The Cambugahay Falls is a five-tier, multi-step waterfall found in Lazi, Siquijor. It is one of the many popular tourist attractions in Siquijor, famous for the majestic falls cascading on its blue waters. It is a must see when visiting Siquijor and I would say that it is definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
If you took a left from Lazi’s main road, it would take you about three to five minutes to spot the “Cambugahay Falls” signage. The place opens at eight in the morning and I suggest you go earlier, especially during holidays so you have time to have the falls by yourself. I was pleased that there is plenty of parking space across the entrance for our motorcycle and there was no parking fee.
From there, enter the building and pay for the 50 pesos entrance fee per person.
You have to take the stairs down from the entrance and it was approximately 140 steps, so if you didn’t bring water or snacks, you can buy some at the stalls just in front of the entrance so you wouldn’t have to go up and down for the food and snacks. After that, you’re good to go.
The stairs were enclosed in trees, so getting to peek of the waterfalls as well as hearing the flow of the water built up our excitement.
Coming down the last flight of stairs reveals the first tier of the waterfalls and I was greeted with a jaw dropping view.
The flow of the water seemed paradoxical as it came alive with a strength from the water pressure, yet how it cascaded swiftly makes it look somewhat fragile. On the deepest part of the waters, it makes a concentrated teal color and it dilutes into transparency as it flows towards the stream. It looked ombré. Just watching the water drew me in, there’s no explanation for it that can be described by words. At that moment, I believed that Siquijor really does possess great magic as I was drawn into its waters like an enchantment.
The first tier also had Tarzan swings that people were lining up to use, hence the crowd.
I was so tempted to take a dip right at that moment, but that desire was overthrown by my urge to explore. We walked up to the second tier and saw that it was more quiet and peaceful than the first as it was smaller.
The third tier was much like the first with a swing, but more seating areas and tables were available. There are no specific rates for the tables, you just have to donate an amount of your choice.
The fourth tier was much quieter and the fifth was basically empty.
A common feature in each tier is a raft. The raft is attached to a rope that you can pull to get you closer to the falls. Tarzan swings were also present, but I am not sure if every tier has them. The first and third tier definitely has the highest swings. For these features, the locals can take your photos or the famous “human drone” videos. I think a 50 pesos fee is required for the swing and a donation to the locals who took your video or photo.
We went there on a holiday so there were many people, but the falls had so many tiers and so much space that it was more than enough for everyone to take a dip. The water was cold- very cold, but after a few minutes of the body adjusting to the temperature, it began to feel good, like a refresher. It felt really good to be submerged in the cold water as the warm sunlight sneaked its way into the spaces between the trees.
After swimming for quite a while, we came up to the entrance to get some snacks. Big mistake. Taking the stairs upwards was much, much harder than going down, especially after a swim.
Once we got to the top, it was well worth it because the snacks were much needed. We bought refreshing coconut juice for 40 pesos and sinugbang sab-a for 15 pesos. “Sinugbang” means roasted and “sab-a” is a type of banana; basically they skew the banana to a bamboo stick, roast it, then coat it with margarine and sugar. The texture is very similar to s’mores, though not as soft. It was so good that we got another one and we paired it with charcoal flavored ice cream, which costs 30 pesos.
I was amazed with charcoal ice cream because it was the first time I’ve heard of it; I had to ask the vendor why it is black. Perhaps, it wasn’t actually charcoal, but I could taste charcoal or more like I could feel its texture on my tongue. It was actually really good, very earthy. I wonder if it’s actual charcoal because if it was, that means it was a healthy snack considering charcoal’s detoxifying properties.
We had so many other sights to see for the day, so we left- sadly, I might add. Though I really wanted to stay longer and debated whether I should cancel the next destination to be able to, I just chose to be grateful to have that experience. I look forward to going back here in the future and I think no matter how many times I see the falls, I will always be in awe of it.
Thank you, Hivers for welcoming me into this space, otherwise, I wouldn’t get this experience of talking about this place. I hope this blog was enough to express the beauty of Cambugahay Falls, this place alone is worth traveling to Siquijor for. As always, I’m grateful for those who took the time to read or even just scan through.
Here’s to beautiful places!