GOVERNOR’S RAPIDS: Budget Travel Guide To An Exciting Adventure in Quirino Province

Seven months after officially leaving my corporate job in December to become a full-time travel blogger only to turn into a huge couch potato instead, I have had enough of the four corners of my apartment and felt like I needed to go on an adventure. The last time I was out was in June (just the last month) in Jomalig Island but it’s as if it was ages ago. I had a few spots in mind like La Union and Sagada but I thought they are possibly crowded for a weekend getaway so I opted for other less-known places. That’s when Quirino Province entered my mind. Although it was second among the places I was considering visiting, the first being Imugan Falls in Nueva Vizcaya, it still ended up being the final choice.

10 PM Friday night, we went to Victory Liner Kamias Station to ride a bus going to Tuguegarao. However, they were already fully booked. We ended up riding the EMC LBS bus instead. Our way was to the junction in Cordon in Isabela that will lead to Maddela in Quirino Province. The ride was rather slow and had too many stops but other than that, it was pretty smooth. We dozed off the entire ride and were just awakened by the bus crew once we were at our destination. Alighting the bus, we were greeted by empty streets. It was just 6 AM. Not too early for a Saturday morning, I thought, but the junction seemed eerily quiet. Dark rain clouds hovered over and the cold air sent chills to my spine. Like seriously! Can things get any more bizarre?

We walked a little to find the terminal for vans going to Maddela. A silver-grey van was parked at the side of the road. There were already passengers waiting but it was still far from being full. We took the middle-row seats and patiently waited for other passengers. As soon as the van was filled, we started the trip. From Cordon Junction, Maddela is still an hour of ride away. I slept throughout the ride amidst the boisterous chatter of two elderly local passengers. I’ve noticed how loud Ilocano folks can be on the several occasions I have traveled to Vigan and Abra. I just wish I could understand their dialect more so I could share a smirk or a laugh in secret whenever they do.

We reached Maddela at 7:30 AM. I was famished so we first headed to look for a place to eat. It wasn’t easy because there was no Jollibee or McDonald’s anywhere and the eateries were confined inside the public market which made them hard to see. I had macaroni soup, bread, and coffee. Once we had eaten, we looked for a tricycle that we could hire for our adventure. The plan was to start with Governor’s Rapids and then chase waterfalls in the nearby towns but then we didn’t really wanna get ahead of ourselves as the weather seemed very unpredictable. We hopped from one tricycle driver to another. I didn’t know what’s the deal with them giving us the runaround. Was it because they were limited to their respective routes or they simply didn’t find our bargain quite in their favor? Whichever, it was disappointing.

We finally managed to get a driver. He was a young man who seemed very carefree and a little too enthusiastic. He was all smiles and he carried with him a light and airy atmosphere. While all the other tricycle drivers were ripping us off, he was more than happy to accept our offer. We headed to see the Governor’s Rapids first. The air has slowly become warmer as the sun eventually battled its way out of the clouds. I feared Governor’s Rapids might not have its emerald elegance due to last night’s downpour just like what we were told but he assured me it still is stunning and green. The roads to our destination were surprisingly good. It was concrete and wide enough to accommodate several vehicles. Only the road leading to the river itself was unpaved and rugged but our tricycle managed to pass through it with ease anyways.

There were not many people in the Governor’s Rapids that day. We were the second ones to arrive at 9 AM, just a few minutes behind the first group, and we didn’t see people come until we were about to leave for Maddela Falls at 11 AM. The boat operators were on a first come first serve basis. They follow a numbering system for when to take passengers. I saw several boats docked by the river banks. Our driver said he was going to ask his cousin to tour us around so we had to be discreet and pretend we were relatives so the other boaters won’t suspect him of bypassing the system. I felt bad for cheating but I guess we were just doing him a little favor for being kind to us. We changed into our swimming clothes, put on sunscreen, and placed our valuables in a waterproof bag while our boat was being prepared. Once everything was ready, we went down to the banks and hopped on our boat to start the tour.

The boat is made of wooden materials but it runs on an engine powered by gasoline. It doesn’t have outriggers like most of the tour boats we have here in the Philippines. It is a canoe per se and it was just the perfect vessel to use for this adventure. We slowly made our way to every limestone rock formation first before finally encountering the rapids. I remembered how exhilarating riding the rapids on a rubber boat in Cagayan De Oro but I wondered how it would be different on a canoe. Our boatman killed the engine when we were already caught in the current and manually stirred the canoe using a paddle. It felt nerve-wracking while we waited for our canoe to finally make contact with the surging water. I braced myself for a bumpy ride. Surprisingly, the ride went smoothly as if we were riding on clouds. No friction or thuds against the rocks underneath. The canoe just glided its way through. The ride was exciting and fun which got me craving more. Unfortunately, that was the only rapid we encountered throughout the tour.

