20 Places to Visit in Samboan, Cebu

Samboan is in the southern portion of Cebu, on the other side of Oslob, just before Santander which is located at the southermost province of Cebu. The starting point in going there is to go to the South Bus Terminal where buses towards Samboan abound. There is at least one trip for every 20 minutes interval. 

Samboan is known for it many waterfalls among which are the ffg:
1. Aguinid Falls

      One heck of an experience! Had I known the limestones were that steep and that we had to do many rock climbing without the safety of a rappel, I wouldn't have dared visit this place. We thought it was just another typical waterfall where we only have to trek our way throughout its 5 levels. But no! It was risking life and limb, and as per the guides of that place, yes there had been numerous accidents. Oh golly!

    My advice though is not to come here especially during holy week as the crowd can really stress you out. Aguinid is the most popular waterfall in the place because of its added challenge, a taste of canyoneering, and its accessibility.

2. Binalayan Falls a.k.a. Triple Drop Falls or Hidden Falls

      This is just near Aguinid Falls and so it's like hitting 2 birds with one stone. It basically derived its name "Triple Drop" from the fact that its waters fall in 3 separate columns or drops. It's not as impactful and as challenging as the other waterfalls but it has its own simple and quaint ambience.

3. Inambakan Falls

     One of the more popular waterfalls in the place as the road and the steps towards it has already been developed for visiting. Not so deep, just right for swimming. I especially like its cool and clean waters plus the fact that there were just a few people during our visit unlike that of Aguinid Falls. The road leading here has already been developed already it can be quite steep at times. We rode a habal-habal motorcycle in our case.

Enjoying our free massage from the natural jacuzzi of the place. :D

4. Da-o Falls

My favorite waterfall of them all! Not only coz of its clear waters and the fact that it is the biggest in Samboan, but also coz the 30-minutes perilous journey toward it added challenge and increased our appreciation of it.

We even have to pass this nice, swinging bridge. Love it!

Crossing rivers, and climbing over rocks is a must.

Not for those with fear of heights!

What beautiful scenery! :D

Dao Falls is the highest waterfall in Samboan

5. Balay'g Sawa Falls

    This is the last falls that we visited in Samboan since we were already short of time and my companions still had a plane to catch. You can just ask a habal-habal driver to bring you here and this is just near the poblacion area. I guess the reason why it called "Balay'g Sawa" or Nest of Snakes in english is because of the hanging branches and vines which and the thick canopy layer of trees surrounding the area which makes it a really conducive habitat for snakes and who knows what else. 

Other Falls which we regretfully failed to visit are:
6. Candayvic Falls

photo courtesy of http://pinsta.me/iameleimath

7. Tabon Falls
Note: there are still other falls for exploration especially for those who are looking for greater challenges as these falls have pathways which are not yet developed as they are less visited by tourists. 

Other attractions in Samboan as described from the web and wikipedia are:

8. Colase Marine Sanctuary -  "managed by the municipality together with a fisherfolks organization. Samboan's effort for nature's protection is proven by this marine sanctuary's existence for almost two decades already. You can visit the fish sanctuary or dive for a fee where you can experience the most preserved marine ecosystem where sharks often visit, dolphins play, whales often traverse and all kinds of fish visit the shallowest part of the foreshore unprovoked by man. Aside from Colase, other coastal barangays including San Sebastian (Bato), Dalahikan, Tangbo, Bonbon, Suba and Poblacion offer the same experience generally."

9. Ponong Lake - It is not actually a lake, but a type of a closed lagoon. Its water is brackish. It is unique in the sense that here is where a certain kind of bird - the "manolong" - dives into its salty waters and stays under for a long time in order to escape the hunters. 

photoc courtesy of http://www.mikelaagan.com/2013/06/chasing-waterfalls-in-samboan-south.html

10. Kang Yup-ot Spring

11. St. Michael Archangel Church - is one of the oldest Spanish-built churches in Cebu, with its façade made of coral stones.

Photo courtesy of Storm Crypt at https://www.flickr.com/photos/storm-crypt/

12. Mt. Bartolina - Bartolina Mountain is the highest peak in the south of Cebu where the panoramic view of north and south Bais Bay and the rest of Negros, Siquijor, and Bohol islands can be seen. From there, you can catch both the rising and setting of the sun.

13. Jacob’s Ladder (Escala de Jacob) - Connecting the beach area with the Spanish Watch Tower is St. Jacob's Ladder (Escala de Jacobe). It is a flight of 157 stone steps built in 1878, which leads to the old watchtower on a plateau 65 metres (213 ft) above the town. From here, one can get a view of the Tañon Strait.

14. San Sebastian Stone Walls - are old stone structures near San Sebastian Parish Church. This may be why this barangay is popularly known as 'Bato' (meaning "stone").

15. Campanario de Antigua (Ancient Watchtower)

16. Samboan Museum

17. Boluntaryo Monument (World War II Volunteers Monument) -  at the center of Poblacion on the National Highway, was built in honor of the many volunteers who fought for the freedom of the Philippines.

18. Calatagan Caves

19. Kang Porning Cave

20. Watch Tower - is another Spanish structure, also made up of blocks of coral stones. It was built on the side of the hill to watch out for Moro invaders approaching the island. It is the tallest and best preserved in the entire island of Cebu. 

A PhilPost stamp of the Samboan Watch Tower