured heavily as we travelled to Alicia. We are worried because we might be having a wet night trek to Binabaje Hills but at the same time it sounds very exciting, right?

The Jaunt to Binabaje Hills

We arrived at the Municipality of Alicia past 7 in the evening. We hurriedly disembarked from the bus and proceeded to the tourism office to meet Maam Gode and register. But something funny happened, Marc left the roasted chicken on the bus. Everyone is laughing as it seems that we won’t be having our dinner soon. We are thinking of plan B about our meal like buying something to cook in the market since carenderias or resto in the town are already closed. Odds is in our favor then as one of our guides helped us chase the bus to get our chicken, I mean roasted chicken. 🙂 Good thing, the bus route is just until Alicia and we got our dinner back.

 We met Maam Gode, registered our names and had a quick orientation and introduced ourselves to our drivers. The drivers Maam Gode arranged for us are also riders and are very familiar with the trails, so we are safe on our journey even the rain is about to pour again.

We headed to the jump off immediately 45 minutes past 7PM. Very funny because the chickens, I mean the roasted chicken was left by Marc again in the tourism office. Good thing, one of our companion noticed that it was not with Marc. We asked one of our guides to go back and get the chickens. 🙂

After 30 minutes of a very bumpy ride on a very slippery and rough road, we reached at the jump off, soaking wet as it rained on our way. We took shelter on the house near the jump off, and decided to have our dinner as our stomachs are rumbling for hunger already.

After dinner, while the rain stopped we started our trek. It was already 8:45PM.

The Trails Going Up to Binabaje Hills

We are just chill as we started the night trek, but as soon as we started the ascent, it seems that our lungs would give up any minute. The air is getting thinner, the skies are getting darker, the wind is blowing stronger and the downpour is getting heavier. We had our umbrellas and rain coats ready but our bodies were not. The first hill ascent seemed okay, until the second, the third and until on the succeeding hill ascents, the wind blow is getting crazy, our umbrellas couldn’t stand it. We have no choice but to get ourselves wet.

The trail is too slippery; the soil couldn’t get more loose by the heavy rain downpour. The long perennial grasses (cogon/talahib grass) will be your best friend for a while. But these grasses are not too friendly per se. It won’t let you hold them without cutting your skin like a fruit ninja. But situations like these, leaves anyone no choice but to clutched on the knife’s blade.

Some parts of the trail to Binabaje Hills are too bare that you can’t find anything to hold on to while ascending. You have no choice but to crawl your way up, else you will find yourself down below the hills. Some parts are too steep that when you make one step up, you will find yourself two or more steps down when you’re not careful enough. But these kinds of experience don’t make our adventure less exciting, in fact it added more flavor to it. The adrenaline junkies were more than happy and laugh it out as we approached Labawan peak where we will camp for the night.

After two hours of flounder ascents, we reached to the camp site. The camp site has a small hut built by the local government that serves as outpost to over watch the activities nearby the rolling hills like wild fires, etc. You can take shelter on this hut in times when your tents couldn’t withstand the harsh weather conditions or heavy rains.

We took shelter to the hut temporarily until the heavy downpour subsided. We changed with dry clothes and prepare to set up our tents. At around 11PM, we setup our tents while some of us were not able to set up the tents and decided to take shelter inside the hut. We had an ephemeral social gathering for the night with a bottle of local wine. After, we called it a night.

The Resplendent Binabaje Hills

  We were supposed to wake up at 5AM to watch the river of clouds and catch the sunrise, but the rains didn’t bother to stop until around 6AM. Some of our companions who took shelter inside the hut already called us at around 5AM, but sleep is irresistible given the weather condition outside. It feels too good to stay inside the tent at that time, but we must go by 7AM, so we have no choice but to get out and break camp in a chilly morning.

We then went outside to witness the beautiful vista atop the Labawan peak overlooking the Binabaje hills. The view outside is stunning. The creamy lush greens of unending rolling Binabaje Hills will unleash before your own eyes. The panoramic view of the Binabaje Hills is mesmerizing and hypnotically enticing that you wouldn’t want to leave sooner but enjoy the view as much as you can.

The sight is unbelievably ethereal that you would think that you might be in some parallel universe due to its spectacular scenery, too pristine without any signs of destruction and bunkum. The rolling Binabaje Hills can be mistaken like the Mount Batulao in Batangas. The have a very striking resemblance though except that Binabaje Hills is less known, less trodden and less crowded and almost at its pristine state. With that we can dub Binabaje Hills as the Batulao of Bohol, coz why not? 🙂

At the camp site, you can have a 360-degree view of these rolling hills cloaked in lush green tropical grasses. A mesmerizing scene aside from the overlooking view of the Municipality of Alicia and its neighboring places. One could say that the chocolate Hills is the most beautiful tourist spot in Bohol but for mountain lovers like me, I would say that Binabaje Hills could be the next top tourist destination in Bohol in due time if not sooner.

There is something in these Hills that would make you stop every now and then, take pictures and or just enjoy the beautiful creation unleashed in front of you. Words could not limn how grandiose this Binabaje Hills is, so I would leave it up to you how would you describe this newly found gem, the pride of Alicia, Bohol – the rolling Binabaje Hills. Leave your thoughts about Binabaje Hills in the comment box below.

How to get to Binabaje Hills?

From Tubigon, Bohol
  • I think the fastest way to reach Binabaje Hills when you are from Cebu is through Tubigon. Aside from having a cheaper fare, the travel time is relatively shorter.
  • From Cebu get on board any fast craft bound for Tubigon and from there, hail a Bus or van bound for Carmen, travel time is around 40 minutes to an hour. From Carmen, ride a bus bound for Alicia. Travel time is more or less 30 minutes. Alight at Alicia Municipal Hall. If you are not familiar with the place, tell the bus helper/ driver to drop you off at the Municipal Hall which is just along the Highway.
  • Go to Municipal Hall of Alicia and look for Maam Godelia Lumogdang, the Municipal Tourism Officer. I highly recommend to call or text her at 09338655650. Inform Maam Gode ahead of time that you’re coming to climb Binabaje Hills to avoid possible delays and conflicts with other visitors.
From Tagbilaran City
  • Another alternative to reach Binabaje Hills is via Tagbilaran City (sea Port or Air Port). From Tagbilaran City, you can ride a van or bus bound for Alicia. The travel time is more than 2 hours.
  • Alight at Alicia Municipal Hall. If you are not familiar with the place, tell the bus helper/ driver to drop you off at the Municipal Hall which is just along the Highway.
  • Go to Municipal Hall of Alicia and look for Maam Godelia Lumogdang, the Municipal Tourism Officer. I highly recommend to call or text her at 09338655650. Inform Maam Gode ahead of time that you’re coming to climb Binabaje Hills to avoid possible delays and conflicts with other visitors.

Few Tips:

  • Contact the Tourism Office beforehand so that they can provide guide(s) ahead. It can save you from possible delays in the Tourism office during registration while looking for one.  Contact the Municipal Tourism Officer, Maam Godelia Lumogdang, ahead of time about your plans to climb Binabaje Hills. You can call or text her at 09338655650 for inquiries and other necessary arrangements. She is kind enough to fix everything for you, from getting the local guide and transportation for you. Usually your motorcycle taxi driver will also be your guide.

(During our visit, she arranged the riders to be our transport and guide as well. On dry seasons, these riders can offer you a trail ride to the hills. Sounds exciting, right? But unfortunately, we were not able to experience trail motorbiking since we got there at night with heavy rains. The trail is not conducive for any rides at that time. Maybe next time. :))

  • Wear proper trekking attire and sunscreen if you’re trekking midday or past noon since the trail is very open. Literally you will be trekking on a rolling grassland.
  • Parts of the trail have very loose soil that can be very slippery and muddy especially on rainy season.
  • Remember to waterproof your valuables and other things as the weather nowadays become more and more unpredictable.
  • Bring enough food provision with you, which may include your packed meals, trail foods. Always remember to have a proper meal plan if traveling in a group.
  • Bring enough water and other liquids since there is no water source along the way. If you are trekking in a sunny day, bring with you around 1-2 liters of water. Bring more if necessary.
  • If you are planning to spend the night in the hills, it is advisable to go in small groups. The camp site is just too small to accommodate more tents.
  • There is no enough flat surface ground for camping. Bring with you few things that would make your camping experience a lot comfortable. To know such tips, refer to my previous post, https://wanderingsoulscamper.com/2016/11/05/trail-tweaks-how-to-make-your-camping-experience-more-comfortable/
  • Preserve the cleanliness of the place by observing the leave no trace principle. Whatever you bring in, pack it out. Do not throw garbage anywhere or leave anything behind rather pack it out and dispose it properly. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Practice responsible tourism.

Estimated Expenses:

  • Fast craft [StarCraft] fare [Cebu to Tubigon] – Php 275.00
  • Van fare [Tubigon port to Carmen]– Php 80.00
  • Bus Fare [Carmen to Alicia] – Php 40.00
  • Motorcycle Ride [Alicia Municipal Hall to Jump Off] (to and fro) – Php 200.00
  • Guide Fee [Good for 5 people] – Php 300.00 / Php 500 (overnight)

Note: Food expenses are not included here, as you may have different preferences as ours.

 

Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
Philippines , Travel , Trekking , Visayas
Binabaje Hills: A Resplendent Rolling Hills of Alicia, Bohol

 C:\ForDriveD\SD Card Backup\Pictures\2018-01-14_Alicia_Bohol

Have you heard of Binabaje Hills in Alicia, Bohol? Well, maybe you’ve only heard of chocolate hills, right?

Bohol is considered as one of the best Provinces in Central Visayas due to its astounding tourist spots and rich cultural heritage. Bohol is known for its beautiful coral reefs and beaches in Panglao island and the amazingly bizarre geological formations in Carmen Bohol, the chocolate hills. The symmetrical mounds that turn into chocolate-brown in dry seasons making it a grandiose vista of cocoa-brown hills contrasting beautifully to the lush green surrounding forests.

Bohol is known for these tourist attractions for so long now. From the wide arrays of tourism offerings ranging from white sand beaches, caves, waterfalls, old structures, the man-made forests, the luboc river, tarsier sanctuary and the infamous chocolate hills, who would have thought that this province can also offer other breathtaking vista like the Can-umantad falls, Cadapdapan rice terraces and the grandiose rolling hills in Camba-ol, Alicia, Bohol – the Binabaje Hills.

I’ve visited bohol few times already but I haven’t heard of this beautiful rolling hills called Binabaje Hills in the municipality of Alicia. Answering to the wanderlust in us, with no hesitations we responded the invite of a good friend – Marc of @theweekdaytraveler, and hopped into an adventure weekend to quenched our wanderlust thirst. The plan is to trudge Binabaje Hills, bask in the beauty of Cadapdapan Rice Terraces and immerse ourselves to Can-Umantad Waterfalls and Anda de Boracay beach.

The Topsy-turvy Trip

We agreed to depart from Cebu on the Saturday morning but due to some of us has still work until 1PM, we adjusted the itinerary and agreed to board the 1:30PM trip bound to Tubigon, Bohol. It was a win-win situation for us since we usually woke up late on Saturdays. We went to the port at around 1PM and tried to secure our tickets, but fast cat is fully-booked already. Our next best option is to get on board the Star Craft trip at 3PM. 

Given the departure time of 3PM plus the travel time from Tubigon to Alicia, we can’t make it to Binabaje Hills before sun down. So, we prepared ourselves for a possible night trek. We buy our tickets then and boarded the Star Craft at 3PM. Sail time is around 2 hours. The excited souls happily hopped in to the vessel with excitement of the adventure that awaits ahead. The universe seemed to be in our side as the waves of the sea were steadily creeping towards us and crawling gently to the shore. The ebbing tide was harmoniously groaning and the gushing waves are beyond comforting like kindling its own symphony. The metronomic gurgling waves is too hypnotic that put us all into sleep.

Past an hour of sailing, the horizon seemed to be stitched with a gray line. The skies dimmed and the quivering sea unleashed its mighty power. The echo of a raspy rumbling from the enraged sea came to us, and battered the vessel that we are in, tremulousness to fear. The waves were sloshing, slurping and slobbering with their salty lips. They pounded into the vessel we’re in, then paused and pounced again slamming the vessel for several times. A rumor of its malevolence gets into the skin to some of the passengers and cause them to panic. Everyone was watchful after some of the passengers shouted “Jesus! Help us!” as the strong wave juddered us causing our vessel to tilt significantly to the side.

After few moments of experiencing the smacking, smashing and expunging awful rage of the surging waves, the port of Tubigon can visibly be seen from afar to everyone’s relief. The slurpy slapping of the sea was muted, back to the metronomic murmur. The waves were merely snoozing, sluggish and slumbering in their liquid robes. A current of cold electricity passed through the air. We shivered. The wind whipped up. The setting sun appeared beautifully. The once gray horizon became a line of silver and gold. The sea simmered. Thank God.

Upon docking in the port of Tubigon, we disembarked and had our last-minute buying of stuffs for the trip. We bought dinner as we are certain that we have no enough time to cook our meal when we get there at Binabaje hills. After buying our stuffs, we hailed on a van going to Carmen. The sun is about to set already and the skies are getting gray again. After few minutes of van ride, we alighted at the gasoline station in Carmen and wait for a bus bound to Alicia. It is already past 6PM and the skies started to shower its blessings upon us.

We hailed a bus going to Alicia few minutes after but unfortunately the bus is full. We have no choice but to hopped in and stand inside the bus throughout the trip. The rain poured heavily as we travelled to Alicia. We are worried because we might be having a wet night trek to Binabaje Hills but at the same time it sounds very exciting, right?

The Jaunt to Binabaje Hills

We arrived at the Municipality of Alicia past 7 in the evening. We hurriedly disembarked from the bus and proceeded to the tourism office to meet Maam Gode and register. But something funny happened, Marc left the roasted chicken on the bus. Everyone is laughing as it seems that we won’t be having our dinner soon. We are thinking of plan B about our meal like buying something to cook in the market since carenderias or resto in the town are already closed. Odds is in our favor then as one of our guides helped us chase the bus to get our chicken, I mean roasted chicken. 🙂 Good thing, the bus route is just until Alicia and we got our dinner back.

 We met Maam Gode, registered our names and had a quick orientation and introduced ourselves to our drivers. The drivers Maam Gode arranged for us are also riders and are very familiar with the trails, so we are safe on our journey even the rain is about to pour again.

We headed to the jump off immediately 45 minutes past 7PM. Very funny because the chickens, I mean the roasted chicken was left by Marc again in the tourism office. Good thing, one of our companion noticed that it was not with Marc. We asked one of our guides to go back and get the chickens. 🙂

After 30 minutes of a very bumpy ride on a very slippery and rough road, we reached at the jump off, soaking wet as it rained on our way. We took shelter on the house near the jump off, and decided to have our dinner as our stomachs are rumbling for hunger already.

After dinner, while the rain stopped we started our trek. It was already 8:45PM.

The Trails Going Up to Binabaje Hills

We are just chill as we started the night trek, but as soon as we started the ascent, it seems that our lungs would give up any minute. The air is getting thinner, the skies are getting darker, the wind is blowing stronger and the downpour is getting heavier. We had our umbrellas and rain coats ready but our bodies were not. The first hill ascent seemed okay, until the second, the third and until on the succeeding hill ascents, the wind blow is getting crazy, our umbrellas couldn’t stand it. We have no choice but to get ourselves wet.

The trail is too slippery; the soil couldn’t get more loose by the heavy rain downpour. The long perennial grasses (cogon/talahib grass) will be your best friend for a while. But these grasses are not too friendly per se. It won’t let you hold them without cutting your skin like a fruit ninja. But situations like these, leaves anyone no choice but to clutched on the knife’s blade.

