Off to Moalboal

Moalboal ranks alongside Oslob (famous for whale sharks) as one of Cebu’s most celebrated destinations. I’m generally not drawn to tourist-heavy spots, but ever since my trip to Camiguin where I missed seeing turtles, I’d been thinking about them. So I booked a 3-day, 2-night trip to Moalboal over a holiday weekend.

Moalboal is about 3 hours by motorbike from Cebu City — 4 hours if you take it easy with breaks. One big advantage: it’s all land. Trips to other Philippine islands involve boats or planes and the constant risk of weather delays. With Moalboal, you just ride until you get there, no matter what.

Passing through Carcar — a city famous for its roasted pig (lechon) — the road turns inland toward the mountain pass. As the views open up, you start to see a familiar skyline of jagged peaks. These are the same mountains you’d see from Osmeña Peak — often called “Cebu’s Chocolate Hills” — but viewed from the other side.

Cresting the ridge, the west coast of Cebu appears: brilliant blue water stretching to the horizon. The sea in the Philippines is always that blue.

Swimming at Kawasan Falls

The plan for day 1: arrive in Moalboal by mid-morning, drop bags at the hotel, then ride straight to Kawasan Falls.

Kawasan Falls is probably the most famous waterfall in Cebu. It’s about 30 minutes from Moalboal, and many visitors combine both in a single day trip. Riding along the coastal road, touts called out offering canyoning tours to the falls. I smiled and kept riding — then couldn’t find the entrance. One of those same touts came after me on his bike to show me where to turn. Fair enough. (They were there because the entrance to the canyoning tours is right there — I just wanted to see the falls, so I parked and politely declined the tour.)

The Walk In

Getting to Kawasan Falls requires a solid walk from the roadside car park. But it’s a beautiful walk — the path follows a river, and the water here is the clearest I’ve seen anywhere in Cebu. Slightly blue-tinged, it sets the mood perfectly. On the mountain side of the path, lush tropical plants grow thick, birds call from the trees, and the whole thing feels like a real hike.

Local kids splashed in the river along the way — for them it’s just the neighborhood swimming hole. There’s a small entrance fee booth partway in, and further along, snack stalls sell drinks and souvenirs (some wonderfully eccentric). I even found empanadas for sale — couldn’t resist. (See Street Snacks Part 3.) A staff member at one point stopped me for a quick environmental briefing. And then, finally, the falls came into view.

Kawasan Falls — Finally!

It was farther than expected — about 30 minutes from the car park. Worth every step.

And then there it is.

The water is impossibly blue. Like someone poured bath salts into it — I briefly considered the possibility. Everyone was swimming. I borrowed a free life vest and jumped in.

The riverbed is rough and rocky underfoot. The closer you get to the waterfall, the harder the current pushes back. There are ropes strung near the falls, but even hanging on with both hands, the force drags you sideways. The raw power of falling water is something else — no wonder it’s carved a pool seven meters deep. I got swept away, swam back, got swept away again, and loved every second of it.

Continued in Part 2 — Sardines, Sea Turtles & Getting Lost at Sea…