When planning my trip to Moalboal, Philippines, one of the things I wanted to see before I left was Kawasan Falls. Kawasan is Located in Barangay Matutinao, Badian which is about a 20-30 minute drive outside of MoalBoal City and over 3 hours outside of Cebu City. If you are planning a trip out this way and want to see the falls; here are some things you should know before you go!

Stay in MoalBoal If you are flying in from Cebu City, your best bet is to find a hostel or hotel in MoalBoal. MoalBoal is about 3 hours outside of Cebu. MoalBoal is the center of all the activities you want to do in Cebu City. Kawasan Falls is only 20 -30 minutes away from MoalBoal depending on where your hotel/hostel is located in MoalBoal. I was only 20 minutes away. It will be an easier and cheaper commute.

Download Maps.Me This app allows you to download maps of the city you’re in and use it offline. This is perfect if you don’t have phone data during your travels. I was able to find a good and safe route to Kawasan Falls using this! It’s free and can be downloaded for Androids and iPhones.

Rent a Motorbike If you’re a fearless traveler like me, then I recommend renting a bike and take yourself to the falls. An organized tour usually cost around 2500 pisos. Whereas a bike rental will run you around 400 pisos or less for the day. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds, save some cash and enjoy beautiful landscapes, then driving to the Falls alone is the best choice!

Arrive before 7:30am I know! You’re on vacation! Why the heck would you want to get up so early? Well if you’re like me and want to avoid the crowd and get some beautiful photos of the falls, the best time to go is before 8am. After 8am, you will see a ton of bus tours and people. The swimming area of the falls will be crowded. I left my hostel at 6:30 am and arrived around 6:55ish. It was perfect! There were only like 3 people there!

Bring Cash If you decided to ride your bike to the falls, you’re going to have to pay for parking. Most venders in the Philippines only accept cash. Typically parking cost around 30-40 pisos! If they try to charge you more, simply tell them you were told by your hostel that it was 30 pisos and they usually accept that price! I remember a guy telling me “hello, you want to park? It’s 100 pisos!” I told him “No, I was told I can pay 30.” He said “oh okay! That’s fine.” Haha. So just be careful of locals trying to over charge you. The next thing you will need to pay for is the entrance fee to the falls. At the time I visited (January 2020) the entrance fee was 45 piso. Unlike the price for parking, this is non-negotiable. You pay and sign some papers and off you go!

The Falls Once you have paid your entrance fee, you are good to go! There is a 10-15 minute walk to the actual waterfall. Don’t worry, you aren’t lost. Keep following the path. On your way up, you will find some locals trying to sell you life jackets. Here’s the thing with this. If you are deciding to swim far out towards the falls, it’s required by law to have on a life vest! If you aren’t an experienced swimmer but feel adventurous, I would rent one. The water is pretty deep! If you plan to stay by the shallow end you don’t need a jacket! Simply tell them you don’t plan to swim out and they will stop trying to sell to you. That’s what I did.

There are actually three waterfalls. So, make sure you climb all the way to the top to see them all. There are steps on the left hand side that will take you to all three! You are not allowed to jump off the cliffs unless you are doing a canyoneering tour. However, you can swim in the water! It’s FREEZING COLD! Be prepared, have fun and take lots of photos!

That’s all! If you plan on visiting, and have more questions, please let me know in the comments below!