INAMBAKAN FALLS IN GINATILAN, CEBU

Inambakan Falls is known for having a beautiful 100-ft waterfall that plunges into a wide pool of blue water. Surrounded by lush jungle greenery it is indeed an amazing scene. However, what makes Inambakan Falls such a memorable adventure is the multi-level trek to different pools and waterfalls.

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WHERE IS INAMBAKAN FALLS

Inambakan Falls is a solid four-hour journey from Cebu City. When I visited, I was based in Moalboal and the drive took less than an hour on the motorbike. It is a beautiful coastal drive through all of the small towns in South Cebu so the time passes quickly. When you reach the town of Ginatilan there are signs that point to Inambakan Falls or you can ask a local.

However, the easiest way to find the falls is just to follow the pin below on Google Maps, which is accurate. Don’t worry about following Google Maps until you reach the small town of Ginatilan.

The road is pretty solid the whole way but most people use a motorbike. A car can make the entire trail until the trailhead and ticket office. The drive is pretty scenic and we even stopped to shoot a photo with the drone!

GETTING A GUIDE FOR INAMBAKAN FALLS

Our guide was a young guy called Clifford. He was 16-years old and spoke good enough English for us to chat the whole day. He stopped school and now is a full-time guide. At first, I thought a guide might be unnecessary if it was just one waterfall but having a guide was great to explore all five levels.

They showed us where to jump, where to land and happily jumped first to test the waters. Clifford was pretty crazy and jumped head first into some pretty shallow water. He was a great kid and we really enjoyed getting to know him throughout the day.

We paid Clifford 100 pesos per person and we were a group of four people. He didn’t ask for a set amount and this is generally more than would be asked for. However, we were with him for five hours taking lots of photos.

That is a total of $8 USD from our entire group for his 5-hour shift. This is a photo below of Clifford getting sideways.

INAMBAKAN FALLS

When we arrived at the entry to Inambakan Falls and paid our entrance fee of 50 pesos per person. I didn’t think we would need a guide but they paired us with one and it turned out great as we discovered all five levels of Inambakan.

The trail begins down to the main waterfall along stairs. Within ten minutes you will reach the main attraction, the main waterfall at Inambakan Falls. The main waterfall is a 100ft flow of water, which crashes down into the blue pool of water.

I really love the limestone cliffs behind the waterfall. The orange tinge contrasts so vividly against the strong blue of the pool below.

We swam behind the waterfall into the cave and explored the rocks of the main pool before sending a couple of jumps into the pool below. You could adventure here for hours and it is an adventure in itself. However, there are five levels at Inambakan so this is just part of the experience.

We continued up the second level and found a small pool with another waterfall. It wasn’t quite as epic as the first waterfall but there were a few footholes carved into the waterfall so I went for a climb and explore.

The third level was such an incredible spot. A crystal clear pool, deep enough for cliff jumping, sits in front of a backdrop of idyllic palm trees. It is a slice of paradise right in the middle of the jungle. The water can be shallow in parts but it is clear enough to see exactly where the rocks are and where it safe to jump.

I thought that with all the surrounding palms it might be a good spot to send up the drone for an aerial view of the location. I ended up flying all the way back to the main waterfall for a look also!

Next, we headed to the fifth level, skipping the ‘boring’ fourth level according to the guides. The fifth level definitely wasn’t boring. A four-meter cliff jump had is launching into a tight landing zone from above the waterfall. Clifford was a loose unit sending head-first dives into the shallow water as only a local would.

There were several other groups at the waterfall throughout the day but each group seems to enjoy a level and move on leaving the next group to enjoy it for themselves. We only ever shared a level with one other group at a time.

We spent over five hours at Inambakan Falls but you can definitely do it all in under two hours. We took tons of photos, flew drones, had cliff-jumping contests and chilled out along the way. I’d definitely plan for the full day at Inambakan Falls to make the most of the experience. You don’t need to visit other waterfalls in the area on that day because you are seeing five unique spots at Inambakan Falls itself.

ADVENTURE BAG FROM INAMBAKAN FALLS

This is an adventure bag (I forgot the bag). It is full of trash. Every time I go on an adventure I collect one adventure bag full of trash. It’s my small way of saying thanks to mother nature for allowing me to enjoy her beautiful creations.

If we have time to go on an adventure we have time to collect an adventure bag on the way back out of the trail once we have enjoyed the waterfall, the hike or the beach. Adventure hard!

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WHERE TO STAY ON CEBU?

I really think that if you are going to be exploring Cebu, the best place to stay is in Moalboal. There are a few reasons why!

Cebu City might be where you land at the airport but if you are looking for adventure, you will need to head south as soon as possible. Most of the best waterfalls, whale sharks, snorkeling with sardines and turtles are all down south.

So where do you stay to do all of these adventures? Moalboal! Trust me I know… I rent an apartment in Moalboal and that is my base for all of the adventures you have just read!

Moalboal is a cool town, which is the free-diving and scuba capital of Cebu and even the Philippines. Here there are tons of hostels, hotels, and homestays.

There are plenty of restaurants and even a small mall. This is really the last spot as you travel down south where you will have good wifi, 4G connection, western restaurants and lots of facilities. Once you head further south to Alegria and Ginatilan those towns just aren’t set up for tourists really.

Moalboal is just a short drive from most attractions and even all the way down to the Whale Sharks is just a 1-hour drive. There are a variety of accommodations in Moalboal but I will tell you my favorite for each style of traveler. I have a recommendation for budget travelers, mid-level and luxury.

MoHo Moalboal Hostel – Budget: I stayed at this cool hostel for a few days. It is brand new and pretty modern with a huge chill-out space. The WIFI works! I was blogging and using WordPress and the connection was fine.

The dorm rooms are clean and modern with each bed having a blind for privacy. The staff were super chill and helpful. There was free water to refill your bottle and free coffee and tea. It is the cheapest option on booking.com at just 8 USD.

Teobas Homestay – Value: You need to click on that link just to see how rad this place is. It has a staircase down to the ocean into crystal clear water. I can tell you, I have snorkeled out the front of this place with turtles many times.

For about $30 USD you get a private room with all of the facilities you need. There is not much better than having ocean access and a bit of a sunset view!

Dolphin House Resort – Luxury: If you are looking for a nice resort, Dolphin House is a 5-star resort with a huge pool for less than $200 USD per night. It has ocean access, great restaurant, chilling areas and a beautiful garden throughout the property.

To view all of the accommodation options in Moalboal head to the Moalboal search page on Booking.com