Karangahan Falls: A not-so-familiar waterfalls in Legazpi City.

There are a lot of beautiful places to visit in Legazpi City, however, there is one waterfalls that is often not included in the list of tourist destination in the city. The waterfalls is called as Karangahan Falls and it is located in Barangay Banquerohan, Legazpi City. It is about 30 to 45 minutes jeepney ride from the city center, plus a 15 minute trek going to the waterfalls. From my estimate, Karangahan Falls is about 25 to 30 feet in  height.

Whenever tourists go to Legazpi City, most of them just visit the famous Ligñon Hill Nature Park or Embarcadero or the famous Cagsawa Ruins in nearby Daraga City. Few tourists know Karangahan Falls, and in fact it is not even included in the tourism website of Legazpi City. Konti lang talaga ang pumupunta ng Karangahan Falls, but for adventure-seekers, maganda din puntahan ang lugar na to lalo na kapag madaming tubig na umaagos sa waterfalls.

Karangahan Falls, Brgy. Banquerohan, Legazpi City

Now, how do you go to Karangahan Falls? Medjo mahirap hanapin ang waterfalls na to, there are no road signs going to that waterfalls and if you’re going to ask the Legazpi City locals, most of them doesn’t even know that this waterfalls exist in their city.

Here’s the direction on how to reach Karangahan Falls:

First, if you’re coming from Manila, ride a bus bound for Legazpi City. It is about a 10 to 12 hours bus ride. If you don’t want to ride a bus, then you can ride a plane bound for Legazpi City. It is about an hour plane ride from Manila to Legazpi City. If you’re travelling by bus, get off at Bañag in Daraga City and ride a jeepney bound for Legazpi City via Daraga City. Dadaan sa city proper ng Daraga City ang jeepney via Rizal Street and then get off at Saint Gregory the Great Cathedral. It is about 10 to 15 minutes travel from Bañag and the fare is 10 pesos. And then from the cathedral, just walk to the jeepney stop near the church. It is just a 5 minutes walk. The jeepney stop is where the jeepneys bound for San Francisco, Manito and Banquerohan waits for more passengers. And then you can either ride the jeepney bound for San Francisco or Banquerohan or Manito because all of them will be passing the same road going to Karangahan Falls.

From the jeepney stop near the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral, it is about 30 to 45 minutes ride to the jump-off point to Karangahan Falls. The jeepney fare is 25 pesos. There are no signages or landmarks going to Karangahan Falls from the main road so you really need to tell the driver or conductor that you’re going to Karangahan Falls. The nearest landmark that you should remember in order for you to know that you’re already near Karangahan Falls is Banquerohan National High School, and then after another 5 minutes jeepney travel, you’ll be passing by Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical School. Kapag nakita mo na ang Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical School, mga 5 minutes travel na lang makikita mo na ang isang rough road sa left side ng main road. From that rough road or jump-off point, maglakad ka na going to Karangahan Falls.

Karangahan Falls, Brgy. Banquerohan, Legazpi City

Now, going there from the main road is a little bit tricky since there is no way you’re going to know that there is a waterfalls there. Wala man lang sign. You really need to ask the locals to guide you. Medjo malapit na din sya from the main road. From the main road, lakarin mo na ang rough road going to Karangahan Falls, after I guess 5 minutes walk, may makikita ka na small trail sa right side mo, follow that trail na dadaan sa isang coconut plantation, and then after that makikita mo na ang Karangahan Falls, but you still need to walk down the hill trail for about 5 minutes to reach Karangahan Falls.

Here’s the direction on how to reach Karangahan Falls if you’ll be travelling via plane from Manila:

From Legazpi Airport, ride a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Legazpi Grand Central Terminal. The travel time is 5 to 10 minutes. From Grand Central Terminal, look for the jeepney that is bound for Banquerohan, San Francisco or Manito.  From the Grand Central Terminal, it is about 30 to 45 minutes ride to the jump-off point to Karangahan Falls.

So there, now you know how to reach Karangahan Falls. Medjo mahirap nga lang syang hanapin but if you like the feeling of getting lost or you’re an adventure-seeker, then I think magienjoy kayo sa paghahanap sa waterfalls na to.hehehe! By the way, medjo magkakalayo ang mga bahay papunta sa Karangahan Falls so you need to ask the locals or magtanong kayo sa unang bahay na makikita nyo from the main road. I hope magenjoy din kayo sa paghanap ng waterfalls na ito kagaya ng pagenjoy kong hanapin ang Karangahan Falls.hehehe! Have an adventure-filled vacation in Legazpi City! Byes!

