It was during one of those family outings after the holidays that I knew of and visited Bao-Bao Falls in our neighboring province of Surigao del Sur. Checking out new places is staple for me so when the destination came up it didn’t even take me a second to jump at the idea. “Don’t go chasing waterfalls,” TLC said. Why heed such advice, right?

Transportation

Getting to Bao-Bao Falls is as easy as ABC. You just have to teleport transport yourself to the barangay of Diatagon in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Tandag-bound buses from Agusan del Sur can bring your arse there. You will then have to look for the junction, from the national highway, that leads to your destination.

Or you can simply ask a local on how to get to it. If you happen to ask one who doesn’t have the answer, s/he must’ve been living under a rock. When coming from Butuan, you can reach Diatagon via the Awa Junction, which opens up the opportunity to biga at visit Bega Falls.

The Waterfall

The main swimming area of Bao-Bao Falls didn’t feature a high vertical drop but the plunge pool was still deep enough for anyone who thinks they’re tall enough. Ahem. “Bao” means “turtle” in Bisaya so the name of the waterfall could pertain to something related to a turtle, like its shape. I didn’t see any resemblance to any part of a turtle, though, and didn’t ask anyone either so… Beats me. (Don’t even think about turtles being present there.)

The waterfall had a slide; cliff jumping from the top of it wasn’t that enticing. Even so, there was a rock that allowed jumping from a higher elevation. If it gets crowded below, there’s no other way but up!

Climbing to the rock also led to the higher tier of Bao-Bao falls where there were swimming pools whose depth also didn’t disappoint.

Pools were at nooks and crannies and it was so relaxing being in them that, contrary to what I usually do, I no longer explored further to where the water was coming from. Only few people were curious enough to check what was upstairs so I didn’t have to share the Jacuzzis at all. #blessed

Nope, t’is not the Oblation Run.

And then it was high time for a cliff jump. Cowabunga!

Amenities

There were no cottages around the waterfall so all tourists just settled on the rocks (sadly without any whiskey, though) in the surrounding area. Totally not an issue, especially that bringing food and beverages was allowed—no corkage, y’all! It also follows that there were no changing rooms. Having said that, there were actually restrooms. They may not have been around the waterfall as well, but hey! If you need to take a dump, there’s that special place for ya.

Walking to Bao-Bao Falls from the road is a walk in the park because the local government unit already paved a walkway to it. Unlike when taking the stairs to Bega Falls, it was senior citizen-friendly. No worries to bring everyone, mate.

Tips

• When going to Britania in San Agustin for some island hopping, Bao-Bao Falls is the stopover you never thought you could have.
• When coming from Butuan and taking the Awa Junction to Lianga, Bega Falls is another stopover you never thought you could have, especially when on a private vehicle.

Visited: January 2016

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