My Top 10 Habal-Habal (single motorcycle) Adventures in the Philippines

It is inevitable in exploring Philippines 

that one must ride either the habal-habal, skylab or pabahay!

All these means of transportation involve riding a single motorcycle (usually a Honda TMX motorcycle for its strength, endurance, and power to carry numerous passengers).  In Mindanao, the habal- habal and skylab are common sight and mode of transportation. It is a-must to experience the ride as an adventurer/explorer!

In my nearly ten years of travel around the Philippines, here are my ten most unforgettable and best rides using the habal-habal!    

1. Monkayo, Compostela Valley

The skylab ride towards the Awao Falls is the best ride ever in my entire life! Imagine, 11 passengers on board the skylab and cruising around 50-60 kilometers in a rugged, muddy, uphill, downhill, and zigzaging road! We even had to cross a river which was then three feet high!

In case you are not convince, what about using the single motorcycle to carry logs!

2. Baganga, Davao Oriental

Number two is my ride to Campawasan Curtain Falls and Cateel, Davao Oriental. Imagine, going to Campawasan Curtain Falls from the town of Baganga (30 plus kilometers back and forth) under the siege of Typhoon Seniang and crossing the river four times.

But that is not the end of the story, after going to the falls, I hired him again as my ride to Cateel Davao Oriental (45 kilometers from Baganga) and then reaching Cateel, going to Aliwagwag Falls (24 kilometers) and then going back to the town of Cateel (24 kilometers again) for my overnight accommodation. I was wet, tired, and cold after the adventure!!!  

3. Maragusan, Compostela Valley

Third in the list is the 5-hour adventure in the banana plantation of Maragusan, Compostela Valley. Nothing beats the  the terrain, slippery and rocky roads and the sight of the plantation. Getting lost in the plantation was part of the adventure! According to my driver Rahim, he was awarded as one of the best drivers in town. I learned it the hard way! =)

4. Calbiga, Samar

There were three of us on board the habal-habal and we were descending from the mountain at the speed of 40-50 kilometers. The road was muddy and rugged. And topping the scene was the Signal No. 2 in Samar! 

5. Sabtang, Batanes

The Sabtang ride is memorable in the sense that we had to board the motorcycle to the boat going to Sabtang Island and then journeying the entire island (all the barangays!) using the motorcycle and it took us nearly 5 hours to do the feat.

6. Camiguin

It took me two days of habal-habal ride before I was able to finish going to all the major tourist spots in Camiguin. 

  

7. Bislig, Surigao Del Sur

How about getting lost? The driver did not know the way towards Tinuy-an Falls! Normal travel time is only 20 minutes but it took us 1 hour and 45 minutes before reaching the falls.

8. Kanlaon, Negros Oriental

Searching and seeing three falls, getting bewildered by the biggest tree, and climbing the mountain using the habal-habal was really an adventure!

9. Lake Sebu, South Cotabato

Using the extended habal-habal, we went to the 7 falls, 3 lakes and mingled with the tribe!

10. Samal Island, Davao 

This one is the most expensive. Imagine, P300/hour! And we had to go to the major tourism spots in Samal Island. We finished the tour in four hours of fast-paced tour!

Worthy of mention is my long ride in Biri Island, Northern Samar!

Riding Motorcycles

More Fun In the Philippines!

Aliwagwag Falls, Cateel, Davao Oriental, Philippines

According to Travel Teller (Olan), 

whom I met in Cateel, Davao Oriental, "Aliwagwag Falls is the tallest falls in  the Philippines!". And that is the sole reason why I went to Cateel, to explore, see, and be mesmerized by the beauty and grandeur 

of this magnanimous falls!

December 25, 2014, I landed in Davao International Airport and spent the night in the city. The following morning, I went to Maragusan, Compostela, Valley to start my waterfalls chasing adventure in Mindanao. The itinerary was a tough one involving the Maragusan Falls, Campawan Curtain Falls, Aliwagwag Falls, Tinuy-an Falls and Awao Falls. Originally, Asik-Asik was part of the itinerary but since it was located in Alamada, North Cotabato and it was far from the other falls, I decided to skip it for the meantime and wait for summer.

