Paradiso Palawan: Day 3 - Duli Beach and Nagkalit-kalit Falls

For our Day 3, my friends and I were having a hard time deciding where will we be going because the weather was not as sunny as the day before. But since we don't want to waste a precious day in El Nido, we decided to visit the 20km white sand marvel of Duli Beach and Nagkalit-kalit Falls, which our host gladly suggested.

We again hired Kuya Buknoy's tap-down for the day. He informed us ahead though that the road going to Duli Beach was a bit difficult so we still need to walk. Well, that's not a problem for us adventure-seeking kids! Game on!

Although the sky was a bit gloomy, the sight of lush greens greeted us as we walk going to Duli Beach. 

I was busy snapping pictures here and there that I am always left behind. 

We enjoyed our walk and filled our lungs with fresh probinsiya air. 

Entrance to Duli Beach.

I can already see the beach! Wooot!!!

I was expecting a crowd similar to that of Nacpan but to my surprise, we were the only ones in the beach! There is no entrance fee or whatsover and there are no stores nearby. It was truly secluded and its like having the whole beach for yourself!

A bit gloomy eh?

The waves were a bit rough due to the weather, so for safety's sake, we contented ourselves with just exploring the area and of course taking tons and tons of pictures! 

While walking by the shoreline, we were still expecting to find even a single store. It was already lunch time and we are worrying where will we eat. We saw an establishment but it was still on construction; they only offer sodas in can since the bar-resto was still in progress. 

"The tide is high but I'm holding on..."

We headed to back to Bucana first to have lunch. We ate at this bar-resto called Shoreline and there we met some foreigners who gladly had lunch with us. They were a group of Spanish people and one American who were staying at the same hostel. They were volunteering to teach English at a public elementary school in Bucana. I had a blast chatting with them and we even taught them a little bit of Tagalog. 

Here we come Nagkalit-kalit Falls!

Going to Nagkalit-kalit Falls was around 40 minutes of land travel. From Bucana, before you get to Nacpan Beach, you will see this sign on the road. Tour guide fee was Php 150.00 per pax plus Php 20.00 for the gate pass. According to our tour guide, the trek is a good 30 to 40 minutes and we will be crossing 8 streams before we reach the falls.

Ahem..#sweet #couple #prenup

The reliable Kuya Buknoy :)

We finally reached Nagkalit-kalit Falls! Kuya Buknoy volunteered to look after our things because he wont be swimming. Although, I think there is no need for that since we were the only ones (again) in the area. We were sooo excited to take a dip that we didn't mind the chilly water. Seriously, the water was almost ice cold that  my teeth was chattering. It was drizzling on our way up, so that helped in the coldness of the water.

More fun in the Philippines!

We stayed there for an hour or so because we need to walk again for another 40 minutes going down, plus crossing again the 8 streams.

 We called our adventures for the day as "The Not So Popular Spots in El Nido" hehe..

Today was our last day in El Nido because we will be travelling back to Puerto Princesa tomorrow.

Our adventure there was really bitin and we wished that we could have stayed longer. Aside from the popular island hopping activities, there are many spots in El Nido that are worth visiting. With that, we promised that we are definitely coming back J

SuriVao Escape: Tinuy-an Falls, Bislig Surigao del Sur

After visiting the Enchanted River of Hinatuan, we proceeded to Tinuy-an Falls, touted as Niagara Falls of the Philippines. This beauty is located in Burboanan, Bislig City, one hour ride from Mangagoy (where I was born) and a good 45 minutes if coming from Hinatuan. For those planning to do a DIY trip here, there are habal-habal available although be extra cautious because the road here is not yet paved. A minimal fee is required upon entrance. Life jackets are also being rented but is not required.

 

The site of cascading falls welcomed us although I noticed that the water is not as strong like on my first visit. This, however, did not stop us from exploring and enjoying the area.

Here is a photo of Tinuy-an when we went there and my first thought was "Where is the water?".

Photo when I first went here in December 2013, see what I mean?

Yes guys anong ganap?

Aside from the "main" falls, there are also mini falls at the top so if your feeling adventurous, this is also a great activity.  However, one activity that you shouldn't miss (at least for me) when visiting Tinuy-an is riding the balsa (raft) and shower in the falls. The pressure is really strong and its like getting a hard massage. Again, be extra cautious, the water is somewhat murky and the rocks are slippery.

The day before our visit was the celebration of Adlaw ng Tinuy-an (Tinuy-an Day), that's why a stage was set up here. Of course, this spot is perfect for my barkada's jump shot :)

 

SuriVao Escape: Tres Marias Falls - Mantunao Eco Park

On our 1^st day at Davao Oriental, another falls that we visited is the Tres Marias Falls at Mantunao Ecopark.  I admit, I’ve been here several times already but each visit is truly memorable.

Just like the waters of Aliwagwag Falls, the water at Tres Marias Falls is really cold. I remember before, we would just dip our bottle of soft drinks in the running water and after an hour or so, the drinks are already cold (not ice cold of course but cool enough). The falls has 3-tiers and maybe that's the reason why it got it's name.

Stairway going to the falls.

 

There are no nearby sari-sari store in the vicinity, so its highly recommended that you pack your own food. Good thing that my mom was with us, she prepared all the food that we have hehe :) You might want to note that there is an entrance/ registration fee upon entering (I just forgot how much it cost). The area is not yet fully developed so don't expect cottages and tables. Although for me, it is one of the charms of the area. My friends and I just sat by the rocks while chatting and enjoying our food. By the way, that day, we were the only group there so it feels like we rented the whole area haha

 

Like I said, there are no tables and cottages there :)



Small cave just beside the falls.



It was a short but memorable side trip to Tres Marias. What better way to cap off the 1st day of our SuriVao Escape. More photos below for your viewing pleasure :)

Looks refreshing :)

SuriVao Escape- Aliwagwag Falls

My mothers' hometown is a little charming place called Cateel (in Davao Oriental). Although we always travel there during Christmas and summer vacation, I've never really explored the exotic and amazing Aliwagwag Falls. So for our SuriVao Escape, this falls is definitely part of our itinerary!

According to my mother, back then it was difficult to visit the falls which is in Barangay Aliwagwag due to unpaved roads and you have to ride a habal habal to get there. Today, it is much easier to visit the area since the construction of Cateel-Compostela Road.



As soon as we reached the place, we can't help but utter words of praise for this majestic falls. We all rushed towards it and go gaga over taking pictures here and there! Seriously, the place is truly breathtaking that not taking pictures will be a major crime!

Aliwagwag Falls is actually composed of mutiple tiers and runs down to a river. If I can describe the falls, it's like a stairway to heaven. You can't help but want to climb the top tier :) 

Be careful! The rocks there are slippery.

He's obviously loving the water :)

As of writing, they are already developing the area (building cottages and cemented stairs) perhaps to attract more tourist. I just hope that they don't alter much the area since its already beautiful as it is. 
And hopefully, they will be able to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of Aliwagwag Falls so that future generations will still be able to marvel at this majestic body of water.

Another epic jumpshot from Fred! Hehe..



One last groupshot before we left the area :)