The Canyoneering tour of Kawasan Falls in Moalboal is becoming one of the cornerstone attractions available on Cebu Island. We offer the most professional canyoneering tours to Kawasan Falls as well as two other locations, Tison and Montaneza, which are not as popular and therefore very raw and natural. All canyoneering tours are heading out of Moalboal at the western side of Cebu Island, but we also offer them as day tours from Cebu City with roundtrip transportation.
Our partner company is Planet Action, the most professional company that offer these services, and has been in the business since its beginning. Planet Action is owned by Jochen Hanika, a German national who’s lived in Moalboal for more than 17 years. He’s actually the person who created and developed the canyoneering tours for the wide public of tourists.
Not only that he and his guides know every nook and rock along the way, they are also very hospitable and accommodating. These guys are in the canyoneering business because it’s their passion. You’ll feel very safe with them, and be sure you’ll enjoy your time much more than if you went with some other guides who are in it only for the money.
Because of the increasing popularity in recent years, a number of unprofessional locals took upon themselves the role of guiding and organizing the tours. We however strongly discourage anyone from going with them. It’s true you’ll save around 40% of the cost (20 USD) of the tour but accidents are prone to happen, and did happen more than once in the past.
Depending on the daily demand they will fetch almost anybody (friend, family members, etc.) to guide the tours, regardless of his experience. Suffering any sort of injury in the middle of such trip is very dangerous, remember it’s an extreme sport and when accidents happen it can go really bad. Even just a bruise or a deep scratch can mean later you might have trouble diving for example, and can ruin your entire trip! that’s why safety should always come first.
Most people choose to do the canyoneering tours from Moalboal itself. We also think it’s a good idea, because it will allow you to take your time and not spend hours of your day on transportation. It will also allow you to enjoy the full scope of activities Moalboal has to offer. However, we also offer it as a daytrip from Cebu City or Mactan. The pickup from Cebu/Mactan is at 06:00am, and the estimated time of return is 07:00pm (it can take longer depending on traffic). The additional fee is between 70-90 USD per car/van, depending on the number of people.
To get to the canyoneering tours in public transportation is possible, just follow the instructions on the full guide to Moalboal. However, unless you’re planning to spend the night in Moalboal before the tour, it’s very likely that you’ll be late. You’ll have to take the first bus from Cebu South Bus Terminal, at around 04:30am, drop off in Panangsama Road and take a tricycle all the way to Planet Action in Panangsama Beach. If you do choose to do so, inform us on the night before and on the morning of the tour itself.
You can chooses between our partner hotels and resorts in Moalboal, Cebu City, or Mactan. As we mentioned above, we think it’s much better to stay in Moalboal itself. We have a wide selection of hotels and resorts in our catalog that are suitable for any type of standards and budget.
The resorts of Mactan and Cebu City are of much higher standards than the ones in Moalboal. If that’s your priority, going canyoneering from Cebu City area makes a lot of sense. Also, not everyone have the time to stay for one night and two days in Moalboal, due to the nature of their vacation. If that’s your case go through our list of Cebu hotels and see which one do you like best.
There are three Canyoneering tours available, and the most popular one is the Kawasan Falls tour. All tours head out from the same place in Panangsama beach, and take about the same time. You'll be transferred in a truck to the starting points in Badian for Kawasan, and Malabuyoc for Montaneza and Tison, where you'll be briefed and set on the tour.
Kawasan Falls Canyoneering is the easiest of the three and doesn't require rappelling or using climbing gear. You jump into pool from 10m high and swim downstream in the rapids of Kanlaob River. After 3.5 hours you'll reach Kawasan Badian National Park and Waterfalls. In Kawasan you can do higher jumps of about 16 meters.
| Kawasan Falls Canyoneering itinerary | |
|---|---|
| 09:00-09:45 | Transfer from Moalboal to the starting point in Badian |
| 10:00-14:00 | Briefing, Canyoneering and Kawasan Falls National Park |
| 14:00-14:45 | Transfer back to Moalboal |
| 15:15- | BBQ lunch on the beach in Tipolo Resort |
Montaneza Falls Canyoneering is second in difficulty between the three tours. It involves quite a lot of jumping and climbing, and rappelling a set of 5 different waterfalls. The highlights of this canyoneering tour is descending a 30m tall waterfall with an overhang, and a natural hot water spring at the end of the tour for relaxing your adrenaline pumped body.
| Montaneza Falls Canyoneering itinerary | |
|---|---|
| 09:00-10:00 | Transfer from Moalboal to the starting point in Malabuyoc |
| 10:00-14:00 | Briefing, Canyoneering and Ma-init hot springs |
| 14:00-14:45 | Transfer back to Moalboal |
| 15:15- | BBQ lunch on the beach in Tipolo |
Tison Falls Canyoneering is the most challenging among the three tours. It's also the least explored one of the three, and expect to meet no other group while there. There are two 30m high waterfall rappelling, and numerous jumps of 10m and below to fresh water pools. Because of this canyon being very secluded, it takes 2 hours of hiking through the tropical mountain range before getting to the actual starting point of the canyoneering itself.
| Tison Falls Canyoneering itinerary | |
|---|---|
| 09:00-10:00 | Transfer from Panangsama to Malabuyoc |
| 10:00-12:00 | 2 Hours hike to the starting point |
| 12:00-15:00 | Briefing and canyoneering |
| 15:00-16:00 | Transfer back to Panangsama |
| 16:00- | BBQ lunch at Tipolo Resort's beach |
We feel that Canyoneering in Moalboal is one of the must try activities in Cebu Island, especially for thrill seeking individuals. It is a very good tour from Cebu City, even for people on a short vacation or on a weekend trip to Cebu. It will take most of your day to go on this tour from Cebu City or Mactan (06:00am-07:00pm) and you won't have any energy left for going out in the evening. Staying closer to the falls also makes it easier to combine other activities into your itinerary, such as hiking to Osmeña peak or our jungle survival class.
If you're on a longer vacation and Cebu is a part of your plans, there is no reason why you shouldn't include canyoneering in Moalboal, because visiting Kawasan Falls should already be in your schedule. We think it's better to spend a day or two in Moalboal, snorkeling with the famous sardine run, and diving (or learning how to dive). Because Cebu is a gateway to many other locations in the Philippines, like Bohol and Siargao, our travel experts will assist you in including Canyoneering in your itinerary.
