Merida Adventures: April 2016

The majestic view of Aliwagwag Falls

Unplanned getaway always enthrall me! Sleepless and exhausting night aftermath from SummerFrolic, we decided to head straight to Aliwagwag Falls located at Cateel which is a 4 hour drive from Mati City. (Good thing we did not commute or else will be worn out).

What I love about this trip are the beautiful sceneries we passed along the way. We have stopovers and took some pictures of the places that caught our attention. (That's one of the advantages when you're not commuting!)

Baganga Sunrise Boulevard

Baganga Sunrise Boulevard

Lake Carolina

Lake Carolina

After a very long and exhausting trip, we arrived safe and sound and finally see the majestic view of Aliwagwag Falls! It's worth the travel! I took a deep breath and feel the moment of my stay. I gasped in astonishment at the unique heaven's stairway Aliwagwag Falls. It was drizzling and spurting over the basalt rocks. The water goes plunging down, creating a tremendous splash!

Davao Oriental's pride!

Heaven's stairway; Aliwagwag Falls

Just trying to find a perfect angle.

Aliwagwag Falls, also known as "curtain falls" because of a series of more than 130 cascading waterfalls. It's also considered as the highest waterfalls in the Philippines by hydraulic engineers. Despite of the devastation brought by typhoon Pablo, its beauty still remains. Nowadays, it's considered one of the highlights of Davao Oriental's tourist’s destination.

We took our lunch and we did not have hard time looking for a place to eat because there are lots of affordable food stalls nearby. (You can also buy some souvenirs there if you want). Truly, the place was already developed.

Parking area! :)

Food Stalls!

Souvenir's Store!

Looking for a souvenir! :)

Lol!

We immediately explore the area and the most exciting part are the activities that awaits us.

Rates

Me and my best friend first tried their zip line because we're not allowed to do it if we're wet and also it would be a hassle free for us. Though the zip line is not that long and high, we still have wonderful time because of the superb view.

Do's and Don'ts

I'm with my bestfriend Linda! <3

Barefoot Superman pose!

Friendship Goals!

Also, we're in the state of being aroused knowing that we have to ride a boat across the river and a 10 minute walk back to the falls. We did not mind the heat of the sun.

Exciting part! Riding a boat!

Carefree!

Me trying to pose on a boat!

From the distance, the waterfall is so calm and tranquil, cascading over the rocky outcrops. As we had drawn closer the tranquility alter into a noise which increased steadily until we reached it. We can hear the roar of the cascading water which is deafening. After some walking, we set foot to the falls. It was freezing and we're shaking with the cold.

Cascading water

Epic yoga pose! LOL

Freezing because the water is so cold

Friends!

We did not waste any moment of our stay. We explore, swim, jump and even massage ourselves from the cascading water. The water tumbled down the hillside in a series of mini-waterfalls. The rocks were quite slippery, so we're very careful with our actions.

Hanging bridge!

Stairway going to monkey bridge!

Since we have limited time, we went directly to the top of the waterfalls and we tried the breathtaking monkey bridge! It was a memorable experience because as you cross the monkey bridge, you will be able to see the top view of Aliwagwag Falls and you'll be amazed how magnificent God's creation. Also, the challenging part is not crossing the bridge, but the 15 minute hike for us to reach it. What I love the most was the splash of the water while crossing the bridge.