Let’s Beat the Heat of Summer - TINAGO FALLS

Hello Steemians! Based on my knowledge, April to May is the summer in our country when the temperature turns so hot. These are usually sunny months. The Philippines yields three temperature ranges, and these are hot, hotter and hottest. Summertime is the hottest. It’s the excessive heat of this season that we should brace for.

First on my list is my summer destination - where I could brace the heat of summer! And this is it, the TINAGO WATERFALLS of Caibiran, Biliran.

A friend of mine invited us to attend the birthday party of her aunt in Naval, Biliran. When she asks me if I am willing to go with her, I immediately say YES because I know that the place has a lot of tourist spots. And one of which is the Tinago waterfalls. So, I secretly prepare my outfit for going there.hahaha

At about 6:00 a.m. boarded with a private vehicle, we travel from Tacloban to Naval for around 2 hours and 30 minutes. We arrived at Naval, Biliran at exactly 8:30 a.m., and then, we directly went to the house of my friend’s aunt. When we arrived, her aunt warmingly welcomes us and then, have a little conversation. In the midst of our conversation, she told us that her party will start at 6:00 p.m. After hearing this, I convinced my friends to go to Tinago waterfalls to spend and enjoy our day. At first, they’re hesitated to go because they did not bring and prepare a swimming outfit but at the end, I win because I insisted that they can borrow from Marvie’s cousin some swimming attire. Subsequently, Marvie asks her aunt the way to the waterfalls.

We eat our breakfast first and then took an hour rest. At 10:00 am, we proceeded to the waterfalls. Along our way, the heaven suddenly pours a heavy rain but it did not stop us to continue our travel to the waterfalls.

How to get there in Tinago Waterfall

Tinago Falls is located in Brgy. Cabibihan, Caibiran Biliran. It can be reached by land transportation for approximately 30-45 minutes ride from Naval with a spectacular scenery of rice fields and beautiful mountains. It is very accessible in going to the waterfalls because the road is concreted. The word “Tinago” is a Visayan word that means “hidden” in English.

As we arrived the waterfalls, I hastily hurried down to the concrete steps. The eco-tourism park was developed by the local government. There’s a covered picnic area by the river banks for visitors.

Tinago Falls Eco Tourism Park entrance fee is Php 20 for adults and Php 10 for children. After payment of our entrance fee, we immediately went to the large washroom to change our clothing to swimming attire.

The falls height of around 90 feet, a breathtaking spectacle of water and rock surrounded by the enormous forests and green vegetation. The powerful cascade of waters forms a catch basin with water sufficient enough for swimming. The basin is large enough and deep but swimmable by the shallows.

The cold water damps on my feet as I carefully hop from rock to rock mesmerizes me to dip down on the water. As I dip myself down into the water, the water is crystal-clear and very cold, and very refreshing on the hot of a summer day. The tourists will surely enjoy this paradise that showcases the natural beauty of the province. Unfortunately, we could not capture a nice snapshot of the waterfall due to bad weather.

VIA TACLOBAN CITY
Tourists can reach Biliran by air travel via Tacloban City. From the airport, you take a tricycle or jeep going to the terminal of buses and vans directly to Naval. Vans cost $3. The travel time from Tacloban to Naval is around 2 hours and 30 minutes.

TRAVELING TIPS
• Bring food and water
• Be careful when walking on some rocks because it’s slippery.
• Make sure your phone and camera is fully charged for photo purposes
• There’s no mobile signal on this place.
• Do not travel alone and leave before sunset
• Do not travel during rainy days to avoid possible flash floods
• Please don’t leave your things unattended and be responsible to your garbage.