Some parts of the trail to Binabaje Hills are too bare that you can’t find anything to hold on to while ascending. You have no choice but to crawl your way up, else you will find yourself down below the hills. Some parts are too steep that when you make one step up, you will find yourself two or more steps down when you’re not careful enough. But these kinds of experience don’t make our adventure less exciting, in fact it added more flavor to it. The adrenaline junkies were more than happy and laugh it out as we approached Labawan peak where we will camp for the night.

After two hours of flounder ascents, we reached to the camp site. The camp site has a small hut built by the local government that serves as outpost to over watch the activities nearby the rolling hills like wild fires, etc. You can take shelter on this hut in times when your tents couldn’t withstand the harsh weather conditions or heavy rains.

We took shelter to the hut temporarily until the heavy downpour subsided. We changed with dry clothes and prepare to set up our tents. At around 11PM, we setup our tents while some of us were not able to set up the tents and decided to take shelter inside the hut. We had an ephemeral social gathering for the night with a bottle of local wine. After, we called it a night.

The Resplendent Binabaje Hills

  We were supposed to wake up at 5AM to watch the river of clouds and catch the sunrise, but the rains didn’t bother to stop until around 6AM. Some of our companions who took shelter inside the hut already called us at around 5AM, but sleep is irresistible given the weather condition outside. It feels too good to stay inside the tent at that time, but we must go by 7AM, so we have no choice but to get out and break camp in a chilly morning.

We then went outside to witness the beautiful vista atop the Labawan peak overlooking the Binabaje hills. The view outside is stunning. The creamy lush greens of unending rolling Binabaje Hills will unleash before your own eyes. The panoramic view of the Binabaje Hills is mesmerizing and hypnotically enticing that you wouldn’t want to leave sooner but enjoy the view as much as you can.

The sight is unbelievably ethereal that you would think that you might be in some parallel universe due to its spectacular scenery, too pristine without any signs of destruction and bunkum. The rolling Binabaje Hills can be mistaken like the Mount Batulao in Batangas. The have a very striking resemblance though except that Binabaje Hills is less known, less trodden and less crowded and almost at its pristine state. With that we can dub Binabaje Hills as the Batulao of Bohol, coz why not? 🙂

At the camp site, you can have a 360-degree view of these rolling hills cloaked in lush green tropical grasses. A mesmerizing scene aside from the overlooking view of the Municipality of Alicia and its neighboring places. One could say that the chocolate Hills is the most beautiful tourist spot in Bohol but for mountain lovers like me, I would say that Binabaje Hills could be the next top tourist destination in Bohol in due time if not sooner.

There is something in these Hills that would make you stop every now and then, take pictures and or just enjoy the beautiful creation unleashed in front of you. Words could not limn how grandiose this Binabaje Hills is, so I would leave it up to you how would you describe this newly found gem, the pride of Alicia, Bohol – the rolling Binabaje Hills. Leave your thoughts about Binabaje Hills in the comment box below.

How to get to Binabaje Hills?

From Tubigon, Bohol
  • I think the fastest way to reach Binabaje Hills when you are from Cebu is through Tubigon. Aside from having a cheaper fare, the travel time is relatively shorter.
  • From Cebu get on board any fast craft bound for Tubigon and from there, hail a Bus or van bound for Carmen, travel time is around 40 minutes to an hour. From Carmen, ride a bus bound for Alicia. Travel time is more or less 30 minutes. Alight at Alicia Municipal Hall. If you are not familiar with the place, tell the bus helper/ driver to drop you off at the Municipal Hall which is just along the Highway.
  • Go to Municipal Hall of Alicia and look for Maam Godelia Lumogdang, the Municipal Tourism Officer. I highly recommend to call or text her at 09338655650. Inform Maam Gode ahead of time that you’re coming to climb Binabaje Hills to avoid possible delays and conflicts with other visitors.
From Tagbilaran City
  • Another alternative to reach Binabaje Hills is via Tagbilaran City (sea Port or Air Port). From Tagbilaran City, you can ride a van or bus bound for Alicia. The travel time is more than 2 hours.
  • Alight at Alicia Municipal Hall. If you are not familiar with the place, tell the bus helper/ driver to drop you off at the Municipal Hall which is just along the Highway.
  • Go to Municipal Hall of Alicia and look for Maam Godelia Lumogdang, the Municipal Tourism Officer. I highly recommend to call or text her at 09338655650. Inform Maam Gode ahead of time that you’re coming to climb Binabaje Hills to avoid possible delays and conflicts with other visitors.

Few Tips:

  • Contact the Tourism Office beforehand so that they can provide guide(s) ahead. It can save you from possible delays in the Tourism office during registration while looking for one.  Contact the Municipal Tourism Officer, Maam Godelia Lumogdang, ahead of time about your plans to climb Binabaje Hills. You can call or text her at 09338655650 for inquiries and other necessary arrangements. She is kind enough to fix everything for you, from getting the local guide and transportation for you. Usually your motorcycle taxi driver will also be your guide.

(During our visit, she arranged the riders to be our transport and guide as well. On dry seasons, these riders can offer you a trail ride to the hills. Sounds exciting, right? But unfortunately, we were not able to experience trail motorbiking since we got there at night with heavy rains. The trail is not conducive for any rides at that time. Maybe next time. :))

  • Wear proper trekking attire and sunscreen if you’re trekking midday or past noon since the trail is very open. Literally you will be trekking on a rolling grassland.
  • Parts of the trail have very loose soil that can be very slippery and muddy especially on rainy season.
  • Remember to waterproof your valuables and other things as the weather nowadays become more and more unpredictable.
  • Bring enough food provision with you, which may include your packed meals, trail foods. Always remember to have a proper meal plan if traveling in a group.
  • Bring enough water and other liquids since there is no water source along the way. If you are trekking in a sunny day, bring with you around 1-2 liters of water. Bring more if necessary.
  • If you are planning to spend the night in the hills, it is advisable to go in small groups. The camp site is just too small to accommodate more tents.
  • There is no enough flat surface ground for camping. Bring with you few things that would make your camping experience a lot comfortable. To know such tips, refer to my previous post, https://wanderingsoulscamper.com/2016/11/05/trail-tweaks-how-to-make-your-camping-experience-more-comfortable/
  • Preserve the cleanliness of the place by observing the leave no trace principle. Whatever you bring in, pack it out. Do not throw garbage anywhere or leave anything behind rather pack it out and dispose it properly. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Practice responsible tourism.

Estimated Expenses:

  • Fast craft [StarCraft] fare [Cebu to Tubigon] – Php 275.00
  • Van fare [Tubigon port to Carmen]– Php 80.00
  • Bus Fare [Carmen to Alicia] – Php 40.00
  • Motorcycle Ride [Alicia Municipal Hall to Jump Off] (to and fro) – Php 200.00
  • Guide Fee [Good for 5 people] – Php 300.00 / Php 500 (overnight)

Note: Food expenses are not included here, as you may have different preferences as ours.

 

Malubog Lake
Jul, Sun, 2017
Malubog Lake and Malubog Falls: Toledo City’s Serene Hideaway and Reflections
Malubog Lake
Malubog lake is located in Barangay General Climaco, Toledo City. This is by far one of the biggest lakes in Cebu Province. It is fascinating and the air is fresh and overwhelming with cool gushes of wind blowing past, provoking the trees around to dance.

My mind has been in the state of turmoil on the thought that why humans, we humans has the hunger for adventure and the urge to be in trendy places? I can’t really figure out why most of us seem to always be in the pursuit of what is “in” that we often forget to appreciate what’s really in our backyard and often overlook the underlying beauty of the things in front of us.

Well, it is human nature I guess that most if not all, often go with what is in trend. Humans usually chase fame no matter what it takes, go to popular places no matter how overrated it is, stay in a five star hotels, eat in luxury restaurants, etc. For what? Maybe for social media posts or what not… I don’t really know the answer. Maybe, I’m not human after all. LOL. Of course, they have their reasons and we should respect that. But one thing is for sure, it’s none of our business. “Walang basagan ng trip ika nga”.

But there are few that would rather choose the off-beaten path. Strive to be on the opposite side of what is usual and does not always go with the flow. Always try to do things differently. Do things in a crazy way. And guess what? I am one of these few. We only live once, right? So, we might as well have the craziest, out of this world, fun-filled roller coaster and adventure driven life. It’s not a crime to be different and weird after all. So let us live our lives the way we wanted and be happy with it.

The off-beaten Road to Malubog Lake:

It was a gloomy weekday afternoon in the office that I got an invitation to visit the western city of Cebu Province, the City of Toledo. The plan is to explore the hidden treasures that this copper capital of Cebu has to offer. I barely know the places in the suggested itinerary except for the Biga Pit that is making rounds in the social networking sites because of its exquisite panorama of the turquoise-teal waters forming an enchanting lake amidst the monotonous rocks from copper mining.

I got other adventure invites at that time too. But I don’t know, maybe because of my personality and a strong preference of opting to be in less crowded places than those with tourist-frequented places, I responded the invitation with a YES. It’s not that I am anti-social, but I do love visiting the less known places or are yet to be explored. Maybe it’s because of the thought that less known places are usually still in their almost pristine form.

Toledo City humbly offers these pristine gems that are mostly not known to tourists yet. It proudly offers the Malubog Lake, Malubog Falls, the mining tunnel, the Biga Pit, and not to mention its mesmerizing Sta Ana Maze Garden and astounding hills/mountains that offers a breathtaking vista too.

The Pursuit to Malubog Lake and Malubog Falls

Every place has its backstory. Every truth has a tale. And every tale can never be the truth but merely a legend. Malubog Lake in Toledo is not an exemption.  It has been long believed that paranormal happenings took place within the vicinity of the lake. It has been said that there are unexplained disappearances of people in the lake. Some believed that there is a mythical creature “mantalaga” living in the deepest part of the lake. “Mantalaga or mantaga” is a mythical creature commonly transliterated in folklores as a creature with resemblance to giant octopus but lived in bodies of freshwaters like lakes, rivers, waterfalls, lagoons and the likes.

Malubog Lake

It has been told that the creature will show its rage to those people who doesn’t pay respect to the place. And to avoid its wrath, we must not provoke it in any way like producing boisterous and loud noise, or superfluous puns about the place. But in all honesty, there is no such thing as a true tale nor an authenticated legend, for the truth has many faces, it really depends mainly on how we perceive things with our own will and thoughts and that are properly documented.

All these tales made us more curios and interested to visit this uncanny place as they say. So we took the early bus to Toledo City. The ride was a bit bumpy. Lacking some sleep the night before, most of us felt bleary. But that didn’t stop or lessen our excitement as we drew nearer to our destination. Our jubilant souls hurdles out of delight like a carefree child that is going to get a new toy. A couple of hours later, we arrived at the junction going to Malubog Lake in Barangay General Climaco.

We took another ride going to Barangay General Climaco by hired motorcycle (habal2x). The road is a bit rough and not concretely paved. We jaunt to the wet, desolate roads that rested in silence as the bright sky smiles over it. The water in the road portholes shimmered by the glow of the bright, yellow rays of the sun. The small, green trees on the roadside swayed as the strong breeze hit them. The cool monsoon air carried a sweet moist scent like a candy shop kept inside a refrigerator. I personally felt goosebumps all over as the wind chills down my spine.

Malubog Lake

Above a faded horizon from afar, amidst the bushes in the sidelines, the beautiful rays of the sun pierced through it as it frantically changed colors, a color spectra seemingly mesmerizing rather like a disco light. The scenery of community we passed by shows how vibrant life in a place away from the bustling and chaotic city. The vista gratified my soul driving it inside in an ecstatic potion induced world of euphoria. The view simply depicts life in its simplest form.

My stomach growled and I squirmed in my seat to try to silence the rumbling. I glanced at the clock; there were only few more minutes before we will arrive at our destination. Then I’m slowly losing my attention to the vista around as my head was preoccupied; my eyes glazed over as I imagined a sumptuous breakfast ahead. I was salivating at the thought of it. Only few more minutes as the driver said. I watched the clock again but the slower it seemed to go. My stomach rumbled again. Finally, I heard the driver saying we’ve arrived and stopped few meters away from the barangay hall.

Yay, we arrived at Barangay General Climaco where our friendly and pretty host patiently waited for us – Miss Beth Dacuma of the Teacher Traveller PH.

Malubog Lake

The Almost Hushed Trek at Malubog Lake

We had a quick self-introduction with Miss Beth. Then, we had our breakfast in the nearby eatery. We also bought packed lunch and snacks for the day. We had a quick orientation from our host. She told the tale about the paranormal happenings and unexplained disappearances and deaths near the lake. I am not a 100% believer of any tale but we need to respect that. And I must agree to her 100% that we need to respect the place. We are the visitors and we need to respect whatever the beliefs and cultures in the places that we are visiting. After all, tale or truth, there’s no harm on being cautious. This is not only applicable to Malubog Lake but to every place that we are going to visit. Let us be responsible.

Malubog Lake

We say our prayers before we commenced our trek. We went straight to the Lake as our first destination of the day. Malubog Lake is just few meters away from the Barangay Hall. We walk down. Careful, mindful and seemed like everyone has fever or something. Everyone was silent on the trail. No loud talks, etc.

The trail experience seemed to bring me to a harmonious resting place. Alongside the tortuous trail, gardeners grew trees and shrubs along the path. Trees with numerous branches. They had oval-shaped tree clowns and summer turned some of the leaves into the color of dusk. While looking at the branches, I noticed a leaf falls in front of me like a flying butterfly. It died. No matter how hard it struggled, it still couldn’t escape the inevitable, just like human.

The Promising Malubog Lake

Glancing at the sky, the sun has already risen. Continued with the trek. Few steps and the magnificent Malubog Lake came into sight. Not a single word was spitted from our mouth, but we both wore smiles like the new moon. Miss Beth then told us to do our stuffs. We took photos of the place. Enjoying the once man-made Lake that looks like naturally formed now. Malubog lake is fascinating. The air is fresh and overwhelming with cool gushes of wind blowing past, provoking the trees around to dance.

Malubog Lake

It was a lovely day and perfect for picnic at Malubog Lake.  The grass on the side of the lake was soft and green, reserved for those who wanted to lie down or sit. A sweet aroma of fresh air overflowed nearby like a shining light, but was hidden by the untrimmed bushes and wildly growing trees. Hesitating to proceed anywhere, further, I took a few minutes to treasure the moment of silence and peace like the defunct floating restaurant floating silently in the lake. Cherishing everything in life no matter how simple it could be should probably the recipe of happiness, shouldn’t it?

Abstract Simplicity

Despite the hesitation to leave Malubog Lake sooner but time ticked so fast and we need to keep moving. We need to move to another destination of the day. But each step we took was like an imprint in my heart, a fossil that would always remain the same and special inside me forever. A day that I would probably remember for a long time.

Malubog Lake

The boat going to other side of the lake left already so we opted to trek to the other side though it will take some time. We are trekkers anyway. As we trekked towards the other side, the scenery along the trail is simply at its best. From river crossing, vegetable plantations, the water buffalo on the grassland, the nipa huts, the lush bushes around, the ecstatic children playing their simple toys, etc. These scenarios are irresistible to not be captured on lenses. And these simply depicts a simple life, a life that could barely be seen in the city. A life that I have been forgetting for a while. A life of no complications and all which made me contemplate on few things.

