The Suyo Chronicles Part II: The Majestic Dawara Falls
A few weeks ago, I ventured on my first solo trip to Suyo, Ilocos Sur. That's when I wrote The Suyo Chronicles. In that post, I mentioned a waterfall named, Dawara. I'm going to go full Hermoine on you and say, 'It's DA-WA-RA. Not DA-RA-WA.' Anyway, that particular falls broke my heart, not because it was horrible or anything (it wasn't), but because I wasn't able to bask in its full glory.
[caption width="3000" id="attachment_333" align="alignnone"]
This was the closest that I got to Dawara Falls.[/caption]When I found out that there's a long weekend coming, I knew what I had to do.
On October 29, 2016, My adventure buddy, Kliff and I, packed our bags, jumped on 'Buttercup' (Kawasaki Zx), then went on our way to Suyo, Ilocos Sur. We almost had to re-schedule because I was having tummy troubles that day. My stubbornness won. It was now or never. *wink*
HOW TO GET THERE:
Via Commute:
- From Vigan, take a bus going to Cubao, Pasay, or San Fernando, La Union.
- From Manila, take a bus going to Vigan, Laoag, Candon or Abra.
- Ask the kundoktor to drop you off at Bitalag Junction, Tagudin Ilocos Sur
- At Bitalag Junction, hire a tricycle that will take you to Suyo, Ilocos Sur. Look for trikes that are painted white and green. The standard fare to Suyo is P25.00 but you may pay for the whole trike for only P150.00. Maximum capacity per trike is 5 pax.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Calling it a bad time would be an understatement. It felt like fate was punishing me. Ansakit talaga ng tiyan ko noon. Andaming turista na papuntang Norte that day. Parang lahat ng gasoline station na madadaanan noon, mahaba ang pila. Imagine my struggle? Hahaha.
Note To Self: Never take Buscopan before a scheduled trip. *facepalm*
We had a whole day ahead of us. We originally planned to visit FIVE (5) spots but we ended up visiting only FOUR (4). Our ETA (expected time of arrival) at Suyo, Ilocos Sur, was 8:30AM. We arrived around 9:45AM. [Kasi talagang ayaw paawat ng tiyan ko. Hahaha. Sorry talaga.]
I already knew my way around the place so there was no need to hire a guide.
The landmark to the jump-off point to DAWARA FALLS is the Kimpusa Bridge. It's the bridge BEFORE the Municipal Hall of Suyo.
At the end of Kimpusa Bridge, there's a trail behind the wood shack. If you're coming from the Municipal Hall, the trail would be on your right.
Just follow the trail until you reach the foot bridge.
[NOTE: There's another falls named 'Sangbay' which you will see if you follow the flow of the river. Our main pitstop was Dawara Falls so we only took a sneak peak of Sangbay. Unfortunately, I failed to take some photos.]
The first time I went there, the locals told me that some parts of the trail were no longer passable because of the landslide that occurred months ago. Being our usual, curious selves, we just had to see where the dirt road will lead us.
We saw an old woman who was sweeping twigs and dead leaves off the beaten path. We asked if there's a trail going down from the side of the mountain because we wanted to see Dawara Falls up-close. The old woman pointed out an obscure path which I failed to notice during my first visit.
[caption width="2048" align="alignnone"]
The path is a little difficult to spot. I say, trust your instincts.[/caption]We told the old woman that we'll just come back for it.
We walked for another 5-minutes and it was clear that we were on our way to the top of Dawara Falls. However, we saw what seemed to be a road-block.
False alarm though. You can just climb over it. Easy.
[Minsan talaga may magandang naidudulot ang pagiging pasaway. Hahaha.]
This quaint mini-dam welcomed us as we approached the end of the trail.
There was a time when oil was becoming more and more expensive that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) started looking for alternative sources of power. They eventually came up with the idea of putting up dendro-thermal projects. ISECO, which was under NEA, was able to put up a mini-hydro power plant in Poblacion, Suyo, Ilocos Sur called Dawara Mini-Hydro.
Unfortunately, Dawara Mini-Hydro Power Plant submerged after the landslide brought about by the super typhoon "Nitang" on August 1, 1983. It was a big loss for ISECO and due to insufficient funds, it was not rehabilitated since then. (source: ISECO.org)
The view at the top cannot be justified by mere words. You could just stand there and goggle at the beautiful view for hours and not get tired of it. You really need to see it and experience the rush yourself.
I was trying to get a shot of the water cascades but I was pretty high up so I began feeling a bit woozy. I was only able to take a few photos. Hindi talaga ako makatagal. The river was giving off this illusyon na parang papalapit ako ng papalapit sa edge. Hahaha.
