Since I got to discover the different food offerings of Bacolod City, I needed to burn the calories. One suggestion which is a must on everyone’s list in going to Negros Occidental is by communing with nature in Mambukal Resort known for the seven waterfalls.
Early morning on my second day, I made my way to the terminal of mini-buses going to Mambukal, Murcia. The terminal is along Mabini Street across the University of Negros Occidental (UNO) Recolettos. Travel time is more than an hour and fare is Php 35. On your way to the resort are endless views of sugar cane plantations.
Mambukal Resort is located at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon and is 1200 feet above sea level giving the “cool mood” to their guests. I arrived at the resort around 9 o’clock. After paying the Php 50 entrance fee, a staff already called a tour guide for the water-falling activity.
You can pass by some of the resort’s amenities before the jump off point. I also got the opportunity to have a closer look on balinsasayaw bird’s nests. You can also try bat watching activity on a deck with different species of bat such as Golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon Jubatus), Large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), and Common island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) in sight.
They let me signed on the visitor’s log book on the jump off point before we continued our trek. During the walk, I noticed that some of the trees are labeled with their species and scientific name and I’m glad the management does it for recording purposes. After a couple of minutes, we reached the first waterfall.
Swimming is not allowed in the basin of the first falls so I was only able to dip my hands in the water, it was really cool! We continued our trek and reached the second one. A view deck is available where you can have a picture with the waterfall in the background. It is lower compared to the first.
Trek going to the deck of the third waterfall was exhausting since the trail is a bit steep. I also had a hard time capturing the third falls on my camera because a big rock is on the side of the deck blocking the view. Unfortunately, fourth and fifth waterfalls can’t be seen along the trail anymore since they were totally covered immensely by leaves of trees.
A rest area is available near the sixth waterfall. I took a rest for some minutes and then told my guide to continue our trek. The seventh waterfall is far from the sixth that you will literally endure a long walk, luckily, the trail is easier compared to the first ones.
Swimming is allowed on the seventh falls but since I didn’t bring extra clothes for swimming, I didn’t dare to go near it. I was already satisfied capturing its picturesque view. A shed is also available if you want to spend longer time and brought something to munch while in the area. A group of friends was enjoying the cool waters of the waterfall when I went there.
You have two options going back to the resort; first is to trek the trail you have taken and the second one is to charter a habal-habal (motorcycle) that will bring you back to the resort. Since I’m on a tight budget, I chose to trek back. Restaurants and eateries are also available near the jump off point if ever you want to eat before exploring or leaving the resort.
The resort has several attractions such as zipline, wall climbing, lagoon, butterfly garden, and hot sulfur springs. On my case, I already left after the water-falling activity since I need to be back in Bacolod by noon to catch up with my itinerary. Buses going back to Bacolod can be found at the gate of the resort and leave on a regular basis even if it’s not full.
I was glad I included the hike to the seven falls on my itinerary. Even though the waterfalls are not that impressive compared to the falls I’ve seen, the experience of being with nature at the same time enjoying its beauty was worth the travel.
Mambukal Resort
Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental
Contact No.: 034-473-0610
