Kawasan Falls is one of the most picturesque and popular waterfalls in the Philippines. The stunning turquoise blue water and the incredibly fun canyoneering excursions make it a must-visit during your time in Cebu.
The falls are about three hours south of Cebu City. You can take a bus directly from Cebu to Badian (where Kawasan Falls are located). But we wouldn’t recommend it as there’s not much else to do in the area apart from the waterfalls. And if you’re not staying there, it would be pretty difficult to find a place to store your luggage. Instead, we suggest staying in Moaboal, which is about 45 minutes north of Kawasan Falls.
How to Get to Kawasan Falls
How to get to Moalboal from Cebu:
Bus:
Taxi:
Van:
*If you like Uber, then you can always use Grab, a Singapore based ridesharing company.
We decided to take the bus and the experience was totally fine for the price. We had to make a stop at the SM City mall in Cebu, which is huge by the way, for some photography equipment repairs and replacements. So we took an airport bus there for 25 PHP ($0.50 USD). From the mall, we took a taxi for 150 PHP ($3 USD) to the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Once we got to the terminal, we just followed the instructions of the employees to find the correct big yellow Ceres bus, and we didn’t have any issues.
The most confusing part about the experience for us was payment. We paid up front as we entered the bus terminal. But they didn’t have change and told us we could get it on the bus. We did get our change from the driver on the bus, but we had to be patient and trust them. The bus we took was practically empty, so it was decently comfortable with all the extra space. The bus had a few TV’s that played some recent Hollywood movies. So the trip went by pretty quickly.
If you decided to take the bus or a van, you’ll be dropped off next to the highway (there’s a 7-Eleven nearby for reference). And then you’ll need to grab a tricycle to your hotel. We paid 250 PHP ($5 USD) to get to the hotel area of Panagsama Beach. Which is about a 10-15 minute tricycle ride. The typical cost is closer to 100-150 PHP ($2-3 USD) but it was about 1 am when we arrived. And we were tired and didn’t have too many options of tricyclists to barter with.
HOW TO GET TO KAWASAN FALLS FROM MOABOAL:
Because Kawasan Falls is so popular, you’ll definitely want to get there early.
There’s no strict opening time for the falls, so leave as early as you’d like for the 45 minute ride. We arrived around 7 am and there were only a few other people there. But since the falls are so much bigger than just the first falls, as people moved on, we did have some moments where we had the falls all to ourselves. However, by the time we left, around 11 am, it was already getting pretty crowded. So if you don’t want to fight the crowds, we recommend getting there as early as possible.
From the hotel area of Moalboal, make your way to the highway you got dropped off at when you arrived to Moalboal and head south.
Be careful of buses as you take the main road to Kawasan. As they often take wide turns and go fast. But early in the morning, you shouldn’t come across too many.
Stay on the main road and after about 20+ kilometers and 45 minutes, you’ll start to see plenty of signs and people telling you to stop to join their canyoneering experience.
That’s a good sign you’re close! To the left of the road, you’ll find a pedestrian only path. Where you’ll park your bike and then walk up all the way to the falls. We parked in a church parking lot a man directed us to (see map below). He asked for 10 pesos to watch our bike, and it was still there when we got back. You could also try to find parking along the road for free. But that seemed like a hassle.
It’s a pretty easy 15-minute walk from where you park your bike to the falls.
There’s a slight incline, but it’s more of a walk than a hike. After about 5 minutes, you’ll reach an entrance stand. And be asked to pay the entry fee of 45 PHP ($1 USD). Take note of the signs stating what you can and can’t be charged for at the falls. So you don’t end up paying for anything extra. The famous raft that a lot of people take pictures on (which you could pay extra for) is no longer there as of October 2019.
You’ll know when you’ve arrived at the falls because, well, you can’t miss them!
There are multiple levels to the falls, so don’t stop once you get to the first falls. Check out the upper levels too! That’s where we spent most of our time playing on the rope swings, rock slides, and natural pools we found there. It was about a 20-minute hike up from the main falls to get that area. But there are stairs and bridges along the way, and it’s a pretty straightforward path to get there.
Plan to spend anywhere from 2-5 hours at the falls.
It’s like a giant playground and there’s so much to see, so give yourself plenty of time to enjoy them. On your way out, grab a fresh coconut or local homemade chocolate donut from one of the stands. We regret not getting more!
If you’re not interested in Moalboal, you can stay in two other towns:
Oslob is another popular tourist destination and it’s about an hour southeast of Kawasan Falls. So it isn’t much farther from the falls than Moalboal.
Badian is the closest town to Kawasan, but you won’t find much else to do apart from the falls in the area, which is why we suggest staying in Moalboal or Oslob.
Where to Stay in Moalboal:
Budget: D’Gecko Hotel
Mid-Range: Parrot Resort Moalboal
Mid-Range: Turtle Bay Dive Resort
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So specific wow! LOVE THIS! and wishing I could transport to the falls NOW! 🤩
Thank you! That’s so good to know! Trying to make it easier, so you can find everything you need to know all in one place! They’re so much fun! Playing in the falls was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!