And so from Baganga, I hired a habal-habal ride towards Cateel for P600.00. Typhoon Seniang was in Mindanao that time and it was difficult on my part to get a van or bus ride to Cateel. And what I did was to hire a habal-habal ride. Normally, the rate of the habal-habal is only P500 (one-way) but my driver (Manuel Fuentes # 0910-495-7454) told me that the reason why it was P600 is that from the town of Cateel, it is another 24 kilometers. In sum, I paid P600 for 45 kilometers to Cateel and 24 kilometers to Aliwagwag Falls. The price was good enough!

From Baganga, we endured and labored the ride under the strong winds and unceasing rains of Typhoon Seniang. And it took us more than 2 hours, before we reached the spot.

Along the travel, we passed by, several falls and I was getting excited already. 

How to Get There

First, you have to get a flight to Davao City. there are several airlines servicing the route such as Philippine Airlines (PAL)  or Cebu Pac (Cebu Pacific), cheapest flight is through Cebu Pacific or if the other airlines offer their promo fare. Travel time is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Fare ranges from PhP5.000.00 to PhP8,000.00 (all-in). It is better to book 6 months in advance to get the lowest possible rate. I got my promo flight via the delayed flight of Cebu Pac for for only P1,800.00. 

There are other airports in Mindanao aside from Davao such as General Santos, Cotabato City, Surigao City, Cagayan De Oro and Butuan. But if you choose any of these airports, you have to labor the long road travel to Cateel. And so the best choice/option is to have the Davao flight and it is the only international airport in Mindanao. Davao offers several flights (8-10/day) from Manila. The other airports only offer 2-3 flights a day or sometimes none.

Second step, from Davao airport go the Ecoland Bus Terminal or the Gaisano Mall Terminal and take the bus either via Mati or Compostela Valley. Several bus lines service the route such as Mallen Express, Lyra Express, and Bachelor Express.

Davao via Mati using the the bus is 10-12 hours using the Bachelor Bus and the fare is PhP500.00 (325 kilometers).

Davao via Compostela Valley (ComVal) using the Mallen bus is 6-7 hours or 170 kilometers.

The Compostela Valley route is shorter but during rainy season it is not advisable to use this route because of landlsides along the ComVal.

From Agusan to Surigao via Cuevas it is 250 kilometers.

Upon reaching the town of Cateel, the next step is to hire the best ride in town and that is using the habal-habal. The town also offers private vehicles in case you are traveling as a group. Barangay Aliwagwag is more or less 25 minutes from the town. Habal Habal rent is PhP300 (one-way) or PhP500 (round trip). From Papag Bridge to Aliwagwag Falls it is 24 kilometers and from the town it is 28 kilometers. From the town, travel time using the habal-habal is 25-30 minutes.

In case you want to know more information about the area, Travel Teller is the best resource person since he grew up in Cateel.

Side trip to Bislig (Tinuy-An Falls)

In Cateel, you can take the Bachelor Express bus (1 pm once-a-day trip only). Or the Mallen or Lyra Express (5 am once-a-day trip only) to Barangay Mangagoy, Bislig, Surigao Del Sur. Travel time is 2.5 to 3 hours. 

Side trip to Monkayo (Awao Falls)

In Cateel, take the Mallen bus to Montevista (5 am once-a-day trip only). The trip is 3 hours. Then in Montevista, take the ride to Monkayo either using a van or a bus. Fare in Bachelor is P180.

Back to Davao City

Mallen bus is 7 hours via ComVal and schedule of the trip is 5 am and 3 pm. Fare is PhP250.00.

Bachelor Bus via Mati is 12 hours and the schedule of the trip is 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. Fare is PhP580.00.

Tip - buses in Mindanao usually leave early. It is better to be at the terminal 1 hour before the trip to get the best set and in order not to miss the trip. 

Accommodations

Cateel offers several lodging establishments but the best place to stay is in Edar's Place Resto Bar and Lodging (Contact no - 0921-4766-907). Rates vary from PhP800-1,000 all air-conditioned rooms. It is located in Poblacion near the bus terminal of Mallen, Bachelor and Lyra. You will never miss the spot!

The food is great and they have wifi for your internet browsing. The owner is very accommodating and hospitable. I enjoyed my stay at the place!

