Thinking about canyoneering at Kawasan Falls? Here’s our 2024 guide on how to go canyoning at Kawasan Falls and what it’s like after Typhoon Odette. We have the best company to recommend and a few extra tips to get you prepared for your Kawasan Falls canyoneering trip!
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What is canyoneering in Kawasan Falls?
Canyoneering is making your way down a stream or falls by climbing, jumping, sliding and abseiling. There are many beautiful places you can do this in the world and they will all be a little different! At Kawasan Falls you jump and slide your way from top to bottom reaching the famous waterfall at the end.
Canyoneering is also known as canyoning – they are the same thing! It’s just a different way of saying it.
How long is Kawasan canyoneering?
It will take around 4 hours to complete Kawasan Falls canyoneering and you’ll usually start your adventure in the morning and finish with lunch. Even though it’s a half-day activity, it’s definitely exhausting!
Kawasan Falls after Typhoon Odette
Typhoon Odette (Typhoon Rai) was a category 5 typhoon that caused so much destruction to areas of the Philippines in December 2021. It brought floods, storms, and violent winds, to the central/southeast Islands. Sadly overnight, the Typhoon took people’s lives and many were found homeless after their villages and towns were wiped away.
Major roads were affected in Cebu and the famous Kawasan Falls also took a hit – it no longer looks the same as it does in old photos! The waters are still beautiful, but the falls have changed and trees have been ripped from the ground.
Is it possible to visit Kawasan Falls at the moment? (2024)
The short answer is no! It’s temporarily closed to visitors as the Typhoon has broken the buildings and paths to the falls. The long answer is that you can still go canyoneering at Kawasan Falls! You start from the high falls and jump your way down until you reach the famous waterfall at Kawasan Falls.
Now that we’ve covered a bit of background on canyoning at Kawasan Falls, we’ll now show you how to get there and what it’s like to go canyoneering in the Philippines!
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Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls in 2024
As we visited in May 2022, we wanted to write this guide to show you what it’s like to do canyoning at Kawasan Falls after Typhoon Odette. If you’ve ever visited Cebu before, you’ll know the area has changed but if it’s your first time doing Kawasan Falls canyoneering then you’ll have a great time!
(This post has been updated with relevant information in April 2024)
How to get to Kawasan Falls
The first and easiest way is to book a canyoneering tour at your accommodation and they will sort out a ride for you. The second way is to rent a scooter or a car and drive to one of the companies near the Kawasan Falls area. As mentioned it’s not possible to visit the falls (currently in April 2024, the locals only allow canyoneering) but this may have changed as this post ages!
Which company should I use for Kawasan Falls Canyoneering?
We booked our Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls tour through our hostel for 1,500 pesos each (MoalBoal Backpackers Lodge). This included a ride from Moalboal to Kawasan Falls, lunch plus the equipment needed for the activity. They booked us on a tour with ICanyon Cebu Canyoneering Group who were amazing!
Here are their details if you’d also like to book a tour with these guys:
- Check out their Facebook here: ICanyon Cebu Canyoneering Group
- Location on GoogleMaps: ICanyon Cebu Canyoneering Group Location
- And here’s their phone number which you can call or Whatsapp (+63977 126 9689)
We have Quezon and Gilbert as our tour guides and they were amazing!!! Always offering us photos on our phones or GoPros throughout the whole trip and most importantly made sure we were safe.
There were only 4 of us on our tour, so they put 3 of us in a tricycle and one on the back of a bike. The journey from Moalboal to their shop near Kawasan Falls was around 40 minutes.
Once we arrived they gave us some information to read and sign and asked if we had any dietary requirements (We already checked if they could accommodate vegans, and the answer was yes!).
There are toilets you can change in at the shop, although it’s probably better to arrive in your swimming costume. Lockers are 50 pesos each, but all 4 of us could share one with our small bags.
It is possible to bring a dry back with you for the trip and our guide actually offered to bring one for anyone’s phone. They’re super helpful when taking photos!
Also check out our 3 Week Philippines Route & Itinerary: Where to visit in 2024
What to expect when Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls
Your tour guides will take you to the starting point to go canyoneering at Kawasan Falls, from here you’ll have a short briefing on safety and they’ll ask you if you want to ride the zip line.
Additional Zipline
They have placed a zipline to skip the 15-minute walk to the stairs leading to the Kawasan Falls canyoneering. The price of the zipline is 500 pesos each and you can pay at the end.
We chose to do this as we don’t usually have the opportunity to zipline and it was pretty cool! You can either do a Superman pose lying down or the casual sitting pose. The views of the surrounding jungle and mountains are amazing and it’s a great way to start your canyoning at Kawasan Falls.
The first jump (Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls)
From here it’s another 10-minute walk down the stairs before you finally set eyes on the beautiful bright blue water you’re about to jump in. Our tour guides started telling us to pose for photos at this point and then they showed us the way through the water.
The first jump was the easiest and shortest, but felt so crazy!
Important tip: Hold your nose when you’re about to hit the water! It’s not a great feeling to have water pushed up your nose when jumping from high places!
Even though the waters aren’t very deep, it felt safe to have a life jacket and it helped us float down the river. In total, we jumped around 5 times from different height levels.