The basin supplied by the mini-dam was suitable for swimming. It seemed pretty deep as well. I kinda wanted to take a dip but we were running out of time so we had to take our leave.
We went back and traced our steps until we found the path leading down from the mountain.
[caption width="2048" id="attachment_889" align="alignnone"]
Watch out for ants![/caption]
Dawara Falls was within our reach!
We were still a few feet away from the foot of Dawara Falls but we we're already getting soaked.
It's probably one of the grandest curtain waterfalls Ilocos Sur could offer.
The downfall was turbulent. Nagsisimula na na mag-moist yung mga camera na dala namin. [I should've bought those anti-fog pads when I had the chance. *sigh*] We only had a few clear shots of the place. Struggle na talaga kasi sobrang lakas nung pinagsamang hangin at tubig.
Dawara doesn't dry up even during Summer. It's prettiest during July-October.
I was hypnotized by its beauty. But as much as I want to stay, the heat was starting to become unbearable so we had to say our goodbyes. I'm pretty sure I left a piece of my heart there. *sigh*
We had a quick snack at RV Mamihan and Kainan then prepped up for Sangbay ni Ragsak. I've already blogged about it here so I'll just share some additional snapshots.
We swam and relaxed for awhile. At around 2PM, we pushed our luck and went to Man-atong to seek out another known waterfall but alas! The locals said that the place was still landslide-prone. Oh well, papel! There's always a next time. *wink*
Upon reaching Bitalag Junction, we stopped for a quick snack before finally heading to our next destination.
TIP: Try niyo yung ice scramble na benta ni Kuya dun. Sarap! Brings back childhood memories!
At around 4PM, we were on our way to Kagutungan Falls, Daligan, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. I'm going to reserve this hidden beauty for my next post. *wink*
We called it quits around 5PM. We stopped by Cruiser Grilled Burgers at Candon, Ilocos Sur for our early dinner (To-die-for handmade, gourmet burgers. I swear!) and exclaimed 'Touchdown, Vigan!' around 7:30PM. Whew!
That particular Saturday felt longer than usual. It was exhausting but extremely fun. It's definitely a trip to remember. Suyo, Ilocos Sur still has a lot to offer and I just can't wait to go back and explore them all.
Don't forget to include Dawara Falls in your bucketlist!
I'll leave you, guys for now. Need to hit the sack. Tomorrow is another great day. Seize every moment, yeah? Cheerio!
All Rights Reserved
[caption width="3000" id="attachment_333" align="alignnone"]
This was the closest that I got to Dawara Falls.[/caption]When I found out that there's a long weekend coming, I knew what I had to do.On October 29, 2016, My adventure buddy, Kliff and I, packed our bags, jumped on 'Buttercup' (Kawasaki Zx), then went on our way to Suyo, Ilocos Sur. We almost had to re-schedule because I was having tummy troubles that day. My stubbornness won. It was now or never. *wink*
HOW TO GET THERE:
Via Commute:
- From Vigan, take a bus going to Cubao, Pasay, or San Fernando, La Union.
- From Manila, take a bus going to Vigan, Laoag, Candon or Abra.
- Ask the kundoktor to drop you off at Bitalag Junction, Tagudin Ilocos Sur
- At Bitalag Junction, hire a tricycle that will take you to Suyo, Ilocos Sur. Look for trikes that are painted white and green. The standard fare to Suyo is P25.00 but you may pay for the whole trike for only P150.00. Maximum capacity per trike is 5 pax.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Calling it a bad time would be an understatement. It felt like fate was punishing me. Ansakit talaga ng tiyan ko noon. Andaming turista na papuntang Norte that day. Parang lahat ng gasoline station na madadaanan noon, mahaba ang pila. Imagine my struggle? Hahaha.
Note To Self: Never take Buscopan before a scheduled trip. *facepalm*
We had a whole day ahead of us. We originally planned to visit FIVE (5) spots but we ended up visiting only FOUR (4). Our ETA (expected time of arrival) at Suyo, Ilocos Sur, was 8:30AM. We arrived around 9:45AM. [Kasi talagang ayaw paawat ng tiyan ko. Hahaha. Sorry talaga.]
I already knew my way around the place so there was no need to hire a guide.
The landmark to the jump-off point to DAWARA FALLS is the Kimpusa Bridge. It's the bridge BEFORE the Municipal Hall of Suyo.
At the end of Kimpusa Bridge, there's a trail behind the wood shack. If you're coming from the Municipal Hall, the trail would be on your right.
