Just last September 2009, Wayne and I decided to go surfing in Siargao, Surigao del Norte for a week. However, Surigao del Sur has always been one of Wayne’s dream destinations in the Philippines because of its “Tinuy-an Falls” in Bislig City so we decided to add this in our itinerary and ended up doing an 8-day backpacking trip around Mindanao.
Situated at the Southeastern coast of Mindanao facing the Pacific Ocean, Surigao del Sur’s Bislig City is 158 km south of Butuan, 152 km south of Tandag City and 208 km northeast of Davao City. It may be reached via a 6-hour bus ride from Davao or a 5-hour bus ride from Butuan.
We took the Manila – Davao route as our jump off point to Surigao del Sur because our flight to Butuan has been cancelled a week before our scheduled flight. From Davao International Airport, we went to the Ecoland Bus Terminal and then took the 6-hour bus ride to Mangagoy, Bislig. We arrived at the Paper Country Inn in Bislig at around 7.00 p.m., where we spent the rest of the night after a long, tiring, half day trip.
On our second day, we woke up early, got ready for our tour and left Paper Country Inn at around 8.00 a.m. We took a multicab to Bislig Terminal and then hired a jeepney that would take us to Tinuy-an Falls and Hinatuan’s Enchanted River. From the terminal, we took a one-hour bumpy ride to Tinuy-An Falls and as we reached the place, everyone was truly amazed with what welcomed us – a stunning three-tiered waterfalls (there is actually a fourth one which is not visible from the view.)
Dubbed as the “Little Niagara of the Philippines,” Tinuy-an Falls is approximately 55 meters high and 95 meters wide so one will surely be awed by its unique and magnificent beauty. The best part for swimming and bathing is in the second level. You may also rent a bamboo raft that would take you towards the falls. There you can enjoy a refreshing shower massage under the falling waters of Tinuy-an Falls.
We were also lucky that the water level is not so deep when we visited the place so we had the chance to climb the top of the waterfalls. The hike to the top is a bit strenuous but it’s all worth it because the view of the waterfalls from the top is simply incredible. One should be extra careful though because the trail to the top is really slippery and were mostly covered with moss.
After having lunch and enjoying the thrill of playing in the waters of Tinuy-an Falls, we all packed up and then headed to our next destination – Hinatuan’s Enchanted River.
Getting There
The following airlines both have flights going to Davao and Butuan:
Cebu Pacific (CEB)
Website: http://cebupacificair.com/
Tel. No: (+63 2) 702-0888 (Manila Office) / (+63 32) 230-8888 (Cebu Office)
Philippine Airlines (PAL)
Website: http://www.philippineairlines.com/
Tel. No: (+63 2) 855-8888
Upon reaching Davao, ride a cab to Davao Ecoland Terminal. Catch Bachelor Bus for the 6-hour travel to Mangagoy. But if your coming from Butuan, you may also take the Bachelor Bus for the 5-hour travel to Mangagoy, Bislig, Surigao del Sur.
From the jeepney terminal in Bislig, Tinuy-an Falls is accessible by a 1-hour jeepney ride.
Fees
Jeep + Guide: P3,000.00 (Includes travel to Tinuy-an Falls and Hinatuan’s Enchanted River)
Entrance: P10.00/pax
Cottage: P100.00
Raft: P50.00
Ring Buoy or Salbabida: P30.00
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whoa, welcome back. eto na nag mindanao series! Ü
ganda! (Y)
Nice set of pics, we are also planning to backpack Mindanao, how’s the safety po there especially and Surigao?
Hi there! Yes, how to go to the W/Falls in Bislig and the internationally renowned waves of Siargao is very helpful. In Lanao del Norte, the W/falls are bigger and I hope you can write about them in the future.
i have a friend who lives near the area but havent got the chance to make a trip there yet. one great waterfalls.
@Chyng: Finally!!! Hahahaha! Yup, eto na nga. Sisimulan na namin.
@Mee: Haymishu! Uwi kana, gala ulit tayo.
@Lakwatsera: Thanks, I think it is safe to go there and the place was really very, very beautiful. (L) But of course, one should still be careful.
@Raul: Watch out for our future entries as we will be featuring Siargao too.
