After our butanding (whale shark) interaction at Brgy. Tan-awan, we boarded our airconditioned van for the short 10-min. drive to Tumalog Falls, another great attraction of Oslob. A visit here is usually combined with your swim with the butanding. The van can only bring us at the entrance since the paved road from there on is very steep.
Tumalog Falls (photo: Liana Smith-Bautista)
From hereon, we could either make a 15-min. hike (a good hike and a warm up for your body) or go via a habal-habal, the local term for riding a motorcycle and ride at the back of the driver. We all chose the latter. The habal-habal ride along the rather steep, 50-degree inclined road going up the mountain is no joke and was an experience by itself. Along the way, we could already behold the beauty of the postcard-pretty, imposing and multi-tiered falls hidden away in a forest.
Photo: Liana Smith-Bautista
The falls was really awesome! For city people like us, a view like this was really a breathtaking experience. The beautiful mountainous scenery, with moss hanging off the mountainside and many fine areas of misty water spread out over a glistening green moss mat, was one of the most breathtaking nature scenery that I have ever seen, reminding me of Avatar movie forest scenes. The local government has installed concrete stepping stones, making it easier and safer for us to walk around.
I got a cool feel from the mist of the falls and savored the soothing and very calming sound of falling water as I tried to enter its waters to wash away the sea salt after swimming the ocean during my previous butanding interaction. Bbbbrrrr, it’s really damn cold! However, I soon got used to the cold.
The falls has a unique appearance very distinct from all the other waterfalls that I have seen. As the drizzle from the falls touched my face, the stress from my head, shoulders down to the tip of my fingers, all tired from arduous swimming and flipping at the butanding interaction, were all washed away. You cannot really swim here since the falls is not that deep, around 3.5 to 4 ft. (a nice and safe swim for kids), but the sight is exhilarating and refreshing.
The bracingly cold water was clean and the pools they flowed into were clean as well. People around us all seemed to be enjoying. There were families having picnics at some nearby open wooden huts; others were busy taking candid and dramatic photos at the fall’s nooks and crannies, all green with moss and wild growth; while others just bathe. There’s even a small pool, where the water from the falls overflows, where you can a fish spa experience, dipping your feet and letting small fish eat your dead skin off. Definitely a good place to chill and relax.
Despite the many tourists that visit it, it was still a very well maintained area. For those who get local “guides,” they are experts at suggesting the best areas to take pictures. Aside from the very beautiful falls and the magnificent rock formations, there are also wonderful bamboo trees around, all perfect for photos. I even saw a slightly visible rainbow created by the lovely rays of sunlight hitting directly through the falling waters. I was only able to take shots of the falls from a distance but, luckily for me, Liana brought along her waterproof camera. After the heart pounding whale shark encounter in Oslob, seeing and savoring Tumalog Falls brought my blood pressure back to its normal level. I could have stayed there for the whole day.
Photo: Liana Smith-Bautista
Such a breathtaking natural sight makes you realize that, yes, there is a God. It also felt mystical (I was half expecting fairies to show up). Truly, nature knows how to show off. This has been one of the most surreal places I have ever been! Despite the booming tourism of Cebu, this place has been not touched by too much commercialism and this natural treasure needs to be kept in its natural form to retain the pristine beauty for all generations to see and experience.
Photo: Liana Smith-Bautista
The falls does not have a closing time but it does not have lighting at night. Food is not available in the falls area so bring your own. There are no tables, no lockers, some benches, no vendors, no food stalls, no changing rooms and no lounge area. A rudimentary gender specific bathroom is available. Be careful in slippery parts and protect your camera gear since the falls exudes droplets of water. For those making a return hike, the store at the entrance, near the parking lot, offers refreshments such as young coconut, banana cue and soft drinks.
Doing a U.P. Oblation pose (photo: Liana Smith-Bautista)
Tumalog Falls: Brgy. Tumalog, Oslob, 6025 Cebu. Admission: PhP20.
Habal-habal at the entrance
How to Get There: From the Oslob whale watching station in Brgy. Tan-awan, you can hire a habal habal (140/pax) or a multi cab (600 for 5 pax), both round trip, to get to the entrance. They are parked and available at the entrance of the whale shark center, near the main road. From the highway, it is a 5-min. habal-habal ride to entrance. The habal-habal ride to the falls costs PhP30 (one-way) and PhP50 (round trip).