Malubog Lake

The greatest step toward a life of simplicity is learning to let go. Letting go of the things that make our life complicated. Life is really simple, it is us that insist on making it complicated. It is ourselves that hold on to something that made our life complicated. We often forget that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Essentially, we are free to choose how to simplify our lives. Some things we must consider include developing a work-life balance, embracing the good life, living mindfully, savoring the moment, spending quality time, and slowing down. Whatever we choose, the decisions ought to result in improving our well-being and peace of mind.

Malubog Falls

We will live a life of peace and not chaos, a life of essentials and not complication. We will slow down and stop living the frazzled life, a lifestyle of stress. We’ll live mindfully, in the present moment, and not ruminate with worry of the future or regrets of the past. We will live a balanced life— have time for work, love, family, leisure pursuits, fitness, and spirituality and not on petty things that will ruin our mood almost every waking day of our life.

We will have freedom from those conditions, commitments, responsibilities, and let go of people who prevent us from living the good life. We’ll have the freedom to live as we desire—authentically. No masks, pretentions, wrong perceptions and or grudges.

Malubog Lake

 

Incredulity

Passing through the off-beaten path, the refreshing colors of the crops enthused our eyes. Circling around the other side of Malubog Lake is quite a trek but the team was slowly gaining back the momentum eventually. Started joking again and started to have more fun. We then reach to the Malubog falls. The view is appealing to the eyes due to it’s oddly different color. By just looking at it, you would be tempted to take a dip. But the water in the waterfall seems not clean. The color is turquoise-teal, a bit close to aqua. And yes, do not bath in this waterfall, it might not be safe at all.

Malubog Lake

The color simply suggest that it contained copper compound residue or copper sulfate. But it’s not really copper sulfate that’s making the color into turquoise-teal but the presence of copper ions absorbing the bluey or green light and reflects back to our very own eyes. We took few snaps of the place and headed to the next stop – the tunnel and Hinulawan River.

Malubog Lake

Unfortunately, the tunnel was restricted to tourists at that time due to recent incident. The guards from the mining company told us that they are only allowing residents to pass through and even warned us to not go to Biga Pit. We understood that it is a private property but Manong guard could have spoken to us in a professional way. He was a bit rude by the way.

Malubog falls

We proceeded immediately to Tagaytay Hills to have an overlooking view of the lake instead. We rode the outrigger boat back to other side of the lake for P10 each to save time, then trekked up to Tagaytay Hills, passing through communities in the area. Above us was the beautiful, high noon blue sky with fluffy, white clouds. Exhaustion and the fiery heat of the sun didn’t stop us to go uphill. The view of the lake slowly revealed right before our eyes as we gained altitude.

Few more minutes and we’re at the top of the hill. The vista below is like an energy bank reloading our almost depleted energy reserves. The water was calm and beautiful in every aspect. Malubog Lake seems mystical and have a spellbinding foliage shielding around. Out to the arms of Malubog lake, we can’t help but stared and admired in every manner to cherish and remember it like a picture that never change.

The Sweet Goodbye

Enjoying the vista below that Malubog Lake revealed, we almost forgot that our bellies need to be stuffed. So we took shelter on the nearby Mango trees and ate our lunch. The heat of the sun is still scorching so we decided to have a quick werewolf game. We got to know a bit with each one of us and was able to socialize. At around 2 in the afternoon, we decided to proceed. We bid our last goodbye to the magnificent view of the lake.

Malubog Lake

We can’t thank our host enough for a wonderful day, we can’t thank enough of Malubog Lake’s breathtaking beauty. A beauty that seems too alluring and quite interesting to let go. But as much as we wanted to stay, we really need to go. We must go. It’s a bit heart-pinching but we must leave. Goodbye. You will always be in our hearts and may our paths cross again soon.

Malubog Lake

Heading back to the city of Toledo, we couldn’t miss the top-loading experience so we did it anyway. It was a fun ride though the skies were slowly turning into gray warning us that heavy rain is coming. We arrived at Toledo City few minutes before 4PM. Unfortunately, we crashed out our last destination of the day – the Sta Ana Maze Garden as it will close at 4PM. So we decided to go home early instead. And the rest is history.

Have you been to Malubog Lake and Malubog Falls? How was your experience?

Refer to Wandering Feet PH’s travel guide here.

Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Travel , Trekking , Visayas
Malubog Lake and Malubog Falls: Toledo City’s Serene Hideaway and Reflections
Malubog Lake
Malubog lake is located in Barangay General Climaco, Toledo City. This is by far one of the biggest lakes in Cebu Province. It is fascinating and the air is fresh and overwhelming with cool gushes of wind blowing past, provoking the trees around to dance.

My mind has been in the state of turmoil on the thought that why humans, we humans has the hunger for adventure and the urge to be in trendy places? I can’t really figure out why most of us seem to always be in the pursuit of what is “in” that we often forget to appreciate what’s really in our backyard and often overlook the underlying beauty of the things in front of us.

Well, it is human nature I guess that most if not all, often go with what is in trend. Humans usually chase fame no matter what it takes, go to popular places no matter how overrated it is, stay in a five star hotels, eat in luxury restaurants, etc. For what? Maybe for social media posts or what not… I don’t really know the answer. Maybe, I’m not human after all. LOL. Of course, they have their reasons and we should respect that. But one thing is for sure, it’s none of our business. “Walang basagan ng trip ika nga”.

But there are few that would rather choose the off-beaten path. Strive to be on the opposite side of what is usual and does not always go with the flow. Always try to do things differently. Do things in a crazy way. And guess what? I am one of these few. We only live once, right? So, we might as well have the craziest, out of this world, fun-filled roller coaster and adventure driven life. It’s not a crime to be different and weird after all. So let us live our lives the way we wanted and be happy with it.

The off-beaten Road to Malubog Lake:

It was a gloomy weekday afternoon in the office that I got an invitation to visit the western city of Cebu Province, the City of Toledo. The plan is to explore the hidden treasures that this copper capital of Cebu has to offer. I barely know the places in the suggested itinerary except for the Biga Pit that is making rounds in the social networking sites because of its exquisite panorama of the turquoise-teal waters forming an enchanting lake amidst the monotonous rocks from copper mining.

I got other adventure invites at that time too. But I don’t know, maybe because of my personality and a strong preference of opting to be in less crowded places than those with tourist-frequented places, I responded the invitation with a YES. It’s not that I am anti-social, but I do love visiting the less known places or are yet to be explored. Maybe it’s because of the thought that less known places are usually still in their almost pristine form.

Toledo City humbly offers these pristine gems that are mostly not known to tourists yet. It proudly offers the Malubog Lake, Malubog Falls, the mining tunnel, the Biga Pit, and not to mention its mesmerizing Sta Ana Maze Garden and astounding hills/mountains that offers a breathtaking vista too.

The Pursuit to Malubog Lake and Malubog Falls

Every place has its backstory. Every truth has a tale. And every tale can never be the truth but merely a legend. Malubog Lake in Toledo is not an exemption.  It has been long believed that paranormal happenings took place within the vicinity of the lake. It has been said that there are unexplained disappearances of people in the lake. Some believed that there is a mythical creature “mantalaga” living in the deepest part of the lake. “Mantalaga or mantaga” is a mythical creature commonly transliterated in folklores as a creature with resemblance to giant octopus but lived in bodies of freshwaters like lakes, rivers, waterfalls, lagoons and the likes.

Malubog Lake

It has been told that the creature will show its rage to those people who doesn’t pay respect to the place. And to avoid its wrath, we must not provoke it in any way like producing boisterous and loud noise, or superfluous puns about the place. But in all honesty, there is no such thing as a true tale nor an authenticated legend, for the truth has many faces, it really depends mainly on how we perceive things with our own will and thoughts and that are properly documented.

All these tales made us more curios and interested to visit this uncanny place as they say. So we took the early bus to Toledo City. The ride was a bit bumpy. Lacking some sleep the night before, most of us felt bleary. But that didn’t stop or lessen our excitement as we drew nearer to our destination. Our jubilant souls hurdles out of delight like a carefree child that is going to get a new toy. A couple of hours later, we arrived at the junction going to Malubog Lake in Barangay General Climaco.

We took another ride going to Barangay General Climaco by hired motorcycle (habal2x). The road is a bit rough and not concretely paved. We jaunt to the wet, desolate roads that rested in silence as the bright sky smiles over it. The water in the road portholes shimmered by the glow of the bright, yellow rays of the sun. The small, green trees on the roadside swayed as the strong breeze hit them. The cool monsoon air carried a sweet moist scent like a candy shop kept inside a refrigerator. I personally felt goosebumps all over as the wind chills down my spine.

Malubog Lake

Above a faded horizon from afar, amidst the bushes in the sidelines, the beautiful rays of the sun pierced through it as it frantically changed colors, a color spectra seemingly mesmerizing rather like a disco light. The scenery of community we passed by shows how vibrant life in a place away from the bustling and chaotic city. The vista gratified my soul driving it inside in an ecstatic potion induced world of euphoria. The view simply depicts life in its simplest form.

My stomach growled and I squirmed in my seat to try to silence the rumbling. I glanced at the clock; there were only few more minutes before we will arrive at our destination. Then I’m slowly losing my attention to the vista around as my head was preoccupied; my eyes glazed over as I imagined a sumptuous breakfast ahead. I was salivating at the thought of it. Only few more minutes as the driver said. I watched the clock again but the slower it seemed to go. My stomach rumbled again. Finally, I heard the driver saying we’ve arrived and stopped few meters away from the barangay hall.

Yay, we arrived at Barangay General Climaco where our friendly and pretty host patiently waited for us – Miss Beth Dacuma of the Teacher Traveller PH.

Malubog Lake

The Almost Hushed Trek at Malubog Lake

We had a quick self-introduction with Miss Beth. Then, we had our breakfast in the nearby eatery. We also bought packed lunch and snacks for the day. We had a quick orientation from our host. She told the tale about the paranormal happenings and unexplained disappearances and deaths near the lake. I am not a 100% believer of any tale but we need to respect that. And I must agree to her 100% that we need to respect the place. We are the visitors and we need to respect whatever the beliefs and cultures in the places that we are visiting. After all, tale or truth, there’s no harm on being cautious. This is not only applicable to Malubog Lake but to every place that we are going to visit. Let us be responsible.

Malubog Lake

We say our prayers before we commenced our trek. We went straight to the Lake as our first destination of the day. Malubog Lake is just few meters away from the Barangay Hall. We walk down. Careful, mindful and seemed like everyone has fever or something. Everyone was silent on the trail. No loud talks, etc.

The trail experience seemed to bring me to a harmonious resting place. Alongside the tortuous trail, gardeners grew trees and shrubs along the path. Trees with numerous branches. They had oval-shaped tree clowns and summer turned some of the leaves into the color of dusk. While looking at the branches, I noticed a leaf falls in front of me like a flying butterfly. It died. No matter how hard it struggled, it still couldn’t escape the inevitable, just like human.

The Promising Malubog Lake

Glancing at the sky, the sun has already risen. Continued with the trek. Few steps and the magnificent Malubog Lake came into sight. Not a single word was spitted from our mouth, but we both wore smiles like the new moon. Miss Beth then told us to do our stuffs. We took photos of the place. Enjoying the once man-made Lake that looks like naturally formed now. Malubog lake is fascinating. The air is fresh and overwhelming with cool gushes of wind blowing past, provoking the trees around to dance.

Malubog Lake

It was a lovely day and perfect for picnic at Malubog Lake.  The grass on the side of the lake was soft and green, reserved for those who wanted to lie down or sit. A sweet aroma of fresh air overflowed nearby like a shining light, but was hidden by the untrimmed bushes and wildly growing trees. Hesitating to proceed anywhere, further, I took a few minutes to treasure the moment of silence and peace like the defunct floating restaurant floating silently in the lake. Cherishing everything in life no matter how simple it could be should probably the recipe of happiness, shouldn’t it?

Abstract Simplicity

Despite the hesitation to leave Malubog Lake sooner but time ticked so fast and we need to keep moving. We need to move to another destination of the day. But each step we took was like an imprint in my heart, a fossil that would always remain the same and special inside me forever. A day that I would probably remember for a long time.

Malubog Lake

The boat going to other side of the lake left already so we opted to trek to the other side though it will take some time. We are trekkers anyway. As we trekked towards the other side, the scenery along the trail is simply at its best. From river crossing, vegetable plantations, the water buffalo on the grassland, the nipa huts, the lush bushes around, the ecstatic children playing their simple toys, etc. These scenarios are irresistible to not be captured on lenses. And these simply depicts a simple life, a life that could barely be seen in the city. A life that I have been forgetting for a while. A life of no complications and all which made me contemplate on few things.

Malubog Lake

The greatest step toward a life of simplicity is learning to let go. Letting go of the things that make our life complicated. Life is really simple, it is us that insist on making it complicated. It is ourselves that hold on to something that made our life complicated. We often forget that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Essentially, we are free to choose how to simplify our lives. Some things we must consider include developing a work-life balance, embracing the good life, living mindfully, savoring the moment, spending quality time, and slowing down. Whatever we choose, the decisions ought to result in improving our well-being and peace of mind.

Malubog Falls

We will live a life of peace and not chaos, a life of essentials and not complication. We will slow down and stop living the frazzled life, a lifestyle of stress. We’ll live mindfully, in the present moment, and not ruminate with worry of the future or regrets of the past. We will live a balanced life— have time for work, love, family, leisure pursuits, fitness, and spirituality and not on petty things that will ruin our mood almost every waking day of our life.

We will have freedom from those conditions, commitments, responsibilities, and let go of people who prevent us from living the good life. We’ll have the freedom to live as we desire—authentically. No masks, pretentions, wrong perceptions and or grudges.

Malubog Lake

 

Incredulity

Passing through the off-beaten path, the refreshing colors of the crops enthused our eyes. Circling around the other side of Malubog Lake is quite a trek but the team was slowly gaining back the momentum eventually. Started joking again and started to have more fun. We then reach to the Malubog falls. The view is appealing to the eyes due to it’s oddly different color. By just looking at it, you would be tempted to take a dip. But the water in the waterfall seems not clean. The color is turquoise-teal, a bit close to aqua. And yes, do not bath in this waterfall, it might not be safe at all.

Malubog Lake

The color simply suggest that it contained copper compound residue or copper sulfate. But it’s not really copper sulfate that’s making the color into turquoise-teal but the presence of copper ions absorbing the bluey or green light and reflects back to our very own eyes. We took few snaps of the place and headed to the next stop – the tunnel and Hinulawan River.

Malubog Lake

Unfortunately, the tunnel was restricted to tourists at that time due to recent incident. The guards from the mining company told us that they are only allowing residents to pass through and even warned us to not go to Biga Pit. We understood that it is a private property but Manong guard could have spoken to us in a professional way. He was a bit rude by the way.

Malubog falls

We proceeded immediately to Tagaytay Hills to have an overlooking view of the lake instead. We rode the outrigger boat back to other side of the lake for P10 each to save time, then trekked up to Tagaytay Hills, passing through communities in the area. Above us was the beautiful, high noon blue sky with fluffy, white clouds. Exhaustion and the fiery heat of the sun didn’t stop us to go uphill. The view of the lake slowly revealed right before our eyes as we gained altitude.

Few more minutes and we’re at the top of the hill. The vista below is like an energy bank reloading our almost depleted energy reserves. The water was calm and beautiful in every aspect. Malubog Lake seems mystical and have a spellbinding foliage shielding around. Out to the arms of Malubog lake, we can’t help but stared and admired in every manner to cherish and remember it like a picture that never change.

