Aliwagwag Falls

Aliwagwag is not one waterfall but a long series of them - the Cateel River dropping down a forested mountainside in a sequence of tiers, counted locally at eighty-four and often described as a staircase, with the whole run stretching several hundred metres from top to bottom. The lower sections are what visitors see: a viewing area, pools for swimming at the base, a hanging bridge across the river, and a zipline and skycycle strung over the gorge for those who want them. Above that the tiers continue up into forest that forms part of a protected landscape, and the upper reaches are rarely visited. The area sits in a remote corner of Davao Oriental on the Pacific side of Mindanao, and getting there from Davao City is a long day's drive, which keeps numbers low outside local holidays. Flow varies sharply with rain.

What you actually see

• The tiered staircase - dozens of steps down the slope.
• The base pools - swimming water at the lowest tiers.
• The hanging bridge - the crossing over the river.
• The forest slope - protected woodland above the falls.

When to go

December to May for safer river conditions; heavy rain swells the falls dramatically but closes the swimming areas. Weekdays are quiet.

Honest expectations

It is a long drive from Davao City on ordinary roads. The tiers you can see are the lower few; the full staircase is not walkable. Rocks are slippery and flow changes fast after rain.

Nearby

Cateel town and the Pacific coast road run north; Dahican Beach at Mati is south.