Going back to my adventure!

from EAZY Traveler

Under normal circumstances, the Aliwagwag falls looks like the picture above. But Typhhon Seniang was in the vicinity and it was already Signal No. 1 and the landing point was Hinatuan which is just 4 hours from Cateel.

view from the bridge

There was a gigantic surge of waters dropping from the 130 cascading waterfalls and the sight was really something to behold. It was the strongest surge of waters that I have seen in my entire life (not to mention the havoc caused by Typhoon Ondoy in NCR!) plus the unceasing rains! My gadgets and cameras were nearly wet. 

According to Travel Teller, the falls is 1,110 feet of cascading falls and 20 meters in width. It is regarded as the tallest and the most beautiful falls in Mindanao!

view from the left side near the registration area

I was planning to trek the top of the falls but my driver/guide told me that it was not possible! The road to the top was not passable! I was a bit frustrated but for my own safety, I obliged.

But that was not the end of the story! Fortunately, I met Byaheng Mindanaw! The group was shooting their video and the team was headed by Travel Teller (Olan). Among the bloggers present are Journeying Sarah and Nomad's Perspective (Louie). There were other bloggers but I was not able to get all their names. The group was very friendly, enthusiastic and vibrant that day shooting their video. Good thing I met them in Aliwagwag. 

It was Really More Fun in Aliwagwag Falls!

Nice meeting the Byaheng Mindanaw group!

Awao Falls, Monkayo, Compostela Valley, Philippines

Municiapl Hall of Monkayo

Mindanao is blessed with having numerous waterfalls. In fact, should there be an official listing of the top ten falls in the Philippines, Mindanao will get more slots since it boats of the following falls, namely: Asik-Asik Waterfalls and Bani Falls in North Cotabato; Maria Cristina Falls, Cathedral Falls, Limunsad and Tinago Falls in Lanao Del Sur; Aliwagwag Falls and Campawan Curtain Falls in Davao Del Norte; Tinuy-an Falls in Surigao Del Sur and the Maragusan Falls of Compostella Valley. 

But there is another one which a traveler, blogger, adventurer, waterfalls chaser or a simple tourist should see before he dies, and that is the Awao Falls of Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

Skylab shed (5 minutes away from the Municipal Hall)

How to get there

From Davao City, take either the Bachelor Bus, Metro Davao Shuttle or van ride to Monkayo.. The bus ride is good for 3 hours. Fare in the aircon bus is P140. In Monkayo, you have to rent a skylab towards the falls.

From Butuan, ride the bus going to Davao and the bus ride is good for 3.5 - 4 hours, then alight in Monkayo.

Rayous

Accommodations

You can choose from the following lodging establishments, namely: Rayous, JRC and Jovir.

I was billeted in Rayous (Contact Nos. 0943-130-2752 / 0917-723-5753) . The cheapest aircon room is P600.There are other rooms at the price of 700 and 1,000. But they have non-aircon rooms for backpackers dormitory room at the price of P180/ head.

I took the P600 room which has a television and a wifi

with Mamay, the driver

Skylab Ride to the Falls

Mamay (Contact no. 0946 738 4210)

You have to rent/charter a skylab ride towards the falls.

P200 one way ride
P400 round trip ride

Considering that the road is extremely rough, perilous and muddy (during rainy season) and from the town it is more than 18 kilometers, the P400 price is not that expensive.

Captain Bacolod's house

I was in Mindanao chasing waterfalls. And the town of Monkayo was the last stop before going back to Manila. 

I was looking further for an adrenalin pumping adventure and I got it here in  Monkayo! 

The Skylab ride towards the falls is a bit dangerous, uncomfortable (at times) and physically draining but it's all part of my adventure here in Monkayo. I will not hesitate again to have this experience. 

Going towards the falls, there was only one passenger but along the middle of the journey, we stopped at Mamay's former house and he asked for companions towards the falls. It was a lot easier for him having 3-4 passengers rather than having only one passenger. He had to balance the skylab and I was a bit heavy for the ride. After an hour, we reached the residence of Barangay Captain Moises Bacolod of Barangay Awao (Contact No. 0948-897-2495). Coordination with the barangay is a must and the barangay provided me with a tour guide (Price is P100-200 according to your own discretion, I gave P150.00). The name of my tour guide is  Noli Iyana (he has no phone). 

