Step by step guide to Kawasan falls adventure
- Maya del Aire
- May 28, 2019
- 7 min read
This itinerary is day eight of your ultimate 8 day trip that starts in Cebu old city. It includes: Cebu city, Bohol Island, Manjuyod Sandbar, Siquijor island, Apo island, Oslob whale shark watching and Kawasan falls canyoneering. This particular post tells you about what can you expect from your Kawasan falls canyoneering adventure and how to be prepared in order to fully enjoy it. The itinerary includes all relevant information in order for you to have a smooth vacation, so just get ready and follow my lead.
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Day 8 Step by step guide to Kawasan falls adventure
About
Kawasan Canyoneering is one of the most popular attractions in South of Cebu island, among locals and foreigners. This exciting adventure entails exploring the canyon by engaging in different activities such as, waterfall jumping, swimming through caves, sliding on waterfalls.This adventure will push your limits, lift your adrenaline, and make you do things that you wouldn’t believe you could. The Kawasan canyoneering adventure is considered as an extreme sport activity and it is highly advised for you to go there with a guide. This tour includes, swimming, gliding through slopes, jumping of cliffs, waterfalls, hiking through slippery and challenging paths. It is very important for you to follow the instructions of your guide, as they will explain you the safest way to walk, and jump every single waterfall. They will be there to help, you, guide you, and take pictures of you. What I liked is that there is always an easier alternative for every jump that you can do. You don’t have to jump of 50 feet high waterfall if you don’t want. The guide will show you the other way to reach the end of the route.
There are many companies that organize these tours, some of them good some not so much. Bear in mind that safety is your priority and that finding reputable and well known company is very important. You need to have gears which are safe and in good condition and guides who are experienced enough to help you enjoy as much as you can.
How to get there?
Many of companies will arrange transport for you if you are around Badian or Alegria. If you happen to be in Oslob or somewhere further, you may have to reach the landmark on your own.
From Oslob
Take a bus to Bato, via Barili. After reaching Bato, take another bus that will take you to Badian. If your agency doesn’t specify where you shot be get off, then just ask the bus driver to drop you at the falls.
Trips will last just over 2 hrs.
From Cebu city
From South bus terminal, you will take a Ceres bus to Bato via Barilli. Make sure that it is a bus going via Barilli, because other buses don’t stop by falls. Inform the bus driver to drop you at the jumping point at Kawasan falls.
Drive will last around 3-4 hours
From Dumaguete
From the main bus terminal, you will take a Ceres bus to Cebu City. You have to make sure your bus is going via Bato, and this is the stop where you will be dropped off. Note that your bus will board a ferry with which you will be transported to Cebu Island. Once you’ve reached Bato, you will take another bus towards Cebu city, via Barilli.
Kawasan Canyoneering in detail
I have done a lot of research before I have chosen the company for this adventure. I have not regretted any moment, for choosing them and spending money which was absolutely worth it.
Therefore, I will share the whole experience that I had with this particular company simply called Kawasan Canyoneering
Booking the tour
I have booked my tour by phone, calling just the day before. In high season times, you might have to book few days ahead. Try to book for earliest hours as possible so you can enjoy it before canyon gets too busy. Booking experience was quite simple, where we have been advised of how to reach the office from Oslob where we stayed.
Once we reached the office, we have paid, signed weavers, and tried our gears. We were lucky, so we had a personal guide for just a two of as there were not many tourists that day. Our tour also included gears, entry fee, bottle of water, snacks tucked in our life jacket, and lunch after the tour.
From the office, we were taken to the starting point by scooters. The ride was a bit scary for me, but for people who like bikes will probably be a fun ride. At the starting point, we were briefed about safety aspects, and instructions on how to stay safe and prevent any possible injuries. Bear in mind that this is considered as an extreme sport, and it is very important that you follow the instructions of your guide!
The tour starts starts with the walk through the bushes, which depending on your fitness, might last 20-35 minutes. The walk included passing through unpaved trails which needed good stable shoes and caution.