The boat tour continued with our boatman showing several more limestone rock formations, caves, and cliffs good for jumping into the river. Cliff jumping seemed a perfectly good idea to add spice to the tour but that day I was such a scaredy-cat (I usually am. lol). He also pointed out where specifically “the great” Drew Arellano (ayieeee crushieee!!) jumped during his visit for a Biyahe Ni Drew episode. On our way back, we needed to get off the canoe upon reaching the part where we have previously ridden the rapids. Our guide pulled the canoe while we walked over huge rocks in the shallow parts of the river. Upon reaching the other side, we went on with the last part of the tour which involved minor spelunking and a visit to a waterfall inside a cave

The cave entrance was small that we squat walk our way in. Passed the entrance were several narrow passages before reaching the waterfall. The waterfall was cold. The inside of the cave provided us with that much-needed refuge from the sun, which was unbearable that day. I thought I was going to faint from exhaustion during our walk. When we felt rested, we headed to explore the cave’s stalagmite formations. The most challenging part of the cave tour was probably the exit. It was a steep, near 90-degree descent with only a rope to hold on to. Worse it was slippery and there was not much around to break the fall if I happen to slip or let go of the rope for any freakin reason. I was just relieved to have survived it unscathed.

The tour ended with smiles on our faces. The Governor’s Rapids gave us a beautiful and worthwhile experience. The limestone rock formations were some of the most intricate and stunning I have seen. Saw similar formations in Tinipak River after our climb in Mt. Daraitan and they were truly breathtaking. The only thing I would have asked was for more rapids to ride on. Nevertheless, the adventure turned out to be truly one for the books and worth trying on your visit to Quirino Province. Our day went by with lunch at a local eatery where we had Papaitan and continued to Maddela Falls which, in my opinion, was not very notable. There were other spots worth seeing in the province but we opted to leave it to chance upon Imugan Falls before the day ended. We left at 2 PM but sadly the heavy downpour ruined our plans so we had no choice but to go all the way home.

From Manila – Cebu Pacific flies daily to Tuguegarao and Cauayan and from there you can simply take a van to Maddela, Quirino Province. However, if you find flying too expensive, Five Star (Cubao), GV Florida, and Northern Luzon (Sampaloc) bus lines have direct trips to Maddela at 8 PM daily. Fare P680, P610 and P620 respectively. If you need a more flexible option, you can simply hop on any bus going to Tuguegarao such as Victory Liner and EMC LBS (Kamias) and alight in Cordon Isabela where you can find vans going to Maddela. They have trips until 12 midnight and gets you to Cordon after 6-7 hours. Fare range from P550 – P570. From there, Maddela should only be an hour of van ride away for P70.

From Baguio – NA Lines and KMS Liner buses have daily trips to Maddela at 8:30 PM. Airconditioned vans are also an option.

From Buscalan – Get to the diversion road in Tinglayan where you can ride a bus going to Tabuk. In Tabuk, ride a bus going to Cordon then ride another bus or a van to Maddela.

From Banaue – Ohayami Trans plies directly to Maddela from Banaue. They have a small and limited number of buses so if you miss it, just ride a jeep to Solano. From there, take a bus to Cordon then a van to Maddela.

After getting to Maddela, all there is to do is hop on a tricycle to the Governor’s Rapids and other spots you would like to see nearby. Fare is P80/way/tric but you can charter it for P300-P500 for a day tour.

• Bring drinking water and place it in a reusable water container. The sun can be a pain during the tour. It can somehow be eased by jumping into the river to rid of the heat but nothing beats quenching your thirst with refreshing water.
• Waterproof your valuables. Place them in a dry bag while you tour.
• Bring extra clothes and wear appropriate footwear for the tour. Flipflops will do but better if you have trekking sandals for more grip while you walk over rock formations.
• If you don’t plan to see the other sites in Quirino and would like to stay in the Governor’s Rapids to simply chill, you can rent a “kubo” for P300-P500, depending on the size.
• You can hire a local to cook your meal. The rate depends on the dishes you choose and their quantity.
• The locals speak and understand Tagalog/Filipino. Ilocano is a widely spoken dialect.
• There are no convenience stores such as 7/11 and Ministop in Maddela as well as fast-food chains like Jollibee, McDonald’s, etc. Your only option for food is the local restaurants and eateries.
• Cellular network coverage is good but intermittent in some areas far from the town center.
• If you plan to stay overnight, there are budget inns and hostels in Maddela.
• Buses from Maddela leave for Manila at 4 PM and 6 PM daily so properly time your itinerary if you prefer to travel directly from there to Manila.

I hope you enjoy our adventure story in Governor’s Rapids. We might have not seen half of what Quirino Province has to offer with the little time we had but we are definitely going back for more discoveries in its less travelled roads. Until next time. Ciao!