Kawasan Falls Canyoneering Adventure – A Must in the Philippines

 

Stunning Kawasan Falls is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cebu and in the whole of the Philippines. No wonders why, as Kawasan Falls canyoneering experience is a must. Also, the three-level turquoise waterfall complex is one of a few waterfalls in the world of its kind. Thus, understandably it has become a top tourist destination. In this blog post, we will tell you how to get to Kawasan Falls, when to go, what to do in Kawasan Falls and what to expect from this beautiful experience.

 

 

Related: How to Travel for 4 weeks in The Philippines for less than $800?

 

How to get to Kawasan Falls in Badian?

 

Cool place to stay close to Kawasan Falls: Garden Village

From Cebu City:

From Cebu City, you will have to take a bus from the South Bus Terminal. Buses towards Kawasan Falls leave every 30 minutes with the end destination – Bato. Make sure to take the bus that goes via Barili. Thus, bus to Bato via Barili, as there are other buses going the same way but along the other side of the Cebu island. There are several other destinations along the way but once you ask “Kawasan Falls” anyone in the station will be able to point you to the right bus. The bus fare is 130 – 150 peso, which is roughly $ 4. The lowest fare for the non-AC bus and a few cents extra for the AC bus. It gets quite hot in the midday so catch the airconditioned bus if possible.

 

From Moalboal or Alegria:

Catch the same bus heading towards Oslob (destination –  Bato) and tell the conductor that you are going to Kawasan Falls. The fare will not be more than 30 pesos, which is less than a dollar. There is only one main highway going South so any bus will do. The buses pass through Moalboal and Alegria very often so you just have to be at the side of the road when it comes. We stayed in Moalboal for a couple of days so we were able to get to Kawasan Falls early and avoid the crowds. If you are coming from Cebu City, you cannot make it to Kawasan Falls early enough to avoid the masses, so we recommend staying overnight in Moalboal or Alegria. From either of the cities, it will take less than an hour to get to the entrance of the falls.

 

From any other place in Cebu:

As long as you are on the highway to the South of Cebu you can hail down any bus passing by and jump on to get to Kawasan Falls. Thus, you can stay anywhere in the area. If you choose to stay in Oslob then you have to catch a bus going to Cebu City via Barili, as then you are sure to pass the Kawasan Falls. Make sure to specify your destination when you get in.

 

 

What is the Best Time to Go?

You have to get there early. Or late. All Canyoneering tours start around 8 am, thus around 10 am the place is already crowded. You better get there at 7 am already, so you can enjoy the beauty of Kawasan Falls and take some beautiful photos. If you are coming from Cebu City, you won’t make it to Kawasan Falls early, so you will have to spend the night somewhere nearby. That is if you want to get there early.

However, if you do not really mind the crowd, it can be done as a day trip from Cebu City as well. If you go after 3 pm, you are in for some luck as well, as the crowd has left already. Note that it gets dark quite fast and there are no good sunset points, as the waterfalls are in the forest. However, the light is better in the morning and the sun rays reflect in the turquoise blue waters so magically that it is just worth the struggle of getting up early and getting there.

Another tip, go during the week if you can. During weekends Kawasan Falls will be twice as busy. All the locals with their families come to enjoy the falls, so try to do throughout the week.

What to Do in Kawasan Falls?

What to Know About Kawasan Falls

As you probably already know we adhere to “Traveling on a budget” thus our aim is to always find the cheapest ways of doing things! Kawasan Falls trip was no exception, thus we did not book a canyoneering tour from any of the companies that offer it all around Cebu. Usually, the price for a full day canyoneering adventure would be around 1500 pesos ($ 29) if you book it advance. However, if you just go to the waterfalls on your own, you can get the tour for max. 1000 pesos ($ 20).

Remember, everything should be included in your tour price. If you are coming from another nearby village, transportation is included. Lunch and water are included. All the small tips and fees to guards and whatever else they will come up with, EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. We were so disappointed seeing guides asking tourists for extra money to give to the rope swing guard and asking for tips every single time!

 

Related: 25 Travel Accessories Every Traveler Needs!

 

Kawasan Falls Canyoneering Without a Guide

However, what we did is, we just paid the 45 pesos ($ 0.84) entrance fee and explored the waterfalls on our own. Kris did some canyoneering just on his own, there are so many people that you will see from where and how to jump. However, rent a life vest if you plan canyoneering on your own, safety first.

Most people say that you cannot jump and go into the water without a life vest, but we saw so many people obstructing these rules and, to be honest, no one actually cares. Once again, wear the vest if you jump into the waterfalls. If you want to do the rope swing outside the group you will have to pay the guard 20 pesos ($0.35). Thus, if you just go swimming and exploring the waterfalls and you are not that much of an adrenaline junkie the only fee you have to pay is 45 pesos for the entrance. So many people just come to the falls to have a picknick, relax in the sun and cool off in the chilly water and have a nice day with the family. So if you are going with young children or seniors, it’s perfect.

 

What to Expect From Kawasan Falls?

 

 

We love this on-point saying of an old Filippino friend: “Nothing is for free in the Philippines”. Very much true. So be ready and know what to expect. You will have to pay a premium if you want to use the picknick table, chairs, and the bamboo raft. The food and snacks will be overpriced as well. Therefore bring your own water and snacks.

Price breakdown:

• Entrance fee: P45 p.p
• Parking: Donation (otherwise free)
• Ride on the bamboo raft: P400 per person
• A table for picknick or your belongings: P300
• Water bottle: P50
• Lifewest rent: P50

Be aware of parking scammers who will ask you money for parking your motorbike or car. The parking is in a church-owned territory and it has to be free. You can pay a donation for parking but do not pay anyone without an official donation ticket any money. Everyone will be trying to sell you their tour. Go to the entrance booth and pay nothing before, official rental is also cheaper if you need any gear. Thus do not buy anything before you get to the entrance booth some 10 minutes up the road. If you want to hire a guide or do the canyoneering you can arrange that at the official ticket office as well. You can get the price down to very cheap if you are persistent enough.

Remember, once you are climbing up and down the paths the rocks are very slippery. Sneakers or aqua shoes are highly recommended.

If you are looking for more great things to do around Cebu, check 10 Things to Do in Cebu blog post made by a fellow Filipina Travel Blogger.

 

 

Kawasan Falls Summary

 

Hopefully, you have learned how to plan your Kawasan Falls Cebu Canyoneering adventure. Starting from deciding on how you will reach Kawasan Falls and concluding with the prices and do’s and don’ts. Also, remember that Kawasan Falls is a great adventure but be sure to be careful and have travel insurance if you participate in canyoneering. The rocks are very slippery and the terrain is uneven. We bruised our knees and Linda, being clumsy as she is, almost twisted her ankle. If you take part in such activities, we would recommend staying safe. World Nomads travel insurance is a cool one to have, as we use it ourselves. It has worldwide coverage, thus it is accepted even in rural areas of Cebu.

 

---

If you wonder what gear we use to take the photos you can check out our Travel Gear blog post for some tips and advice.

If you have any questions at all just drop them as a comment below. Or you can reach out to us on one of the social media platforms! Also, if you have been to Kawasan Falls and feel like we missed out on some important points, share your thoughts!

The Philippines is an amazing country, have fun!