River crossing

From barangay hall, we had to cross the river and travel for another 15 minutes or 4 more kilometers before reaching the jump-off point towards the falls.

Again, it is a must that you have to coordinate with the barangay officials not only for safety reasons but because of the river crossing. It there is a flash flood, the river is not passable

jump-off point to Falls No. 1

Finally, after 1 hour and 15 minutes from the town of Monkayo, we reached the jump-off point. There is an entrance fee of P15.00 but I did not pay since there was nobody on duty that day.

From the jump-off point, you can already see the falls. According to Noli, the tour guide, there are a total of 3 falls and our first destination is Falls No. 1.

. 
The descending trek towards Falls No. 1 is good for 15 minutes. But since it was muddy and slippery that day (thanks to Typhoon Seniang), I was able to reach the falls in 20 minutes.

Mid way of the trek, the presence and the might of the falls can be heard and the size of the falls can also be seen. And what a sight it was!

After 20 minutes, my effort was rewarded with the beauty, splendor and grandeur of the falls. Behold Falls No. 1 of Awao Falls!

Honestly, I do not know how tall and big is the falls but based on this picture, you can have an idea on how big the falls is. Noli was dwarfed by the size of Falls No. 1.

. Falls No. 1 is the tallest and biggest among the three falls in Barangay Awao.

Even my companions were amazed by the size of the falls and they could not help themselves from staring at the falls.

Jump-off point for Falls No. 2

After taking some pictures and videos, we climbed back towards the jump-off point and headed towards Falls No. 2 and 3. According to Noli, there is a passage in Falls No. 1 leading towards Falls No. 2 and 3 and the trek was more than 30 minutes. 

  

The trek towards Falls No. 2 was good only for less than 5 minutes. Falls No. 2 of Awao Falls reminded me of the numerous falls in Laguna.

After seeing Falls No. 1, I was no longer excited to see Falls No. 2 since Falls No. 1 is taller and bigger but the nonetheless, the shape of the falls captured my attention.

half-way in my climb to falls No. 3

I thought the fun and adventure ended in Falls No. 1 until my guide told me that we have to climb Falls No. 2 itself in order to see Falls No. 3. I told myself this guy must be out of his mind, imagine the path!

This is the adventure!

I asked if there was another path towards Falls No. 3, and I was told that it was the only one. Again, another buwis-buhay (death-defying) adventure for me! It's December 30, 2014 and it will be New Year, the following day and I convinced myself, "You can do it!" With all the strength and courage, I climbed but I was very careful. One mistake and I will fall and I will be taken by the strong current of the falls and who knows if I will survive or not the fall!

After more than 15 minutes, I reached the top of Falls No. 2 and was surprised to see the curtain falls of Falls No. 3! The sight of the falls was enough to compensate for the effort, pain and sacrifice in climbing the falls. 

Descending from Falls No. 3, I was more careful since I can now see where I will fall! And after 15 minutes, I was at the base of Falls No.2 and I shouted, "Praise the Lord!" hahaha

Going back, I saw skylabs carrying timbers from the forest and I was shocked on how these skylabs could carry the weight of the timbers!

After reaching the barangay hall of Awao,  I paid the guide and my other companions also alighted. And this time, Mamay loaded the skylab with other passengers. I did not complain for two reasons; first, there was no other mode of transportation for the locals and second, I want to experience it. According to Mamay, the maximum passenger of the skylab is 8-10 passngers. But there was a total of eleven passengers! Yes, 11 passengers onboard the skylab going back to the town of Monkayo!

The Skylab experience, the long and winding rough road towards the falls, 11 passengers, and the sight of the 3 falls were MORE THAN ENOUGH for the adventure that I was looking for in Mindanao!

AWAO FALLS

Thank You Monkayo!

I LOVE MINDANAO!!

Total Expenses for the Tour

Skylab rent - P400

Tour guide (Noli) - P150

Photographer/Videogapher named "JR", a local - P120

Hotel - P600

Round trip bus ride - P280

Food - 300