LANAO DEL NORTE | TINAGO FALLS

Hello my fellow Nomad Travelers!

Today's journey takes us to the province of Lanao del Norte in Mindanao.

Founded in 1952, Lanao del Norte is a province located in Northern Mindanao. It's capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur (Southeast), Zamboanga del Sur (West), Illana Bay (southwest), Iligan Bay (North), Iligab City (Northeast), Misamis Occidental by Pangui Bay (Northwest). That's a lot of borders there!

Although I have traveled Lanao del Norte on separate occasions, today's entry is more of a trip to Tinago Falls (Linamon).

This is a day trip. After our trip to Tinago Falls I went straight back to Cagayan de Oro City. However, if you wish to stay overnight, there are a lot of hotels in Iligan City that you can chose from.

HOW TO GET THERE

BUS. Coming from Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City is only 2 hours away.

• RURAL TRANSIT - P70.00
• SUPER FIVE - P85.00

Head to the Westbound Terminal in Cagayan de Oro. Bus leaves every hour for Iligan so no need to worry.

We took Super Five Transit just because it was super comfy! I love how comfortable our bus ride was regardless of paying P15 extra. I seriously don't mind traveling 12hrs if the bus I'm taking is Super Five. 

*I am not in any way paid or whatsoever, nor am I endorsing Super Five. I am just merely stating my bus ride experience and the comfort level of my travel. 

JEEPNEY. Upon reaching Iligan City, you will need to ride a jeep bound for Buru-un, the last barangay in Iligan City.

• Bus Stop to ZOEY POBLACION: P7.00
• Zoey Poblacion to Buru-un (last stop): P14.00

HABAL-HABAL (MOTORCYCLE). Once you reach the last jeepney stop in Buru-un, you will need to ride a habal-habal. P40.00 per head.

**Best take the bus from CDO bound for Pagadian and tell the driver to drop you off at Linamon going to Tinago Falls. Easy!

TINAGO FALLS

Tinago Falls is a Filipino term meaning "hidden", the falls being hidden in a deep ravine. To reach Tinago Falls you have to travel to Iligan City. From there, you can go via Buru-un route (300 steps) or Linamon route (400 steps). We took the Linamon route because we unfortunately missed Buru-un route.  

The falls is 240ft high and 65meters deep. The falls was quite cold with clear Blue waters and was totally relaxing after going down 400 steps just to reach the "hidden" falls. 

TIP: Do some warm-up exercise prior to treking or do some squats everyday 1 week before going on a trek to Tinago Falls.

You will be required to pay P25.00/pax for entrance fee. Swimming is for free, however, if you wish to swim to the center or under the waterfall you will be required to wear a life vest for safety purposes regardless if you know how to swim or not. The current can be quite strong just like the day we went there. Just a little extra precaution. 

You can also hop on a bamboo raft for a fee if you wish to go under the waterfalls and chill inside the cave. That's like one of the coolest thing ever! But let me just remind you that it hurts.. Having water pouring like nobody's business so heavily hurts! I'm thankful for having a life vest and at least I wore a shirt. But head was not so thankful. The splashing water hurts. But it's okay. At least I can say that I've done that before and it was awesome!!!

Here are some estimates if you wish to visit Tinago Falls someday.

• Bus CDO-ILIGAN (Super5)                                         P85.00 (oneway)
• Jeepney ride: Bus stop to ZOEY Poblacion                   P7.00
• Zoey Poblacion to Buru-un                                            P14.00
• Habal-Habal ride to Linamon                                        P40.00 (per head)
• Entrance Fee                                                                  P25.00 (per head)
• Life Jacket                                                                     P25.00 (per head) 
• Balsa (Bamboo) Ride                                                    P10.00 (per head) 

Just for a total of P206.00 you can enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature at it's best. A little tip though. You might wanna go earlier in the day as it tends to get crowded in the afternoon.

WHAT TO BRING

• Sunscreen (very important)
• Swim wear
• Cash (utterly important)
• Water
• Snacks
• Clothes (to change)
• Towel (it is not a resort, so nobody is providing towel)
• Camera (GoPro (any underwater) | DSLR | Point & Shoot)

Going down was quite easy although by the time I was 350 down my knees were already shaking. But it was all worth it when I saw the majestic Tinago Falls. One of the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And frankly, this is my first waterfall experience. 

The water refreshly cold which was what we really need after our little excursion under the hot sun. Before coming to Tinago Falls we went to Maria Cristina Falls and it was a very very hot day. We stayed at Tinago Falls for about 2 hours. My brother said that we should've been there in the morning so that we can see the rainbow. Water plus sunshine you'll definitely get a rainbow according to him. Well, had we woke up a little bit early, and had we left CDO by 6am, I think we can enjoy Tinago Falls even more longer.

By 3pm it was raining. So we had to pack our stuff and head back up to that gruesome 400 steps. I was super tired. 

Anyways, we were able to to do this DIY trip because my brother is currently based in Iligan City so he knows the way around. If in any case riding jeepney is complicated, you can hire a jeepney just for this trip. Hiring a jeep will cost you about 1k. You can however negotiate with the driver, but if this is the case, best if you will go with friends or family so you can divide the cost. 

Other than all this costing issues, just have fun and swim to the freshness of the water.. It is not everyday you get to swim on natural waters. Jump off a tree or a cliff like the kids we saw there. 

Most important of all, ENJOY your adventure!! We only live once.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN TO LATELY?!?!

Much Love...