It was around 12 noon we we got to the place and we were surprised to see hundreds of people who were there. Yes hundreds! The cottages were full packed and people were everywhere! I thought we wouldn't be able to get in and secure a cottage. Good thing our driver have been there numerous times and he has a contact person inside. So we were able to get a cottage. It was quite chaotic due to the number of people who were there. 12 noon is usually the time for fish feeding in the river but because we were too hungry we forgot about it already. We took our lunch first to feed our growling tummies then we went to the river.
When I first saw the river I got instantly mesmerized by the bluish water. The sight was absolutely spectacular! The limpidity of the water was exquisite. The fish population was healthy. There was a lot of big fish! What an absolute treat. I talked to some locals and they share that "NOBODY" has been successful in catching the fish in this river, whether by hand or by spear. In addition, numbers of professional divers have tried to reach the bottom of the river but no one has ever reached nor found the bottom of it. Legend has it that in the early years when locals would go to the river by night time some of them would see some few fairies playing around the area. Very Enchanted right!
My cousin, who always bring a go pro asked me to accompany him in his first jump to the river. At first, I got cold feet because looking at the water makes me think that I will not be able to float. There were quite a few numbers of people swimming around but with life jacket. Just for the sake of photos and videos I braved myself to dare and dive into the water together with my cousin who is also not wearing a life jacket. Our first jump wasn't too bad but we struggled by floating into the water. What I realized was the current of the water was a bit strong like it's sucking you down. Scary to be honest but super worth the experience.
I rented a snorkeling gear for P50 so I can really see what's under. I highly advised to bring your own one because the river is perfect for snorkeling activity. By 3pm we were asked to stop swimming around the area for their scheduled cleaning time. They played a song and the big fishes started coming out from the bottom of the river. There were a lot of them! I could just imagine the number of fishes during feeding time. We stayed until 5pm which is the closing time. After enchanted river we headed to Brittania group of Islands which I will be posting in the coming days so watch out for that! What we have discovered is the stunning beauty of this very enchanting river. The place lives up to its name.
The First Plunge
- entrance - P30 adults, P5 kids below 4 ft.
- tent type rental - P200
- booth type rental - P150
- big nipa hut rental - P150
- small nipa hut rental - P100
- rubber table with umbrella - P100
- life jacket - P15/hour
- river cruising - P160/hour
- Goggles - P20
- Snorkeling gear - P50
How to get to Enchanted River?
From Butuan City you can take a bus going to Hinatuan town. In Butuan terminal you can just ask the local as to which bus you're going to ride. Just mention that you are going to enchanted river since most people there knows which bus you need to take. From Hinatuan town proper you can hire a motorcycle or in local they call it habal-habal to take you to enchanted river. Usually the fare would be P40 but I would suggest to contract the driver for a back and forth ride roughly around P200-P250 just to make sure that you have a ride when you leave enchanted river.
PREPARE FOR THE BUMPY ROAD :-)
For convenient and safety travel from Davao-Surigao Adventures you may
contact:
Davao Transporter Rent A Van ( you can
search them through Facebook )
Look for: Joel S. Valles
Phone number: 0918 2604151
Watch out for more posts of our Surigao
Adventure :-)