Hello Hive Travelers!
Most days I'm boxed in within the four walls of our tiny home. The farthest exploit would probably be a trip to our local supermarket or an occasional coffee mug in hand quick chit-chat with a neighbor at the community pool.
On the day of our wedding anniversary, we drove for 50 minutes to the town of Barili, Cebu for a lunch date at an open-air restaurant. Some of you might have seen it in my previous post. We usually don't celebrate milestones but we both needed a quick getaway especially now that face-to-face classes have resumed.
If you're interested to find out Where to Eat in Barili, check out Café Alfonso:
South Cebu Pit Stops: Café Alfonso in Barili
Café Alfonso is more than just a café. It serves authentic Filipino Cuisine. What I love about Café Alfonso is its tranquil location. It is lost in the middle of nature with the much-needed breeze from the scorching heat this summer. It is around 50 minutes drive from Moalboal, 2 hours, and a 20-minute drive from Mactan International Airport. Once you get to Barili there's a short 1.2 kilometers detour inland from the main national road.
The plan was to enjoy a sumptuous lunch, breathe in the fresh air and then head home. We were halfway through our main course when a group of big vehicles covered in election campaign streamers arrived from the other direction. A large group of men and women occupied a long table at the far end of the restaurant. The staff later confirmed that there's a shorter road inland that connects to the main highway. Adjacent to the parking lot was Barili ATV Adventure which was highly recommended by friends who tried it. There was no one in the office that afternoon. Besides, we were not appropriately dressed for the activity and we had to be back to pick up our daughter from school in a few hours. Should we ever do it, we're interested in their longest mountain adventure ride (Package C) equivalent to more than 2 hours. Aboard a small sedan, we took the shortcut and headed straight towards the mountains. The concrete path tapered off to a rough and muddy limestone trail. We missed the turn and that's when I spotted a tree-canopied stream with water buffalos. While Yohann made a U-turn, I strolled further to take in the scenery. We later joined the diversion road. He was supposed to continue straight but at the last minute decided to take a left turn until we found ourselves under the Mantayupan Falls Signage. Oh. "Should we get in?" I felt a growing bubble of wanderlust slowly rising within. I expected him to say yes. "Do we have to? Let's head back," @iamyohann replied unenthusiastically. "Come on, since we're here we might as well. We have an hour to spare anyway. Let's ask the lady if they're open. Before he could object, I made my way toward the counter. For Php 40 / $0.80 entrance fee per person, a vine archway guided the path. There was no one else there that day, just us. Mantayupan Falls (also known as Ambakan Falls) is the tallest waterfall in Cebu located in Barangay Campangga. Since it was unplanned, we came without expectations. We were immediately greeted by the bottom waterfall tier at 14 meters in height ( 45.93 feet), cloaked with vines, trees, and naturally etched rocks. We stood there in awe. The silence was interlaced with bird songs and trickling water. The higher waterfall tier can be accessed by crossing a swinging suspended bridge that rocked with every step. The height slightly bothered Yohann but our curiosities triumphed over any heart-pounding vertigo-induced sensation. I rarely post photos of myself but please allow me to do so this time. I blame it on the excitement on the hanging bridge The higher waterfall tier was nothing short of spectacular. It is 98 meters high (321.518 feet) Impressive. Magnificent. Majestic. I could throw all of the superlatives while we both stared at the grandeur of this tall chute and remain speechless. "Aren't you glad for this last-minute spontaneous decision," I asked him. To that, he replied, "Yes, I'm glad you coaxed me into doing this." Cebu is an hour's flight from Manila. Take a cab from Mactan International Airport to South Bus Terminal on Natalio Bacalso Road. Take the southbound bus to Moalboal / Barili and ask the driver to drop you off at Barili's Poblacion. That's roughly 2.5 hours from the city depending on the traffic. Ride a habal-habal or a tricycle from the town center. I took a lot of photographs while admiring the rock formations that surrounded the waterfalls. A Noteworthy Fact: Mantayupan Falls aside from being a mini-hydropower plant in Barili not only provides electricity but supplies water to the neighboring rice fields as well as for domestic and industrial use. Serendipity is an unplanned fortunate discovery according to wiki. Who would have thought we would end up there by accident let alone have the place to ourselves? I am still fascinated by how life nudged us towards stumbling upon Mantayupan Falls. My spirit was low that day. The calm proximity to the cascades was uplifting, it was exactly what the soul needed. Negative ions from the waterfalls have a positive effect on our well-being and sometimes all we need to do is show up and put one foot on the bridge. The rest will eventually fall into place and surprisingly take our breath away. Thank you for reading! Are you a spontaneous traveler or the type to create excel sheets? What would you do if you had the entire waterfalls to yourself? *Cover image edited with Canva Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.
When in Barili, Ride the ATV
How to Get to Mantayupan Falls
My Takeaway
"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."
