Killing time in Kiamba's Waterfalls

Roughly a two-hour drive by private car from General Santos City, Kiamba is best known for its alluring natural attractions, including pristine beaches, secluded coves, charming waterfalls, meandering rivers, to name some. It's been a couple of years since I last went on a solo driving spree to the idyllic town at the western side of Sarangani Province. So, one long weekend, I decided to go back and kill time there,  bumming around the numerous waterfalls dotting its rustic landscape.  

One of the many drops of Nalus Falls in Kiamba

A veritable beach town, you can enjoy it the most by taking a stroll along the narrow but concrete roads and interact with the locals to appreciate its simplicity and serenity. One of the three towns facing the Celebes Sea (the other being Maasim and Maitum), it's the perfect locale to see the sun as it goes down the vastness of the open sea—an awe-inspiring explosion of colors that's probably the most breathtaking end to an adventure-filled day in that part of Mindanao. 

Sunset over the Celebes Sea

Other than agriculture, Kiamba lists deep-sea fishing as one of the primary sources of livelihood of its residents, who are composed mostly of Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Moros and T'bolis. One of its most prominent residents happens to be world-renowned pugilist and incumbent Congressman Manny Pacquiao, whose wife, Jinky, the former provincial vice-governor, hails from there.

Tuka Marine Park

Seeing its Tuka Marine Park, a protected area made of  four spectacular coves (ordinally named Tuka 1, 2, 3 and 4), is one of the primary reasons why I decided to return to Kiamba. Of the four, only Tuka 3 is open to the public. This secluded marine sanctuary can only be accessed through the sea—you have to take a 20-minute pump boat ride from the town proper—as there are no roads  that lead to it (For more about Tuka, visit my post at http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2018/08/tucked-away-in-tuka-marine-park.html).

Nalus Falls

Exploring two of Kiamba's more popular waterfalls, namely, Bocay-il Falls and Nalus Falls, is also another compelling reason why I went back to the town. The revisit has been in the back of my mind since my previous sojourn there a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, some constraints kept me from seeing them that time. This year, I vowed to finally realize my dream of chasing those cascades. So off I hit the road, giving in to Kiamba's siren call. 

Joining me during that sojourn was a spirited squad of millennials who are incorrigible weekend warriors themselves. Arriving in Kiamba, we first heeded the call of our hungry tummies and then scouted for a place to spend the night before exploring Nalus Falls, the nearest of the two cascades. Located less than a kilometer away from the main road, the falls has huge boulders of granite from where the water drops down a natural pool surrounded by lush vegetation. 

The green fields of Nalus

Short and narrow compared to most of the cascades I’ve seen in Mindanao, Nalus Falls is located inside a private resort right smack in the midst of a forested part of the town. En route to the cascades, we passed by an unpaved road and a small community along the vastness of green rice fields

To see the falls, we paid a token of something like Php25 (entrance fee, including free use of the cottage, if I'm not mistaken). The private resort has several open-air nipa cottages where those who visit the falls can seek refuge or even stay overnight. At Nalus, you can indulge in many outdoor activities such as swimming, diving, bouldering and rappelling, among others.

Lower tier of Nalus Falls

My young companions wasted no time diving and swimming in the cold waters of Nalus Falls' lower tier. Not contented, they went up the upper level of the cascades, climbing their way through the boulders and rocks. 

And how did this bum manage to make it up there? Piece of cake. First, I asked the T'boli boys who were taking a bath at the falls if there's a less difficult route going up the falls. To my delight, they replied in the affirmative and ushered me towards it! Following their lead, I then crossed a shallow portion of the stream, climbed a ledge, and hiked along a narrow trail on the left side of the falls. Before I knew it, I successfully made it to the upper tier! No sweat at all. LOL!

One of the many drops at the upper tier of Nalus Falls

Bocay-il Falls' upper tier

Bocay-Il Falls, on the other hand, is found at the heart of the town’s rainforest. A two-level cascade, the falls is secluded but accessible through a T’boli village. Bocay-il in T’boli means “clear water.” Nestled some thirteen kilometers away from the national highway, the falls represent the sixth and seventh drops of Fi’cong Limo, the first five waterfalls found in Kiamba’s highlands.

From the poblacion, a ten-minute drive brought us to the outskirts of Kiamba where we started our exciting trek to Bocay-il Falls. To reach it, I drove through a narrow dirt road leading to the highlands. At a certain point, I had to leave my car and  entrust it to one of the locals we met along the way as the road going to the falls was turning out to be rougher and narrower than I expected! I was wary that my vehicle couldn't stand the bumpy stretch.

You have to cross this shallow river to get to Bocay-il Falls

From where I parked, we walked for about three hundred meters before crossing a shallow river and hiked again for another two hundred meters before we  finally reached Bocay-il Falls. We paid Php20 each to gain entrance to the falls. 

Bocay-il Falls' lower tier

At the falls, I opted to stay a while at its lower tier while the others headed for the upper one. Unlike Nalus Falls which boasts of large granite boulders from where the waters tumble,  Bocay-il Falls has a short but wide spill at the upper tier and a slimmer and longer drop at the lower level. 

However, the streams at the upper and lower tiers are strewn with huge rocks. A few nipa huts also stand along the periphery of the falls. I rested inside one of them, catching my breath first before clicking my phone for some snaps. After a while, I waded into the water, positioned myself at one of the boulders and took my selfies. 

Upper tier of Klayab Falls

While exploring Bocay-il Falls, the millennials and I stumbled upon Klayab Falls a.k.a Fi'cong Klayab (I hope I got the name right). Located a few meters away from Bocay-il, Klayab is a two-tiered cascade that I surmised must also be the fourth (?) and fifth (?) drops of Fi'cong Limo. Again, we shelled out another Php15 to see the cascades, which, for me, is the loveliest among the three that I've seen in Kiamba.

Lower tier of Klayab Falls

Klayab's first level looks like a thin curtain falls while its pool is quite shallow. I wallowed in the water while taking pictures with my gizmo. It felt relaxing just lazing around and getting my feet wet. From where I stood, I could hear the millennials' shrieks from above as they basked in the beauty of Klayab's refreshing drop.

The view from the slippery path

If the wandering at Klayab's first level was a walk in the park, it's a different story for the upper tier. Geez, the struggle to get there is real for this world-weary gadabout! Although there's an established trail going up, it was stony and slippery. One misstep and you could end up falling down the ravine. Good thing, there was a makeshift bamboo handrail that I held on to keep my balance as I inched upward. Geez, it was well worth the effort. The upper tier of Klayab Falls is simply magical! No wonder the millennials had a grand time there.

For what seemed like eternity, I just stood there gazing at the cascade—stupefied, speechless, spellbound by a stunning beauty whose impeccably white slim drop make her one of Kiamba's hidden gems that ought to be preserved. Snapping out of my daydream, I quickly held up my gadget and started shooting at the rushing beauty whose two flows are separated by a steep cliff at the edge of the cascade's first tier. 

For me, nothing compares to the  sublime power of a waterfall as it splashes from a source up above, say, a river, a spring, or a stream, into a cool natural pool below.  You may have seen so many of these amazing wonders of nature in different parts of the country but the ones in Kiamba have an exotic charm that the town can truly be proud of. So, how exciting was it to kill time in Kiamba and chase its cascades? Well, on a scale of one to seven stars, with seven being the highest, I'd give the experience I had there...seven stars!