Hello, Hive!
It’s a new week and I hope the brief Saturday and Sunday gave you a "good kind of ache" for Monday. Perhaps a body full of ache after having plenty of fun? From a great hike, a deep dive, a long ride, or a frenzied night with friends, family or loved ones. You name it.
As for me, I woke up this morning with a dull pain on my right knee from our short hike yesterday. I feel so tita though because I wasn’t expecting the sore aftereffect. Age must have gotten the best of me, huh? HAHA.
Needless to say it was still a fun weekend adventure. And that’s what I will share with you in this new blog post.
Hiking through the Budlaan Trail
Budlaan Trail is one of Cebu City’s favorite hiking trails, along with Pamutan Trail and Babag Mountain Ranges. It’s a four-kilometer trail (one way) located in the mountain barangay of Budlaan.
To get there, hikers usually gather at Gaisano Grand Mall in Talamban. A few meters away, the road along Sunny Hills Subdivision is mobbed with habal-habal drivers that will offer to take you to the drop off area in Sitio Baugo. You can opt to ride alone or as a pair but, regardless, the fare stays the same. It has been a long time since our last visit in Budlaan so we were shocked with the price hike. From 25, it’s now at ₱70 per person. Imagine?
After a less than 15-minute drive, we arrived at Sitio Baugo. Before, visitors were asked to log in prior to the hike. But it seems like a lot of things have changed since that is no longer the practice now.
A little back story
In 2021, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) along with Budlaan barangay officials convened to discuss measures that would regulate the activities/entry of locals and tourists in the Budlaan Falls. They started mapping the trail and identified specific names of the numerous falls that course through the river. As per their proposed resolution, visitors — newbies and experienced hikers alike — will be required to undergo orientation or read the guidance booklet. They must also sign a waiver signifying that they acknowledge the risks of such trek. But probably the one part of the ordinance which received a lot backlash, understandably, was the imposition of fees which include a ₱25 registration/maintenance fee and a required guide fee of ₱250 for every five people (only until Budlaan Falls). For those who want to traverse to Sirao Peak, they will have to pay an additional of ₱50 per kilometer.
As of the writing, there are no updates of this said ordinance being passed or approved. Hence, guests can still hike in the area free of charge. But for safety purposes, I do recommend you go with someone who is familiar with the trail, or hire a local to guide you for a reasonable price.
Bouldering through the Budlaan River
After the last-minute stretchings and water refills, hikers have to pick the trail they will use going to the falls.
The first option is the easier and shorter trail that follows the ridge of the mountain. Here, there are more trees and the path is mostly shaded. A fork up ahead will take you down to the falls in no time.
It is also the best choice if you're hiking on a rainy day (which is a big NO in the first place) or if you're carrying heavy backpacks for a camp in the nearby Sirao/Kan-irag and would prefer to avoid the exhausting river trekking.
The second option is more challenging but definitely worth your while. Since my friends and I were blessed with a good weather, we decided to trek down the Budlaan river.
Technically, Budlaan river is part of the 23-kilometer Butuanon River which flows from the mountainous area of Talamban and passes through the industrial, residential and commercial areas of Cebu City and Mandaue City. This is the very same river that yields tons of garbage every year and, at one point, has even caused Mandaue's worst flood in 30 years. Gladly, the condition of its upstream river is way better than the man-neglected downstream in the city.
What makes this second route unique are the huge boulders along the riverbed. We did a lot of crawling on fours and hopping over rocks of different sizes here.
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Personally, this was my favorite part of the trail. I found it enjoyable moving from one boulder to another. For some reason, this section also reminded me of Mt. Apo's Boulder Face — minus the incline.
The cascades of Budlaan Falls
There are several waterfalls coursing along the river but they are collectively referred to as Budlaan Falls most of the time.
Upon reaching the riverbed, the first waterfall that welcomes hikers is the Kabang Falls. My friends and I did not get to see it last week though because we followed a different fork. Here's a photo of Kabang Falls from my old hike for reference.
Having turned on an unfamiliar trail, we first reached the heart-shaped pool instead. Below it was the Lut-od Falls which we also did not bother to get a closer look at.
Twenty minutes away from from heart-shaped pool is another cascade called Malingin Falls. It is aptly named for it's round catch basin.
According to maps, there are two other cascades namely Kandumay Falls and Lanong Falls that river trekkers will see as they go further upstream. We might have missed it because the water level was very low at that time due to summer season.
A few minutes later, we saw the two-tiered Tinusig-uwang Falls.
Hikers usually spend most of their time here to swim or rest on top of the large boulders. I noticed that people have been grilling in this area too since there were charcoal leftovers and, sadly, trashes shoved in between rocks. This is one of the biggest downside of having an unregulated tourists spot. People can be too irresponsible.
The trail going up the Tinusig-uwang Falls is one of the challenging parts for newbie hikers an old-timers alike. Aside from being steep, the path can be too loose (on a dry day) or too slippery (on a rainy day). Luckily, there is a short rope installed for people to hold on to while climbing up.
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The view from here is worth all the sweat as it shows you nature at its finest. The cascades backdropped with greeneries indeed make a mesmerizing combo.
After more bouldering, we finally reached Mukpok Falls. This is the last waterfall before we left Budlaan River and headed back to the mountain.
The trail going up will lead to Val's house, the most common hiker's stopover. Here, you can buy fresh buko or take a power nap in their backyard swing.
This is also where people decide if they will trace the same trail going back to Talamban, or traverse to Brgy. Sirao through the Malubog Golf Course. Most often, we choose the latter for a longer route and to experience the scenic view from Mt. Kan-irag. But that will be another story for me to share next time.
That's it for now. Thank you for reading this far! 😁
Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlight nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives for life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.
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