The Sweet Goodbye

Enjoying the vista below that Malubog Lake revealed, we almost forgot that our bellies need to be stuffed. So we took shelter on the nearby Mango trees and ate our lunch. The heat of the sun is still scorching so we decided to have a quick werewolf game. We got to know a bit with each one of us and was able to socialize. At around 2 in the afternoon, we decided to proceed. We bid our last goodbye to the magnificent view of the lake.

Malubog Lake

We can’t thank our host enough for a wonderful day, we can’t thank enough of Malubog Lake’s breathtaking beauty. A beauty that seems too alluring and quite interesting to let go. But as much as we wanted to stay, we really need to go. We must go. It’s a bit heart-pinching but we must leave. Goodbye. You will always be in our hearts and may our paths cross again soon.

Malubog Lake

Heading back to the city of Toledo, we couldn’t miss the top-loading experience so we did it anyway. It was a fun ride though the skies were slowly turning into gray warning us that heavy rain is coming. We arrived at Toledo City few minutes before 4PM. Unfortunately, we crashed out our last destination of the day – the Sta Ana Maze Garden as it will close at 4PM. So we decided to go home early instead. And the rest is history.

Have you been to Malubog Lake and Malubog Falls? How was your experience?

Refer to Wandering Feet PH’s travel guide here.

Mar, Sat, 2017
The mighty Inambakan Falls will make you splash

Inambakan Falls

Cebu south is blessed with beautiful beaches and majestic waterfalls that are still in its pristine conditions. Aside from Samboan that has several waterfalls, the neighboring town boasts also its own waterfall with a slightly different characteristic and grandeur.

Waterfalls and beaches are popular among Cebuanos especially during summer. Most of the adventurers and trekkers or mountain climbers often have side trips on these waterfalls and beaches too to cool down from a tiring and leg-breaking treks.

Inambakan Falls

Inambakan falls is one of the waterfalls in Cebu South that has slowly gaining popularity among local and foreign tourists. Most often than not, Inambakan falls serves as the starting point to trekkers going to Mount Hambubuyog in the highlands of Ginatilan.

Most trekkers like us, have a quick dip on this waterfall before commencing the strenuous and kind of death defying trek via calvary trail going to the summit of Mount Hambubuyog.

During our last trek in Mount Hambubuyog, we started the trek by cooling down ourselves in the cold waters in this beautiful waterfalls and spending few moments admiring its natural beauty.

The jaunt to Inambakan Falls

It will took around 15-20 minutes from the Town proper to the jump-off going to the falls. On the jump-off, be prepared for the muscle straining trek down the cemented steps that will lead to the river. Be amazed by the river as the waters are so clean and clear that you can still see the stones down below the riverbed.

Inambakan Falls

The trail is a bit slippery, so be extra cautious. But the vista that would welcome you is quiet mesmerizing. The water from above the source that cascades down through those boulders below is just simply an eye candy to nature lovers like us. As you go on the trek towards the falls, the buzzing sound of the waters is just awesome and it will become louder and louder every step you make. The crashing sounds of the waters become more prominent until you can see a glimpse of the majestic and the mighty Inambakan falls.

Inambakan Falls

The Mighty Inambakan Falls

Inambakan Falls

Near the falls are few cottages that locals built. There is an entrance fee to be collected. Few steps and you can see the full beauty of the mighty Inambakan Falls. Along with the main waterfall are some small waterfalls right below the falls lagoon.

Inambakan Falls

Inambakan Falls

Inambakan Falls is estimated to be around 100 feet high. Around the falls, you can feel the mist everywhere. Surrounding the falls are rocky area and bit slippery. Having a quick dip on the falls lagoon is quite refreshing before starting a trek right?

Inambakan Falls

We spent few moments bathing in the falls lagoon then proceeded with the trek. Also, after our trek, upon our descent, we had another dose of Inambakan falls as we can’t get enough of its splendor, cold and refreshing waters.

Inambakan Falls

How about you? Have you been to Inambakan Falls? How was your experience? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

How to get there?

Going to Ginatilan is relatively an easy one like on my previous chasing waterfalls posts.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Samboan or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall of Ginatilan. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Ginatilan’s Tourism Office to ask for assistance. You can still opt not to go to tourism office and just ask the locals and habal2x drivers instead. Mode of transportation to the jump off is through habal2x or motorcycle taxi. Most habal2x drivers know where Inambakan falls is located.

 Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things / valuables. Better use dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun if you’re going there on mid-day. The trail going down to the waterfalls is an open one and you will be exposed to the scorching sun.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen protection, waterproofing bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep the waterfalls lagoon is, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Practice LNT. Do not leave your trashes behind. Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.
  9. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Falls , Travel , Trekking
The mighty Inambakan Falls will make you splash

Inambakan Falls

Cebu south is blessed with beautiful beaches and majestic waterfalls that are still in its pristine conditions. Aside from Samboan that has several waterfalls, the neighboring town boasts also its own waterfall with a slightly different characteristic and grandeur.

Waterfalls and beaches are popular among Cebuanos especially during summer. Most of the adventurers and trekkers or mountain climbers often have side trips on these waterfalls and beaches too to cool down from a tiring and leg-breaking treks.

Inambakan Falls

Inambakan falls is one of the waterfalls in Cebu South that has slowly gaining popularity among local and foreign tourists. Most often than not, Inambakan falls serves as the starting point to trekkers going to Mount Hambubuyog in the highlands of Ginatilan.

Most trekkers like us, have a quick dip on this waterfall before commencing the strenuous and kind of death defying trek via calvary trail going to the summit of Mount Hambubuyog.

During our last trek in Mount Hambubuyog, we started the trek by cooling down ourselves in the cold waters in this beautiful waterfalls and spending few moments admiring its natural beauty.

The jaunt to Inambakan Falls

It will took around 15-20 minutes from the Town proper to the jump-off going to the falls. On the jump-off, be prepared for the muscle straining trek down the cemented steps that will lead to the river. Be amazed by the river as the waters are so clean and clear that you can still see the stones down below the riverbed.

Inambakan Falls

The trail is a bit slippery, so be extra cautious. But the vista that would welcome you is quiet mesmerizing. The water from above the source that cascades down through those boulders below is just simply an eye candy to nature lovers like us. As you go on the trek towards the falls, the buzzing sound of the waters is just awesome and it will become louder and louder every step you make. The crashing sounds of the waters become more prominent until you can see a glimpse of the majestic and the mighty Inambakan falls.

Inambakan Falls

The Mighty Inambakan Falls

Inambakan Falls

Near the falls are few cottages that locals built. There is an entrance fee to be collected. Few steps and you can see the full beauty of the mighty Inambakan Falls. Along with the main waterfall are some small waterfalls right below the falls lagoon.

Inambakan Falls

Inambakan Falls

Inambakan Falls is estimated to be around 100 feet high. Around the falls, you can feel the mist everywhere. Surrounding the falls are rocky area and bit slippery. Having a quick dip on the falls lagoon is quite refreshing before starting a trek right?

Inambakan Falls

We spent few moments bathing in the falls lagoon then proceeded with the trek. Also, after our trek, upon our descent, we had another dose of Inambakan falls as we can’t get enough of its splendor, cold and refreshing waters.

Inambakan Falls

How about you? Have you been to Inambakan Falls? How was your experience? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

How to get there?

Going to Ginatilan is relatively an easy one like on my previous chasing waterfalls posts.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Samboan or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall of Ginatilan. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Ginatilan’s Tourism Office to ask for assistance. You can still opt not to go to tourism office and just ask the locals and habal2x drivers instead. Mode of transportation to the jump off is through habal2x or motorcycle taxi. Most habal2x drivers know where Inambakan falls is located.

 Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things / valuables. Better use dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun if you’re going there on mid-day. The trail going down to the waterfalls is an open one and you will be exposed to the scorching sun.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen protection, waterproofing bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep the waterfalls lagoon is, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Practice LNT. Do not leave your trashes behind. Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.
  9. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Mar, Wed, 2017
Alegria’s wonderful Cambais Falls can make you bathe

Cambais Falls

It was during our Mega Trek event that we got to visit some of Alegria’s tourist destination. Few of which were Silay Cave, Cambusay Cave and of course the nearby Cambais Falls.

Cambais Falls

The mega trek is a three-day trek hosted by NCR Trekkers Club, with the starting point at Mount Kandungaw then traverse to Alegria. The exit point will be at Mount Lanaya. It was really a tiring activity, staying in the mountains for 3 days. We were not even sure who will be trekking until the finish line. We gave options to the trekkers also to go home on the second day.

Cambais Falls

On the second day of our mega trek, we headed to the Silay and Cambusay caves then to Cambais falls in Alegria. Unfortunately, Cambusay Cave was closed at that time. So we headed directly to Cambais falls and spend few hours.

Cambais Falls

Due to exhaustion from the treks, we spent most of our time in the falls resting, eating our lunch and just enjoying the vista around. We then took some pictures and later on have a quick dip in the cold waters on Cambais. The water was not that cold, it was just enough to cool down our tired bodies.

Cambais Falls

Cambais falls is a wonderful creation that was like made for trekkers and adventurers like us. The vista is so refreshing and the waterfall is too enticing that you could not resist but to take even a short dip.

Cambais Falls

Cambais Falls

Around 3 PM, we then decided to proceed to our next destination which is to the jump off point to Mount Lanaya in Lumpan while the rest of the team decided to go home. We arrived at Lumpan Jump off at around 6 PM. And then proceeded with our night trek to the camp site.

Cambais Falls

Few minutes of swimming and photo ops, we decided to proceed to Mount Lanaya while the others went home already. Only 14 trekkers braved to continue the challenge to trek for another day despite the exhaustion. We even called it as the death trek.

Cambais falls is a bit small and would be easily got overcrowded. Cambais falls has few huts in the area but it seems few of them need fixing. There are comfort rooms and dressing rooms also but of course, you still need to line up if there are a lot of visitors. So it is recommended to bring your own towels or malong, just in case you’re in a hurry of changing into dry clothes.

Have you been to Cambais falls? How was your experience? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

How to get to Cambais Falls?

Going to Alegria is relatively an easy one.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Alegria or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Alegria Tourism Office to ask for assistance. Mode of transportation to the jump off is by habal2x. Don’t worry, most habal2x drivers know the place.

 Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things/valuables. Better use a dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun as the trail going to the falls is an open parched field during summer.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen protection, waterproofing bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep is the pool below, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Take nothing but pictures.
  9. Leave nothing but footprints. Do not leave your trash behind.
  10. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Falls , Visayas
Alegria’s wonderful Cambais Falls can make you bathe

Cambais Falls

It was during our Mega Trek event that we got to visit some of Alegria’s tourist destination. Few of which were Silay Cave, Cambusay Cave and of course the nearby Cambais Falls.

Cambais Falls

The mega trek is a three-day trek hosted by NCR Trekkers Club, with the starting point at Mount Kandungaw then traverse to Alegria. The exit point will be at Mount Lanaya. It was really a tiring activity, staying in the mountains for 3 days. We were not even sure who will be trekking until the finish line. We gave options to the trekkers also to go home on the second day.

Cambais Falls

On the second day of our mega trek, we headed to the Silay and Cambusay caves then to Cambais falls in Alegria. Unfortunately, Cambusay Cave was closed at that time. So we headed directly to Cambais falls and spend few hours.

Cambais Falls

Due to exhaustion from the treks, we spent most of our time in the falls resting, eating our lunch and just enjoying the vista around. We then took some pictures and later on have a quick dip in the cold waters on Cambais. The water was not that cold, it was just enough to cool down our tired bodies.

Cambais Falls

Cambais falls is a wonderful creation that was like made for trekkers and adventurers like us. The vista is so refreshing and the waterfall is too enticing that you could not resist but to take even a short dip.

Cambais Falls

Cambais Falls

Around 3 PM, we then decided to proceed to our next destination which is to the jump off point to Mount Lanaya in Lumpan while the rest of the team decided to go home. We arrived at Lumpan Jump off at around 6 PM. And then proceeded with our night trek to the camp site.

Cambais Falls

Few minutes of swimming and photo ops, we decided to proceed to Mount Lanaya while the others went home already. Only 14 trekkers braved to continue the challenge to trek for another day despite the exhaustion. We even called it as the death trek.

Cambais falls is a bit small and would be easily got overcrowded. Cambais falls has few huts in the area but it seems few of them need fixing. There are comfort rooms and dressing rooms also but of course, you still need to line up if there are a lot of visitors. So it is recommended to bring your own towels or malong, just in case you’re in a hurry of changing into dry clothes.

Have you been to Cambais falls? How was your experience? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

How to get to Cambais Falls?

Going to Alegria is relatively an easy one.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Alegria or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Alegria Tourism Office to ask for assistance. Mode of transportation to the jump off is by habal2x. Don’t worry, most habal2x drivers know the place.

 Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things/valuables. Better use a dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun as the trail going to the falls is an open parched field during summer.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen protection, waterproofing bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep is the pool below, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Take nothing but pictures.
  9. Leave nothing but footprints. Do not leave your trash behind.
  10. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Mar, Wed, 2017
Cebu Waterfalls : Samboan’s unspoiled Kandayvic Falls

Don’t go chasing waterfalls.
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to – TLC

Should we stop chasing waterfalls? I bet not, and never will!

Well, maybe…. But not soon enough. 🙂

After our challenging and memorable experience from the Mount Hambubuyog camping under the harsh and antagonistic weather, we headed to the less known waterfall in the municipality of Samboan.

The waterfall is called Kandayvic. Kandayvic was coined from the name “ Kan inday Vic”. The place is said to be named after the wife of former mayor of the town. There are many variations of the spelling. Some spelled it as Candayvic, but the most common spelling used is “Kandayvic”.

We hired the habal2x going to barangay Canorong and alight at the jump off. From the jump off, the falls can be reached by walking/trekking through an open corn field. Be careful as during summer, this field can be really parched. It is advisable then to bring protection from the fiery and scorching heat of the sun. Unless you are aiming for a charcoal skin. HAHA 😛

The trail going to the falls is a narrow path of loose soil. You need to be extra cautious on your steps as one wrong footing and you’ll find yourself tumbling down below.

On the remaining part of the trail is a shady part. It was under some bushes and trees as the path leads down below the valley. The path going down can be a challenging one, especially on rainy days. The path could be very slippery. Slippery when wet mga bes!

Upon going down to the waterfall, you will pass through a bit steep descent. But fret not as the trail/path was aided with bamboo railings. But still be extra cautious!

Kandayvic Falls

Few more minutes of walking down the aisle, este walking on a steep path, Kandayvic falls welcomed us with open arms. Kandayvic falls is one of the waterfalls in Samboan that is less frequented by tourists as the waterfall was not quiet known to most tourists yet. At the time of our visit, there were only a few visitors of the place.

Kandayvic Falls

Basically, the waterfall encompasses tiers of small waterfalls. Below these tiers is an elongated lagoon. A pool of turquoise waters in between rocks. Anyone can jump and swim in the said lagoon.

Kandayvic Falls

The waters that supplied Kandayvic was the same as the one flowing to Dao Falls. They belong to the same river system. In fact, Kandayvic was just right above Dao falls.

Kandayvic Falls

Above the basin/lagoon, was small tiers of waterfalls that were streamed into one infinity pool of bliss below it. From it, the last spillway flowed, as smooth and fluvial as silver dew. It spilled over the gravelly bed with the honeyed sensuality of a lover’s kiss.

Kandayvic Falls

I was not convinced to take a dip or jump on the swimming lagoon. Well, I am no swimmer, so diving into the deep swimming lagoon is not my thing. My companions were busy swimming below and diving. Me? Just took a lot of snaps and had a quick river trek on the small tiers of waterfalls above.

