There’s been a lot of buzz about locations which were once backpacker gems—as local travel has become more accessible, these locations are becoming popular destinations with more tourists as a welcome change from the usual party beaches. One of my favorite experiences off the beaten track, in particular, was canyoneering to Kawasan Falls in Cebu. Canyoneering involves traversing through canyons with a variety of activities—from your sedate walking to high-adrenaline rappelling and swimming. I first tried this in 2012—though our group of 11 was big, we were the only ones tackling the canyons that day. Not being a known activity, we were charged more, but it was exhilarating nonetheless.
My more recent experience should shed some light on you guys. The fees were lower this time—we contacted Iconyoneering on Instagram, and were offered rates of Php 1000 for a group of 6, inclusive of food, and Php 800 without food. The tour guide also provided dry bags for our belongings and aqua shoes to ensure we wouldn’t slip. I still recommend that you avoid bringing gadgets unless they’re waterproof, though.
You may also book a cayoneering tour here.
I think I enjoyed canyoneering this time just as much as my first. I knew as soon as we had to begin by jumping off a 15 foot cliff that this was the kind of trip for me! The beautiful gorges involved plenty of jumping, swimming and sliding down after climbs. Be careful while you swim though—some parts are quite deep or shallow, but rocky!
There is a halfway stop where you can buy food like hotdogs and barbecue for Php 15-30—highly recommended as you will definitely be hungry. We started the second half of the trek by jumping off a high cliff—good thing we had that 15 ft jump as a warm-up! We were thankful for the assistance of our tour guide, Kuya JR, who was well-trained and very reassuring whenever we got to some more daunting parts, so we felt safe. He also knew where to take great photos and readily offered to take our pictures—I hope he’ll assist you guys if you decide to make the trip.
Our soujourn ended with a thrilling 45 m drop off the waterfalls—the second level of Kawasan Falls. Not everyone in our group was as much of a thrillseeker as I am. My cousin was afraid of heights, but she enjoyed herself so much and went through all the jumps with minimal fuss. The only downside of its sudden popularity is that there are more people around, so it felt like there were some long lines before the jumps. When we were canyoneering, we were with a big group of Korean tourists—22 in all! It made the 3-4 hour trek to Kawasan Falls feel longer. I was grateful my first experience wasn’t as crowded. We capped off our adventurous trek with the incredible sight of the majestic Kawasan Falls, where we enjoyed our lunch—a reward after an exciting trek. It was definitely worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBMvOewjzFM&feature=youtu.be
Love this! Just with the to the Philippines last year and I’m sad we missed Cebu.
That gives you more reason to go back, there’s more
Your pics are absolutely breathtaking! I would never have the courage to jump, but I would enjoy the journey getting there!
Hey Sarah, if ever, you can just go on ahead and visit Kawasan Falls. There is a way to get there without having to jump, you just miss the canyoning experience but at least you see the falls. You can even ride a raft and enter the falls.
Amazing photos you have here, plus this travelogue is truly exhilarating. I’m quite excited to try these unpopular places in the future.
I am glad I can share the beauty of my country with you .
Wow! What a cool experience (despite the crowd) in a gorgeous place! I would love to do this! Thank you for sharing.
Never try this but definitely on my list. Cebu never fails to amaze me! 🙂
Canyoneering is something I’ve yet to do but I’m super keen now I’ve read this. Hopeful of a trip to the Philippines in 2017!
You should really give it a try.
Im pretty sure that I’ll do this anytime soon. Thanks for sharing your experience. Gosh! The cliff diving makes me feel soooo excited:)
I love seeing posts highlighting the beauty of our country! It makes me realise that there’s still so much left to explore! We’re so fortunate to have been blessed with a great abundance of natural gems! Thanks for sharing, Karla! Godlike on your travels!
You always have the most amazing posts about Philippines! Keep sharing these places, please!
Wow, what an amazing adventure! I love the color of the water, too. I’d like to try this someday!
Wat hotel did u guys stayed? And how did u guys go to apo island? Did u guys hire another tour package? Do you mind sharing your iterinary?
Hi, we stayed at Fantasy Lodge prior to this but it is one hour away from Kawasan. If you want, you can find accommodations in Moal Boal. There are a lot. Try in Panagsama beach so you are more central.
We went to Apo Island via Dumaguete, I shall link it to you once I write it.
Hi Karla,
This sounds amazing! I am going to get in contact with the same company you used. Just want to clarify, did you pay 1000 PHP per person? Or in total?
Thank you
Hi Angeli, the price is per person 🙂
Oh I love this. Now Boracay is closed, I will head to Cebu instead and I realize that Cebu has more things to do than any other islands in the Philippines. Thanks for the great post!