A few weeks ago, my best friend and I decided to get out of our respective houses because we got bored. I love working alone at home, but sometimes, I just feel like escaping the mundane routine of life. So in the middle of a busy work week, we decided to explore this less touristy waterfall in Ronda called Lusno Falls.
Before this trip, two of the municipalities on the southwestern side of Cebu that I had not explored yet were Alcantara and Ronda. So we decided to check out Alcantara first. We found this beautiful boardwalk near the town center, but unfortunately, there was an ongoing repair that day so we didn’t get to see the tail end. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful place to wander around.
With no planned itineraries, we decided to explore the next town which is Ronda, and looked for amazing sights there. Lusno Falls was what caught our curious minds.
And as I’ve said, we didn’t plan this whole trip. We had no idea where to go. Fortunately, we got to convince a habal-habal driver to take us to where this waterfall is located. While we were on our way, it rained really hard and the unpaved roads were starting to get all muddy and slippery.
We were both disheartened because the habal-habal ride took about 30 – 45 minutes and upon arriving, it was unclear if the weather would permit us to go even further. We had to settle inside a makeshift roofed bench in the middle of nowhere.
I thought, “Oh, this is going be finally the day my terrible ideas will be flung back to my face.” You see, my best friend and I are terrible at planning so we prefer going to wherever our random mind wishes us to be. And of all the misadventures in the past, the Universe seems to always find a way to let me enjoy everything despite any mishaps. This time, on the other hand, it seemed like we were trapped and we had nothing else but wait for the weather to cooperate with us.
After almost an hour of waiting in the middle of nowhere, the rain suddenly came to a halt. We immediately scrambled our way to a tiny road that we assumed was the road to Lusno Falls.
How very wrong we were.
After several minutes of wading our way through a thick, muddy, and slippery pathway, we found a small water canal leading in two directions. Now, thinking that the water in this canal came from the waterfalls, I initially thought, “Oh, the waterfall must be situated above this waterway.”
But when we followed the direction of where the waterway seems to come from, it led us to two trails which don’t seem to look right. There was a house nearby but when I knocked, there was nobody around. I mean, it was the middle of a workday. The people living must be plowing a farm somewhere.
So my best friend and I decided to take a detour and went back to where the waterway is heading. Because perhaps, going there would actually lead us somewhere.
It actually led us somewhere.
It led us to a rice paddy.
“Of course, Hanna! The water channel was made to sustain a freakin’ rice field,” I told myself in silence.
So after laughing at our ignorance, we took a detour again and went back to where we initially started. We went back to the spot where a house was located and saw yet another pathway going to the rice field. Goodness, this place is so abundant in rice paddies.
After several minutes of wandering around the area, we finally found yet another house, and this time, there were people around. We asked where Lusno Falls is located and they pointed a pathway right in front of us. And I thought it would be the end of our mishaps.
Upon hearing the earthly sound of gushing water, we excitedly ran toward yet another trail we thought was already the way to Lusno Falls. It wasn’t.
But at least we were getting near. We struggled our way back to the muddy trails and found another small pathway. This time, it actually led us to the magnificent Lusno Falls.
I was squealing and jumping like a pre-schooler. How could I not? The feeling was a hundred times better than eating a tub of my favorite ice cream. I instantly fell in love with the unique shape of Lusno Falls.
And to add our complete and utter amazement, there were no other people around! I immediately took off my clothes and crossed the stream of water to get closer to the waterfall.
I was laughing and jumping with so much joy when the falling water stream touched my skin. It feels good to act like a kid with no care in the world from time to time. As a reward for our struggle to find this hidden waterfall, we really took our time to take pictures under the waterfall curtain.
I’m looking forward to yet another escapade in the middle of a busy work week.
How to get there (and actually get there haha!)
Lusno Falls is located in Ronda, Cebu but is closely situated near the border of the municipality of Argao. So you can get to Lusno Falls from either of the two municipalities. You will need to ride a bus at the South Bus Terminal, but please take note that Ronda is located on the southwestern side of Cebu and Argao is on the southeastern side. Otherwise, you might find yourself riding the wrong bus.
If your jump-off point is Ronda, go to the town center or market and find habal-habal drivers who can get you there. The fare is around 100-150 pesos per person.
On the other hand, if you prefer to start in Argao, inform the bus driver to drop you off at the junction going to Barangay Anajao. From there, you will be able to find a lot of habal-habal drivers who can take you to the road going to Lusno Falls. The fare is 100 pesos per person.
Once you arrive at that small road going to Lusno Falls, I highly suggest asking the locals for clear directions so you won’t get lost like us. There are no signages (as of this writing) and there is even no entrance fee.
Enjoy and please, #LeaveNoTrace.