Once we have reached the bottom of the mountain, we have also reached our first jump point. This jump point is not very high, and the atmosphere around you, including mesmerizing blue water surrounding by rocky Mountains will make you easily jump into the water.
This blue water pool slowly turns into shallow water that you can easily pass through, until you reach caves, where you can take nice shots. This place is good for shots and different activities if you are doing a tour with a group. People usually form circles, flowers and other creative forms for good shots. In my case, it was only my partner and me, so we couldn’t do much, but this left enough time for the guide to have focus on our safety and wishes.
Next step will be sliding backwards on streaming water that falls into another wonderful pool. Don’t worry; it is safe, even though it doesn’t look like that. The guide will be there with you every step of the way, explaining every single move that you have to do in order to be safe.
After only couple of steps, you will have another waterfall, from which you will jump. By this point, I am sure you that you conquer your fears and be ready for more adventures.
You will now slide down a very short water fall and continue your hike along the river, and through caves.
This part is quite interesting as includes jumping, and climbing big stones, exploring more caves and other nature beauties that you may encounter over there. My opinion is that every single spot over there was good for pictures. I have quite enjoyed changing in colors of water from turquoise blue into shades of green, green trees with their branches covering your surroundings and constant sound of birds chirping.
Swimming through the caves might have been one of the most interesting parts of the experience as you had to go through, and underneath without seeing the end of it. Some parts of the river include bottlenecks, which required to swim through tight passages. You just have to let yourself free, listen to the instructions of your guide and try to enjoy it as much as you can. It is always good to have people who can rescue you in case you become scared at some point ;-)
Last phase consists of jumping from 3 more waterfalls. The excitement doesn’t end. The first one will be of medium height that will be followed by another waterfall from where you will be encouraged to glide into a beautiful lagoon where you will swim for some time. This lagoon will soon disappear bringing you into the long path where you will climb rocks and man made steps, when you will reach another breathtaking lagoon with serene waters and another adventure to come before you reach the actual Kawasan falls. You will probably have time to take a rest here, and enjoy the scenery.
The last two waterfalls are the highest, one of the reaching almost 15m/49feet height. We didn’t go for that one but I hope you will and that you will fully enjoy it. Don’t overthink, and don’t let your fear overwhelm you. Just go for it, and I promise, you will have a memorable experience. The reward for your effort and your courage you will be able to enjoy a large pool of main Kawasan falls and enjoy the strong current of it massaging you if you will be strong enough to stay under it. This area is easily accessible and it is a resting area for locals, that you will find there enjoying the view of this mesmerizing nature around it. There are some restaurants there, but you will get your lunch after the tour in the premises of the agency so don’t worry about that.
During the tour at some point, you will make a quick stop where you will find locals barbecuing different kind of meat and offering little treats. This why, it is good to have a little cash, in a plastic bag, with you.
Important things to remember:
- Choose good and reputable company to do the tour for you. Some of them offer a tour for quite an expensive price. I have paid 1500php for one person and it was worth it every penny.
- Try to book your tour the earliest you can, so you can enjoy it until it gets too busy.
- Always follow instructions of your guide. They know exactly what is the easiest and safest way to go through the canyon.
- Bring extra clothes to change, because you will definitely get soaked.
- Good reef shoes or sneakers would be good to have, no flip flops would do, as you would walk though slippery rocks.
- Bring a good waterproof camera, as all your belongings will get soaked as well.
- Try to enjoy it and do it at your own pace if you can. The guide will rush you unless you tell him to slow down.
If you don’t have enough time to do all the tours, I would suggest you to combine whale shark experience with Kawasan canyoneering. If you are lucky, you might be able to finish with whale sharks by 08:00am, and head to Badian for your adventure that won’t take long as well.
If you don’t have any plans after finishing your Kawasan adventure, you may just walk up to the closest beach. Most of them are private and part of private accommodations; however they let you chill there for 25 pisos, which is half a dollar.
There are no shops around, at least very close the the exit of the Kawasan falls, so you might want to stock up once you see any shop and before you head to the beach.
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