South Cebu: Canyoneering and Kawasan Falls Adventure

Canyoneering in Southern Cebu is becoming popular for tourists and travelers who like to experience a unique adventure. This adventure includes a variety of activities such as walking, trekking, climbing, jumping, and swimming. This has become a staple for travelers who are exploring the southern part of Cebu.
My adventure in South Cebu is the start of my 5-day super-budgetarian-do-it-yourself Cebu-Dumaguete-Siquijor itinerary. It started with canyoneering and was concluded with a refreshing dip in the blue waters of Kawasan Falls.

GETTING TO BADIAN, CEBU

I booked my plane tickets in advance and got the earliest Cebu Pacific flight. I opted to take the earliest flight -- it is advisable to start early so you can avoid the crowd. The canyons and the falls may be filled with people especially during weekends.

From Mactan-Cebu International Airport:

Travel to Cebu South Bus Terminal -- You can hail a cab from outside the airport then ask the driver to drop you off at Cebu South Bus Terminal. Taxi fare costs 250 - 300 -- advisable if you are traveling with 2 or 3 buddies.
From Cebu South Bus Terminal, ride a Ceres bus bound to Bato -Barili -- It is important that you take the Bato-Barili route and not the Bato-Oslob one -- the latter won't pass by Badian. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at Kawasan Falls jump-off in Brgy. Matutinao. From there, you can ask your contact to pick you up. The earliest trip for non-aircon buses is at 1 or 2 AM; AC bus trips start at 3 or 4 AM. Bus fare to Badian costs 100 - 150 pesos.

TOUR GUIDES

There are a lot of agencies and tour guides around the area so you can just coordinate with them upon getting off the bus. The published rates for canyoneering is P1,500/person -- that includes tour guide/environmental fees, gear (helmet and life vest/shoes), some include underwater camera rental (if you don't have one), light snack, lunch, and transportation from/back to jump-off point. I pre-arranged my tour with LokalPages and they took care of everything for me. Click here for their Facebook page.

THE CANYONEERING ADVENTURE

Registration is required and a waiver form has to be signed before starting the activity.

Some do's and don'ts that are worth noting include:

DO's

Follow you guide's lead. Guides are trained and certified and they are the ones who know the trails and canyons very well.
Wear proper gear - Helmets and lifevests are required to be worn at all times, no matter how adept you are at swimming.
Be early - I started very early in the morning and so I enjoyed every jump point and trail to myself without waiting for other people to jump before me.

DONT's

Just jump anywhere - Listen to your guide as to where it is safe to jump. Better enjoy than end up with a fractured arm, right?
Throw trash anywhere - Leave no trace.
Bring gadgets (unless they're waterproof), or if you need to bring them, make sure you use a very sturdy and waterproof dry bag.

The adventure will take around 3 or 4 hours depending on how big the group is. The activity started with a 30-minute trek; passing through hillsides and forest trails before reaching the starting point.

You will be greeted by amazing rock formations and caverns as you continue canyoneering upstream. The water is refreshingly cool - not so cold that you will loathe dipping in it, but not so warm either.
Cliff jumping, swimming, floating, and traversing through small waterfalls are all part of the package so make sure you make the most out of it!