After the disaster that hit our province, people are starting to recover. Even though we were struck by one of the most horrific disasters ever to hit our soil, beauty can still be gazed upon. And what better way to start with than to take a cooling dip on the still crystal clear waters of Jawili Falls. Even though the great Aklan River is still as brown as the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Jawili's seven basin falls are the opposite.





How to get there...
Located approximately 30 km from the town of Kalibo, it is just a short drive or jeepney ride away. Or, if the you don't like jeepneys, there is also the occasional bus. But beware, most of the buses that are not good looking have really reckless divers. And don't ever think of trying to ride by a tricycle, you wont get there till Christmas, plus you'll get to push it occasionally.

If you get your hands on a car, locating the road to the falls is a piece of cake. First, just follow the National Highway to the town of Tangalan. You'll pass by the towns of Numancia and Makato before reaching the town. Then when you see the Tangalan wet market, turn right. If you're not sure, you can ask any of the friendly locals and they'll kindly show you the way. After the turn, just drive straight until you reach end of the block. Then turn left, after a few seconds, you'll be able to see the park and the small but really old church of Tangalan. When you see this landmark, you'll know that you're on the right track. Afterwards, just follow the road. After several minutes, you'll be able to see a right hand turn towards a bridge, but don't go there because its the road to the beach. Just dive straight on, later you'll see the road littered with small flags, and you'll know your near the falls.

If you're from Caticlan, you'll have to pass by the towns of Nabas and Ibajay. When you reach the Tanglan Public Market, turn left and just follow the aforementioned instructions.

How much will you spend...
It depends on what you'll do. If you'll just take a dip, the entrance fee to the falls is just Php 10 and another Php 10 for the bathroom use. Oh, a tip, don't go through the resort if you'll just go and get a dip, parking fees and entrance fees can run from Php 50 to Php 100. Note that the fees from the resort are separate from what you'll pay for the dip. In lay mans terms, you'll pay twice just to take a dip at the falls.

Where you can stay...
You can stay at Jawili Falls Resort, owned by Segfre Magallanes. If you'll rent a picnic hut, its rated at Php 150 per three hours. And if you'll rent a closed hut for the night, it will cost you Php 400. They say its good for 4 persons but ironically has only 1 bed so anticipate another round of payments for extra mattresses. The rooms are not air-conditioned, so be ready for a steamy night but at least it has its own toilet.

Picnic huts

Closed Huts with a nice tropical feel.

Food may be an issue since they offer nothing but canned goods. But this can be easily remedied just by bringing your own food.

Some other things that you can do...
You can either go to the beach and relax on some resort or you could take a short hike up a small hill where you can see a really nice view of the beach.

Here's a glimpse of my next feature, Jawili Beach...