When in Manila, we sometimes do not realize that there are just so many beautiful places in the country! This year, I promised myself I’d try to visit as many of them as I can.
Last month’s school break brought me and my friends to Dumaguete, and it was here that the suggestion to try “canyoneering” popped up. I said yes to the activity without really knowing what it was– all I knew was that it involved hiking, jumping a few things, and a river. Was I in for an adventure!
Badian, Cebu, where the canyoneering was to be had, is a short boat and bus ride away from Dumaguete. We were at the Amlan port (in Dumaguete) early that morning to catch the 6 am ferry to Cebu. In less than an hour, we were there!
Once in Cebu, we got on a bus to get to Badian. After about an hour and thirty minutes, this scene greeted us:
We met with our guide and rented out equipment for the hike. Essentials are: life vest, helmet, and rubber shoes– all of these you could rent in the town. People are very helpful and accommodating, just ask around.
Once we were all set, we were taken to the starting point. This short motorcycle ride on a very uneven dirt path almost gave me a heart attack! (Yep, I was that scared and the hike hadn’t even started yet)
And so it began. A short walk through lush greenery later, we were finally at the start off point and we were greeted by our first jump. This is how it went down:
TIP: The first jump is the scariest! Once you get over the fear of jumping, it actually becomes VERY fun.
TIP: Get yourself a dry pack to keep your belongings dry. You will be in water 80% of the time! You can also rent these packs in town.
Basically, canyoneering is a hike through a river which involves swimming, cliff/falls jumping, and navigating yourself through all possible rock formations. The whole hike takes around 3-5 hours but I believe ours lasted for around 6 hours. The first 3 hours entails a hike through the canyons, mostly in water and the last hour is mostly on land to get to the last falls.
Photos from Erica Rosario and our guide, Ryan.
TIP: BRING SNACKS (!!!) or bring small change– you can buy boiled eggs and buko juice at the end of the hike. Trust me, you’re gonna want that boiled egg after the hike.
The group chilling mid-hike. #TitasOfKawasan
All in all there were 7 jumps in the whole hike but you could do more (just ask your guide!). Depending on the area, you can opt for higher or lower jumping points, depending on how adventurous your feeling.
TIP: There will be inevitable slips and falls but if you follow everything your guide tells you to do, everything will be fine.
TIP: Don’t forget to look up and appreciate the beauty of everything! Sometimes people concentrate way too much on the hiking that they fail to take in the wonderful scenery!
For PHP 1K per person including rentals, we definitely got more than our money’s worth.
The trip was definitely worth it. I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced anything like it. I highly recommend this adventure of a lifetime.
Our group after the hike: we were feeling very #strong after having survived our canyoneering trip!
Kawasan Canyoneering
Badian, Cebu
More photos HERE.
Contact Ryan 0936 875 4678 Â (the BEST guide ever!)
or
Ace 0926 839 0024
