A Two-in-One Adventure in Ginatilan

Good day, Hivers!

When looking for a local mountain to climb and camp, we always choose those mountains that offer the opportunity for a side trip to a beach or waterfall. We love the challenge of climbing a mountain, but we also appreciate the beauty of nature, and we want to be able to experience both on our adventures.

MT. HAMBUBUYOG is a mountain standing at 820 meters above sea level. You probably would not expect much from the peak as it is accessible by any mode of transportation. In fact, there is a chapel dedicated to Divine Mercy at the peak.

Located in Ginatilan in the south of Cebu island, 142 kilometers from Cebu City. This 5th class municipality is known for its majestic Inambakan Falls and also where Pedro Calungsod, a beatified Catholic martyr, was born.

The journey to Mt. Hambubuyog started at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. The travel time to Ginatilan will take 4-5 hours depending on the traffic in the busiest towns along the way.

We arrived at Ginatilan town proper to buy our supplies at the last minute at their local public market. Since the mountain is readily accessible, we hailed a motorcycle taxi to the chapel. We arrived there at almost sunset. Although the ride was accessible, it was not easy. I had to hold on tight so I wouldn't fall. It was one of the bumpiest rides ever, next to our Alicia, Bohol adventure, which you can read here.

From the chapel, we hiked for a few meters to get to the campsite. The campsite offers a view of the Tañon Strait and Negros Island.

We then set up our tents and prepared our dinner. At every camp, the camp socials part is always the most anticipated part, this is where we chat, play games, and of course, have a little bit of booze to warm our bodies at night.

The next morning, we were greeted by a thick fog that covered the whole mountain below, which looked like a sea of clouds. And of course, we didn't let the opportunity pass for picture taking.

After breakfast, we broke camp early as we were trekking our way to the famous 30-meter high Inambakan Falls.

We started our trek going down at 9 AM, our guide Charlie got a bit lost on the trail because of the thick fog along the trail. But eventually, we found our way down safely after almost two hours of walking.

Inambakan Falls features a 5-tiered waterfall. The main waterfall is the tallest, at about 30 meters high. The other tiers are smaller but they are still beautiful and worth exploring.

We entered at the first tier from the top and we decided to stay and swim there and have some photoshoot.

Going down, you will be greeted by cemented stairs that lead to different tiers of the falls, all the way down to the main waterfall.

We made our way to the last tier, which is the most accessible to tourists. This is not my first time visiting Inambakan Falls, but I am still in awe of its grandeur.

The falls has a shallow cave behind it that can be accessed by swimming using a guide rope against the strong current near the waterfalls.

People can go and stand in the cave, which we did and it was super fun. It is a powerful waterfall with a deep, milky-blue swimming hole with a large rock where people can stand.

After swimming and enjoying the cool and clear waters of Inambakan Falls, we decided to call it a day and took a habal-habal back to the town proper, where we waited for a bus back to Cebu City.

We were so tired when we arrived at the South Bus Terminal.

Cebu has a lot to offer, from mountains for adventurers to waterfalls to beautiful beaches. You name it, we have it! There are still some beautiful places in Ginatilan that are worth visiting, maybe if given the chance to visit the town again, I would pack my bag in an instant. Charez! Until my next adventures!

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