Oslob Trip, Part Two – Tumalog Falls


 

Tumalog Falls

Oslob, Cebu Island, The Philippines

 

 

Seeing as we were done swimming with the whale sharks at around 8:30 AM, we decided to head out to a nearby water fall.  Tumalog Falls is only a 12 minute ride from the Butanding viewing center and is accessed by a steep, paved road that lies on the western side of the National Road.  Like Twin Lakes on nearby Negros Oriental (our home), it is a pleasant ride, with sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains to the west and the glittering sea to the east.  You’ll arrive at the top of a hilltop with a gorge to your right.  Parking is available and you can either walk down the sometimes precipitous concrete road to the falls or hire one of the habal-habal guys for 20-40 pesos to take you down on his bike.  You pay your 20 peso entrance fee here, and there is also a small sari-sari to stock up on water and snacks, as there is no place to buy that in the falls area. Seeking the full experience (and being somewhat kuripot), we decided to hike down, a decision that eventually necessitated Michell taking off her fashionable yet not too functional high-heeled flip flops.

High heel flipflops

 

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There is a small covered picnic building at the bottom of the road, built of native materials and furnished with sturdy bamboo tables and chairs. Just beyond that is a small pool of a gorgeous color that reminded me of the pools over at Kawasan Falls.  After taking a few photos by the pool, it was time to head over to the actual falls which lies just a short ways away.

 

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Filipinas before falls

Unlike Kawasan Falls, Tumalog Falls is VERY misty.  As the water falls from the top, it strikes a number of umbrella-like formations on the way down, spreading the flow out like umbrellas so that most of it reaches the bottom like falling rain.  I took the GoPro in and got some footage, but mist droplets forming on the lens cover limited the coverage.  Same with our cameras.  Nonetheless, we got some good pics for posterity.

 

Nother falls

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There is a large pool at the bottom of the falls that makes for good swimming on a hot, sunny day.  The day we went it wasn’t all that sunny (and we had left our suits and towels back up on the YBR), so we didn’t indulge in its cold, mountain-fed waters.  Others did, however, and there is a small spot where you can set up mats to sit down and have a little picnic.

 Pools beneath falls

Falls pointing up[

Tumalog Falls also differed from Kawasan Falls as there are no commercial buildings in the area.  Kawasan has a number of little concrete hotels that detract from the natural beauty of the place, but there seems to be some sort of zoning stricture against that at Tumalog.  This is a good thing, and eco-tourists in particular will appreciate it.  Unfortunealty, there is the usual amount of trash left by inconsiderate tourists which is a shame as there are actually trash cans around the falls area (something you don’t often see in the Philippines).

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Hiking back up the hill was a bit of a bear.  As it does often in the Philippines, it started raining with a sunny sky in front of us, but thankfully it soon tapered off.  We huffed and puffed our way up the incline and finally reached the top.  Vans of tourists were just arriving to the parking area as we caught our breath and geared up the motorcycle to head back home.

 Michell approves

There are a number of things to do in Oslob, but checking out the whale sharks and Tumalog Falls should be at the top of your To-Do list.  Trust us when we say that they are experiences that you will truly never forget!

Leaving cebu ferry

4 comments

  1. Ned,

    I have been following you forabout a year. My fiance ( Jean) and myself went to Oslob when I was last there in Nov 2014. We just came upon the falls by accident when some guy on a motorcycle said hety you want to see a falls, I was thinking Meh what a 10 foot fall, jean was thinking the same, Well obviously it was much more than that and truly breath taking. I am a pus howeever so we walked doen but I paid for us to ride back up.
    Jean and I would love to meet you both. We are going to Bohol April19-23 then Ormoc from 23-26. then Tacloban to Manilla from April 27 -May 5. May5 we have Jeans third interview for tourist visa to America ( $160 pissed away) but hey I look at it like a lottery ticket. It sucks because I cant be next to her for the interview. You should do a piece on that American rip off of $320,000 a day on the Filipino people. Then we will be in Cebu May6-10 > hopefully some of those dates work to meet up. This will be my third trip to the phils. Jean truly is the love of my life . She is in nursing school and grads next march, so we wait. I have two kids so I cant move there and I dont hyave enough money saved yet. I would like to know how you did it, even at your 1,000 1200 month I dont have that laying around liquid. Let me know are you can text me XXX-XXX-XXXX. Love your videos

    1. Thanks, Tracy. And yes, I have heard that the Visa issue can be a big issue, especially for Americans. What is the $320K ripoff you are referencing? And I will edit out your phone number (but I see that you are in the state I grew up in!). Good luck and shoot us a PM through Facebook or YouTube when you arrive. And Michell and I just watch our budget – we live a simple but comfortable life. Good luck and thanks for the kind words.

  2. Ned and Michell,

    Love your blog and You Tube Videos. My wife and I are in the planning stages of our return to the Philippines, and have settled on Dumaguete. Could happen in a matter of months – could be early next year. Out of curiosity, what are you using to find your way around? I’ve been trying to find Philippines maps for my Garmin, but no luck. Can you use Google maps and GPS to update?

    Keep up the good work. PS – Nice Truck! We had a Pajero when we lived in Cebu 10 years ago.

    David and Neyla Knapp

    1. Hi David. I use an Android app called Navigator to get around. It’s an offline map, so it works without a data or WiFi connection. Google Maps requires data connection and it will work for a while in a certain area then won’t be able to load new area until you connect to WiFi. Navigator also uses Open Street Maps which is more detailed than Google Maps. The Pajero is now in the shop as it is suffering from hard start – probably glow plugs or fuel filter. Also going to get the transmission rebuilt as the synchros in 2nd and 3rd are kind of rough. A full rebuild only costs about $130 here!! And that’s with syncrhos.

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