TINAGO FALLS: HIDDEN BUT KNOWN TO ALL

Tinago Falls is one of the main tourist destinations in Iligan City. It plunges around 73meters from a rocky cliff. The cascades drop at the wide basin-like pool. Its blue refreshing water is perfect for swimming.
 

Tinago Falls, seen on travel shows, net and pictures has long captivated my heart. The realization of a long time dream spurted when I first met Lai of pinaytravelista.com, a blogger from Iligan City who happened to visit Bukidnon for Kaamulan Festival.

After a stressful 3-day workshop in CDO, I decided to finally get refreshed in one of Iligan’s numerous waterfalls.

The trip was my first solo to Iligan. Despite a very detailed instruction, I still got lost which I usually do.    

  

After being found in Jollibee, I was guided and accompanied via jeepney and habal-habal to the entrance of the falls.

A little community has benefited from the tourism activity in the area. They provide snacks and refreshments to the visitors. 

 A little trail measuring hundreds of meters leads to the falls.

 Passing through the vegetated ruins of an abandoned resort was an added delight for me.

Going down is made so easy with concrete 500-steps stairway.

 Getting closer to the falls excited me more and more. And at last, the wonderful falls unleashed its full glory right before my eyes.

  

 With eyes glued to the falls, I was unmindful of the rarely used path I trod on. So slippery that my single step brought me two steps down. Good thing I never lost balance but got stuck in a mire with sharp rock rubbing my left foot.

I pulled my foot up with red droplets. I got a long, deep cut and little bruises. Blood was dripping. The wonderful view kept me calm then. It was worth bloodshed, anyway (haha!).

 With Lai’s first aid, the bleeding was stopped through painful cleansing and compression (with curious audience), I was back on my purpose. I explored the area, taking pictures.

 The child in me was so envious of the little kids climbing up a tall swaying tree.

 Much more when I saw them one by one jumping down. Doing the same might cause my wound bleeding, so I behaved.

When I was supposed to go home, the enticing water held me back. I couldn’t resist plunging in its refreshing embrace.

 I requested Lai to take me pics. I had to swim and get showered by the cascades. I had to do some jumping. A bloodshed has been carried out anyway.

Feeling the cascades right on my skin was a totally awesome feeling! So relaxing; stress washed away.

 It seemed so soon but it was getting late so I had to end that bit of heaven.

 We ascended back through the concrete steps. Fulfilled but still excited, I was hiking without looking back, as if I was alone. I saw Lai leaning on a railing almost running out of air catching up my pace. (I’m so sorry, Lai…)

 When everything went right, we slowly headed back to the entrance and sufficed our stomachs with camote and buko juice.

Unmindful of my wet shorts and underpants, we took a habal-habal back to Buru-un proper, took a late lunch, headed back to the city and parted ways.

It was 3:30pm when I departed Iligan. I traveled back home to Bukidnon for 7 hours with a throbbing pain. The long trip was really worth the fun I experienced in Tinago Falls, an experience even worth a bloodshed (hehehe!).

Thanks to Lai of pinaytravelista.com for being my companion, guide, first-aider and photographer.

HOW TO GET THERE:

From CDO, proceed to Bulua WestboundTerminal. Take a bus bound for Iligan (*P85.00). Travel time takes around 2 hours. From the terminal, take a jeepney to the city proper (*P8.00). Then take another jeepney ride to Brgy. Buru-un (*P15.00). Drop off at public market. Take a habal-habal to the entrance of Tinago Falls (*P25.00 each minimum of 2).

*Fare rates as of 2013.