Tantangan Falls

---

I am a little bit tired to start an exciting nature trip to Tantangan. It is December 5, 2010. I arrived late at MUTI building located at Osmena St., Koronadal City based on the agreed time which is 6 am. It takes 5 minutes walk from my boarding house. The travel to Tantangan where our initial place to start walking only takes us less than 1 hour travel by truck. Tantangan, where Buayan elementary school is located is a small municipality near Koronadal City.

We arrived in a small village with less than 20 households. Most of the inhabitants were muslims. Kids are helping their parents in farming and gathering firewoods. A nice huts made in bamboo and kogon leaves are their common type of house. We have a small talk while walking to the falls. We arrived in the first water falls in less than an hour. Hmm! Cyril immediately swim in the small river where water falls in an early morning around 8 am and it's still cold. And another follows him.

We take our breakfast in that area. Its pastel again. A cooked rice with chunked chicken as a toppings wrapped in heated banana leaves. To reach another waterfalls we need to hike through the slippery stones where water are dripping. The waterfalls are just 15 meters apart but the place is sloppy, slippery and difficult to climb. Women join the swimming in the waterfalls. The water is cold and great. Some of the guys were able to reach the third waterfalls. It is still stony and slippery.

We stayed in that place for almost two hours and planned to make another travel to Koronadal City.The place we are heading is called Mambucal. It took us 1 hour to travel by road. We have a fearful experienced when the truck is heading to the hot spring. In a slippery pathway, the truck nearly fall in a cliff with 5 meters high. When the guys noticed that the truck stopped and its near the cliff with a 50% chance of falling to it if erroneously manuever, they started jumping out and the rest follow.

We decided to leave truck and start walking. We arrived after a 15 minutes walk in a hot spring. The hot water that coming out from the earth where inside the pool. It has a creamy color and the temperature is about 28 -35 celcius. Inside the pool, we experienced a little foul smell and the water is hot. The place was not maintained. Dead leaves were inside the pool. And near that place, men are piling trees brought from the mountain.

---

Comments

[The Mark of an Explorer]

Guide
Can you refer us some guide that will help us get to that place? Is it dangerous? I think there are lots of NPA on that place.

[julz76]

travel to mindanao
in lake maughan, an inhabitant told me that there are foreigners who were able to reach that place. usually, we coordinate with the head of the barangay. in tantangan, its just near koronadal city. NPAs are anywhere in Mindanao. but inhabitants in remote areas are farmers and they are friendly.

[julz76]

hi
i guess, i was not able to give you a good answer. usually, we have with us those that already went to that place, example in lake maughan. my employer visited that place many times while in tantangan, an officemate have visited that place. as to security, i cannot assure you since, risk is always part of adventure.