AGUINID FALLS And The 8 Levels Of Exhilarating Adventure

Aguinid Falls is one of the best places where you can immerse with the beauty of nature and at the same time experience that tingling rush of adrenaline. Tucked in the beautiful town of Samboan in the South of Cebu, Aguinid Falls offers a different take to your usual adventure. This rarely spoken jewel has 8 levels of cascading waters which you need to pass through in order to get to the top. It’s like hiking a mountain but instead of the usual forested trail, you will encounter gushing water as another obstacle which is essentially a factor to spice things up.

Unlike the more famous canyoning (canyoneering) in Badian and Alegria where you jump to the water until you get to the lowest tier of the waterfalls, the adventure in Aguinid Falls requires overcoming gushing water while making use of the limestone rocks to pull yourself up to the next level until you get to the top most level of the falls. Each level is a challenge and the intensity of each gradually increases as you come nearer to the top. There are also parts of the waterfalls where the water is deep enough allowing you to do some exhilarating cliff jumps.

Aguinid Falls is definitely a must see as it not just let you marvel at the exquisiteness of nature but it is sure to take your adventure a notch higher. If that doesn’t convince you yet then sharing our story (me and my bestie) might help you make up your mind. Here it goes.

LEVEL 0: A Chill Kick Starter

The first part of our adventure was a walk along rugged path going to the falls. It was slippery which was made worse by soft drizzles. This part was probably the easiest of all levels. 2 minutes after we started, we reached level one.

LEVEL 1: The First Challenge

After taking the first level in a breeze, here comes the 2nd level. Here we experienced some uphill trekking and river crossing. We also passed through the gape between two (2) limestone rocks while trying real hard to keep our balance and avoid tripping.

LEVEL 2: The Unanticipated Torture

The first two levels were obviously easy peasy but level 2 completely took us by surprise. This time we had climbed our way through a 90 degree rock that stretches to about 10 meters. What made it extra challenging was the gushing water sprinkling all over us and the fact that our only point of support to pull ourselves up was the rope tied on top and at the bottom of the rock.

LEVEL 3: Unmatched Beauty Unveiled

After overcoming the first set of challenges, we were then taken to one of the beautifully carved pieces of nature. The rock formation was one of the most magnificent I’ve seen and the water.. It was pristine and cold. It was like another heavenly place I wouldn’t trade with anything else.

LEVEL 4: The Sensational Cliff Jumps

This level was one of our favorites. Here we had the chance to do some amateur jumps from a 10-feet cliff plunging to a cold waterfall basin. It was my bestie’s first ever waterfall cliff jump but certainly not her last. The jump actually wasn’t at all that scary but if you are a scaredy cat like me then the mere thought of it might make your bones tremble.

LEVEL 5: The Stunner Of The Day

The adventure should have been over when we reached level 5 but given how it was so stunningly beautiful made us look forward to a more promising reward ever we pursue the advanced levels of 6, 7 and 8. That limestone rock and the sprinkle of water flowing so delicately to its basin was such a beauty that was worth every ounce of difficulty we had encountered.

LEVEL 6: Infinity Pool In The Middle Of The Woods

As we went further to reach the end of our adventure were a more challenging obstacles complimented by an equally fulfilling rewards. Getting to level 6 was the most difficult part of this adventure. It was another 90-degree climb scrambling through slippery limestone rocks which stretched to about 20 feet. There was no rope whatsoever as support and we had to rely on our instincts to decide where to put our hands and feet next as one miss could probably cost us a limb or two.

LEVEL 7: Things Keep Getting Better

Getting to level 7 was another challenge but this time we were not at all surprised. Instead we conquered ourselves and in doing so also conquered the challenge of climbing another yet again 90-degree rock with water gushing towards us.

LEVEL 8: The Precious Little Happy Place

I thought I already had experienced the most difficult obstacle of that day but none has prepared me for what awaits just to get to level 8. I was still grinning from ear to ear while I marveled at the gorgeous limestone rocks where water flows ever so delicately like curtains in level 7. Never did I imagine that same rock which put me in so much awe would be the same rock that would give the so much pain as in order to get to level 8, we had to climb our way through it which was unimaginably steep but we survived.

Level 8 was a precious little paradise with a mini pool that was as big as a moderate size jacuzzi. Here we took the time to get to know other tourists and regain our strength as in order to go back to the jump off was another 20 minute hike down a slippery trail.

Did our story make you want to pack your bags and fly? Then here’s how you can to Aguinid Falls

• From Manila – Fly to Mactan Airport in Cebu. Ride a cab to the South Bus Station. Ride a bus going to Bato via Barili and alight in Samboan town proper. In Samboan, hire a tricyle or a motorcyle (habal-habal) to go to Aguinid Falls and other waterfalls in Samboan and Ginatilan.
• From Oslob – From Oslob town proper, ride a jeepney going to Samboan. Travel may take about 30-45 minutes. Once in Samboan, hire a tricycle or a motorcycle to get to Aguinid Falls.
• From Dumaguete – Ride a jeepney going to Sibulan Port then ride a ferryboat going to Liloan Port. From Liloan Port, ride a bus going to Bato or the bus going back to Cebu City and alight in Samboan. Once in Samboan, hire a tricycle or a motorcycle to get to Aguinid Falls.

Anything you should know before the trip?

• Aguinid Falls adventure levels are categorized into 2. The easy or beginner friendly levels of 1-5 and the advanced levels of 6-8. If you would choose to just go for the easy levels then after reaching level 5, you will just trace your way back to the jump off. However, if you would pursue the advanced levels then after reaching level 8, you will have to pass through a trail leading down to the registration point
• After registration, you will then be given 2 guides. These 2 guides are mandatory and can cover a group of 5-10. As of July 2016, the local tourism office in Aguinid Falls has not yet set standard rates for their guides so it’s up to the visitors to give their guides the appropriate amount they deem fair enough for the given service.
• The adventure in Aguinid Falls may consume an hour or two of your time at most. After which, you can explore the nearby Binalayan, Dao and Candayvic Falls but please note that entry to the last 2 falls are prohibited during days with moderate to heavy rainfall.

Summary Of Expenses, Itinerary, And Other Essentials

There you have it folks. I think by now you know that South Cebu is more than just the adorable whalesharks. They have other jewels too waiting to be discovered.

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Until next time. See ya. 🙂