Your Amazing, Apayao!

📍MANACOTA UNDERGROUND RIVER, LUNA, APAYAO 📍Palawan Underground River? Kawasan Falls? Nope. This is Manacota Underground River in the serene and quiet town of Manacota in Marag, Luna, Apayao. ✅The Manacota Underground River may be a baby compared to the maximal Palawan Underground River, but it has the same cool and Tri-colored water (blue, greenish, and white) that Cebu’s Kawasan Falls boast. ✅The experience is very thrilling (as the tricycle driver said:) especially for city people standard (LOL). ✅The underground river was discovered by the DENR who surveyed the area in 2016. Do not visit during the rainy days. Water gets really high.� ➡️Register at the Tourist Information Center in Barangay Marag. Prepare P260.00 which will cover registration and environmental fees, transfer from the office to the river, life vest rent, and tour guide fee. ➡️Similar to a Kawasan experience, you have to “angkas” in a motorbike to get to the area. You need to walk for around an hour, but the view and the trail is an experience on its own. You would cross the Manacota River (by boat or foot), and the trail gives you great access to views of the nearby mountains. ➡️The place is really verdant. The path is covered with ferns and makahiya plants. It was joy walking and watching the plants “close” as you touch them. Butterflies fly in groups and you can see them around. Birds are a refreshing sight overhead. ➡️Crossing the underground river won’t go beyond 15 minutes. The tour guides are trained, and they have interesting narratives about the “faces” or “shapes” you can see inside the cave. ➡️Once you crossed, I tell you, the river is just majestic. Instagram-worthy—for a generation-apt term. The water is so clear, you can see your legs as you swim. There are also small fishes in the river. People are prohibited by the local government to fish. ➡️According to the tour guide, during the summer when people flock in, you need to take turns inside the cave. Meaning, swimming is limited to an hour or two. I was lucky when I went because I was the only visitor that Saturday, and I had three hours all to myself—just swimming, taking pictures, plus a light snack. 😬I have a really fun story to share here. When I backpacked in Apayao, it was after my field research in Kalinga. I didn’t intend on going swimming, so I didn’t bring swimwear. I was wearing my last dry clothing in Luna, and I am set to go home to Baguio later that day. I asked the tour guide to leave me in the swimming area so I can skinny dip! It is safe, and the water’s not too high (max of 8 ft in my opinion) so the tour guide wasn’t really concerned that I’ll drown. That experience is one for the books! ❕Bring your own garbage bag. Take your trash home with you when you leave the river. ❕Bring a Ziplock or sturdy plastic bag/beach bag with you. #themepark #staycation #themepark ##campingglamping #nationalpark