Exactly 15 days already when I started my adventures in Mindanao. That’s more than halfway already from our #TravelMindanao project of showcasing the best of Mindanao and entice people to travel to the region. The slew of activities continue and our adventure starts again in Quezon, Bukidnon. Shugah of Wandershugah fetched us at Dream Haven in Valencia then took a Van down south for Quezon Bukidnon. Our first object? Explore the Blue Water Cave.
Kiokong Eco-Tourism
Our van pulled off after we crossed a bridge in San Jose, Quezon, Bukidnon. A concrete gazebo was there that serves as a station for Kiokong Eco-Tourism Project, a collaborative development project between the Local Government Unit of Quezon municipality and the Kiokong Climbing Society. The project serves to oversee adventure activities for visitors in the municipality like rappelling, wall climbing and spelunking with reliable and certified guides. There, right by the Pulangi Bridge with the river of the same name running under is the springboard for all these activities.
The Blue Water Cave
Having coordinated our activity with Kiokong Eco-Tourism for the day, we proceeded with our hike for the Blue Water Cave. Since Shugah is a trained guide in her hometown of Quezon, she was the one who led us to the river banks where the caverns can be found. The trail to the caves is a narrow dirt path behind the gazebo. It’s a relatively easy to moderate trail that our ZEMGear footwear couldn’t handle. The challenging part was the steep path with a rope line descending to the rocky river banks. It would take 15-20 minutes hike to reach the caves.
Upon reaching the banks, it was bouldering to reach the caves in the area. The rock and also the limestone walls were white. We reached one of the opening where inside were chambers with a natural blue pool. The place was really enchanting and the pool was very inviting. We let our proficient swimmers in the group, Doi and Shugah, test the waters first then one by one we came in after our obligatory photo shoots in the area.
The water had the right right temperature, moderately cool, and there’s the cavern light spilling down through the cave cavity. We had fun swimming there but when another group came in, we moved further down to reach the much larger cave in level with the river. Unfortunately, with the heavy rains the day before, the cave entrance isn’t passable as we could clearly see on how high and fast the raging river waters were flowing. We contented ourselves enjoying the view from the rocks. We didn’t stay too long though as another round of adventure is waiting for us at the bridge.
Essential Info
How to go to the Blue Water Cave? The Blue Water Cave is located in San Jose, Quezon Bukidnon. It is 4-5 hours from Cagayan de Oro and 3-4 hours from Davao. The landmark is the Pulangi Bridge with several billboards and signage. It is best to get in touch with Kiokong Eco-Tourism beforehand to coordinate adventure activities in the area.
Kikong Eco-Tourism
Quezon Municipality, Bukidnon
(088) 355-1445 / (088) 355-1323
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
