Dao Falls, Samboan: the quiet Cebu waterfall past Kawasan

The quick version

If you only take a few things from this guide, take these.

• Where

  Barangay Suba, in the municipality of Samboan, on Cebu’s far south-west coast, south of Badian and Moalboal, near the island’s southern tip.

• What it is

  A waterfall reached by an easy thirty-minute to one-hour walk along a shallow river, ending at a swimmable pool. No canyoneering course, no cliff jumps, no booked guide required.

• How far

  Roughly four hours from Cebu City by road, and about an hour and twenty minutes on from Moalboal, so most visitors see it as a stop on a wider south-Cebu trip rather than a day trip on its own.

• Who it suits

  Travellers who want a real waterfall and a quiet swim without the crowds, gear and jumps of Kawasan canyoneering.

Dao Falls or Kawasan: which one is for you

Both are limestone waterfalls in south Cebu, and both are easy to reach from Moalboal, but the experience is very different.

• Kawasan Falls

  The famous one: a three-to-four-hour canyoneering descent with cliff jumps and rock slides, or a swim-and-raft visit at the basin itself. Well organised, well signposted, and busy, especially by mid-morning.

• Dao Falls

  A single-drop waterfall you walk in to along a river, no jumps or technical sections, and far fewer people. It rewards travellers who want the scenery and the swim without the adventure-sport structure around it.

• Doing both

  Because Samboan is roughly an hour past Badian, some private-car itineraries visit Kawasan (or its basin) and Dao Falls on the same long day, or split them across a two- or three-day loop through Moalboal and on to Oslob.

The walk in

The trail starts at a small visitor area with a ticket office, then drops down through a short stretch of stairs to the river. From there it is a wade upstream through shallow, clear water between limestone canyon walls covered in ferns and palms, with a couple of natural rock steps near the end where the falls come into view. It takes most visitors thirty minutes to an hour each way, at an easy pace, and does not require any climbing or jumping.

The rock underfoot can be slippery in places, so closed water shoes or grippy sandals make the walk easier than flip-flops. Local guides are usually available at the entrance and are worth having for a first visit, both for the footing and because they know the safest line through the river.

Getting there

Dao Falls sits well south of Kawasan, along the same coast road that continues past Badian, Alegria and Malabuyoc to Samboan.

• From Cebu City

  The public route is a Ceres bus south towards Bato via Barili, continuing on to Samboan, with a short habal-habal or motorbike taxi for the last stretch to the trailhead; door to door this typically runs to around four hours. A private car and driver covers the same road in comfort and can time the stop around the rest of your day.

• From Moalboal

  Public transport (a local bus, then a short motorbike taxi) typically takes around an hour and twenty minutes for the last leg to the trailhead, making Moalboal the more practical base if you are visiting Dao Falls as part of a wider south-Cebu trip.

• By private car

  Because it is a long way south with no direct public transport all the way to the trailhead, most visitors combine Dao Falls with a private car and driver, either as a long single day from the city or, more comfortably, as a stop on a multi-day route through Moalboal and on towards Oslob.

Fees and what to bring

A small local entrance fee and a local guide fee are collected at the visitor area; these are set and paid locally, so we do not quote or collect them.

• Water shoes or grippy sandals

  The riverbed and the final rock steps can be slippery. Closed water shoes make the walk noticeably easier than flip-flops.

• Swimwear and a change of clothes

  You are in and out of the river on the way in, and the pool at the base is worth swimming in.

• Cash for the entrance and guide fee

  Card payment is unlikely to be available this far off the main tourist circuit, so bring pesos.

• A dry bag or a secured phone case

  You are wading through a river for most of the walk, so keep valuables protected or leave them in the car.

Combine it with

Samboan is far enough south that Dao Falls rarely stands alone; most visitors fold it into a wider loop down the south-west coast.

• Moalboal

  About an hour and twenty minutes back up the coast, for the sardine run and sea turtles at Panagsama Beach, and the most practical overnight base for a Dao Falls visit.

• Kawasan Falls

  An hour north, whether you want the full canyoneering descent or just the swim-and-raft visit at the basin, and a natural pairing on the same coast road.

• Oslob whale sharks

  On the south-east coast, reachable by continuing round the southern tip of the island. Some multi-day itineraries link Moalboal, Dao or Kawasan Falls, and Oslob into one loop before heading back to Cebu City.