Lake Sebu

Lake Sebu sits high in the cool, often misty highlands of South Cotabato, the largest of three lakes in the municipality that shares its name. Its surface is patterned with bamboo tilapia pens and stands of lotus, and small boats cross it in the early morning when mist is still on the water. Downstream a river drops through a wooded gorge in a chain of seven falls; a zipline runs across the gorge in two spans, high above the second fall, and is among the longest in the country. The area is the home of the T'boli and the Ubo, whose ancestral domain over the lake was recognised in 1993; the T'boli are known for t'nalak, a cloth woven from abaca fibre, and for brass casting, both of which can be seen being made.

Highlights

• The lake at dawn - mist over the water, lotus stands and bamboo tilapia pens.
• The seven falls - the chain of cascades in the gorge, with viewpoints and steps to the lower ones.
• The zipline - two long spans crossing the gorge high above the second fall.
• Lakes Seloton and Lahit - the two smaller lakes in the same municipality, quieter than Sebu itself.

When to go

November to May is the drier half of the year, though the highlands stay misty and cool throughout and a jacket is useful in the mornings. Go out on the lake at first light for the mist. The zipline runs in daylight and stops in rain or high wind. The T'nalak Festival in July fills the wider province.

What to expect

The zipline is expensive for what is a few minutes of riding, and the queue on a weekend can be long. Reaching the second falls viewpoint means a steep flight of steps in humidity. The lake is a working aquaculture lake rather than a wilderness, and the water is not for swimming. The drive up from General Santos or Koronadal is slow.

Nearby

The Allah valley and the highlands of South Cotabato, with Koronadal below.

Key facts