Kawasan Falls (Badian, Cebu)

There is a huge poster of Kawasan Falls in the airport in Cebu. The poster is huge and it captured Kawasan Falls’ magnificence enticing travelers to go and visit. With this poster and of what we heard about the falls, we included it in our itinerary.

The travel to Kawasan Falls was difficult - not that we went hiking or trekking in some rugged terrain – but because of the travel itself. Yes, we took an air-conditioned Ceres Bus at the Cebu South Bus Terminal via a taxi from our hotel in Cebu. We were lucky to find a taxi willing to bring us to this terminal using the meter. Most of the taxis that we hailed would rather “contract out” the fare (something illegal) rather than use the meter. However, it is a different situation going to Badian. We cannot find a single taxi willing to take us there with the meter. Some taxis charge as high as P 8,000 for a round trip to Cebu and Badian.

The bus ride is not a convenient ride to South West of Cebu heading exactly to Barangay Matutinao just to reach Kawasan Falls. I am sorry to say that this is one bus ride I have not enjoyed as it was overloaded.

At the entrance to the falls, there are volunteers, for a fee, who took us to our destination. The walk from the bus stop to the falls was a kilometer passing through coconut trees and a river in a rural setting. We enjoyed the walk while trying to ignore our guide whom we felt is not necessary as the trail is clear.

Kawasan falls is indeed beautiful except that lodge at the falls itself. Comfort rooms are not of standard and very inconvenient. If the government is serious in its effort to boost tourism in the country, improving the facilities in our “tourist areas” should be a priority.

Despite the inconvenience of the trip and the facilities, we enjoyed Kawasan Falls. As I said, Kawasan Falls is beautiful. It is stunning but the facilities around needed grave improvement.  The area could have been much better without that lodge or if there are comfortable toilets.