Country > Philippines > Bohol > Candijay
Date > 2017 > Jun
Activity > Traveling

June 30, 2017

Splashing at Can-umantad Falls, Candijay, Bohol

Entrance Fee: P20/pax
Location : Can-umantad Falls, Candijay (municipality), Bohol (province), Philippines

Anda to Candijay
It was a no-frills bus ride from Anda to Guindulman (P10, 15 mins), then another bus ride to Candijay proper (~P10, 15 mins). Candijay is clean and orderly, but there is no proper lodging for travelers. Either you go back to Guindulman, or for better accommodations, go all the way back to Anda. Neither is there wifi in the commercial establishments.

Lodging at the Pink House
Luckily, as I was asking around from locals, I was directed to the Pink House. Residents within the gated area where moms and their kids. The good lady of the apartment complex accepted me for a night at P250, after a lot of haggling (but no use of air-con! normal rate, P300). At that rate, I could have stayed a few more days, but the mosquito infestation was beyond belief! Despite using a mosquito net as blanket, I was still riddled by bites. I had to leave Candijay the following day for lack of another place to stay.

Candijay Tourism Office
I went to the tourism office where a lovely Sam (Samantha?), entertained my queries. She communicated my arrival with the tourism head, Mr. Fred, who was already at Can-umantad Falls entertaining Cristalle (daughter of cosmetic surgeon, Vicki Belo), who was doing a shoot for a promotional campaign. Mr. Fred asked me to take the motorbike ride to join him at the falls.

Can-umantad Falls
It was a long arduous motorbike ride on bumpy mountain road (P150 one-way, 30 mins) until we got there to the top (not via the terraces). Can-umantad Falls is both magnificent and stunning. It has a long narrow drop until it hits a bulbous mound spreading it into a curtain-like water canopy and down into a splash pool. I put my mask on and tried to check-out under the plunge pool, but due to last night's torrential downpour, the water was cloudy - visibility was zero. Nonetheless, wading in the plunge pool made for a very refreshing dip, given the difficulty of reaching the place. On the way out, I tried climbing up the series of steps passing through the rice terraces and onto the main road where I re-grouped with the tourism staff.

Mr. Fred
Mr. Fred and the Candijay tourism staff were there to welcome me. The staff together with the local barangay officials were very helpful - offering to take pictures and general assistance. Mr. Kagawad even offered lunch for the staff with me as a tag-along. I rode with them, but instead of going back to the office, Mr. Fred went the extra mile to take me to another tourist attraction - Canawa Cold Spring!

Cristalle Belo
The film crew was there, busy taking shots and video of Cristalle as she posed by the falls in her revealing swimsuit. Like her mom, she is pretty. Normally, I would say, "beauty is in the blood". However, and shame on me for thinking this, but my thought bubble was, "beauty is in the surgery!" As a friend once remarked, "if you have money and you're still ugly, that's already your fault!"

Ending Thoughts
Getting to Can-umantad Falls isn't for the faint of heart, but it was all worth it! You'll thank yourself for making the effort. When you visit the falls, visit the nearby Canawa Cold Spring as well.

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

Freediving Canawa Cold Spring Of Candijay, Bohol

(Jun 30, 2017) Still with its depth remaining a mystery, Canawa Cold Spring enchants locals and travelers to its cold refreshing water. It lies nestled in a circular canyon resembling a wok, 6 kms of rough road into the interior of the mountain...more »»

How to get to Can-umantad Falls from Candijay proper

take a habal-habal ride (single motorcycle) from Candijay proper all the way to Can-umantad Falls (P150 one-way, 30 mins into the mountain interior). There is no transport going back so you might like to have the tricycle wait on you - which they may charge P50/pax.

Travel Tips

Can-umantad Falls is not too far away from Canawa Cold Spring. Try to arrange both destinations on one trip
beware to passing through Eleuterio's Resort property - they have no warning sign or notice whatsoever, but the owner will charge you an outrageous exit fee. This is the only tourist ambush in the area. This has nothing to do with the Candijay Tourism Office.

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.