Manacota Cave and Underground River is located in Barangay Marag in the town of Luna, another teaser for the real jewels of Apayao. This is the final leg and the third exciting activity in our Apayao road trip. We set all again towards another fun-filled adventure which will bring us to the river crossing, cave sight-seeing, and rewarding water fun to a clean and clear river.

If you haven’t read the first two parts of our Apayao road trip you may click Lussok Cave and Underground River-The First teaser and the second is Rock climbing in Dupag Rock Formation in Marag Valley, Luna.

Lussok was more popular than Manacota as it offers not only cave sight-seeing but spelunking as well. But when you visit Apayao make sure to visit both tourist attractions to see varying astonishing rock formations in each cave.

Second Day of Adventure

Coming from our rock climbing in Dupag Rock Formation, we boarded the van and head off to the next jump-off point in getting to Manacota Cave. We started our adventure with a river crossing in a small dam. I suddenly felt so nostalgic for my younger years when we crossed the second river. The water was waist-deep, clean, and clear. It reminded me of our frequent summer vacations in my hometown in Albay. I was itching to swim but since I had my bag on my back I just savored the moment dipping my feet on it.

We passed by a quaint countryside with cornfields, lots of ferns (pako), and crossed five shallow rivers. It took us about twenty minutes to reach the mouth of the cave and later we were rewarded a magnificent sight.

We were greeted by blue-green water that flows out from the main chamber of the cave dotted with mini waterfalls on the rock wall. Half of our group who already went ahead was the first batch to explore the cave. While waiting for our turn, we dipped happily into the cold water. It was a bit murky because the river bottom was not composed of grainy sand. But we enjoyed our moment immersing our bodies into the water.

When the first batch arrived, we were so excited to ride in the rowboat which can accommodate 6 to 8 persons. Our tour guides were the same people who serviced us in Dupag Rock Formation.

When the boat moved forward, we were all amazed at the elegance of the opening. There was a big karst formation on the center illuminated by the sunlight coming from a hole on top of the cave. That fascinating sight filled with serenity was really breathtaking!

After seeing the last stalactite in broad daylight, came total darkness. We were engulfed by complete silence as we entered the chamber of the cave. The tour guide at the back was the one who spotted the different rock formations with bizarre shapes and told us their names.

I was very careful when I took photos of the stunning stalactites and stalagmites because the boat was shaking. I was afraid my cellphone will fall into the water. There were narrow passages where our boatmen carefully maneuvered the trip. It was a short five-minute journey but seeing other outstanding geological features gave me an awesome experience.

When we reached the endpoint, we hopped out of the boat and crossed the surging river. The boat was anchored on the side so it will not be washed away. I was amazed when we stepped at the back opening of the cave, it was serene and so beautiful. The water was so clean and clear. Aside from dipping our bodies into the water, Lhen, Mayee, and I enjoyed floating to the swift gentle flow of the river. Amazing feeling!

There was no spelunking activity in this cave so after our fill of wonderful adventure, we returned to the docking area to give way to the next group. I hid my cellphone in my bag and this time I didn’t bother to take photos. I focused my eyes looking attentively to all those astonishing rock formations as our tour guide lighted it once again.

Exiting the opening of the cave once again delighted us all. The spectacular sight of the sunlight streaming to the blue-green water was really marvelous that we all uttered the word… “Wow!”

For a nature lover like me, Manacota is much better than Lussok because one has to hike on a green pathway, deal with river crossings and there is an opportunity to swim. But if you are an adventure seeker, Lussok is for you.

Lunchtime

To celebrate our unforgettable and worthwhile experience in Apayao, we head off to Apayao Restaurant and Hot Miki and feasted on special Batil Patong (P60). This was my first time eating this noodle which is made out of pansit miki topped with egg and chicharon and served with lots of sliced onion.

And the taste? Well, it was so delicious and heavy on the tummy!  It’s good that I tasted Tuguegarao’s famous noodle dish.

Good-bye Apayao

I could not explain the joy in my heart as I experienced another worthy adventure to keep in my memories of Apayao. And more than just the admiration of nature’s grandeur, the bond I had with a new set of travelers, the laughter, the fulfillment, our sharing of stories and travel escapades made this trip worth remembering.   

Till next travel guys!

Credits to Mayee Cavas for organizing this wonderful event. Her contact number is 09224117236.

Tips:

1. The entrance fee for Dupag Rock Formation and Manacota Cave is collected in Apayao Tourism Office.
2. Prepare yourself for several river crossings.
3. The rivers are shallow during sunny days. Be sure to protect yourself from the scorching heat of the sun by applying sun protection, wearing caps, and arm warmers.
4. During rainy days, there are rivers with strong currents so you better safe-keep your belongings.
5. You may use your cellphones and SLR during the cave tour but be very careful not to drop them into the water because the boat tends to shake on narrow passages.

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