My companions kept asking me to join the fun, but I was not into the mood of joining them. Maybe, due to due to exhaustion or kandingon ra gyud ko bes! 🙂

Kandayvic Falls

The sound of the waters as it flows on the rocks was chiming. As the waters gently slid, gracefully and slinky past my feet. The chinking, tinkling sound was caused by its indolent slickness echoing from the rock. It looked like the sleek robe of a water witch as its glassy brilliance sounded and plinked. Its edges were seamed in silver and sparkled in the aureate light. Bottomline, Kandayvic is a great potential tourist spot and for canyoneering.

Kandayvic Falls

Few minutes of swimming (excluding me) and snaps taking, we decided to proceed to Dao Falls. The trek to Dao falls, took us around 30 minutes.

Kandayvic falls is a bit small and would be easily got overcrowded. But given that it is not very known to most tourists, it is safe to say that the place can be a better place for chillaxing. It is a place where you can connect with mother nature. A place where you can be alone with nature! But Kandayvic falls has no huts or cottages or any stores nearby. So it is recommended to bring extra provisions, etc, should you decide to stay a bit longer.

Have you been to Kandayvic falls? What can you say about the place? Would you agree that this place will be developed further for a better tourism? Or should the LGU keep it that way to at least preserve the pristine condition of the falls? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

How to get to Kandayvic Falls?

Going to Samboan is relatively an easy one.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Samboan or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Samboan Tourism Office to ask for assistance. Mode of transportation to the jump off is by habal2x.

Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things/valuables. Better use a dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun as the trail going to the falls is an open parched field during summer.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen protection, waterproof bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep is the pool below the falls, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Take nothing but pictures.
  9. Leave nothing but footprints. Do not leave your trash behind.
  10. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.

 

Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Falls , Visayas
Cebu Waterfalls : Samboan’s unspoiled Kandayvic Falls

Don’t go chasing waterfalls.
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to – TLC

Should we stop chasing waterfalls? I bet not, and never will!

Well, maybe…. But not soon enough. 🙂

After our challenging and memorable experience from the Mount Hambubuyog camping under the harsh and antagonistic weather, we headed to the less known waterfall in the municipality of Samboan.

The waterfall is called Kandayvic. Kandayvic was coined from the name “ Kan inday Vic”. The place is said to be named after the wife of former mayor of the town. There are many variations of the spelling. Some spelled it as Candayvic, but the most common spelling used is “Kandayvic”.

We hired the habal2x going to barangay Canorong and alight at the jump off. From the jump off, the falls can be reached by walking/trekking through an open corn field. Be careful as during summer, this field can be really parched. It is advisable then to bring protection from the fiery and scorching heat of the sun. Unless you are aiming for a charcoal skin. HAHA 😛

The trail going to the falls is a narrow path of loose soil. You need to be extra cautious on your steps as one wrong footing and you’ll find yourself tumbling down below.

On the remaining part of the trail is a shady part. It was under some bushes and trees as the path leads down below the valley. The path going down can be a challenging one, especially on rainy days. The path could be very slippery. Slippery when wet mga bes!

Upon going down to the waterfall, you will pass through a bit steep descent. But fret not as the trail/path was aided with bamboo railings. But still be extra cautious!

Kandayvic Falls

Few more minutes of walking down the aisle, este walking on a steep path, Kandayvic falls welcomed us with open arms. Kandayvic falls is one of the waterfalls in Samboan that is less frequented by tourists as the waterfall was not quiet known to most tourists yet. At the time of our visit, there were only a few visitors of the place.

Kandayvic Falls

Basically, the waterfall encompasses tiers of small waterfalls. Below these tiers is an elongated lagoon. A pool of turquoise waters in between rocks. Anyone can jump and swim in the said lagoon.

Kandayvic Falls

The waters that supplied Kandayvic was the same as the one flowing to Dao Falls. They belong to the same river system. In fact, Kandayvic was just right above Dao falls.

Kandayvic Falls

Above the basin/lagoon, was small tiers of waterfalls that were streamed into one infinity pool of bliss below it. From it, the last spillway flowed, as smooth and fluvial as silver dew. It spilled over the gravelly bed with the honeyed sensuality of a lover’s kiss.

Kandayvic Falls

I was not convinced to take a dip or jump on the swimming lagoon. Well, I am no swimmer, so diving into the deep swimming lagoon is not my thing. My companions were busy swimming below and diving. Me? Just took a lot of snaps and had a quick river trek on the small tiers of waterfalls above.

My companions kept asking me to join the fun, but I was not into the mood of joining them. Maybe, due to due to exhaustion or kandingon ra gyud ko bes! 🙂

Kandayvic Falls

The sound of the waters as it flows on the rocks was chiming. As the waters gently slid, gracefully and slinky past my feet. The chinking, tinkling sound was caused by its indolent slickness echoing from the rock. It looked like the sleek robe of a water witch as its glassy brilliance sounded and plinked. Its edges were seamed in silver and sparkled in the aureate light. Bottomline, Kandayvic is a great potential tourist spot and for canyoneering.

Kandayvic Falls

Few minutes of swimming (excluding me) and snaps taking, we decided to proceed to Dao Falls. The trek to Dao falls, took us around 30 minutes.

Kandayvic falls is a bit small and would be easily got overcrowded. But given that it is not very known to most tourists, it is safe to say that the place can be a better place for chillaxing. It is a place where you can connect with mother nature. A place where you can be alone with nature! But Kandayvic falls has no huts or cottages or any stores nearby. So it is recommended to bring extra provisions, etc, should you decide to stay a bit longer.

Have you been to Kandayvic falls? What can you say about the place? Would you agree that this place will be developed further for a better tourism? Or should the LGU keep it that way to at least preserve the pristine condition of the falls? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

How to get to Kandayvic Falls?

Going to Samboan is relatively an easy one.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Samboan or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Samboan Tourism Office to ask for assistance. Mode of transportation to the jump off is by habal2x.

Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things/valuables. Better use a dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun as the trail going to the falls is an open parched field during summer.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen protection, waterproof bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep is the pool below the falls, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Take nothing but pictures.
  9. Leave nothing but footprints. Do not leave your trash behind.
  10. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.

 

Mar, Wed, 2017
Cebu Waterfalls : Cooling down at the Majestic Dao Falls

Dao Falls

Summer is fast approaching! Everyone will be hyped and excited again to flaunt their perfect beach bodies. Well, summer is not only for those who have perfect bodies, right? It is for all; no matter what body type we have. So pack your things and hit the beach! It’s time to chillax, enjoy and beat the heat!

But wait, it is expected that the most common tourist destination during summer will be the beach. Be prepared for the huge crowd of tourists and locals will flock to most beaches during the hottest months of the year. If you are one of those people who are not a fan of crowded places, any secluded mountain resorts, pools, and waterfalls can be a good summer destination alternative.

Cebu has a lot to offer when talking about beaches and waterfalls. It has more than a hundred waterfalls and numerous white sand beaches. Cebu south has established a name in terms of beaches and waterfalls. We’ll, this time, I will not be talking about mountains. We’re going to talk about one of the municipalities in Cebu South that has several waterfalls. Let’s start with the town of Samboan.

Samboan is a 5th class income municipality located approximately 150 kilometers from Cebu City. It is composed of 15 barangays and is located right next to Ginatilan. Samboan is rich in cultural heritage left by Spanish conquerors. In fact, one of the oldest Spanish-built churches is still intact in the heart of Samboan, the St Michael Archangel Church wherein the church façade is made up of coral stones.

Other Spanish structures that the town can boast of are the Watch Tower, St Jacob’s Ladder, San Sebastian Stone Walls and the World War II Volunteers Monument.

Another thing that this laid back town can be proud of is the attraction sites that it can offer to both local and foreign tourists alike. The town boasts its’ Colase Marine Sanctuary, Ponong Hidden Lake, Mount Bartolina and the infamous six waterfalls scattered within the municipality’s jurisdiction.

Samboan is blessed with these six waterfalls (at least known to tourists) namely: Aguinid, Bonbon, Balay sa Sawa, Dao, Kandayvic and Tabon. Aguinid has 5 tiers, Bonbon has the triple drop, Balay sa sawa has the bigger lagoon for swimming, Dao is the highest and Tabon is the recently developed spot between Tangbo and Bonbon.

The Pursuit to Dao Falls

Dao falls is located in barangay Suba, Samboan. Our entry point going to Dao is from the Kandayvic Falls. We ambled along the mountain path going down to Dao Falls. We walked through a footpath of loose soil in a parched field which is used by the locals as a corn field.  It was a bit of steep ascent and muscle flexing one. The antagonistic and fiery heat of the midday sun was trying to scorch us. But nothing can stop the adrenaline junkies and the waterfall chasers.Dao Falls

We then followed the path less trodden, a trail where only locals use as an access path to their farm. Few moments after, we began to hear an unusual humming sound that vibrated around like a wind breeze overpowering the cracking sounds of the bamboos nearby. The sound traveled through my body and I felt a tingle that runs through my arms to my fingertips. Sometimes it sounded like bees swarming through the flower farm. Then the buzzing transferred to the rocks beneath our feet like echoes calling us to come.

Dao Falls

As we round up below, the source of the sound revealed itself. Wow! The vista is so amazing! Impeccable! It was a chirruping waterfall, the majestic Dao Falls! From a distance, the falls looked like silver tear tracks on the furrowed face of the mountain. It was tiered and plunged into the depths of a turquoise lagoon. It is worth noting that the other side of the mountain seems really a good spot for rappelling too.

Dao Falls

We hurriedly went down below as the falls were calling us to hurry. LOL. Well, after a few snaps of course.

Dao Falls

His Majesty Dao Falls

Dao Falls

Aside from being the highest waterfall in Samboan, Dao Falls proved its splendor among others.  Same with other waterfalls, you’ll get to have a short river trek going to the falls lagoon. We walked along the edge of the rocks towards the swollen noise of the large drop of water to the turquoise pool ahead.

Dao Falls

As we began to get closer, the uproar of the cascade increased. It was growling and reverberating. Then it foamed into a lather at the base. The waterfall seemed to fuse itself into distinct threads of watery fabric as we approached. It was as if a loom of liquid silver was pouring down the rocks. The sound was dissonant now. The water falling streamed into one infinity pool of bliss and hitting the vast hollow of the turquoise lagoon like a thunderclap. The pool of this cold waters fed the other smaller waterfall tiers below.

Dao Falls

I was not supposed to take a quick dip, but the water was irresistible. It was as if the cold water was seducing every inch of my being, manipulating my weakness as a human and used it to my disadvantage. Who am I to say no? I had to give in, even if I was not dressed for swimming. I just gave in to the desire of getting wet, while I was on my sweatshirt, shorts and still wearing my trekking shoes. LOL

We had a quick dip in the lagoon and a few snaps of the place. The locals advised us not to stay long as the weather was getting unpleasant. They told us to be careful as flash floods may happen anytime when it rains. We then bid our goodbyes to the King of Falls as the dragons inside our tummies went wild already. It was past 1 in the afternoon, though.

As we part ways with the mighty Dao, the buzzing sounds changed to a gentler swoosh-plunk and hiss-plop. It was still a volley of sound, but it had a gentler slushiness to it. It’s a bit hard to leave this beautiful creation but we need to, as the dragons inside our tummies really wanted to get loose.

Dao Falls

We had our quick beverage break at the entrance to quench our thirst. Then we took a trike going to the highway. We have had our late lunch and headed back to the city after.

Though our time spent with Dao Falls was shortened, but it was worth the painstaking trek to the falls. The impeccable and majestic vista was worth it. I would really love to go back here and stay a bit longer. Next time, I would be bringing a wide angle camera, with a fisheye lens to be exact to capture this magnificent view. A drone would be better, though.

How about you? Have you been to Dao Falls or any other waterfall in Samboan? How was your experience? Share your thoughts below.

Getting to Dao Falls :

Going to Samboan is relatively an easy one.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Samboan or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Samboan Tourism Office to ask for assistance. Mode of transportation to the jump off is through habal2x or motorcycle taxi. Most habal2x drivers know where the entrance to Dao Falls is.

 Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things/valuables. Better use a dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun as the trail going to the falls is an open parched field during summer.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen/protection, waterproof bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep is the pool below the falls, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Take nothing but pictures.
  9. Leave nothing but footprints. Do not leave your trash behind.
  10. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Falls , Visayas
Cebu Waterfalls : Cooling down at the Majestic Dao Falls

Dao Falls

Summer is fast approaching! Everyone will be hyped and excited again to flaunt their perfect beach bodies. Well, summer is not only for those who have perfect bodies, right? It is for all; no matter what body type we have. So pack your things and hit the beach! It’s time to chillax, enjoy and beat the heat!

But wait, it is expected that the most common tourist destination during summer will be the beach. Be prepared for the huge crowd of tourists and locals will flock to most beaches during the hottest months of the year. If you are one of those people who are not a fan of crowded places, any secluded mountain resorts, pools, and waterfalls can be a good summer destination alternative.

Cebu has a lot to offer when talking about beaches and waterfalls. It has more than a hundred waterfalls and numerous white sand beaches. Cebu south has established a name in terms of beaches and waterfalls. We’ll, this time, I will not be talking about mountains. We’re going to talk about one of the municipalities in Cebu South that has several waterfalls. Let’s start with the town of Samboan.

Samboan is a 5th class income municipality located approximately 150 kilometers from Cebu City. It is composed of 15 barangays and is located right next to Ginatilan. Samboan is rich in cultural heritage left by Spanish conquerors. In fact, one of the oldest Spanish-built churches is still intact in the heart of Samboan, the St Michael Archangel Church wherein the church façade is made up of coral stones.

Other Spanish structures that the town can boast of are the Watch Tower, St Jacob’s Ladder, San Sebastian Stone Walls and the World War II Volunteers Monument.

Another thing that this laid back town can be proud of is the attraction sites that it can offer to both local and foreign tourists alike. The town boasts its’ Colase Marine Sanctuary, Ponong Hidden Lake, Mount Bartolina and the infamous six waterfalls scattered within the municipality’s jurisdiction.

Samboan is blessed with these six waterfalls (at least known to tourists) namely: Aguinid, Bonbon, Balay sa Sawa, Dao, Kandayvic and Tabon. Aguinid has 5 tiers, Bonbon has the triple drop, Balay sa sawa has the bigger lagoon for swimming, Dao is the highest and Tabon is the recently developed spot between Tangbo and Bonbon.

The Pursuit to Dao Falls

Dao falls is located in barangay Suba, Samboan. Our entry point going to Dao is from the Kandayvic Falls. We ambled along the mountain path going down to Dao Falls. We walked through a footpath of loose soil in a parched field which is used by the locals as a corn field.  It was a bit of steep ascent and muscle flexing one. The antagonistic and fiery heat of the midday sun was trying to scorch us. But nothing can stop the adrenaline junkies and the waterfall chasers.Dao Falls

We then followed the path less trodden, a trail where only locals use as an access path to their farm. Few moments after, we began to hear an unusual humming sound that vibrated around like a wind breeze overpowering the cracking sounds of the bamboos nearby. The sound traveled through my body and I felt a tingle that runs through my arms to my fingertips. Sometimes it sounded like bees swarming through the flower farm. Then the buzzing transferred to the rocks beneath our feet like echoes calling us to come.

Dao Falls

As we round up below, the source of the sound revealed itself. Wow! The vista is so amazing! Impeccable! It was a chirruping waterfall, the majestic Dao Falls! From a distance, the falls looked like silver tear tracks on the furrowed face of the mountain. It was tiered and plunged into the depths of a turquoise lagoon. It is worth noting that the other side of the mountain seems really a good spot for rappelling too.