The Cave-like formations in Enkanto Falls. Libmanan, Camarines Sur

If you’re a clastrophopic person but you still want to experience spelunking less the walls and the roof of a cave, then exploring the Enkanto Falls is the nearest experience to spelunking. Enkanto Falls is a multi-tiered waterfalls located in Barangay Bikal, Libmanan town.

enkanto falls

A few weeks ago, my friend and I explored the beauty of Enkanto Falls. I’ve heard about this waterfalls from one of my friends and the name itself have intrigued me. Kakaiba kasi ang pangalan ng waterfalls, parang weird at may something extraordinary. The word “enkanto” means enchanted or pwedeng ang ibig sabihin nito ay may mga kakaibang kakabalaghan.

Our trip to Enkanto Falls started in Naga City. I woke up early in the morning to go to Naga City. Upon arriving at the Naga City Bus Terminal, my friend and I proceeded to the Van Terminal, however, there is still no van bound for Sipocot or Ragay town. We then proceeded to the jeep terminal near the LCC Mall to catch a jeep bound for Ragay. Even though the waterfalls is located in the town of Libmanan, specifically in Barangay Bikal, we need to ride a jeepney bound for Ragay town or Sipocot town because if we ride the jeepney bound for Libmanan, it will not pass Barangay Bikal.

So after 1 hour of jeepney ride, we finally arrived at Barangay Bikal. We paid 35 pesos for the 1 hour trip. We were dropped off at the barangay chapel of Bikal, however, when we asked a local where the Enkanto Falls is, we were informed that we were a bit far from the jump off point going to the waterfalls. We walked for about 15 minutes to the jump off point going to the waterfalls. If you’re coming from Naga City, the jump off point to the waterfalls is right after the bridge, which is after you pass the barangay chapel. There is no signboard going to the waterfalls and all you need to do is asked the locals. The waterfalls is just about a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the highway. You’ll be passing some farmland and some houses.

a fresh water crab

We reached the waterfalls after a 15 to 20 minutes walk. I was somewhat disappointed upon seeing the waterfalls. Sobrang konti kasi yung tubig na dumadaloy sa falls and I was expecting na medjo malakas ang agos ng tubig because it rained so hard the night before we went to the waterfalls. Medjo maputik nga din yung dinaanan namin. However, medjo swerte din pala kami na hindi masyadong maagos ang tubig sa falls because we were able to explore the several waterfalls in Enkanto. The Enkanto Falls is a multi-tiered falls. From the main falls, you can hike at the side of falls and you can go to the several tiers. I think we were able to visit 4 tiers of the falls. The hike going to the other waterfalls is like spelunking a cave without a roof and a wall. The waterfalls has a cave-like formations and I guess this is due to the fact that the waterfalls is near the Kulapnitan Cave. Hindi ko lang sure kung may connection nga talaga ang pagiging malapit ng waterfalls sa cave kaya nagkaroon din ng parang mga cave formations ang waterfalls.hehehe!

Anyway, after exploring the waterfalls for more than an hour, my friend and I decided to go to the 3 islands in Libmanan, which is called as Tres Marias. We rode a jeepney to Sipocot town, which is just a 15 minutes ride and we paid 10 pesos for that. And then from Sipocot we rented a motorcycle to Barangay Caima in Libmanan and this is the jump off point to Tres Marias. There is a jeepney plying the route Sipocot to Caima but we chose to rent a motorcycle para mas mabilis kami makarating sa Caima. It was about an hour ride going to Caima. We reached the farthest passable road in Caima at kailangan pa namin maglakad going to the beach to rent a boat. Yung binabaan namin ay 15 minutes walk pa ang layo sa dagat kasi masyado ng maputik yung kalsada at hindi na pwedeng madaanan ng motorsiklo.

a wood mushroom, i think.

