If you're looking for the perfect extreme and adrenaline pumping adventure, Badian in Cebu Philippines is the best place to be! This is a lengthy post but this might help those who are interested to know more about this kind of adventure.
To be honest, I am not the type of person who's into extreme sports or adventure especially that it requires good strength and stamina because I always tend to be the clumsy one. Despite this, I tried it anyway because we only live once and I didn't want to regret not trying it out when I get old.
What is Canyoneering?
Canyoneering (also called Canyoning) is a recreational activity which involves hiking, walking, swimming, jumping, trekking and rock climbing within the canyon to go down the streams.
How to get there?
We rented a van from an agency for our 3 days tour in Cebu so we had no problem going there. We also let them arrange our tours. But if you are coming from Cebu City, there should be no problem with that as there are buses specifically the Ceres bus which can take you there. Be sure to take the Ceres bus bound to Bato via Barili. Since this place is 100 kilometers away from Cebu proper, the travel hours would be 2-3 hrs. The starting point of the activity is by the highway at Matutinao, Badian Cebu. This is where you can find the headquarters of the different agencies offering Canyoneering tours and activity.
Other things that you need to know before you start
The whole tour and activity is priced at P1,500(roughly $30) per person. That already includes the life vest, the head gear/helmet, the aqua/trekking shoes (if you have none), the trained guides, entrance fees, habal habal ride going to the starting point of the Canyoneering activity and a sumptuous lunch meal at the end of the course. I guess that's already a good deal.
As for our group, our travel agency chose to avail the Nomzkie Canyoneering services for us as they already had a business partnership. We were given everything that we need including a local tour guide by the name of Jason. There are also two clean comfort rooms inside the HQ where we can change our clothes or take a bath after the activity.
If you need to bring some of your things including an extra battery for your camera or cash, you can place them in a dry bag and the tour guide will hold it for you all through out the activity. I suggest not to bring the unneccessary so that the dry bag wouldn't be too heavy to carry. Don't forget to bring water because this is a tiring one!
Do's and Dont's:
- Wear comfortable clothes. If possible, wear a cycling shorts underneath your shorts. Trust me on this.
- Listen to your tour guide. They know best. Do not ever jump anywhere. There are only parts where it's safe to jump.
- Wear a shoes that won't slip on wet surfaces such as rocks and boulder.
Starting with the Activity Proper
We rode the habal habal (a motorcycle) going to the starting point of the canyoneering activity. It was a 15-20 minute ride and the roads will be from cemented to rough road and from uphill to downhill. You will be able to see the Osmena peak from a far so you could take this moment to appreciate its beauty. Upon arriving at the starting point, you need to register yourself but you don't need to worry about the fees because they already got it covered in the $30 that you paid earlier. You can also borrow their big umbrellas for free as the sun could be scorching hot.
There would be a 30-minute hike before finally jumping into the waters. My knees crumbled a bit when I saw how high it was considering that I haven't experienced mountain climbing yet and that I'm a bit afraid of heights. There is a trail though, you just have to be careful not to slip as you might fall into the cliff.
After 15 minutes or so, there is a small nipa hut where you could rest for a while. This is also where you will leave the umbrella that you borrowed.
After another 15 minutes of walking, we could finally hear the sound coming from the falls. We got pretty excited because the walk was really tiring and hot that we couldn't wait to dip into the cold water.
Before starting with the canyoneering, our tour guide initiated a prayer to keep us safe all throughout the activity. We took several photos after that. The water is really gushing so we have to be careful with our steps.
Our first jump was 5ft high and that was my bravest jump as well! Lol. Our group tried to jump as fast as we can so we could save time.
We have also tried sliding through one of the rocks. This was really fun! I remember we got delayed for a few minutes because the lady from the other group was very hesitant to slide because she was afraid. Her friends are all waiting for her but it seemed like she was about to cry. So she let us go first.
When it was my turn, Jason - our tour guide assisted me while I am lying down in the flat boulder with the gushing water. When he let go of me, the strong current pushed me and my body slid down and in a matter of seconds, I was already in the waters again.
This activity is not all about jumping and sliding because you will need to walk beside the river, swim, and basically go down through the narrow rocks and boulder. It is really important to wear a durable and non-slip shoes because most of the rocks that you need to step on are slippery.
We were so tired already when we learned that we're only half way there. It was a surprise that there are barbeque stalls halfway!!
We stopped for a while to eat and replenish our energy. They sell barbeque, hotdogs, banana, drinks and biscuits. The price are a bit pricey but it's acceptable considering the fact that it is not easy to go there just to sell foods.
There were three more jumps after that but the last two is optional. I didn't dare to try the last jump which is 40ft high because I got too scared but my boyfriend did it anyway. Good thing there is an alternate route.
We enjoyed swimming and playing in the blue hue water. We also did not forget to take as many pictures as we can as a remembrance. There is a swing so I tried it out.
After more than 5 hours of walking, jumping, sliding and trekking, we are finally able to finish the canyoneering activity. What's more rewarding is that a sumptuous meal was waiting for us. We were served with Sinigang, Pancit, barbeque and a hot steaming rice. The amount of food looks like it could fill up six tummies. Since we are only four, we had a lot of leftover so we took it home for later's dinner.
After eating, we rest for a bit. Just when we thought we are already done with everything, the tour guide asked us to remove our life vest and helmet and he lead the way. We followed him and we were astonished with what we saw. Right in front of us is the majestic Kawasan falls. We were in awe of its beauty.
There is a raft that you can use to go under the waterfalls and be massaged by the gushing water. We tried it and we didn't last because it's too painful for me. Lol. It felt like someone very big is jumping on my back, on my thighs and on my legs. We ended up taking photos instead. We didn't realized that we looked awful until we saw the photos after.
We started at 11AM and was able to finish after 6 hours. Overall, the bruises, the body aches and the scars that we got are all worth it. The canyoneering activity was very exhausting but seeing the falls was rewarding. This was the highlight of our trip and I'm glad I did it.
I hope you enjoyed reading!
Till next time,
**All photos are mine**