Tag: Surigao Del Sur

Tinuy-an Falls – Towering from the Courage of the Heroic Natives

Towering at 55m, Tinuy-an falls is called the little Niagara Falls of the Philippines. November 2017

After our encounter with the Enchanted river, we went straight to Tinuy-an falls. I clearly remember that it was raining so badly and I was outloud wishing that the sky will get clearer even just for an hour! I was glad that the rain stopped and we had a good time in Bislig!

Taking more than an hour from Hinatuan, you can really feel that bumpy ride. I couldn’t thank enough that we opted to rent a van, for the road was muddy because of seasonal rains and the road projects were ongoing. (If interested in renting a van, kindly send me a message for the details of my contact. I am not in anyway connected with them)

It will take around an hour from Hinatuan to Bislig.

Going to Bislig was still a bliss though! The ubiquitous coconut trees were a sight to behold and I can recall my parents getting amazed at how these trees are just all around the place. They were even joking that how come there are no coconut juice vendor along the way.

Living the tourist life, we can never skip a tourist destination signage like this. November 2017

Upon reaching the destination, the lowest tier of the falls will greet you with a positive vibe. The water was pretty strong that day probably because of the recent rains but it was still picturesque nonetheless.

The lowest tier of the falls greeting every visitor. November 2017

To give a brief insight about Tinuy-an, the name was derived from Tinuyo-an; a native vernacular which means an intentional act to achieve a goal. There is actually an FYI post along the main entrance which narrates the ” Legend of Tinuy-an” involving the Magdiwata Mountain Settlers and the cruel tribesmen of Agusan. You may refer to the photo below:

A very short narration of how the name of the falls was derived. November 2017

Rates and Fees

The rates are pretty affordable. You can refer to the photo below for the actual rates as of November 2017.

Updated rates as of November 2017

Personal Insights

The place is amusing, after paying the entrance fee, you are free to saunter around and take pictures until you drop. You can go near the falls but you need to take the safety precautions. 

There is also a bamboo/wooden bridge across the river where you can get a front picture of the falls. This will also lead you to the function hall where you can get the left sided perspective of Tinuy-an. This is literally picture galore and you can take photos of different views as much as you want.

You can cross the bridge to get a better perspective of Tinuy-an. November 2017
The pavement leading closer to Tinuy-an. November 2017

The place was misty that day. Tinuy-an was mighty and you can visibly see the sun rays striking through the mist. It was an enchanting moment indeed!

Tinuy-an Falls tends to be misty after the rain, that sometimes you can spot a rainbow in the area. November 2017

You can also do the bamboo rafting where you can get much closer to the falls. It would be exciting to feel how powerful the falls can get and how cool its water is. Unfortunately on our end, we were running out of time. We needed to go to our next destination as the way out of Tinuy-an can get a little dark. That was on top of the muddy road and the busy road widening project that we experienced going to the place!!!! 

My parents and I taking a souvenir of Tinuy-an. You can see other guests doing bamboo rafting in the background. November 2017

All in all it was a fun-filled experience! So glad that I finally met mighty Tinuy-an. You better visit this peaceful place and let me know if you also had fun 🙂

Excited to finally meet Tinuy-an. A dream is now a reality. November 2017

-jiyon

Enchanted River – An Encounter with a Totally Different World.

Mindanao was always perceived as a troubled island. With all the undesirable events in the past, uprising and civil wars that are still experienced up to this modern day and misconceptions arising from difference in religion , a lot of Filipinos refrain from visiting this heaven on Earth. But are you interested in knowing of what you could be missing for skipping an itinery in gentle Mindanao? You better start taking notes now!

Let’s start our journey with Surigao Del Sur’s Enchanted River!!!

Two boatmen are about to feed the fishes in the river. November 2017

Located in Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur, this deep spring river is mesmerizing to the maximum level. Like saphire and emerald dashing in my eyes, It was hard to take away my eyes from the scene. It seems like I can stay the whole day in here just enjoying its clear and cool waters. The river flows nonstop to the Philippine sea and all the way to the mighty Pacific Ocean.

The name of the place was derived from “Rio Encantado” from the poem written by  Modesto Farolan.

Translated from Spanish “Rio Encantado” derived from the poem of Modesto Farolan. Signage on November 2017

Activities

Swimming is the main activity on this spot, but sadly, swimming in the main part of the river is no longer allowed as a mean for the local government to preserve the natural wonder.

The main area of the river is now closed for swimming. Guests can only swim at the tail of the river. November 2017
A designated swimming area is now alloted since the main area of the river is now closed to the public for swimming. November 2017.

You can also witness the fish feeding scheduled every noon. It is a sight to behold as you can see the fishes swimming in crystal clear water as they all try to chase and outswim each other for the food.

Other Details

Fees are collected by the local government for the maintenance of the place. Prices are as follows:

Entrance : PHP 40.00 per head

Parking: PHP 20.00 per vehicle

Lifevests (Required if you will go swimming): PHP 15.00 per hour. You cannot use your personal lifevest.

How to get to Enchanted River

I actually visited the two Surigao Provinces with my parents to celebrate my birthday, so I had to account for their comfort and convenience for the travel. I rented a van to pick us up from Bancasi Airport in Butuan City to avoid the hassle of huggling and looking for spot contacts for the next destination. The van rate that I got was PHP 2,500.00 per day plus gas.

It is actually advisable to rent a van for groups as the top spots are far from each other and there are ongoing road widening projects. Weather concerns should also be accounted for for Q4 tends to be rainy in the region. I just cannot imagine my parents taking habal habal with backpacks on for long hours and getting wet if it rained. 

Ima and Tatang taking a remembrance of this wonderful river. November 2017

If interested on getting my contact’s details, please do not hesitate to send me a message.

Other than Butuan City, you can reach Surigao via Davao City or CDO. PAL and Cebu Pacific have daily flights to the aforementioned destinations.

Personal Insights

The Enchanted River is really a natural wonder. You will get amazed with its colors and crystal clear waters. Honestly, all I could say is “Wow” while taking pictures of this site.

The enchanting river during the fish feeding activity at 12 noon. November 2017

However, I have to stress out that having lunch to the place is not recommendable. Meal prices are insane and Viands good for 3 to 4 persons range from PHP 100.00 to PHP 150.00 and rice for the same headcount is fixed at PHP 70.00. Now if that comes cheap for you, wait until you find out that utensils are not free and spoon, fork, plate and cup is priced PHP 5.00 each. But wait there is more! There is a designated place to dine and you have to rent a set of table and 4 chairs for PHP 150.00. Incredible isn’t it? 

I suggest to just bring light snacks and find a good place to dine somewhere else. The food served in the Enchanted River is not good anyway.

Make sure to take a plunge too. I havent had the chance to swim because of time constraints of going to Tinuy-an, but by the looks of it, I just knew that the place is certainly amazing!!!  One more thing, you better visit the place on an early morning and on a weekday if you do not want photobombers all over the place. This famous place can get super crowded!!! Plan ahead of time and this is gonna be amazing!

– Jiyon