We were greeted by some locals in Barangay Caima and we were even invited to eat kasi may birthday party nung araw na yun dun sa bahay na malapit sa binabaan namin. We were somewhat disappointed when the barangay officials at the birthday party informed us that hindi daw kami makakapunta ng isla kasi maalon. We still informed them that we want to go but they discouraged us since it would be so risky travelling the sea with huge waves. And we also found out na may bagyo din pala nun somewhere in the northeastern part of the Philippines. Ang pagkakamali namin is we didn’t bother to check the weather report before going to Libmanan. So dahil hindi na kami makakapunta sa isla, kumain na lang kami dun sa birthday party. Even though we were just strangers in the area, we were welcomed as a friend and as a part of the community. So parang pumunta lang kami ng Caima at bumyahe ng 1 hour para lang makikain sa birthday party.hahaha! We met some of the other former barangay officials in Caima at nakipagkwentuhan na din. They informed us na bumalik na lang kami kung wala ng bagyo para hindi maalon and we should go there early in the morning para daw calm ang dagat. We then gave thanks sa mga nakausap namin na mga barangay officials and we then travelled back to Sipocot. From Sipocot, we then rode a train back to Naga City.

Our trip to Libmanan was an exciting adventure. I am sure that I’m going back to Caima and visit the Tres Marias islands. Libmanan may not be a known tourist destination in Camarines Sur province but the town has a lot of things to offer.  The town has a beautiful river, waterfalls, caves, islands and hot spring. Going to Libmanan town’s beautiful destinations maybe a little bit of a challenge but if you’re that kind of a traveller who loves adventure and off the beaten track destinations, then I would suggest that you visit Libmanan town in Camarines Sur. That’s it pusit! ‘til the next story!!

Consocep Mountain Resort, Tigaon town, Camarines Sur

It has been a busy month of May for me. Lately, I’ve been travelling to some of Bicol Region’s tourist destination, and this time I’m travelling as a tour guide. I have a cousin from the US who took a surprise vacation for this summer and kinukulit nya ako lagi na samahan ko sya sa mga lakwatsa at i-tour ko daw sya sa Bicol. My cousin grew up in Camarines Sur but after high school she migrated to the US of A.  She’s on a 10 day vacation in the Philippines and even though she grew up here in the Philippines, she haven’t been to a lot of different places in the Philippines, especially in the Bicol Region. At dahil biglaan ang pagdating ng cousin ko dito sa Philippines, naging biglaan din ang mga gala. Our list of destination includes Camarines Sur, a road trip to Albay, and a camping trip to Burias Island in Masbate Province.

Consocep

So a day after she arrives in Bicol, we immediately went off to a travelling spree. We started off with the nearest destination, which is Consocep Mountain Resort, a 1.5 hour travel from our house. Consocep is located in Tigaon town, Camarines Sur, but it can be accessed via Hanawan, Ocampo. It was May 1 and since it was a holiday, it was a good day para maglakwatsa.  A night before our gala, I texted some of my friends if they want to join me and my cousin for a waterfalls hopping in Camarines Sur, but only 1 of my friend is available for May 1. But it doesn’t matter since 3 is considered a crowd na din.hehehe!

So ayun na, May 1 na. Me and my cousin woke up early in the morning to travel to Anayan, Pili town, Camarines Sur to meet up with my friend. The travel time from our house to Anayan is roughly about 30 minutes by bus. We were supposed to meet my friend before 10am but as usual, my friend always arrives late. While my cousin and I were waiting for my friend, it rained so hard, and according to some old tradition, the rain during May 1 is said to heal different diseases and sickness. They call it Agua de Mayo. Ayon sa mga matatanda, dapat daw maligo ka sa ulan on the first day of May. Well, since we were going for a waterfalls hopping, we were already enticed na maligo na sa ulan but we are still 1 bus ride away to our destination. As soon as my friend arrived, nagpaulan na kami ng konti ng pinsan ko so we were a little bit rain-soaked when we boarded the bus. Umasa na lang kami na sana walang tumabi sa amin kasi malamang mababasa din sila.hehehe!

After 30 minutes of bus ride from Anayan, Pili to Hanawan, Ocampo town, we then got off at the Hanawan junction and negotiated for a motorcycle ride to Consocep Mountain Resort. The Consocep is still 8 kilometers away from Hanawan junction and the motorcycle is the only mode of transportation. We negotiated for 2 motorcycles and it cost us 270 pesos, that’s for the three of us and that’s for a roundtrip ride. The motorcycle travel time is about 20 minutes and you’ll be greeted with a magnificent view of the Partido area, the 4^th district of Camarines Sur. You’ll also be able to see the Lagonoy Gulf and the Atulayan Island in Sagnay town.

