The Famous Aliwagwag Falls of Davao Oriental

Aliwawag Falls Eco Park – our last destination before we head back to the city. It was a long day exploring Baganga, Davao Oriental but definitely worth it. We got to relax and dip on a hot spring. Felt a bit adventurous with stunning falls. Amazed by how mangroves defended Baganga and remained beautiful even after being hit by a typhoon at Sunrise Boulevard. An island escapade that made us enjoy the tropical feel and swim our hearts out.  So lastly, another natural attraction we need to visit before we call it a day is the famous Aliwagwag Falls.

About the Aliwagwag Falls

Aliwagwag Falls, known as one of Davao Oriental’s most visited natural attractions, is a series of more or less a hundred cascading falls. Just like a stairway with various heights in between steps, ranging from 7ft to 110 ft tall and the highest cascades are about 66 ft to 72 ft tall. This majestic multi-tiered waterfall has a total combined height of 1,100 ft. Proudly, its the Philippines highest waterfalls in the country.

Situated in the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor. Aliwagwag contains one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical lowland rainforest in the Philippines. The foot of the waterfalls can be seen just along the national highway and just 30 minutes away from Cateel (pronounced as Ka-ti-il).

You can definitely take photos of this beauty from the bridge (just like the image above). The photo only shows part of the falls not the whole of it. Enter the eco-park and you will definitely enjoy it more.

Aliwagwag Falls Eco Park

On the left side of the waterfalls is the Aliwawag Falls Eco Park. Perfect for those who want to go swimming, picnic and see the waterfalls up close. A well-maintained place. Designed in a very natural way to keep the beauty of the falls.

Because the locals are benefiting from it and it became one of their main source of income. Adding more attraction to an already wonderful place is the town’s way to boost the region’s tourism. Here are some activities you can do in the park:

• Go for a swim in the swimming area (part of the waterfalls that’s safe for swimming)
• Have a picnic at the picnic area with your friends and family
• Order some food at the canteen
• Cross the 45 meters monkey bridge crossing Aliwagwag falls
• Try their 680 meters zip line across Cateel river
• Enjoy watching the strong current on the view deck

Excluding the transportation expenses, here’s what you need to budget:

• Entrance Fee
  • Adult – Php 50.00
  • Children – Php 10.00
• Table and Chair Rentals
  •  Table – Php 75.00
• Activities
  • Zipline – Php 200.00
  • Monkey Bridge – Php 50.00
  • Zipline with Monkey Bridge – Php 225.00

How to Get There:

There are two routes leading to this amazing Aliwagwag falls. You can either take the shorter route via Compostela Valley. But unfortunately, there’s only one trip a day for this. Another option is to take a more practical route via Mati as there are so many trips going Mati. Traveling via Mati takes a bit longer. So from Davao City, take a bus bound to either Mati City or Compostela Valley. Travel time varies from 6 hrs to 8 hrs. If you’re traveling in a group, I recommend you rent a van.

TIPS:

• First of all, check the weather schedule. As much as you want to go there whenever you want, you will never enjoy it if it’s raining all day. Most of all, AVOID typhoon season.
• It may be far from the city but the phone signals for all major networks are consistent.  You can definitely tell a friend how awesome the place it.
• Because the current is very strong, I highly recommend to stay and go swimming in the designated swimming areas only.
• If you’re bringing children, make sure there are supervised all the time.
• The Eco Park is open 7 am to 5 pm only. I remember I was the last one to exit the park when I went there and got assisted by one of their staff. Haha!
• Sometimes they have stationed lifeguards but I suggest to swim with caution.
• You may bring in food and snacks and eat at designated areas inside the park.
• You can’t stay overnight but you can stay in Cateel instead.

My Wander Experience:

We made the Aliwagwag falls as our last destination for our 1-day tour. We finally arrived at 3 pm so we only have 2 hours to enjoy the place and we didn’t waste a minute of it. Haha! I love that they always keep it clean. Going to the swimming area is you have to cross two hanging bridges and walk on the stairs. Gladly our guide reserved the perfect spot for us to stay, just beside the falls. Due to lack of time, we aren’t able to try their activities. Therefore, there’s a big reason for me to go back. Seems like 2 hours passed by so fast yet it was a fun and amazing experience!