We’d really love to feature Maria Cristina Falls in Lanao del Norte, but we haven’t been there yet. 
@Dong Ho: Hi there master, you should really check this out! I swear, you’ll love it!!!
ei the place is great kaya lang di ba delikado sa mindanao? baka me abu sayyaf kc e
hello, my bf and i will be flying to davao on feb 28. our stay will be until mar 3. i am not yet done with our it. our first plan is to visit camp sabros and this falls. can you please suggest the most efficient way to get to visit both these places?also we plan to go to samal and talikud island.masyado bang ambitious ung goal??? :-/
Yuri: Hindi naman. Safe naman po sa Surigao del Sur.
Kristina: Hmm, parang kukulangin yung araw ninyo kung pupuntahan nyo pa yung falls. Kasi medyo malayo sya sa Davao. I suggest na mag-Davao tour na lang muna kayo para masulit nyo yung 4-day trip ninyo. Nasa taas yung way papuntang Tinuy-an Falls, paki-check na lang.
As a kid, my mom brought me to PICOP (a paper factory I think) and remembered visiting these falls as well. Great to see them again!
ang ganda! medyo malayo nga lang, ano? ano-ano pa ba ang pwede puntahan dyan? parang nde worth it kapag yan lang ang pupuntahan eh. considering na from bislig, you’ll need a few more hours to get there.
Nomadic Pinoy: That was cool.
Ria: Yup, medyo malayo. Maganda rin yung Hinatuan’s Enchanted River. Kaso medyo magkalayo sila ng konti. I think meron pang ibang magagandang spots dun, hindi lang namin alam kung saan banda. Hehehe!
hi! a friend and i also backpacked in surigao del sur last november 2009. tinuy-an falls looks more like niagara falls during the rainy season. yun nga lang it would be too dangerous to swim. i’d love to go back and see it on a sunny day. great post! =D
Hi there Travel Mistress. Exactly! And I’d love to go back there too, but during the rainy season.
whoa! O-)
waah..ang ganda dito..super astig talaga nitong site nyo..deserve nyo ung award..
next stop ko cebu and bohol..
sale ang pal e..hehe
@Shoni:
@The Lady Green Hopper: Thanks!
Cool naman! Summer na summer na talaga ha? I love Cebu and Bohol! Lalo na yung mga beaches doon. Sobrang ganda! 
@wayne
opo,,me and my buddies decided that we must travel every month of this year! hehe..
un ung prob namin..sobrang btin ung 3days and 2nyts..xe mag eco aventure danao pa kami in bohol..
Nice! Parang ang gastos ata nun kung every month? Anyway, hanggat may pera, go lang ng go!
Carry na yang 3 days sa Bohol. 
Basta wag lang uulan. (Y)
bilib na talaga ako, pati kasuluksulukan ng bislig narating nyo na..kainggit ang dami nyong oras at hmmm pera. haha. been several times to bislig but never been to tinuy-an. next time i’ll make it sure sa-side trip ako dyan. thanks pasyalera..certified pasyalera!
Hi Batang Mangyan!
Hehehehehe! Thanks! Actually, na-mimiss na nga rin naming gumala lately eh. Wala na kasing time. Masyado ng busy kaya ayun. Hehehehehe!
Tama, try mong puntahan yang place na yan. Super amazing talaga! Actually, dalawa lang yang lugar na yan at yung Enchanted River na dinayo namin sa Surigao del Sur nun. Pag nagkaron ulit ng time, babalik kami don para i-check din yung iba pang magagandang tourist spots sa lugar nila.
Hi there maam! ask lang poh how much ang rate ng bus nung pag travel niyo? What time din poh yung first trip…? yung sa jeepney naman sah bislig, wlang multicab nah available, yung mallit nah service kasi konti lang naman kameh kung pu2ntah…. tnx (C)
astig! super hilig niyo tlga mglakbay s pinas! gandang trip yan ah! sama ako! hehe..
balik kayo ha.. at patuloy n ipagmalaki ang kagandahan
im from bislig nga pla.. particularly in mangagoy.. madami p kau dpat puntahan d2 f ever balik
kayo here.. mas nice din i.ivisit s tinuy-an during rainy season kc sobrang lakas ng tubig..