The highest jump we did was 10m and Amy’s ear’s popped underwater! It took a day for them to feel normal again, maybe it was the pressure? Just don’t forget to hold your nose!
Kawasan Falls Canyoneering – Snack Opportunities
Around the halfway mark there was a BBQ station and small stands to buy drinks or snacks. Our guide offered to loan us the money if we needed anything, but if you have a dry bag you can also bring your own.
Once back in the water we found small caves and squeezed under rocks to make our way down the falls. There’s quite a lot of walking involved to make it to the end destination but it’s so nice being in the water too.
The biggest shock of canyoneering at Kawasan Falls after Typhoon Odette is the complete destruction it’s had on a lot of the surroundings, including the end main waterfall. There’s a reason why you can’t currently visit unless you’re canyoneering.
Reaching the two main waterfalls – Kawasan Falls
At the end of your Kawasan Falls canyoneering 2024 trip, you’ll reach a beautiful waterfall (at first we thought it was the famous Kawasan Falls) but that actually comes afterwards! Our tour guides took us behind the waterfall so we could jump through the middle, not as scary as it feels!
After that, we ended the trip at the actual Kawasan Falls which unfortunately has gone through a hard time because of the typhoon. There is a collapsed building and the natural cliff of the waterfall has changed, the colour of the water is still beautiful though!
Finishing the day with a buffet lunch
After you’ve finished your canyoneering at Kawasan Falls you’ll either walk to the company’s shop or get picked up at the bottom of the falls. ICanyon Cebu Canyoneering Group is only a short walk from Kawasan Falls and they were making the finishing touches to our lunch when we arrived.
As we’re vegan they offered us rice, vegetables, salad, noodles and spring rolls! It was a mini buffet for us and the other two travellers we were canyoning with.
Overall it was a great experience! This was our second time canyoneering together (our first in Da Lat -Vietnam!) and it felt like a totally new experience. The colour of the water whilst canyoneering at Kawasan Falls is incredible, so blue. We’re so happy we managed to see the falls even after the unfortunate Typhoon Odette.
Should I go Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls in 2024?
Yes! We still think it’s totally worth it and although it’s popular, it’s a very unique activity to do in the Philippines as a lot of the other highlights are island hopping tours. Typhoon Odette may have caused destruction but it’s slowly getting better and canyoneering at Kawasan Falls is still a great experience to do in Cebu!
Side note – we just wanted to mention that sometimes canyoneering at Kawasan Falls is paired up with a trip to Oslob. We don’t recommend visiting Oslob to see the whale sharks as the town feeds them to keep them around for tourists. It leads to poor nutrition for the whale sharks as they don’t migrate and feed off their regular plankton diet.
It’s also too common for tourists to touch the whale sharks which can disturb the protective mucous layer on their skin. It’s just not the best environment for whale sharks to be and there are more natural places to see them (Donsol)!
Here's a full Moalboal Itinerary: The Best Things To Do (2024)
What to wear when Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls?
You will want to wear a swimming costume of course! We recommend wearing a pair of shorts to make you feel more comfortable for all activities. It’s also a great idea to wear a t-shirt or rash vest as the sun is so strong in the Philippines.
- Swimming Costume
- Sun cream
- Shorts
- Rash vest
You are given: Life Jacket, Helmet and Shoes (bring your own just in case you prefer these at the time)
Where to stay in Cebu
The most recommended place to stay in Cebu to go canyoneering at Kawasan Falls is – Moalboal, Panagsama Beach. This will be a great base for you to do activities and you can also snorkel on the beach.
A lot of backpackers love Moho Hostel however we really loved Moalboal Backpackers Lodge! They are closer to Panagsama Beach and they offer tours, drinks, and snacks. They are very helpful with getting you to your next destination.
Find the link for Moalboal Backpackers Lodge here! The prices are really good.
Best Time to Visit Kawasan Falls
Ultimately the best time to visit Kawasan Falls is in the early morning before 9 am. However as you can only visit by canyoneering right now, you’ll be visiting when the tours take you
The best time of year to visit Kawasan Falls is January to April and the rainy season is from June to November. It’s still possible to visit during this time however you may have a higher chance of rain.
What else to do after Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls?
If you’re not too exhausted, there are many things you can do after your Kawasan Falls canyoneering trip! Head over to Panagsama Beach to snorkel with the sardines or take a ride to Osmena Peak for sunset. Honestly, though, you’ll probably just want to chill and catch a sunset on White Beach or Panagsama Beach. Here’s our Moalboal Itinerary: The Best Things To Do!
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That’s the end of our Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls 2024: The Best of Cebu! Enjoy your trip to the Kawasan Falls and if you need any more help planning – send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!
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Look at that water! Sad about the typhoon. Your tour guides sound really kind and helpful. Gorgeous photo of the two of you and the zip line is fun 😀 x
Is the jumping compulsory? I have a major fear of heights, particularly when it comes to jumping and I’m not sure I’d be able to get through it. Is there a non jumping alternative.
Hi Amy! The big jumps aren’t compulsory for sure, but there may be some smaller ones that are needed as a safer way to get into the water. From what I remember, there’s a camera man that wasn’t jumping, so there must be an alternative way down the rocks. I’m not 100% sure though 🙂
– Amy