Dao Falls

We hurriedly went down below as the falls were calling us to hurry. LOL. Well, after a few snaps of course.

Dao Falls

His Majesty Dao Falls

Dao Falls

Aside from being the highest waterfall in Samboan, Dao Falls proved its splendor among others.  Same with other waterfalls, you’ll get to have a short river trek going to the falls lagoon. We walked along the edge of the rocks towards the swollen noise of the large drop of water to the turquoise pool ahead.

Dao Falls

As we began to get closer, the uproar of the cascade increased. It was growling and reverberating. Then it foamed into a lather at the base. The waterfall seemed to fuse itself into distinct threads of watery fabric as we approached. It was as if a loom of liquid silver was pouring down the rocks. The sound was dissonant now. The water falling streamed into one infinity pool of bliss and hitting the vast hollow of the turquoise lagoon like a thunderclap. The pool of this cold waters fed the other smaller waterfall tiers below.

Dao Falls

I was not supposed to take a quick dip, but the water was irresistible. It was as if the cold water was seducing every inch of my being, manipulating my weakness as a human and used it to my disadvantage. Who am I to say no? I had to give in, even if I was not dressed for swimming. I just gave in to the desire of getting wet, while I was on my sweatshirt, shorts and still wearing my trekking shoes. LOL

We had a quick dip in the lagoon and a few snaps of the place. The locals advised us not to stay long as the weather was getting unpleasant. They told us to be careful as flash floods may happen anytime when it rains. We then bid our goodbyes to the King of Falls as the dragons inside our tummies went wild already. It was past 1 in the afternoon, though.

As we part ways with the mighty Dao, the buzzing sounds changed to a gentler swoosh-plunk and hiss-plop. It was still a volley of sound, but it had a gentler slushiness to it. It’s a bit hard to leave this beautiful creation but we need to, as the dragons inside our tummies really wanted to get loose.

Dao Falls

We had our quick beverage break at the entrance to quench our thirst. Then we took a trike going to the highway. We have had our late lunch and headed back to the city after.

Though our time spent with Dao Falls was shortened, but it was worth the painstaking trek to the falls. The impeccable and majestic vista was worth it. I would really love to go back here and stay a bit longer. Next time, I would be bringing a wide angle camera, with a fisheye lens to be exact to capture this magnificent view. A drone would be better, though.

How about you? Have you been to Dao Falls or any other waterfall in Samboan? How was your experience? Share your thoughts below.

Getting to Dao Falls :

Going to Samboan is relatively an easy one.

From Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), take a bus bound to Samboan or with the sign Bato via Barili. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the Municipal Hall. If you don’t know the place yet, proceed to Samboan Tourism Office to ask for assistance. Mode of transportation to the jump off is through habal2x or motorcycle taxi. Most habal2x drivers know where the entrance to Dao Falls is.

 Tips:

  1. Waterproof your things/valuables. Better use a dry bag if you have one.
  2. Be prepared for the fiery heat of the sun as the trail going to the falls is an open parched field during summer.
  3. Pack light but don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen/protection, waterproof bags for gadgets, swimming attire, slippers or sandals.
  4. If you are not a swimmer and wants to enjoy the falls, better bring your own life vest.
  5. Don’t forget to bring extra food or snacks just in case.
  6. Always take extra precautions when going down to waterfalls as the trail can be a loose soil, slippery or mossy, rocky and might involve steep descent.
  7. If you are not sure how deep is the pool below the falls, do not attempt to dive immediately. Know how deep it is first.
  8. Take nothing but pictures.
  9. Leave nothing but footprints. Do not leave your trash behind.
  10. To maximize the places in your list if you have multiple destinations, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Feb, Tue, 2017
Dumaguete City: A home of Gentle People

Dumaguete City is known to be the city of gentle people. The city is a bit laid back but progressive. The history of Dumaguete City is really fascinating. Ranging from the different intercontinental influences, various cultures, and traditions. Dumaguete City is known for their creativity and academic amusements that could be seen as reflected clearly in their daily lives.

Dumaguete City is the capital of Negros Oriental. A southern province of Negros Island. It has a large student population that made it also known as the university town of Negros with a large international base.  Dumaguete City has a lot to offer to its foreign and local tourist alike. It has a lot of places that are waiting to be discovered and recognized. To name a few, it has beautiful resorts and sandbars too. It is a home of stunning caves, mighty mountains one of which is Mount Talinis, and beautiful structures within the city.

So what to do when having a quick visit to Dumaguete City? Aside from the popular Apo Island, Manjuyod sandbar and the majestic waterfalls like Casaroro and Pulang-bato and the infamous Twin Lakes that are popular to tourists, there are other beautiful spots within the city borders that are worth a quick visit. I shortlisted few spots for a day-tour within Dumaguete City.

1. Silliman University

Silliman University

Dumaguete is not called as the university town for nothing. It is the home of many expats and foreign students. The biggest university in Dumaguete is the Silliman University.

It originally opened as an elementary school in 1901 by protestant missionaries from the USA with only a few male students. According to the history, the Silliman project expanded rapidly acquiring university status. It also gains a lot of international recognition in the later years with students of both sexes.

Silliman University

Silliman University has lots to offer to foreign and local tourists alike. You can take a stroll around the stunning grounds. The trees around would bring tranquility and relaxation to one’s eyes. There is a museum just near the founding building of the university. The museum itself is beautifully crafted and lovingly preserved that you will be amazed at the architecture of the building and the interiors.

Artifacts and collections inside the museum are quite interesting. Near the university is the popular Tempura stalls wherein, you can choose the level of spiciness of tempura. These tempura stalls is famous for challenges on which level of spiciness you can withstand to eat. When visiting Dumaguete, have a quick visit to this stalls.

2. Rizal Boulevard

Rizal Boulevard is named after Jose Rizal which according to ancient stories stayed in this place for few days before his exile to Dapitan.  The boulevard is just a few minutes away from City proper and shopping centers. You can just walk from the city proper or you can hire a tricycle if you are not into a lot of hiking.

This is one of the best-loved places in Dumaguete City. This boulevard is picturesque enough that every tourist and locals alike would love to have a leisurely stroll that is a must do for visiting tourists. Others would have their early morning walk or run on this boulevard too.

This is the key feature of the city wherein it is also a recommended spot for sunrise appreciation as it offers an unbelievably clear view of the horizon. At night, this boulevard will transform into a food market. When you’re in Dumaguete and wants to experience eating in beside the picturesque seaboards, don’t forget to swing by the boulevard.

3. St Catherine Cathedral

ST Catherine Cathedral

The Cathedral is the oldest church in the island. It underwent few reconstruction already but still, it retains its ancestral feel. There will be masses on Sundays making its neighboring Quezon Park a good place to watch the passers-by.

4. The Bell Tower

Bell Tower

Beside the Cathedral is a famous Dumaguete Bell tower that was built in 1800. The Bell Tower is the oldest of its kind in the whole province. The belfry is a formidable structure that protrudes from the ground as though it shouldn’t be there. However, it sits neatly and seems to blend with the surrounding buildings in the area. The people of the city have great respect for these two important historical buildings. Beside the Belfry and the cathedral are where the devotees light candles.

Dumaguete City Belfy

5. Quezon Park

Quezon Park

Just across the Cathedral and Bell Tower is the Quezon Park. People usually come here to watch the passers-by or relax after attending the mass. Sometimes, it is the venue for some events.

Quezon Park

6. Freedom Park and the Capitol Building

At the heart of Dumaguete City lies the Ninoy Aquino Memorial Freedom Park, commonly known as “Freedom Park”.  The Park is a refreshing patch of green in front of the Capitol Building. The place is conducive for taking a break from sightseeing activities within the city.

The Park is often a venue for some events like the Buglasan Festival.

Have you been to these places in Dumaguete City? Have you visited other places that are not on this list? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , City Scapes and Tourist Spots , Philippines , Visayas
Dumaguete City: A home of Gentle People

Dumaguete City is known to be the city of gentle people. The city is a bit laid back but progressive. The history of Dumaguete City is really fascinating. Ranging from the different intercontinental influences, various cultures, and traditions. Dumaguete City is known for their creativity and academic amusements that could be seen as reflected clearly in their daily lives.

Dumaguete City is the capital of Negros Oriental. A southern province of Negros Island. It has a large student population that made it also known as the university town of Negros with a large international base.  Dumaguete City has a lot to offer to its foreign and local tourist alike. It has a lot of places that are waiting to be discovered and recognized. To name a few, it has beautiful resorts and sandbars too. It is a home of stunning caves, mighty mountains one of which is Mount Talinis, and beautiful structures within the city.

So what to do when having a quick visit to Dumaguete City? Aside from the popular Apo Island, Manjuyod sandbar and the majestic waterfalls like Casaroro and Pulang-bato and the infamous Twin Lakes that are popular to tourists, there are other beautiful spots within the city borders that are worth a quick visit. I shortlisted few spots for a day-tour within Dumaguete City.

1. Silliman University

Silliman University

Dumaguete is not called as the university town for nothing. It is the home of many expats and foreign students. The biggest university in Dumaguete is the Silliman University.

It originally opened as an elementary school in 1901 by protestant missionaries from the USA with only a few male students. According to the history, the Silliman project expanded rapidly acquiring university status. It also gains a lot of international recognition in the later years with students of both sexes.

Silliman University

Silliman University has lots to offer to foreign and local tourists alike. You can take a stroll around the stunning grounds. The trees around would bring tranquility and relaxation to one’s eyes. There is a museum just near the founding building of the university. The museum itself is beautifully crafted and lovingly preserved that you will be amazed at the architecture of the building and the interiors.

Artifacts and collections inside the museum are quite interesting. Near the university is the popular Tempura stalls wherein, you can choose the level of spiciness of tempura. These tempura stalls is famous for challenges on which level of spiciness you can withstand to eat. When visiting Dumaguete, have a quick visit to this stalls.

2. Rizal Boulevard

Rizal Boulevard is named after Jose Rizal which according to ancient stories stayed in this place for few days before his exile to Dapitan.  The boulevard is just a few minutes away from City proper and shopping centers. You can just walk from the city proper or you can hire a tricycle if you are not into a lot of hiking.

This is one of the best-loved places in Dumaguete City. This boulevard is picturesque enough that every tourist and locals alike would love to have a leisurely stroll that is a must do for visiting tourists. Others would have their early morning walk or run on this boulevard too.

This is the key feature of the city wherein it is also a recommended spot for sunrise appreciation as it offers an unbelievably clear view of the horizon. At night, this boulevard will transform into a food market. When you’re in Dumaguete and wants to experience eating in beside the picturesque seaboards, don’t forget to swing by the boulevard.

3. St Catherine Cathedral

ST Catherine Cathedral

The Cathedral is the oldest church in the island. It underwent few reconstruction already but still, it retains its ancestral feel. There will be masses on Sundays making its neighboring Quezon Park a good place to watch the passers-by.

4. The Bell Tower

Bell Tower

Beside the Cathedral is a famous Dumaguete Bell tower that was built in 1800. The Bell Tower is the oldest of its kind in the whole province. The belfry is a formidable structure that protrudes from the ground as though it shouldn’t be there. However, it sits neatly and seems to blend with the surrounding buildings in the area. The people of the city have great respect for these two important historical buildings. Beside the Belfry and the cathedral are where the devotees light candles.

Dumaguete City Belfy

5. Quezon Park

Quezon Park

Just across the Cathedral and Bell Tower is the Quezon Park. People usually come here to watch the passers-by or relax after attending the mass. Sometimes, it is the venue for some events.

Quezon Park

6. Freedom Park and the Capitol Building

At the heart of Dumaguete City lies the Ninoy Aquino Memorial Freedom Park, commonly known as “Freedom Park”.  The Park is a refreshing patch of green in front of the Capitol Building. The place is conducive for taking a break from sightseeing activities within the city.

The Park is often a venue for some events like the Buglasan Festival.

Have you been to these places in Dumaguete City? Have you visited other places that are not on this list? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Feb, Tue, 2017
Kalanggaman Island : An Ocean Bliss of Palompon, Leyte

Kalanggaman Island has always been part of my bucket list, so when one of my colleagues invited me to visit this beautiful Island I did say yes even if it was just the night before the travel date. Yes, it was a spontaneous trip. I really hate spontaneous trip most of the time as it can be costly the hassle that lies ahead. But the thrills on not knowing what lies ahead is what makes the trip more exciting and fun. After all, even there are a lot of mishaps and misfortunes during the travel, it can be turned into an amazing one when you have the right company.

Kalanggaman Island is one of the most pristine and a bit secluded beach in Leyte. Some considered it as one of the best beach destination in the eastern Visayas. It is truly a paradise for beach lovers. An ocean bliss that lies in the municipality of Palompon, province of Leyte, Philippines.

The Jaunt to Kalanggaman Island

Due to the fact that we decided the trip the night before the travel date, we don’t have much choice on our transportation. We took the fast craft via Ormoc City and then took the bus going to Palompon Leyte. Kalanggaman is an hour boat ride from the town proper of Palompon. Due to the spontaneity of the trip, we weren’t able to call the tourism office ahead for pump boat reservation. We just called the office while we’re on transit. Good thing, there are available pump boats still for us. The only downside was, the rate is a bit stiff for the 4 of us.

We took the early fast craft going to Ormoc City. Thus we arrived at around 8 AM in the city and had our breakfast. We proceeded to the bus station going to Palompon. It took us around an hour bus ride. Upon arriving at Palompon proper, we had our last-minute buy for our food and other supplies for our overnight stay on the island. We then went to the tourism office to confirm our reservation.

Fortunately, we found another group of travelers. There were 8 of them. The tourism office suggested that we joined their group if possible for sharing of the boat rental. The group happily agreed. It was a win-win situation for both groups, though, lesser share for the boat rent.

We waited for our boat schedule and the weather seemed antagonistic. Low pressure is on the eastern seaboards. We sailed to Kalanggaman Island at around 2 PM. The waves went crazy few minutes after. It was my first time to encounter such big waves while riding a small pump boat (good for 15 persons). The waves were about a meter and a half wherein at some point, the motor boat operator had stopped the engine several times for security purposes. The supposedly, one-hour boat ride became one hour and a half. It was really a hell of a ride, we got wet even during that boat ride. We then hurriedly pitch our tent when we arrived as the rain was about to fall upon us. We settled on the island at around 4 PM.

Kalanggaman Island Beach

Kalanggaman Island

Upon approaching Kalanggaman Island, the view that will welcome any visitor is its long sandbar. A beautiful sandbar that every visitor tend to over edit in pictures and turn everything to an almost-perfect white and fine sand bar. But Kalanggaman Island’s sandbar is not really that fine. When you look closely, it has a pebbly sand mixed with dead corals. If you think that it’s nice to walk barefoot on the sandbar, I strongly suggest that you shouldn’t unless you really wanted a foot massage. 🙂

Nevertheless, the picturesque vista of the sandbar is what made the island stunning and almost impeccable when viewed at a distance. Kalanggaman Island is named “Kalanggaman” not because it is the home of birds but because of the shape of the Island. The aerial view of the Island resembles that of the bird, hence the name.

What makes Kalanggaman Island an Ocean bliss is its crystal clear waters. The island itself is worth the long travel. The sandbars are just amazing and picture perfect. The sea is calm and nice to swim. You can even roam the whole island within minutes. Aside from swimming, there are other activities that can be done on the island, like snorkeling. But at some portion of the island, especially at the tip of the sandbar, swimming is not allowed as the rip current is really strong.