kahit mga rocks ala ka ng makikita..
ng kalikasan (Y)
Arze: Around 300-400 ata yung fare namin nun per head sa bus from Davao to Bislig. Then yung first trip ata nila is at 2am. Pero paki-confirm na rin ninyo kasi hindi kami sure dito. May mga multicabs doon, pero hindi ata sila papayag na ihatid kayo sa Hinatuan kasi pataas yung way doon, mahihirapan daw yung multicab na umakyat. Kung konti lang kayo, mag-rent na lang kayo ng motorcycle. Mas kaya ata ng mga single na motor akyatin yung daan papuntang Hinatuan kaysa sa mga multicabs.
Sarah: Uyyy, nice!!! Ang dami palang taga Bislig dito. Yup, nakita nga namin na maraming magagandang spots dyan. Kaso wala na kaming time nun dahil yung Hinatuan at Enchanted River lang ang alam namin noon. So 2 days lang talaga yung naka-allot sa schedule namin at that time. Di bale, pag nagkaroon ulit ng chance, sana makabalik ulit kami dyan.
HI maam… Tnx for the Reply, unfortunately the Plan has been cancelled, it was later announced that we will be going to have a work on April 1 and April3…
Perhaps the next time, will be our chance…
BTW: I had added you on my blog roll maam… tnx (F)
Awww, too bad.
Di bale, may next time pa naman. 
Thanks for adding us! We’ve added your blog to our Links page too.
tagal ko di nakadalaw dito ah… hmmm… ang dami ng bago.. ako rin gumagala.. pero di ko muna ibo-blog.. hehehe
Ganda naman, di bale punta rin kami dyan next year.
Hi Shea! Long time no see…
Oo nga eh, good to hear that. Tama, enjoyin mo muna ang pagtatravel. Then pag nagka-time kana, tsaka kana lang magblog. 
Preschool: Nice naman! Take care, sana mag-enjoy din kayo.
gud am..
meron po ba dito nakakaalam ng exact bus fare rate papuntang surigao del sur..? if meron, pwd po malaman..?
bus fare rate to DAVAO to SURIGAO DEL SUR.. tnx..
@Kristine Iris
Fare from Davao to Surigao is 240 + for Non Air
Fare from Davao to Surigao is 320 + for Aircon
Please watch out also, I will post all the bus fare matrix for davao to other terminals.
Oh my, stunning photos! A friend of mine has also been there and all I heard were rave reviews. Hope I can visit someday. So many destinations, so little budget :-/
PinaytravelJunkie: Correct!!! More budget please!!!
Wow! ang ganda naman ng mga pictures.
one word.
breath-taking!
(L)
Hi Pasyalera, ganda ng pics!!
you said on this blog that you went to siargao before going to Tinuy-an, paano nyo ginawa ito. Me and my friends are planning the same thing, Pero mauuna muna kami dito before magsurf sa siargao (feelingerang surfer lang ako, di makatayo sa surfboard.. hahaha). Ang mali ko lang ay ang binook namin na flight ay sa Surigao City, nakalimutan ko na malayo pa pala yun. Patulong naman sana sa itirenary, kung okay lang. 
Hi Akibay, nope, before we went to Siargao, dumaan muna kami dito sa Surigao Del Sur. Kami rin, feeling surfer lang din.
Yung Surigao City ay malapit na sa Siargao, so baka hassle na sa inyo na magtatravel kayo ng mahaba papuntang South just to drop by Tinuy-an Falls and then back to Surigao City para pumunta naman ng Siargao. Teka, bakit nga pala kayo nagbook sa Surigao City? Meron din namang flights to Siargao ang Cebu Pacific, bakit di yun ang kinuha ninyo? Anyway, sige, we’ll try to help you as much we can. 
hi wayne! thanks for the reply. Hassle talaga, I’ve been to Siargao before. (May mga kamag-anak kasi kami dyan) Gusto ko lang talagang pumunta sa Tinuy-an falls and Hinatuan Enchanted river(Crazzy Idea.. I know!) eh nagseat sale ang Cebu Pacific ng Manila Surigao Flights dahil eto ang kanilang bagong area na sine-serve. Anyways, buti pala galing kayo ng surigao del sur before going to Siargao. Kami baliktad eh, kaya nagdadalawang isip na akong tumuloy sa falls. Nanghihinayang lang ako talaga sa chance. Anyway, thanks sa pagreply!