Just follow the trail until you reach the foot bridge.
[NOTE: There's another falls named 'Sangbay' which you will see if you follow the flow of the river. Our main pitstop was Dawara Falls so we only took a sneak peak of Sangbay. Unfortunately, I failed to take some photos.]
The first time I went there, the locals told me that some parts of the trail were no longer passable because of the landslide that occurred months ago. Being our usual, curious selves, we just had to see where the dirt road will lead us.
We saw an old woman who was sweeping twigs and dead leaves off the beaten path. We asked if there's a trail going down from the side of the mountain because we wanted to see Dawara Falls up-close. The old woman pointed out an obscure path which I failed to notice during my first visit.
[caption width="2048" align="alignnone"]
The path is a little difficult to spot. I say, trust your instincts.[/caption]We told the old woman that we'll just come back for it.We walked for another 5-minutes and it was clear that we were on our way to the top of Dawara Falls. However, we saw what seemed to be a road-block.
False alarm though. You can just climb over it. Easy.
[Minsan talaga may magandang naidudulot ang pagiging pasaway. Hahaha.]
This quaint mini-dam welcomed us as we approached the end of the trail.
There was a time when oil was becoming more and more expensive that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) started looking for alternative sources of power. They eventually came up with the idea of putting up dendro-thermal projects. ISECO, which was under NEA, was able to put up a mini-hydro power plant in Poblacion, Suyo, Ilocos Sur called Dawara Mini-Hydro.
Unfortunately, Dawara Mini-Hydro Power Plant submerged after the landslide brought about by the super typhoon "Nitang" on August 1, 1983. It was a big loss for ISECO and due to insufficient funds, it was not rehabilitated since then. (source: ISECO.org)
The view at the top cannot be justified by mere words. You could just stand there and goggle at the beautiful view for hours and not get tired of it. You really need to see it and experience the rush yourself.
I was trying to get a shot of the water cascades but I was pretty high up so I began feeling a bit woozy. I was only able to take a few photos. Hindi talaga ako makatagal. The river was giving off this illusyon na parang papalapit ako ng papalapit sa edge. Hahaha.
The basin supplied by the mini-dam was suitable for swimming. It seemed pretty deep as well. I kinda wanted to take a dip but we were running out of time so we had to take our leave.
We went back and traced our steps until we found the path leading down from the mountain.
[caption width="2048" id="attachment_889" align="alignnone"]
Watch out for ants![/caption] Dawara Falls was within our reach!
We were still a few feet away from the foot of Dawara Falls but we we're already getting soaked.
It's probably one of the grandest curtain waterfalls Ilocos Sur could offer.
The downfall was turbulent. Nagsisimula na na mag-moist yung mga camera na dala namin. [I should've bought those anti-fog pads when I had the chance. *sigh*] We only had a few clear shots of the place. Struggle na talaga kasi sobrang lakas nung pinagsamang hangin at tubig.
Dawara doesn't dry up even during Summer. It's prettiest during July-October.
I was hypnotized by its beauty. But as much as I want to stay, the heat was starting to become unbearable so we had to say our goodbyes. I'm pretty sure I left a piece of my heart there. *sigh*We had a quick snack at RV Mamihan and Kainan then prepped up for Sangbay ni Ragsak. I've already blogged about it here so I'll just share some additional snapshots.
We swam and relaxed for awhile. At around 2PM, we pushed our luck and went to Man-atong to seek out another known waterfall but alas! The locals said that the place was still landslide-prone. Oh well, papel! There's always a next time. *wink*
Upon reaching Bitalag Junction, we stopped for a quick snack before finally heading to our next destination.
TIP: Try niyo yung ice scramble na benta ni Kuya dun. Sarap! Brings back childhood memories!
At around 4PM, we were on our way to Kagutungan Falls, Daligan, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. I'm going to reserve this hidden beauty for my next post. *wink*
We called it quits around 5PM. We stopped by Cruiser Grilled Burgers at Candon, Ilocos Sur for our early dinner (To-die-for handmade, gourmet burgers. I swear!) and exclaimed 'Touchdown, Vigan!' around 7:30PM. Whew!
That particular Saturday felt longer than usual. It was exhausting but extremely fun. It's definitely a trip to remember. Suyo, Ilocos Sur still has a lot to offer and I just can't wait to go back and explore them all.
Don't forget to include Dawara Falls in your bucketlist!
I'll leave you, guys for now. Need to hit the sack. Tomorrow is another great day. Seize every moment, yeah? Cheerio!
All Rights Reserved
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