It’s not often that you come across a pristine island with a beautiful beach. That is our privilege as we gazed out at the slothful sea. The beach was so soft, it felt like we were walking on a glass due to its crystal clear waters. The shimmering sand swept around in a scythe of the beach, hemmed in by beautiful rocks and corals.

On the other side of the island is an undeveloped part. There is a small chapel also on the island. On the other side of the island is a small sand bar that would only show when it’s low tide. It is best to watch the setting sun on this part of the island too.

 

The Magical Sunset at Kalanggaman Island

Far out to the sea horizon, streams of pulsing light saturated the surface with a golden haze. It was confessional-quiet and this Babylon of beaches felt like paradise. The horizon seemed to be stitched with a line of silver rays as the sky turned into a bloody one. A flock of noisy herons was squawking over our heads and squabbling about something.

There was a strange charge to their timeless call as they soared between the wands of God-golden sun as the light fades away. Its lights winked saucily as the wave-crests rose gently. The siren call of the sea was soothing, the wave music welcome. The setting sun laminated us with its beauty. It made us realized then that sunset does not always meant an end but a mark for a new beginning.

What has changed in Kalanggaman Island?

Kalanggaman Island used to be one of the secluded and pristine. But lately, a lot of tourists flocked in this little paradise all year round. What is a bit shameful is that there is a difference in the rates for foreigners and local tourists. I could not see the point, why the local tourism come up with a bit stiff price for foreigners. In fact, when we go to other countries, they have a flat rate for all tourists, local or foreign. Another change that is clearly noticeable is the improper disposal of waste on the island. Some visitors are not very mindful of their wastes. The LGU or local tourism office should be implementing a strict rule to enforce responsible tourism.

Have you been to Kalanggaman island? How was your experience? Is it worth the long travel? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

 

 Tips:

  1. There are no convenience stores in Kalanggaman island. Bring enough supplies like food and water and other necessities.
  2. There are no enough rooms and or cottages on the island to accommodate a large volume of visitors. I highly recommend bringing your own shelter like tent.
  3. There is no electricity on the island, so bring enough power banks if you need to for your gadgets.
  4. The comfort rooms sometimes have no water containers. Bring water containers just in case you need to use the comfort rooms.
  5. There are no shower in the island, so if you want to wash up after swimming on the beach with tap water, ask the boat operator to bring you some water with you the next day if you will stay overnight. If you are on day use, bring water during your trip.

 

Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Beaches and Resorts , Beaches and Resorts , Island Hopping , Philippines , Visayas
Kalanggaman Island : An Ocean Bliss of Palompon, Leyte

Kalanggaman Island has always been part of my bucket list, so when one of my colleagues invited me to visit this beautiful Island I did say yes even if it was just the night before the travel date. Yes, it was a spontaneous trip. I really hate spontaneous trip most of the time as it can be costly the hassle that lies ahead. But the thrills on not knowing what lies ahead is what makes the trip more exciting and fun. After all, even there are a lot of mishaps and misfortunes during the travel, it can be turned into an amazing one when you have the right company.

Kalanggaman Island is one of the most pristine and a bit secluded beach in Leyte. Some considered it as one of the best beach destination in the eastern Visayas. It is truly a paradise for beach lovers. An ocean bliss that lies in the municipality of Palompon, province of Leyte, Philippines.

The Jaunt to Kalanggaman Island

Due to the fact that we decided the trip the night before the travel date, we don’t have much choice on our transportation. We took the fast craft via Ormoc City and then took the bus going to Palompon Leyte. Kalanggaman is an hour boat ride from the town proper of Palompon. Due to the spontaneity of the trip, we weren’t able to call the tourism office ahead for pump boat reservation. We just called the office while we’re on transit. Good thing, there are available pump boats still for us. The only downside was, the rate is a bit stiff for the 4 of us.

We took the early fast craft going to Ormoc City. Thus we arrived at around 8 AM in the city and had our breakfast. We proceeded to the bus station going to Palompon. It took us around an hour bus ride. Upon arriving at Palompon proper, we had our last-minute buy for our food and other supplies for our overnight stay on the island. We then went to the tourism office to confirm our reservation.

Fortunately, we found another group of travelers. There were 8 of them. The tourism office suggested that we joined their group if possible for sharing of the boat rental. The group happily agreed. It was a win-win situation for both groups, though, lesser share for the boat rent.

We waited for our boat schedule and the weather seemed antagonistic. Low pressure is on the eastern seaboards. We sailed to Kalanggaman Island at around 2 PM. The waves went crazy few minutes after. It was my first time to encounter such big waves while riding a small pump boat (good for 15 persons). The waves were about a meter and a half wherein at some point, the motor boat operator had stopped the engine several times for security purposes. The supposedly, one-hour boat ride became one hour and a half. It was really a hell of a ride, we got wet even during that boat ride. We then hurriedly pitch our tent when we arrived as the rain was about to fall upon us. We settled on the island at around 4 PM.

Kalanggaman Island Beach

Kalanggaman Island

Upon approaching Kalanggaman Island, the view that will welcome any visitor is its long sandbar. A beautiful sandbar that every visitor tend to over edit in pictures and turn everything to an almost-perfect white and fine sand bar. But Kalanggaman Island’s sandbar is not really that fine. When you look closely, it has a pebbly sand mixed with dead corals. If you think that it’s nice to walk barefoot on the sandbar, I strongly suggest that you shouldn’t unless you really wanted a foot massage. 🙂

Nevertheless, the picturesque vista of the sandbar is what made the island stunning and almost impeccable when viewed at a distance. Kalanggaman Island is named “Kalanggaman” not because it is the home of birds but because of the shape of the Island. The aerial view of the Island resembles that of the bird, hence the name.

What makes Kalanggaman Island an Ocean bliss is its crystal clear waters. The island itself is worth the long travel. The sandbars are just amazing and picture perfect. The sea is calm and nice to swim. You can even roam the whole island within minutes. Aside from swimming, there are other activities that can be done on the island, like snorkeling. But at some portion of the island, especially at the tip of the sandbar, swimming is not allowed as the rip current is really strong.

It’s not often that you come across a pristine island with a beautiful beach. That is our privilege as we gazed out at the slothful sea. The beach was so soft, it felt like we were walking on a glass due to its crystal clear waters. The shimmering sand swept around in a scythe of the beach, hemmed in by beautiful rocks and corals.

On the other side of the island is an undeveloped part. There is a small chapel also on the island. On the other side of the island is a small sand bar that would only show when it’s low tide. It is best to watch the setting sun on this part of the island too.

 

The Magical Sunset at Kalanggaman Island

Far out to the sea horizon, streams of pulsing light saturated the surface with a golden haze. It was confessional-quiet and this Babylon of beaches felt like paradise. The horizon seemed to be stitched with a line of silver rays as the sky turned into a bloody one. A flock of noisy herons was squawking over our heads and squabbling about something.

There was a strange charge to their timeless call as they soared between the wands of God-golden sun as the light fades away. Its lights winked saucily as the wave-crests rose gently. The siren call of the sea was soothing, the wave music welcome. The setting sun laminated us with its beauty. It made us realized then that sunset does not always meant an end but a mark for a new beginning.

What has changed in Kalanggaman Island?

Kalanggaman Island used to be one of the secluded and pristine. But lately, a lot of tourists flocked in this little paradise all year round. What is a bit shameful is that there is a difference in the rates for foreigners and local tourists. I could not see the point, why the local tourism come up with a bit stiff price for foreigners. In fact, when we go to other countries, they have a flat rate for all tourists, local or foreign. Another change that is clearly noticeable is the improper disposal of waste on the island. Some visitors are not very mindful of their wastes. The LGU or local tourism office should be implementing a strict rule to enforce responsible tourism.

Have you been to Kalanggaman island? How was your experience? Is it worth the long travel? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

 

 Tips:

  1. There are no convenience stores in Kalanggaman island. Bring enough supplies like food and water and other necessities.
  2. There are no enough rooms and or cottages on the island to accommodate a large volume of visitors. I highly recommend bringing your own shelter like tent.
  3. There is no electricity on the island, so bring enough power banks if you need to for your gadgets.
  4. The comfort rooms sometimes have no water containers. Bring water containers just in case you need to use the comfort rooms.
  5. There are no shower in the island, so if you want to wash up after swimming on the beach with tap water, ask the boat operator to bring you some water with you the next day if you will stay overnight. If you are on day use, bring water during your trip.

 

10000 roses cafe
Feb, Tue, 2017
10,000 Roses Cafe : The next romantic haven?

Don’t have an idea where to bring your significant other for a romantic date? Well, the 10,000 Led roses cafe can be your best bet. The 10,000 roses cafe is located near Lantaw Floating restaurant in Cordova, Cebu.

Cebu is a chest of beautiful spots both natural and man-made. The Cebuanos were quite hyped when Sirao Flower Farm made rounds in social media. It was also a big thing when the butanding watching in Oslob made a considerable noise on the internet.

Lately, a new beautiful spot within the city made rounds again on the internet. Inspired by the 20,000 lighted rose garden display in Dongdaemun, South Korea, the 10,000 Roses Cafe is established by an avid fan. The cafe is here to brighten the city of Cebu with 10,000 illuminating white roses filling the front porch of the cafe.

The hype on social media about this new place is spreading like a virus. In just a matter of weeks after the place was opened to general public, it has gained its social momentum and had drawn a lot of visitors.

Last weekend, in response to the invite of my fellow blogger, foureyedlaagan, wanderingfeetph and the bisaya vlogger Glenn Abucay, we went to the place.

How to get there?

From SM City North, take the hired Van (v-hire) bound for Cordova. Travel time is around an hour. The fare is 35 pesos each person. Alight at Gaisano Grandmall Cordova. From there, hire a tricycle going to Lantaw Restaurant. The fare for the tricycle is 15 pesos per pax. Alternatively, you can hire the pedicab (padyak) but it would be faster if you will get the tricycle.

The 10,000 Roses Cafe Experience:

The trip was agreed two hours before the meetup time. It’s one of the most spontaneous trips we had together with these guys.

10000 roses cafe, 10,000 Roses Cafe

The gang agreed to meet up at SM City North at 3 PM, but due to traffic, we gathered together at around 4 pm. We then take our ride immediately to catch the sunset at the 10K Led flower café. The vlogarkada (as foureyed called it) arrived at around 5:20 PM.

We were a bit shocked when we saw the remarkable number of tourists in the area. If the café has 10,000 roses, the tourist around it was about the same number. 10, 000 people around! Would you believe that? Of course, I’m exaggerating things here. Yes, there are a lot of tourists who flocked the place (not really 10,000 though).

10,000 Roses Cafe

All you can see from afar are the countless heads of people around the area. The tourists can’t get enough of themselves taking a lot of pictures with the flowers. It’s almost the same as the crowd when Sirao Flower farm had its moment.

It’s a bit frustrating that the tourists are stubborn. We went around at the back of the coffee shop to check the place. Even at the back of the café has a lot of visitors chilling. Some say that the official opening of the café will be on Feb 14, but it opened last weekend, Saturday, Feb 11, 2017.

The café offers a variety of beverages and snacks. Unfortunately, we didn’t order any as they have a few more unavailable on their menu. Besides the café is full of guests at that time.

Being a responsible tourist:

When I walked around at the other side of the café, I quickly noticed the guard on duty. He was the only one at that time, busy watching the visitors and asking them not to enter the restricted area. I was a bit annoyed that few visitors were too stubborn and did not even pay respect to the guard.

It was the time that I decided to stop taking pictures as I have enough already and have a quick chit-chat with the guard on duty. I found out that the café is supposedly not to open soon, but due to the social media hype, the owner decided to open the café for business ahead of schedule.

The guard on duty was a bit pissed off, as there are a lot of visitors that would always try to get into the middle of these artificial flowers for picture purposes. They even don’t mind what will happen to those flowers, whether it can damage the flowers or whatsoever.

10,000 Roses Cafe

I even asked if the owner has plans to impose an entrance fee to at least minimize the crowd coming in and out. Or even put more barricades in order for the guard not to exert extra effort keeping the watch to those not so mindful tourists.

The guard said that the owner has no plans on imposing any entrance fees. He said that the owner just wanted the place to be a romantic getaway, a place where friends, family or love ones can chill and have peace of mind.

10,000 Roses Cafe

It is really commendable what the owner of this Korean themed 10,000 roses cafe has in mind. They just wanted to bring the look and feel of Korea within the city without spending a buck going outside the country. However, the destructive minds of the people can sometimes be uncontrollable.

10,000 Roses Cafe

I guess, the saying that goes, “If you are living a good life, live it and don’t tell anyone. People tend to destroy beautiful things.”

The Future:

We had this weird thought of coming to this place as early as possible due to the fact that anytime soon the place might get destroyed. And it doesn’t take long actually. The next day, I was both saddened and pissed off by the news, and maybe not only me, that some flowers were destroyed.

10,000 Roses Cafe

It was making rounds in social media and on the news that the place was temporarily closed until the flowers were fixed.

And still, the owners are very kind not to get pissed off by what happened. Instead, they just handle things gracefully. And decided to fix it.

Hopefully, our fellow tourists will be responsible enough. It’s not really bad to enjoy every moment whenever we travel but let us take into consideration our impact on the place we visited in.

Let’s travel with fun but let us minimize the negative social, economic and environmental impacts of our presence whenever we are. Let us generate greater economic benefits for local people and enhance the well-being of host communities.

For sure, this 10,000 roses Cafe can be the next romantic haven when we are not going to destroy it. Let us travel responsibly.

How about you? Are you planning to visit the 10,000 roses cafe? As a traveler, how would you promote or be an advocate of responsible tourism? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Tips, Do’s and Don’ts:

  1. Go there early to stay away from heavy traffic.
  2. Stay at the café till evening to appreciate the beauty of the roses when lit.
  3. Be a responsible tourist. Obey the rules and don’t dare break them.
  4. Respect begets respect. Thus, respect the staff and authorities for crowd control.
  5. Do not enter restricted areas and trample the flowers. The flowers have electrical wiring and can cause an electrical shock when not careful.
  6. When getting back to Cebu City, do it after the rush hours to stay away from heavy traffic.
Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
City Scapes and Tourist Spots , Tips , Travel , Visayas
10,000 Roses Cafe : The next romantic haven?

Don’t have an idea where to bring your significant other for a romantic date? Well, the 10,000 Led roses cafe can be your best bet. The 10,000 roses cafe is located near Lantaw Floating restaurant in Cordova, Cebu.

Cebu is a chest of beautiful spots both natural and man-made. The Cebuanos were quite hyped when Sirao Flower Farm made rounds in social media. It was also a big thing when the butanding watching in Oslob made a considerable noise on the internet.

Lately, a new beautiful spot within the city made rounds again on the internet. Inspired by the 20,000 lighted rose garden display in Dongdaemun, South Korea, the 10,000 Roses Cafe is established by an avid fan. The cafe is here to brighten the city of Cebu with 10,000 illuminating white roses filling the front porch of the cafe.

The hype on social media about this new place is spreading like a virus. In just a matter of weeks after the place was opened to general public, it has gained its social momentum and had drawn a lot of visitors.

Last weekend, in response to the invite of my fellow blogger, foureyedlaagan, wanderingfeetph and the bisaya vlogger Glenn Abucay, we went to the place.

How to get there?

From SM City North, take the hired Van (v-hire) bound for Cordova. Travel time is around an hour. The fare is 35 pesos each person. Alight at Gaisano Grandmall Cordova. From there, hire a tricycle going to Lantaw Restaurant. The fare for the tricycle is 15 pesos per pax. Alternatively, you can hire the pedicab (padyak) but it would be faster if you will get the tricycle.

