Biliran is one of the smallest provinces in The Philippines. It is not a well-known travel destination and is most of the time mistaken as part of the province of Leyte. But you might be surprised that despite how insignificant Biliran may seem in the map, the splendid things it offers are pretty limitless. This province seems to have the answer to everything. From unspoiled islands and beaches, towering mountains, acres and acres of lush greens to topping it all of with over 30 stunning waterfalls at its disposal. Among the more than 30 waterfalls scattered in Biliran, I was able to visit 4 of the most accessible. Don’t be fooled when I say accessible because I didn’t mean easy as well. Allow me to tell you about each one of them.
BAGONGBONG FALLS
Bagongbong Falls was the very first waterfall I visited coming from Kawayan Port where I have unboarded the boat from Sambawan Island. The ride to this falls was no joke. For over twenty minutes, we traced the roads going up in the mountains, passed by some narrow paths along local houses and continued on a steep and slippery ride up. Not only was the ride to this falls exhilarating, so is the 30-minute trek going to the falls made much worse by occasional drizzles. From where we parked the motorcycle, I can already hear the gushing water and it continued to play a melody in my ears until we reached the entrance to the falls.
Bagongbong Falls is a single-tiered waterfall with its cascading water falling from some 30-feet torn in two by a boulder. This waterfall is rarely on any travelers list and during my visit, it was only me and my giggles as well as the cascade of the water making lovely music in the air. The water flowing from its basin pounding at the rocks was strong. They were relentless and cold. I managed to get me a sweet spot where I can marvel at its magnificence and took with me some photos. Bagongbong Falls was quite a great starter that it made more excited to see the others.
RECOLETOS FALLS
As I looked at the cascade of water falling from 40ft to this waterfall’s emerald green natural pool, I can’t help but look back to the journey that I took just to see it up close. I’ve walked through a muddy up and downhill road for 45 minutes, passed by a narrow trail almost falling to my death and scrambled through huge rocks. I had gone through unimaginable hardship trekking to this falls but as I stare at it closely and listen to the sound it makes lulling me deep in thoughts, those hardships seem to vanish.
I might have chosen a bad day to chase waterfalls since coming from Sambawan Island earlier that day, the skies were crying. There were drizzles here and there making the trek harder than it already is. I planned to see as many waterfalls as my time would permit but given that Recoletos Falls is just my 2nd waterfall and it’s almost time for lunch, I realized that I had to keep going. I only have four more hours to explore so after getting myself enough of the beauty of this falls, off I went to see Ulan-Ulan Falls
ULAN-ULAN FALLS
Ulan-Ulan Falls is situated within the same barangay as Recoletos Falls. Both falls share the same grueling trail only the latter is situated further way up from its closest neighbor Ulan-Ulan Falls. Coming from Recoletos Falls, I’ve traced the same trail I took in going up to go down to Ulan-Ulan Falls. After reaching the junction connecting the trails of both falls, I took a right to a steep and slippery trail to go down to where Ulan-Ulan Falls was.
The descent to Ulan-Ulan Falls was no joke. I was already at the last stretch of my 5-Day Leyte-Biliran Adventure that I was already running low of energy making me less enthusiastic about the difficulty of trekking just to see these waterfalls. As we near to the bottom, I can feel the mist blown over by the wind. I had to wipe my eyes and my camera lens so I could get myself some shots of the falls since I probably won’t be able to take a photo anywhere near it unless I have a waterproof camera.
As I reached the base of the trail, I looked up at the mighty Ulan-Ulan falls letting the mist of the cascading water soak me wet. The mist felt like rain which is no wonder this waterfall was named such. It stood tall at probably 100ft or more and was one of the tallest waterfalls I’ve ever seen next to Hulugan Falls in Laguna. The cold breeze and the misty world of Ulan-Ulan Falls took me back to the good times when as a child I would always play under the rain along with the other kids in school then get scolded after when I get home. Haha
TINAGO FALLS
This is by far the most accessible and the easiest to get to. It takes 30 minutes of scenic motorcycle ride along a concrete highway passing by local houses and vast rice fields to get to Tinago Falls from the town proper of Naval. A few steps away from the parking area, a concrete stairwell will lead you down to the registration office. Pay the fees and you’re free to explore inside for as long as you like.
There are several day tour cottages there. Tourists would never have a hard time exploring since each area is connected by a concrete footpath. The only difficult part is going near Tinago Falls since you will need to navigate through huge rocks and fight your way against the strong current of the water flowing out of the main basin.
Tinago Falls is gorgeous. Its cascading water falling from 30-50ft to a spacious basin is relentless and strong. Another thing that made it so stunning is the rock formations surrounding the main pool. This waterfall was named such because prior to developing it, it was literally tucked safely beneath the lush forest and huge rocks limiting access from the outside world. I guess beauty such as this one is never meant to be hidden forever much like the other Tinago Falls I know from Iligan.
HOW TO EXPLORE ALL THESE
There is no direct transportation going to each of the waterfalls since most of them are situated beyond the communities up in the mountains. The most effective way to explore all the falls in Biliran considering your budget and time is riding a motorcycle (habal-habal). Some drivers offer a rate of P400/waterfall which is kind of pricey but you can always haggle. I got mine for P1000 for one entire day chasing waterfalls. Please note that every motorcycle can ride 2-3 passengers. If you need a reliable person to drive you around, please contact Kuya Alfie Leones at 09261269714.
There you have it lovelies. Biliran is one beautiful province that definitely needs more exploration. Begin your discovery with these waterfalls. If you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to share it. Until my next adventure folks! Ciao!
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