Tumagiti Falls

It was raining when we were travelling on a motorcycle and that makes our travel more exciting. When we arrived at the entrance gate to Consocep Mountain Resort, we paid an entrance fee of 15 pesos and we then gleefully started our trek to the waterfalls. It wasn’t really a hard trek since most of the trail leading to the waterfalls has already been paved. There were a lot of stairs and lots of paliko-liko at paakyat-baba na mga hagdan. After walking for 10 minutes, we reached the first waterfalls which is the Kawa-kawa falls. It’s a small falls, I don’t even consider it a waterfalls since it’s only a few feet in height. I guess it was only 10 to 15 feet in height. But nevertheless, it has several pools where you can swim. They call it a Kawa-kawa since it resembles a Kawa, yun ang malaking lutuan.

Tumagiti Falls

After swimming for a few minutes, we then hiked to the next waterfalls, just a 5 minutes hike from Kawa-Kawa falls. I forgot about the name of the falls, but it was there where we spent more time swimming since we were the only people in that falls. Most of the people are just staying near Kawa-Kawa falls. After more than an hour of swimming, we then hiked to some other small waterfalls, and then we then head off sa may mataas na waterfalls. The waterfalls is called Tumagiti Falls. It’s called Tumagiti, from a Bicol word which means rain, since it resembles a rain falling down from the sky. The Tumagiti Falls is just a 10 minutes hike from Kawa-Kawa falls. You won’t get lost looking for the falls since, as I said, most of the pathways are already paved. We only enjoyed a few minutes taking a bath below the waterfalls, since we have to go home early para makifiesta pa sa mga kapamilya ko sa isang barangay sa lugar namin. Matakaw kasi kami kaya mahilig makifiesta.hehehe!

Tumagiti Falls

We then hiked back to the main gate and then ride the motorcycle going back to Hanawan. We weren’t able to change our wet clothes since it was raining while we were travelling on a motorcycle and there isn’t any public restroom near Hanawan junction. So we just boarded the bus with water dripping from our clothes, pero buti na lang there’s not much passenger inside the bus so wala naman mababasa na katabi.hehehe! After we got off at Anayan, my friend then rode a bus bound for Naga City and nagfoodtrip muna kami ng pinsan ko. We bought and ate lumpia, okoy, maruya, and kwek-kwek. And then after eating we then boarded the bus bound for Iriga City para makauwi na. We enjoyed our trip to Consocep, it was fun, we played in the rain, we played in the waterfalls. We were like kids again. That Agua de Mayo can really make you feel so good.

How to get to Consocep Mountain Resort:

By Plane:

Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines have several daily flights to Naga Airport. From Naga Airport, located in the town of Pili, you can ride a bus bound for Lagonoy. Tell the bus conductor or driver to drop you off at Hanawan junction in Ocampo town. This is about 30 to 45 minutes ride from the airport. The bus fare to Anayan, Pili is 35 pesos. And then from Hanawan, ride a motorcycle going to Consocep Mountain Resort. The tricycle fare is 50 pesos per person, one way trip, or 100 for a round trip. The travel time is 15 to 20 minutes.

By Bus:

From Manila, there are several buses bound to Bicol region. Ride a bus that is bound for Legazpi City and then get off at Anayan, Pili town. The usual travel time from Metro Manila to Anayan, Pili is 8 to 10 hours. There are a number of bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City, that have buses bound for Legazpi or Tabaco City. There are also bus terminals in Pasay City, near Pasay Rotonda.  And then from Anayan, Pili, ride another bus bound for Lagonoy. Then tell the bus conductor or driver to drop you off at Hanawan junction in Ocampo town. This is about 30 minutes ride. The bus fare from Anayan, Pili to Hanawan junction is 23 pesos. And then from Hanawan, ride a motorcycle going to Consocep Mountain Resort. The tricycle fare is 50 pesos per person, one way trip, or 100 for a round trip. The travel time is 15 to 20 minutes. You can also ride a bus in Manila that is bound for Lagonoy or Sabang. Just tell the driver to drop you off at Hanawan junction.

By Train:

The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. Ride the train and get off at PNR Naga City Station. The last station is Ligao City station which is 1.5 hours away from Naga City so be sure to get off at Naga City. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. From Naga City, you can ride a bus bound for Lagonoy. Tell the bus conductor or driver to drop you off at Hanawan junction in Ocampo town. The travel time is 45 minutes to 1 hour and the fare for the bus is 40 to 50 pesos. And then from Hanawan, ride a motorcycle going to Consocep Mountain Resort. The tricycle fare is 50 pesos per person, one way trip, or 100 for a round trip. The travel time is 15 to 20 minutes.