The 10,000 Roses Cafe Experience:

The trip was agreed two hours before the meetup time. It’s one of the most spontaneous trips we had together with these guys.

10000 roses cafe, 10,000 Roses Cafe

The gang agreed to meet up at SM City North at 3 PM, but due to traffic, we gathered together at around 4 pm. We then take our ride immediately to catch the sunset at the 10K Led flower café. The vlogarkada (as foureyed called it) arrived at around 5:20 PM.

We were a bit shocked when we saw the remarkable number of tourists in the area. If the café has 10,000 roses, the tourist around it was about the same number. 10, 000 people around! Would you believe that? Of course, I’m exaggerating things here. Yes, there are a lot of tourists who flocked the place (not really 10,000 though).

10,000 Roses Cafe

All you can see from afar are the countless heads of people around the area. The tourists can’t get enough of themselves taking a lot of pictures with the flowers. It’s almost the same as the crowd when Sirao Flower farm had its moment.

It’s a bit frustrating that the tourists are stubborn. We went around at the back of the coffee shop to check the place. Even at the back of the café has a lot of visitors chilling. Some say that the official opening of the café will be on Feb 14, but it opened last weekend, Saturday, Feb 11, 2017.

The café offers a variety of beverages and snacks. Unfortunately, we didn’t order any as they have a few more unavailable on their menu. Besides the café is full of guests at that time.

Being a responsible tourist:

When I walked around at the other side of the café, I quickly noticed the guard on duty. He was the only one at that time, busy watching the visitors and asking them not to enter the restricted area. I was a bit annoyed that few visitors were too stubborn and did not even pay respect to the guard.

It was the time that I decided to stop taking pictures as I have enough already and have a quick chit-chat with the guard on duty. I found out that the café is supposedly not to open soon, but due to the social media hype, the owner decided to open the café for business ahead of schedule.

The guard on duty was a bit pissed off, as there are a lot of visitors that would always try to get into the middle of these artificial flowers for picture purposes. They even don’t mind what will happen to those flowers, whether it can damage the flowers or whatsoever.

10,000 Roses Cafe

I even asked if the owner has plans to impose an entrance fee to at least minimize the crowd coming in and out. Or even put more barricades in order for the guard not to exert extra effort keeping the watch to those not so mindful tourists.

The guard said that the owner has no plans on imposing any entrance fees. He said that the owner just wanted the place to be a romantic getaway, a place where friends, family or love ones can chill and have peace of mind.

10,000 Roses Cafe

It is really commendable what the owner of this Korean themed 10,000 roses cafe has in mind. They just wanted to bring the look and feel of Korea within the city without spending a buck going outside the country. However, the destructive minds of the people can sometimes be uncontrollable.

10,000 Roses Cafe

I guess, the saying that goes, “If you are living a good life, live it and don’t tell anyone. People tend to destroy beautiful things.”

The Future:

We had this weird thought of coming to this place as early as possible due to the fact that anytime soon the place might get destroyed. And it doesn’t take long actually. The next day, I was both saddened and pissed off by the news, and maybe not only me, that some flowers were destroyed.

10,000 Roses Cafe

It was making rounds in social media and on the news that the place was temporarily closed until the flowers were fixed.

And still, the owners are very kind not to get pissed off by what happened. Instead, they just handle things gracefully. And decided to fix it.

Hopefully, our fellow tourists will be responsible enough. It’s not really bad to enjoy every moment whenever we travel but let us take into consideration our impact on the place we visited in.

Let’s travel with fun but let us minimize the negative social, economic and environmental impacts of our presence whenever we are. Let us generate greater economic benefits for local people and enhance the well-being of host communities.

For sure, this 10,000 roses Cafe can be the next romantic haven when we are not going to destroy it. Let us travel responsibly.

How about you? Are you planning to visit the 10,000 roses cafe? As a traveler, how would you promote or be an advocate of responsible tourism? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Tips, Do’s and Don’ts:

  1. Go there early to stay away from heavy traffic.
  2. Stay at the café till evening to appreciate the beauty of the roses when lit.
  3. Be a responsible tourist. Obey the rules and don’t dare break them.
  4. Respect begets respect. Thus, respect the staff and authorities for crowd control.
  5. Do not enter restricted areas and trample the flowers. The flowers have electrical wiring and can cause an electrical shock when not careful.
  6. When getting back to Cebu City, do it after the rush hours to stay away from heavy traffic.
Tinagong Dagat
Feb, Mon, 2017
Tinagong Dagat: An island walk to remember

Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong Dagat, formerly called as the Isla Bonita, is located in Sitio Latasan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental. Sipalay is one of the most visited places in Negros Occidental due to its tourist spots. Sipalay boasts its pristine beaches and attractive diving spots like Nataasan Beach Resort, Perth Paradise Resort, etc. These spots continue to fascinate the tourists that flocked the secluded town all year round.

Tinagong Dagat is one of the tourist spots in Sipalay that draws tourist every now and then. Burrowed on a picturesque setting, a resort surrounded by islets is really an amazing vista. You will definitely love the panoramic islets and the peaceful seclusion that this place has to offer to its guests. Tinagong dagat has islets similar in structure to that of the hundred islands in Pangasinan.

Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong dagat islets are connected by bridges wherein you can just walk from one islet to another. I really love bridges, so the excitement of walking and playing on all those bridges was heightened when we arrived at the resort.

The bridges are made of wood and bamboo except for the longest one. The longest bridge is made of wood but with a concrete support at the middle.

Tinagong Dagat

Among its islets is a viewing deck. To reach the viewing deck of Tinagong Dagat, you need to cross those bridges first. The Viewing Deck is located on top of the third islet with the highest elevation.

Let’s cross the bridge when we get there!

“I really love it when it rains and walks under it coz it’s the only time that I can cry without anyone noticing my tears.”

Tinagong Dagat

Despite the heavy rains, our adventure continues. Yes, during our visit, we were blessed with rain. But that doesn’t stop us from exploring the islets. We were literally walking under the rain and enjoyed every bit of it like the child that we used to be.

Tinagong Dagat

It is quite a challenge for us in crossing those bridges under the rain because the pathway was a bit slippery. But it really was fun!

Tinagong Dagat

The Cottages:

Most of the islets have cottages built on it. There are few open cottages that are built right above the waters. Some cottages have rooms for the guests too. The resort has an infinity pool too. One of the pools is located right below the pathway going to the Viewing Deck. Unfortunately, they were doing maintenance tasks thus the pool was emptied.

Tinagong Dagat

The jaunt to the viewing Deck of Tinagong Dagat

The viewing deck is the highest point among the surrounding islets in the resort. In going to the viewing deck, you will have to endure walking in a concrete path going up. Note that the viewing deck is just a few steps like less than a hundred steps from the base of the islet but it can be tiring to those who are not used to an ascent walk.

Tinagong Dagat

On the shoulder of the islet is a mini viewing spot to the islets on the other side. It has benches installed in the viewing spots too. So if you’re tired of walking upstairs, you can have a quick stop and pretend to take pictures or videos. It’s a good alibi to have a quick rest, right? LOL

Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong Dagat

The View on Top of Tinagong Dagat

The view on top is just simply breath-taking. That view has made this ordinary-looking place into an extraordinary one. It’s really mind-blowing to see those bridges connecting each of the islets. It made me realized that without those bridges, I may have a hard time paddling my canoe just to reach the islets including the islet where I currently stand.

Tinagong Dagat

The impeccable scene made me realized and ponder the relevance of  “build bridges, not burn them”.

We spent few minutes on top, living the moment and taking few pictures for keepsake errr for blog purposes. LOL. What I really loved about the place is its being well-maintained. The place is clean, no trashes lying around the area. It’s really heart-warming to know that responsible tourism may have been practiced in this magnificent tourist spot.

Tinagong Dagat

There are few houses on the islets that I can see of. I’m not really sure if they use it as residences, though.

After the rainy exploration of Tinagong dagat, we continued with our trip to Sipalay City to catch the last bus going to Dumaguete. Too bad, we do not have much time to try their amenities like bamboo rafting, kayaking and island hopping. Well, at least I have reasons to go back.

Tinagong Dagat

Have you been to Tinagong Dagat? How was your experience? Is it worth a revisit? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below.

Entrance Fee:

30 pesos per head (Sight-seeing only)

Tinagong Dagat Amenities:

Bamboo Rafting
Island Hopping
Kayaking
Boating
Videoke Machine

Room Rates:

1,650 – Good for 4 (Maximum of 9)
1,350 – Good for 4 (Maximum of 7)
1,200 – Good for 4 (Maximum of 5)
Extra heads (in excess of 4) – 200/head

*Air-conditioned Rooms
*Free use of Pool
*Hot and Cold Shower
*Cable TV

For Reservations:
Call:
Val Campillanos – 0920-902-2300
Dahlia Campillanos – 0920-947-3036

How to get to Tinagong Dagat Resort?

From Sipalay Public Market, hire a trike going to Tinagong Dagat Island Resort. Tinagong Dagat is located just along the way going to Perth Paradise Resort. The travel time is around 15 minutes and the fare is 300 pesos per tricycle one-way. In our case, our starting point was at Nataasan Beach Resort when we were on our way back to Sipalay Public Market.

Tips:

  1. There are a lot of trike drivers who will offer to fetch you to any resort and diving spot. So finding a transport is not a problem in Sipalay. But make sure to have an agreement with the trike driver to fetch you back to the Market as transportation from the resort going back is quite a challenge.
  2. The rate is somewhat standard to all trike drivers. The fare is per trike (300-450) depending on which resort you would go. One trike is good for 3. So expect to have 100-150 pesos fare one way per person if you’re in a group of three.
  3. Be prepared for a bumpy ride ahead as the road to some resorts might be very rough like the one going to Perth Paradise. Note that trikes are not allowed to go up near the gate of Tinagong Dagat, only private vehicles are allowed.
  4. To maximize the places in your list, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.
Wandering Soul Scamper Wandering Soul Scamper
BackPacking , Beaches and Resorts , Beaches and Resorts , Travel , Visayas
Tinagong Dagat: An island walk to remember

Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong Dagat, formerly called as the Isla Bonita, is located in Sitio Latasan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental. Sipalay is one of the most visited places in Negros Occidental due to its tourist spots. Sipalay boasts its pristine beaches and attractive diving spots like Nataasan Beach Resort, Perth Paradise Resort, etc. These spots continue to fascinate the tourists that flocked the secluded town all year round.

Tinagong Dagat is one of the tourist spots in Sipalay that draws tourist every now and then. Burrowed on a picturesque setting, a resort surrounded by islets is really an amazing vista. You will definitely love the panoramic islets and the peaceful seclusion that this place has to offer to its guests. Tinagong dagat has islets similar in structure to that of the hundred islands in Pangasinan.

Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong dagat islets are connected by bridges wherein you can just walk from one islet to another. I really love bridges, so the excitement of walking and playing on all those bridges was heightened when we arrived at the resort.

The bridges are made of wood and bamboo except for the longest one. The longest bridge is made of wood but with a concrete support at the middle.

Tinagong Dagat

Among its islets is a viewing deck. To reach the viewing deck of Tinagong Dagat, you need to cross those bridges first. The Viewing Deck is located on top of the third islet with the highest elevation.

Let’s cross the bridge when we get there!

“I really love it when it rains and walks under it coz it’s the only time that I can cry without anyone noticing my tears.”

Tinagong Dagat

Despite the heavy rains, our adventure continues. Yes, during our visit, we were blessed with rain. But that doesn’t stop us from exploring the islets. We were literally walking under the rain and enjoyed every bit of it like the child that we used to be.

Tinagong Dagat

It is quite a challenge for us in crossing those bridges under the rain because the pathway was a bit slippery. But it really was fun!

Tinagong Dagat

The Cottages:

Most of the islets have cottages built on it. There are few open cottages that are built right above the waters. Some cottages have rooms for the guests too. The resort has an infinity pool too. One of the pools is located right below the pathway going to the Viewing Deck. Unfortunately, they were doing maintenance tasks thus the pool was emptied.

Tinagong Dagat

The jaunt to the viewing Deck of Tinagong Dagat

The viewing deck is the highest point among the surrounding islets in the resort. In going to the viewing deck, you will have to endure walking in a concrete path going up. Note that the viewing deck is just a few steps like less than a hundred steps from the base of the islet but it can be tiring to those who are not used to an ascent walk.

Tinagong Dagat

On the shoulder of the islet is a mini viewing spot to the islets on the other side. It has benches installed in the viewing spots too. So if you’re tired of walking upstairs, you can have a quick stop and pretend to take pictures or videos. It’s a good alibi to have a quick rest, right? LOL

Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong Dagat

The View on Top of Tinagong Dagat

The view on top is just simply breath-taking. That view has made this ordinary-looking place into an extraordinary one. It’s really mind-blowing to see those bridges connecting each of the islets. It made me realized that without those bridges, I may have a hard time paddling my canoe just to reach the islets including the islet where I currently stand.

Tinagong Dagat

The impeccable scene made me realized and ponder the relevance of  “build bridges, not burn them”.

We spent few minutes on top, living the moment and taking few pictures for keepsake errr for blog purposes. LOL. What I really loved about the place is its being well-maintained. The place is clean, no trashes lying around the area. It’s really heart-warming to know that responsible tourism may have been practiced in this magnificent tourist spot.

Tinagong Dagat

There are few houses on the islets that I can see of. I’m not really sure if they use it as residences, though.

After the rainy exploration of Tinagong dagat, we continued with our trip to Sipalay City to catch the last bus going to Dumaguete. Too bad, we do not have much time to try their amenities like bamboo rafting, kayaking and island hopping. Well, at least I have reasons to go back.

Tinagong Dagat

Have you been to Tinagong Dagat? How was your experience? Is it worth a revisit? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below.

Entrance Fee:

30 pesos per head (Sight-seeing only)

Tinagong Dagat Amenities:

Bamboo Rafting
Island Hopping
Kayaking
Boating
Videoke Machine

Room Rates:

1,650 – Good for 4 (Maximum of 9)
1,350 – Good for 4 (Maximum of 7)
1,200 – Good for 4 (Maximum of 5)
Extra heads (in excess of 4) – 200/head

*Air-conditioned Rooms
*Free use of Pool
*Hot and Cold Shower
*Cable TV

For Reservations:
Call:
Val Campillanos – 0920-902-2300
Dahlia Campillanos – 0920-947-3036

How to get to Tinagong Dagat Resort?

From Sipalay Public Market, hire a trike going to Tinagong Dagat Island Resort. Tinagong Dagat is located just along the way going to Perth Paradise Resort. The travel time is around 15 minutes and the fare is 300 pesos per tricycle one-way. In our case, our starting point was at Nataasan Beach Resort when we were on our way back to Sipalay Public Market.

Tips:

  1. There are a lot of trike drivers who will offer to fetch you to any resort and diving spot. So finding a transport is not a problem in Sipalay. But make sure to have an agreement with the trike driver to fetch you back to the Market as transportation from the resort going back is quite a challenge.
  2. The rate is somewhat standard to all trike drivers. The fare is per trike (300-450) depending on which resort you would go. One trike is good for 3. So expect to have 100-150 pesos fare one way per person if you’re in a group of three.
  3. Be prepared for a bumpy ride ahead as the road to some resorts might be very rough like the one going to Perth Paradise. Note that trikes are not allowed to go up near the gate of Tinagong Dagat, only private vehicles are allowed.
  4. To maximize the places in your list, be mindful of the time spent in each spot as they can be far from each other. Taking travel time into consideration would be of great help in your fun-filled adventure.