Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor - Everything You Need To Know (2024)
Looking for waterfalls on the island of Siquijor? Cambugahay is arguably one of the most stunning but also definitely the most crowded! That does not mean you should not go, head early at opening and you can experience the falls near to empty and for us the setting was 100% worth the early morning; we even saw an Iguana!
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Cambugahay Falls Location, Siquijor?
Cambugahay is located to the east of the island Siquijor in the town of Lazi. The entrance is off Cambugahay Falls Road near the town of Tigbawan.
Cambugahay Falls Map
How To Get To Cambugahay Falls?
If you’re staying in San Juan (which we recommend) the drive on a scooter takes about 40 minutes. Follow the main island road east until the town of Tigbawan. Take a right at the chapel and head up Cambugahay road. You will see signs on the right for the entrance to the falls, the sooter parking is located directly opposite. We highly recommend you hire a scooter on Siquijor it’ll make your experience easier and you’ll have the freedom to visit everywhere.
You can find great deals for scooter from around ₽250-350 a day. When you arrive at the port there are lots of scooter rentals nearby or you can rent one in San Juan. We organised ours through our hostel which worked out well.
If you’re not hiring a scooter you will need to hire a trike to take you to the falls, this will cost around ₽200 each way from San Juan.
You will see the building where you enter to purchase your tickets before heading down cobbled steps to the first falls.
How Much Is Cambugahay Falls?
The entrance fee is currently only ₽50 per person. We think this is well worth the cost.
If you’re on a budget be aware they charge for everything inside: toilets, tables to put your stuff on, rope swing, photos, showers and changing rooms etc. However it can be done cheaply.
You can put your stuff down by a tree however be careful as a girl in our hostel got her bag stolen here, apparently this is rare but you still need to watch out.
When To Visit Cambugahay Falls?
Head early or don't bother! The falls open at 8am and this is when we arrived, there was already a handful of people there so even 7:50am if you really want to it to be quiet. By 9:30 we left; it had got overcrowded and had lost its tranquillity. We wouldn’t recommend visiting any other time.
We took a picture just before we left to show you the crowds at 9:30.
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What To See and Do at Cambugahay Falls?
The falls are made up of four tiers, each tier has a swimming section and most have a rope swing you can use for a small charge. The natural fresh water pools make the perfect jungle paradise to cool off after a sweaty scooter ride and as swimming is free that’s what we opted to do.
When you enter you’ll take a 2 minute walk down cobbled steps to the first and main falls. Continue your journey up through the jungle to discover the other more quieter falls.
Our favourite area was the one right at the top on the last level, the falls aren’t as impressive but it’ll be quieter and this is where we saw an iguana scampering along a tree trunk.
We started at the top and made our way down; the falls get more impressive as you descend and you can’t help but stop and grab a photo.
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There are lots of tour guides around that you can pay to take photos. They will send you out on a raft before proceeding to get you the best Instagram post. We didn’t feel the need to do this the place is so beautiful you can easily catch a great photo yourself for free.
You could easily spend a whole morning here if you don’t mind the crowds. For us we spent an hour and a half before it got too busy and decided to love on to explore some other waterfalls on the island of Siquijor.
What's Nearby In The Local Area?
If you're hungry after all of the waterfall action then there is a lovely restaurant not too far called Y-Roads, owned by a lovely family and packed when we visited it serves beautifully cooked, fresh Filipino food. We would highly recommend it.
Best Places To Stay Siquijor
Siquijor has lots of accommodation whether you’re looking for a dive school, a luxury resort or a budget hostel you’ll be able to find somewhere. We recommend staying in the main hub of San Juan as this is where most of the restaurants are located as well as easy access to most of the island's attractions.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
Below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for San Juan, Siquijor:
Top Things To Do On Siquijor
We stayed 5 nights on Siquijor and think this is the perfect amount of time to see everything the island has to offer. Here’s our highlights.
Top Pick: Cambugahay Falls
Visit early or don’t bother going, this is our top pick as it was so tranquil at 8am plus we saw an iguana!
Best Beach: Salagdoong Beach
An adventure beach with cliff jumps, snorkelling and crystal waters. Although a little drive away, we think it’s worth it.
Off The Beaten Track: Cantabon Cave
Our favourite cave tour of the Philippines and still a hidden gem on the island.
Other Blogs On Siquijor
Essential Travel Items You Need
 | Lifestraw - Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Jungle Formula - High Deet Mosquito Spray The weak sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high deet percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes. |
 | Water Shoes - Lightweight with Protection Stay protected from Sea Urchins with these, also useful for snorkelling, waterfall hikes and more. We also love our Microfibre Towels and Dry Bag. |
 | Universal Travel Adaptor With Multiple USBs Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country... game changer. |
Top Tips For Travelling The Philippines
If you’re visiting the Philippines here are our top travel tips:
Book flights in advance - they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… oh and check your luggage allowance to skip expensive check in fees at the airport. Don't forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags
Agree on taxi prices upfront - when getting into a tuk-tuk, tricycle or taxi, make sure you agree on a price or they have a meter, so many tourists get ripped off with a huge price tag at the end of the ride.
Take it slow - don't feel the need to see all the islands, we recommend picking a few and doing them properly. See the island in full, find some locals and sing Karaoke..
Embrace the chaos and get stuck in, the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
For a checklist of what's needed to pack for your trip, read: How to Pack for Backpacking to South East Asia: Backpacking Essentials and Accessories
We love our DJI Mini for all of our drone shots!
Final Thoughts On Cambugahay Falls
Before we went everyone we met told us it was over hyped and overcrowded. We had a great experience and would highly recommend going but only at opening time any later and we think we would have had a different experience.
Travel Tools To Help You Plan
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Philippine adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
For our Filipino friends: Maraming salamat sa pag babasa, hangang sa susunod nating pag kikita, mamimiss namin kayo, mabuhay ang pilipinas! Salamat
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