Bohol: Spelunking at Danao Adventure Park's Kamira Cave

E.A.T. Danao, the Eco, Educational, Extreme Adventure Tour of the Danao Adventure Park in Bohol also has interesting natural attractions. Two caves are open to visitors in fact, but on a limited capacity.

We got to visit Kamira Cave which is rated moderate for the spelunking/caving difficulty level. The other cave, Balijo Cave, is rated extreme. They used to have more caves open but due to safety concerns, they closed the others. Only ten visitors are allowed in each cave per shift, so that's about 30 guests a day per cave. So make sure you book beforehand.


From the Visitors' Center, it's a 15-minute trek down to the entrance of the cave. It's a bit complicated getting in the cave. But the well-trained guides are very helpful and will direct you step-by-step until you are safe inside.

As soon as we got in, we were already wading in ankle-deep water. Many of the cave formation are still intact that is why the guides are very strict about touching them since the oil from your hands damage the formations which take many years to form.


Just a few meters from the entrance, we got submerged under the crystal clear water as we crossed under one of the formations of the cave. So as much as possible, wear sandals and light clothing since you'll definitely swim and get wet from head to toe!

At the end of the cave is a pool of water where you could swim. Just be careful because some parts of the pool are over 5 feet deep. From here, we walked back the same route since there is only one entrance and exit. The Kamira Cave trek lasts about 2 hours.

Danao Adventure Park
Booking Office: Ma. Wiena Saguid (0921)7594403 / (0917) 3021700
Tourism Office: Ana Loinda Saluan (0917) 3021701 / (038) 5100033
eatdanao@ymail.com

Caving (minimum of 5 pax) - Php350/head
...more activities in the next post

Jose L. Gonzaga Farmers Foundation, Inc.
Ian Gonzaga (0917) 3252426
Php300/person per night

They also arrange airport and ferry terminal transfers to Danao and meals. Ask about their custom-made tour packages. And I highly-recommend that you have them arrange your visit to Danao.

Bohol: Danao Adventure Park's E.A.T. Danao

Have you heard of Bohol's E.A.T. Danao? The Eco, Educational, Extreme Adventure Tour of the Danao Adventure Park is arguably the country's best adventure attraction! I got to visit the park over the weekend together with a group who celebrated a friend's birthday. Happy Birthday Isa Silva and thanks for arranging the trip!

Danao is in the interior of Bohol. And the Danao Adventure Park is a push to bring tourism to other parts of Bohol since most of the tourism arrivals are in the coastal areas. The group flew to Cebu and from there took the RORO to Tubigon, Bohol. I hope Cebu Pacific stops those games they play on board. I always see flights as a chance to take power naps. And I found it extremely irritating to be woken up by a ten-year old kid singing at the top of her voice on the public address system like there's no tomorrow. I hope Cebu Pacific starts being more considerate to passengers who want to get some rest!


We left Cebu on the 7 p.m. RORO ferry to Tubigon. From Tubigon, it's a one and a half drive to Danao (which includes several kilometers of rough road). We stayed at the Jose L. Gonzaga Farmers Foundation, Inc. (JLGFFI) which has five fan rooms available and could accommodate up to 20 people.

The next day, we did four activities. The first was kayaking. I was still a bit sleepy and since I've done a lot of kayaking last month, I decided to take a nap while the rest navigated the Wahig River. After the kayaking, we made a short river trek to the root climb area where packed lunch was waiting for us.


The root climb is harder than it looks and is among the more difficult activities at the Danao Adventure Park. It physically drained me in fact. From the top of the 15-meter cliff, we all rappelled down back to the river bank.


The last activity was the Suislide, the highest zipline in the country! It's close to half a kilometer to cross the 200-meter deep gorge. And you cross twice, first going to the opposite side, then again when you slide back. Dinner was at the JLGFFI.

Danao Adventure Park
Booking Office: Ma. Wiena Saguid (0921)7594403 / (0917) 3021700
Tourism Office: Ana Loinda Saluan (0917) 3021701 / (038) 5100033
eatdanao@ymail.com

Kayaking - Php200/head
River trekking - Php200/head
Root climb with 15m rappel (minimum of 5 pax) - Php400/head
Suislide (zipline) - Php350/head
...more activities in the next post

Jose L. Gonzaga Farmers Foundation, Inc.
Ian Gonzaga (0917) 3252426
Php300/person per night

They also arrange airport and ferry terminal transfers to Danao and meals. Ask about their custom-made tour packages. And I highly-recommend that you have them arrange your visit to Danao.

Batangas: Taal heritage town walking tour

Taal, Batangas is one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial towns of the country. And it's home to a good number of heroes of the Philippine Revolution including the principal seamstress of the Philippine flag, Marcela Mariño Agoncillo.


At the heart of Taal is the Taal Basilica, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours and said to be the biggest Catholic church in Asia. In front of it is the Taal Municipal Hall which was built during the Spanish colonial period. Scattered around town are dozens of ancestral homes, old school buildings and other heritage structures. Which is why the town is perfect for a walking tour.


Last Sunday, we got to visit three heritage houses during our walking tour including the Villavicencio House and the adjacent Villavicencio "Wedding Gift" House, as well as the Marcela Agoncillo House which is a National Historical Landmark. In fact, Taal has at least seven National Historical Landmarks including the Taal Basilica, Taal Municipal Hall, and Escuela Pia.

Entrance fees to the houses are Php50 per head which is usually included in the walking tour fee. And take note that many of the houses are only accessible through the these walking tours.

From the Villavicencio Houses, you can walk down to the Caysasay Shrine through the centuries-old San Lorenzo Ruiz Steps. Also in Taal are the homes of Gregorio Agoncillo and Leon Apacible also National Historical Landmarks.


And don't forget to pass by the Taal Market to check out the piña (pineapple) fabric and barong embroidery. I always buy my embroidered jusi and piña cloth from there since it's almost half the price than if you buy your barong in Manila. Taal is also home to balisong-making, panutsa (peanut brittle) and produces a really tasty derecado longganisa.

Heritage Tours and Travel
heritours@yahoo.com
Bennet (0918) 3155634
Mayette (0918)3644549
Jaren (0910) 8110350

There are half and whole day packages with meals (see their site at heritours.multiply.com)

Where to stay in Taal
Baby Joven-Quiblat and Benny Quiblat have rooms available for visitors. You can reach Baby at (0917) 8970363 for rates and avalability.

Robert Arambulo, a balikbayan architect from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, also has rooms available in his restored Taal house called Casa Severina. Contact him at (0917) 5018060.

Casa Cecilia has eight bedrooms and a restaurant that serves great tasting Taal cuisine. Specialties are bulalo (with a twist) and their maliputo. Contact numbers are (043) 4080048 or (0906) 2225339.