Pag-iisipan ko muna yung Tinuy-an (T_T)
I see, next time nyo na lang puntahan yung falls. Baka masira pa yung plans ninyo pag pinilit ninyo. Goodluck sa trip ninyo.
beautiful photos. i’ll definitely include this place in my list, thanks!
Simply breathtaking. I was this falls featured on one to the travel shows on tv. =)
Hi Icey and Wayne,
Thanks for visiting and enjoying Tinuy-an Falls since its the pride of my hometown – Bislig.
I got my own entry about it here => http://dunah.blogspot.com/2009/04/taonglangit-in-tinuy-falls.html 
I’m sure it was worth your backbreaking half day travel. I’ll look forward to your future posts about the sights of Surigao del Sur.
You got a great blog! :o)
Wow. Gratz u’ve been there in our place.. Taonglangit, where you from?
please dont go there riding a motorcycle…ITS DANGEROUS!!! :@ :@ :@ I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN I GOT THERE… ;-( ;-( ;-( NO ONE TOLD US!!! I ALMOST DIED…BUT STILL ITS A BEAUTIFUL CREATION FROM GOD… O:-) O:-) O:-) NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCED..
hello me and my daughter are backpackers from Silang, Cavite and were planning to visit Bislig -tinuy-an on Dec ….i’m just a bit shock on the fare 3K pesos fare and tour guide fee….is it really necessary to book on a package tour for this place??? can we not do it our own? like taking a public vehicle , etc etc
hi there!! i was born and raised in mangagoy..but i left right after highschool and moved here in manila. I didn’t know about tinuy-an falls until i visited my family(after 11 years huh?!) just last year. I was really amazed when i reached that falls! We went there by a motorcycle and it’s really more fun! My experience in tinuy-an falls was really great!!! I took a lot of pictures there..HMM.. i’ll be in mangagoy next week visiting my family and friends and i will experience the tinuy-an falls AGAIN.!!!(excited)yahoooooh…^_^
hi,
vary ang place. i wanna go…i’ll be in davao next week…
i mean very nice…hehe
can we stay overnyt there?
I wish I could go there and see the “Little Niagara Falls”…it’s looks like a very nice place to visit. (Y)
hi pasyalera! =) mindanao has a lot to offer especially the caraga region.. the next time you visit here go to Sohoton Nature Park in Surigao del Norte.. if you were mesmerized by the beauty of palawan, then i suggests you visit Sohoton dahel mas maganda un.. super winner ang place! =)
ok din pala sa enchanted river in hinatuan surigao del sur.. sana when you visited tinuy-an dumaan na din kau dun.. then have your lunch at the Doll House.. part of my advocacy is to promote caraga coz i am telling you they really have a lot to offer! =)
whapak! I could stare at this for hours!
hello pasyalera.. meron parin naman kami mga magagandang tanawin sa bislig..aside from tinuy-an falls..meron din kaming tinatawag na Hagonoy Island – a pearl shaped island with clear blue water; 45 minutes pump-boat ride within the Bislig Bay. Suitable for a tropical getaway. meron din Hinayagan Cave – Presence of Stalactite, Shiny rocks and hard stones. nature trip yan..!! and dont worry kasi safe kau sa sa Bislig City.
saw the falls personally 2 weeks ago.. sobrang ganda! worth it ang byahe!
I like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon.
Such a have grown superb for a second time work outs that can help you loosen your spinal column as well as sleep appropriately without the practical knowledge with regards to difficulties in your all over again.
am just wonderin’ how come you stopped blogging or like posting entries…Hope you’re OK…
hi,magdadala kami ng sariling sasakyan papunta sa falls,ok lang ba ang daan papunta?
hi melvin pa sabay naman gusto ko mag travel dun kaso ako lang mag isa at magastos pag mag isa lang hehe
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it’s really refreshing to take a dip here and use the balsa. we also enjoyed the habal-habal ride to get here.
nice falls
awesome falls! perfect for swimming!