Country > Philippines > Bohol > Anda
Date > 2017 > Jun
Activity > Caving

Jun 28, 2017

Visiting Cabagnow Cave Pool of Anda

Location : Cabagnow Cave Pool, Bacong (barangay), Anda (municipality), Bohol (province), Philippines
Entrance Fee: P50

Cabagnow Cave Pool
About 2 kms from Anda Poblacion is a cave pool about 30m from the beach. It's not so much as a cave as it is a sink hole. It's a 20x10ft opening on limestone ground that drops 8 feet into a pool of brackish water that goes down 5 feet deep. Either you rapel down or use a ladder - there is no way to climb down as the ground surface acts as an overhang. The place uses a ladder that was not in place so the area was closed to the public - just my luck. Just the same, I went over the fence to take pictures. There was no way for me to climb down unless I jump...which would have been stupid. Even if I didn't get myself injured, how the heck do I get back?

Fishermen's Tale
Hoping to get back to the Anda Poblacion by beach for a shorter walk, I got rained on and took shelter on a fisherman's shed with 2 fishermen. I started a conversation asking them about the cave. According to them, the cave is connected to the sea but the hole is too small for a human body to fit in. They added that from the sea however, there is an opening big enough for a man leading to the inland cave. However, they added that the water inside is like a washing machine - impossible for a diver to manage through. A group of German divers attempted but failed. That's how they know the story.

The Big Fish Story
They said something more interesting. Trapped inside the sea cave is a giant Grouper. It's so big it could no longer get itself out. The fishermen speculated that maybe the Grouper got inside as a small fish and got big there - now, it won't fit coming out. How does it feed itself? The fishermen explained that there are many fishes inside the sea cave for the Grouper to eat. I am fascinated by this tale, but even though I have my freediving equipment with me, I won't attempt to enter that cave. Gone are my stupid days.

Ending Thoughts
The fishermen said the ladder would be back in place on July 1 - this is unlikely after I talked to people in the know. Apparently, there are technical issues about rights and ownership. Maybe I'll just bring my freedive gear and checkout the cave opening from the sea...for a harmless peek :)

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

at the beach, taking cover from the rain

Exploring Combento Cave Pool

(Jun 29, 2017) Combento Cave Pool is a refreshing dip into brackish water inside a tidal cave. With my freedive equipment, I noticed an underwater cave entrance inside the cave itself. It was big enough for a human to swim through, but it was pitch black inside. I didn't dare go inside without a torch...more »»

How to get to Cabagnow Cave Pool from Anda Market

take a tricycle from the market to Cabagnow Cave Pool (P30 one-way, 10 mins). There is no transport going back so you might like to have the tricycle wait on you.

How to get to Anda from Tagbilaran Port

take a tricycle from the port to Dao Bus Terminal (P15, 10 mins)
at the bus terminal the yellow bus makes several trips/day to Anda (P95, 3 hours)
Departure times: 5:20am, 8:50am, 10:20am, 12:45pm, 2:20pm, 4:20pm and 5:50pm
get-off at the Anda public market. The beaches and resorts are just a short walk away

Bohol Google Map

Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

Danao Adventure Park - zip lining, cable car ride, caving, river rides/trekking, off-road buggy ride, root climbing, rappelling and ultra-glide rides
Alona Beach - hub for tourists with hotels, resorts, restos, bars and dive shops
Chocolate Hills - hills side-by-side shaped like giant Kisses chocolate
Tarsier - pocket-sized marsupia looking like a monkey
Balicasag Island - one of the best dive spots in the Philippines
Loboc River - river cruise on a boat
Anda Beach - fine white sand beach with resorts, restos and cottages, 3 hours by bus from Tagbilaran
Cabagnow Cave Pool - brackish water pool about 5ft deep inside a limestone opening on the ground, 8 feet deep, P50
Lamanok Island - walk on a 100m bamboo bridge on stilts to a resto area to take a boat tour to caves and nearly attractions, P300
Combento Cave Pool - cave pool with underwater cave system, P20
Can-umantad Falls - long narrow drop until it hits a bulbous mound spreading it into a a curtain-like water canopy and down into a splash pool
Canawa Cold Spring - deep refreshing cold spring with developed pool area
Firefly Tour - evening boat ride into the river to watch fireflies

hotel

Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Baranggay Valladolid, Loboc, Bohol
Bohol Tropics Resort - seafront location, manicured surroundings, swimming pool, resto/bar
0133 Graham Avenue, Brgy. Cogon, Tagbilaran, Bohol 6300
Oasis Resort - Alona Beach location, dive center, resto / bar
Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol

yoga

Jing Yoga - health & well being through yoga
The Courtyard - Airport Road fronting the church
Bohol Meditation and Yoga Center - 2nd Floor Lim Magtajas Bldg. CPG Avenue

Bohol Travel Info/Tips

Bohol FYI / Tips

the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located within the Alona Beach area
the tourist attractions in Bohol are far apart and spread-out. It would be difficult to visit them all using public mass transit. Better hire a van (P3500/day) if in a big group, or rent a motorcycle (P400/day + gas)
Bohol relies on its tourism for revenue. As expected, everything they can capitalize on from tourism is extensively used and developed

Tagbilaran Port to Panglao

You can charter any tricycle from the port all the way to Panglao (~P300), but if you want to do it on the cheap,

don't take the tricycles lined-up inside the port. Walk past the port gate and immediately outside, you'll see many tricycles. Take one to the bus terminal in Dao (~P15)
in Dao, take the jeep that plies the Panglao route (~P20)

Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu City by boat

** schedules and rates keep changing, call for latest schedule

Weesam Express - departs 6:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - departs 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-3:30-4:20-5:30-6:30PM, 2 hours, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63(32)255 7560 / +63 (32) 255 0115 / 0917 638 0000
SuperCat (2GO) - departs 5:50-11AM, 3:45-5:25-8:15PM, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000

Things to do, Places to go in Bohol

Chocolate Hills - this is a clustering of more than 1200 hills within a 50km² area. They range in height from 30-50 meters. What's unusual is their near-perfect conical shape resembling an individual chocolate chip. No one knows how they were formed. Entrance is P50/pax.
Tarsier Conservation Area - located Upper Bonbon, Loboc. The tarsiers are no longer being played at by tourists as circus props, but instead, visitors now view them in cordoned-off areas in their natural 6ha habitat. As they are territorial and nocturnal, they are predictable on where they can be viewed. P50/pax.
Alona Beach (Panglao) - Alona Beach is the tourist hub of Bohol. It has 1.5 kms of white sand beach lined-up by bars, hotels and restos. Alona is also the jump-off point for Balicasag Island, a world class dive destination.
Danao Adventure Park - located in Barangay Magtangtang, 72 kms (2 hours ride) from Tagbilaran. Adventure activities include river trekking, tyrolean traverse, rappelling, bouldering, rock climbing and ziplining.