Olangoan Falls, located in Puerto Princesa City’s outlying barangay of Binduyan, is now open and prepared to receive guests looking to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature.
It has been closed for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the damage caused by Typhoon Odette, but it is now reopening as a community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) destination with its cool waters and distinctive environment as its main draws, the City Tourism Department (CTD) said.
Olangoan Falls is a natural place where water falls from a height surrounded by lush vegetation at the foothill of Mt. Cleopatra, an environmentally protected area and the city’s tallest peak. It features a short five-meter cliff jump as well as a swimming hole with tiny fish.
Managed by the Binduyan Community Tourism Association (BCTA) under the Northeast Tourism Circuit (Circuit 2), it is at Kilometer 72 and its entrance is close to the national highway.
The CTD, through the “Aelaman Nindo” (Did You Know That) segment of its Amos Taren sa Puerto Princesa regular radio program, said visitors need to walk at least 30–45 minutes to get to the falls after paying an entrance fee of P50 and a P400 tour guide fee for a group of 5 individuals.
“May lalim ang falls na umaabot ng pitong metro at madalas ay malamig ang tubig kaya maganda itong puntahan sa tag-init. (It’s 7 meters deep, and the water is cold, so it’s a good place to go in the summer),” Mark Maringit said.
“Mula ng sumalanta ang bagyong Odette, nagbalik na sa operasyon ang Olangoan Falls kasabay ng pagbubukas ng Puerto Princesa Northeast Circuit para sa turismo nitong September 14 (It has since reopened after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, along with the opening of the Puerto Princesa Northeast Circuit on September 14),” he added.
People who had been to the falls before said that it was a fun stop on the way to Port Barton in San Vicente, or El Nido.
Back in June, the CBST association that manages the tourism destination appealed to the people’s Bayanihan spirit to help in the restoration of the structures and facilities destroyed by Typhoon Odette for tour operations to resume this year.
BCTA president Gemma Moreno said Odette destroyed Olangoan’s hanging bridge, cottages, and information office.
