One of the reasons why I love Cebu is that you can find almost every outdoor destination here. This island is blessed to have such imposing mountains like Osmena Peak, Mt. Kan-irag, Mt. Kapayas, Mt. Hambubuyog, just to name a few. White sand beaches, lakes, hot springs, cold springs, canyons – Cebu takes pride in all of it.
For instance, Southern Cebu is a haven of majestic waterfalls. One of which is the Tumalog Falls in Oslob.
I had the chance to explore this beauty when I went backpacking to three towns in South Cebu.
You’ll have to walk downhill for about half a kilometer to reach the waterfalls from the drop-off point. There, you’ll have to pay your entrance fee before you can proceed to go downhill. You can actually hire a habal-habal driver to drop you directly at Tumalog falls if you don’t prefer walking. We opted to walk anyway. It’s just 5 to 10 minutes off trek to the waterfall anyway.
I read a lot of amazing blog posts about this place a few months before we went there. And so I thought I already knew what to expect of the place but I was so wrong. It was jaw-dropping cool.
What makes this falls interesting is that it’s shaped like a curtain of waters falling from umbrella-like rock formations. Since the water is separated by several rocks, the water drop is not that strong compared to other waterfalls. But that’s the beauty of it. It’s different from other waterfalls.
The trek downhill was truly worth it.
HOW TO GET THERE
From Cebu City: Ride a Ceres bus bound for Bato – Oslob. Just inform the driver or bus conductor you are headed to Tumalog Falls and they will drop you off at the junction where you can see a signage, “Tumalog Water Falls”. Travel time is around 3 hours. You can ride a habal-habal on the way up from the main road. It’s a 20-minute ride to the drop-off point.
From Dumaguete/Sibulan: From Sibulan Port, ride a fast craft or pump boat bound for Puerto Del Sur Port in Liloan, Santander. Travel time is just 15- 20 minutes. Once you reach the port, ride a Ceres bus bound for Cebu City and inform the driver you are heading to Tumalog Falls in Oslob.
You can also hire a tricycle driver to bring you to Oslob since it’s already the next town from Santander. I have tried traveling from Santander to Oslob on a tricycle but not to Tumalog. You can discuss it with the tricycle drivers if you prefer this type of transportation.
From the Whale Shark Watching location: Hire a habal-habal (motorcycle) driver to take you to the falls. There are quite a few of drivers parked outside the whale shark watching area so transportation is not really a problem. The resorts there also offer a tour package where they take you to the falls in a van with a guide and packed lunch. The price actually varies so it would be best to ask the resort for arrangements.
EXPENSES
Bus from Cebu City to Oslob – ₱180
Habal – Habal ride from the junction to Tumalog drop-off point – ₱30 *Additional ₱20 if you opt to ride to the falls.
Habal – Habal ride from Whaleshark Watching area – ₱100 *You can discuss the rates with the driver.
Entrance Fee – ₱20
If you’re from Dumaguete/Sibulan, the fare for Fast Craft is around ₱75-80 and pump boat is ₱35-40.
