Smart Backpacker: white river rafting

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The best time to travel in the Philippines is from February to May only. After these months, you might encounter flight or ship delay/cancellation, or be stranded at the port or airport due to a typhoon or bad weather.

Going to the beach is not an option. There will be no blue sky, a lot of clouds and rain.

But from November up to January, I still travel around the Philippines even though it is raining. And the best activities/adventures to do during rainy season are the following:

1. White River Rafting
Either you go to Chico River in Kalinga, Cagayan De Oro or Davao. Rain is number one reason why you will love white river rafting. The rapids will be a lot stronger and there will be a lot of adrenalin rush and thrills along the adventure.
Luzon - Chico River
Mindanao - Cagayan De Oro or Davao

river rafting in Cagayan De Oro

Related links -
CDO - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/03/white-water-rafting-in-cagayan-de-oro.html
Rapids http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/04/top-5-rapids-in-philippines-for-tourists.html
Kalinga - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/03/passing-in-kalinga.html
Best adventures -
http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2012/11/12-of-my-best-adventures-in-philippines.html
Davao -
http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2012/11/white-river-rafting-in-davao.html

2. Spelunking
Spelunking/Caving is becoming popular in the Philippines.
For those living in Luzon, you should not miss seeing the caves in Sagada, Quirino and Cagayan.
For those living in Visayas, the caves in Negros Oriental.
While for those living in Mindanao, there also caves which you can visit.

Related link -
Sagada - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-adventures-in-sagada-plus-itinerary.html / http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/03/backpackers-trip-to-sagada-my-third-trip.html
Callao caves - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/02/callao-caves.html
Top 10 caves -
http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/04/top-10-caves-in-philippines-for-tourists.html
Quirino - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/03/amazing-quirino.html
Isabela - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/03/ilagan-isabela.html
Caves in the Philippines - http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2012/11/caves-in-philippines-spelunkers-dream.html

3. Going to the Falls or Rivers
Have you experienced the rapids going to Pagsanjan Falls, Laguna or Bamboo rafting at Villa Escudero, Quezon? If not, maybe it is time that you should do so. Rain is not a problem in going to the river or falls. In fact, waterfalls are best seen during rainy season when the water peak or pouring is at the highest!

Enjoy the Philippines While it is Raining!

Friday, April 26, 2013

A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are categorized in classes, generally running from I to VI. A Class 5 rapid may be categorized as Class 5.1-5.9. While class I rapids are easy to negotiate and require no maneuvering, class VI rapids pose threat to life with little or no chance for rescue. (from Wikepedia).

Rapids create what we call as whitewater. And this formation is best-suited for river rafting!

Here in the Philippines, here are the top 5 rapids that I have seen.

1. Davao River