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| Tinuy-an Falls |
Nestled within the far recesses of Surigao Del Sur is the famed Tinuy-an Falls. Unlike other natural spots, This has only been recently discovered within the year 2000s or so. The good thing about that is that only a few have heard about it and even fewer would dare to venture. And for good reason. From where we were staying at Hinatuan it takes about an hour and a half to a full 2hrs to reach the place. The road in itself is a bumpy ride (I'll further expand on that in a while) especially once you get to the part where you deviate from the main road to get to the actual place.
We were advised by the owners from where we were staying, to rent a "habalhabal"(words fail to describe this uhm transportation device, so I'll advise you to check the photo below instead) and ride it straight towards our destination. For the price of php1200, it's a back and forth trip exclusively for us. Tempting as it is, we already had our budget planned out and personally I found the it much too pricey. So what we took instead was the alternative route. We went to the terminal and boarded a bus towards Butuan. We rode this bus or van(it's a big ass van that's why im a little confused) to get to our first drop-off point. The trip was pretty much smooth-sailing at that point. It was a weekday then so we had a couple of students with us along the ride.
*A side-note though is that they fill it to the brim, not to the point that it gets stuffy though, so expect a few stops here and there if you're planning to go. For php50 per person its not a bad price considering the miles we had to travel. Another option would have been to take the van (an air-conditioned one) which is a little more pricey at php150-300 per head, they also fill this to the brim, though from what I know despite the air-conditioning it gets way too stuffy and neigh uncomfortable inside.
At our dropoff point a little past Bislig, from the main-road to Tinuy-an we had to take the habalhabal for only php150. The habalhabal appears to be a modified version of the usual sikad/tricycle. The thing is its apparently built this way for transport best on rough roads.
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| Another version of the Habalhabal. Four of us fit!! Imagine that. |
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| Dogs? Nope. Pigs are the way to go. |
The ride takes about 45min from there to get to the actual site. Personally, I was really looking forward to riding this contraption. I'm glad we didn't take it all the way though like the owners advised us to because apart from the price and the unusual way it travels, I found sitting way too long on it to be uncomfortable, being as large as I am at 5'10 there would be instances along the ride that I would have to lift my legs a tad higher instead of resting them so that they don't hit the floor as we were moving. Surprisingly all of us fit in. I swear up to this day I still find that quite impossible to believe but it did happen that way. You see, me and my brother, together with ate and her bf are really really big people.
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| The rough roads. Twas a bumpy ride indeed. |
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| My Ate Ivy and Kuya Charles |
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| Smiling despite the heat |
The road though and the ride throughout are an entirely different story. Its a bumpy ride with extra emphasis on being bumpy. Just being recently opened to the public, the road in itself is still unmade. So don't expect an actual road but a sort of path instead. We had to traverse areas which had steep up-climbs and downhills. Im not kidding when I say this because apparently as the driver of our habalhabal mentioned, it was this part of the trip that challenged most of the tourist on-goers and even turned some to go back. Certain climbs had some vehicles tipping backwards or moving in reverse due to the steepness of it. Downhills on the other-hand would have signs asking you to check your breaks constantly because you would definitely need as you go downwards while alternately breaking every now and then to stabilize your momentum while avoiding an untimely accident. We had our fair share of these as there were instances that we had to step down the habalhabal and walk upwards and sometimes downwards for a few hundred meters as it couldn't hold our weight enough to get us there and all. This happened going to and from Tinuy-an.
With that said though, the rewards upon reaching the falls is well worth it. The falls in itself is a majestic site to behold. A grandiose view of a gargantuan wall of falling water. Its untouched state is a beauty indeed. The entrance fee was for only php50 i believe and we rented a table for the same price as well.
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| Base of Tinuy-an Falls |
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| Mid level of Tinuy-an. Had to climb the side of the mountain which almost made me shit my pants. LOL |
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| "I never thought I'd actually appreciate the falls until we actually got there. It was a difficult journey but worthwhile none the less. You have to see it, experience it to believe it. Tinuy-an is a hidden treasure, I'd gladly visit again and again." |
Activities ranged from swimming, riding a raft towards the base of the falls for php150 to climbing to the higher portion of the falls. There are a lot of people who are friendly and assists you without taking advantage which was a big big plus. The place is neat. Its still tad untouched which makes it much more unique and exotic looking.
We decided to climb towards the peak. Its about a 5 stories high drop to the 30ft deep waters from the lower portion itself. We wanted to challenge ourselves. It being once in a lifetime experience and all. So we went ahead and climbed, although halfway along the way, I second guessed myself and really wanted to turn back because to get to the mid portion and actual peak, you have to climb the side of a mountain, it was soo high and risky, my heart was pounding for dear life. Seriously. and apart from the wet path, the steps were really undeveloped, some parts were made in steel but still not so stable looking, a few hinges were off and it is rather slippery. I would not advise anyone to bring a child there cause it really is rather risky. The relief though upon reaching the top was exhilarating couple that with my adrenaline rush and the feeling was something unforgettable. We made sure to savor the sights, take lots of photos and even dip here and there before heading back down to make sure it was all worth it. The trip downward was even more nerve-wracking. Sure enough, I wouldn't dare do that ever again. Haha.
We tried the raft afterwards and it was money well spent. The falls is an even more beautiful sight up close and to actually experience it was just magic all in all. After swimming and taking more pictures, We decided to pack up. Leaving nothing and taking only memories of the challenging but definitely well worth it Tinuy-an falls.
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| Scary!! The steps towards the mid-level of Tinuy-an is not for the weak of heart nor for the accident prone. |
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| Had to go barefoot on this one so I don't slip and fall. Fighting the urge to scream kasi bangin na katabi namin!! |
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