My first glimpse of Tinuy-an Falls is a wide cascading body of water more or less three feet tall, beautiful but nothing impressive and I thought all the promotion about the Tinuy-an Falls, dubbed as the Little Niagara Falls of the Philippines, was just media hype.
Why it was just like any ordinary small falls! Wondering what made it even special, I turned back and decided to spend the time to take a nap in the car while my companions professional photographers Rhonson Ng and Jojie Alcantara do their photography.
Taking a couple of steps back, I paused. Then I heard it— a loud rumbling which seemed to grow louder each minute. I looked up then my jaw dropped and my breath stopped.
Beyond the clear green lagoon was a magnificent, surging cascade of the widest curtain of water I had ever seen, a plunging body of water from 180 feet above the cliff and flowing into three tiers of waterfalls. The first one I saw turned out to be the third tier of water that flows down into the river.
I walked toward the waterfalls as one in a trance, holding my point and shoot Sony in one hand yet taking no photos. The mist sprayed on us even from a distance, and with too much water, you cannot hope to take a dip, or else the water may dig a hole in your head and wash your brains away.
Tinuy-an Falls is a photographer’s dream. It is fast becoming a favorite location for pre-nuptial photo shoots and pictorial sessions for couples from all parts of the country.
The waterfalls is just too beautiful from different angles. A wooden footbridge will get you to the other side of the waterfalls to get photos from the other angle. During the hot summer days, visitors usually wade in the waters and take a shower under the cascading falls, but not during the rainy season when the soft turns into a raging cascade.
We didn’t stay long as we would have wanted to. We still have a six-hour rough ride back to Davao City.
Tinuy-an Falls’ fame has spread far and wide as the main tourist attraction in Bislig that all you need to do is search it up in the internet and you will come up with thousands of photos and articles from people who have been there.
Cottages are erected near the waterfalls that guests can rent for the day, and there are bamboo rafts you can rent to get near the waterfalls if you don’t want to swim. For the daring, there are trails by the side of the waterfalls to get you to the top, but that was something we didn’t do. Maybe next time.
Surigao Del Sur experience is enjoying nature at its best and a visit to the Tinuy-an Falls is just one of the must-not-miss opportunities.
To get to Tinuy-an Falls, take a 30-minute ride from Bislig City proper via habal-habal (a single motorcycle modified to carry several passengers so be prepared for the thrill and scare if you’re a first-timer) to Tinuy-an falls. Getting there is an adventure by itself.