And off we go following the river. It was the third day of our waterfalling adventure in Iligan City organized by Iligan Bloggers Society (IBS) and we only have one falls to visit today. Boy this must be a good one, I thought. The first day was packed with three falls – Pampam, Kalubihon and Dalipuga Falls. Day two, while not really a falls was a satisfying immersion at the Timoga Cold Springs. This time we’re heading to Dodiongan Falls in Barangay Bonbonon in Iligan City.
Trek to the Falls
We were dropped off on an open trail by the river. After distributing some of our goods (lunch and drinks) we started our trek. The trail runs parallel by the right side of the clear gently flowing stream flanked by trees and heavy foliage. It was quite easy as it is already well established. Probably frequented by the locals and families who lived on a cluster of huts we passed by. There were small patches of farmland growing mainly vegetables near the pathways. Twenty minutes into the hike, we finally caught a glimpse of the falls on a major river curve. Out of excitement, the group splintered, some including myself, decided to tread the river and hopscotch along the rocks on its left side.
Dodiongan Falls
It is definitely one of those waterfalls that has the wow-factor upon first glimpse. It’s sheer height of 20 meters (65 feet) is enough to impress plus the suggestive form of the rocks where the waters slide in can play to different people’s imagination. For most, people see a folded angel’s wing teasing onlookers to get closer before spreading all its majesty.
The wide and deep pool of Dodiongan Falls sure is a pleasant feature of the falls. We were able to swim in, safely from the shallow depths near its banks and even a challenge on who could reach the falls. I failed on that one exhausting my energy sooner and not really confident swimming at those depths with strong heavy current pounding against me. I ended up watching Doi and Shugs head back with accomplished smiles on their faces.
Hello Jollibee!
And what a surprise! I had to stop taking photos when I saw the familiar red striped bee pointing at the falls. We have Jollibee with us gracing our company and along with that our hefty lunch of Chicken Joy and burger. Thank you very much Jollibee Iligan. This definitely added a lot fun in Dodiongan Falls.
Essential Information
Dodiongan Falls is located at Brgy. Bonbonon. From Iligan City town proper, there are a couple of ways to go there:
- Jeep to Barinaut Terminal (Php 8); 10 minutes travel time. From the terminal, take a habal-habal to the jumpoff point of Dodiongan Falls (Php 30/pax); 30 minutes travel time.
- Ride a jeep bound for Digkilaan (PHP 30-45) at the Public Market Jeepney Terminal. Ask the driver to drop you off at Dodiongan Falls; 45 minutes travel time. From the forked road, hire a habal-habal for the falls jump-off point.
Consider: Wear light and comfortable hiking clothes. Apply sun protection as the trail is open.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
