Recharging on a Weekend: Camping at Ablayan Peak with a Side Trip to Dayhag Falls

It’s an exciting August weekend as my colleagues and I went on a camping trip in Boljoon, Cebu! We really needed a mental health reset since classes will begin again in less than three weeks. What better way to do this than to connect with friends and with nature.

Ablayan peak is situated in the highlands of Boljoon, Cebu here in the Philippines. It is not a very high peak and it is actually very accessible since there’s a concrete road beside it. The top of the peak is a perfect camping ground as there is enough space. The view is just really breathtaking, overlooking southwest Cebu and with a distant view of the Negros Island.

Our co-teacher, Kim, and her husband have been to this place many times. Kim’s husband actually has a lot of relatives in the area which is why we were confident that it will be safe for us to travel and camp there.

I’ve seen only very few posts of some friends coming to this place and I felt excited to go camping here, too. It is actually my first time to go camping as an adult and this time, I brought my son along.

_{The fading sunset and all its colors seemed to heal tired and wounded souls.}

We agreed to go camping on the first weekend of August and everyone seemed excited because it will be our first time to go camping together like this. We also agreed about the food and about how we will be sharing the expenses for this trip.

On Friday night, I prepared the things I will be bringing to the camp. Saturday afternoon came and we gathered at the school. We will be leaving at 3 p.m. to avoid the terrible heat on our way there. We agreed to ride on the small truck that our colleague owns. Fortunately, our guides, Kim and Jason, brought their car and no one’s going to occupy the backseat. I was lucky I hadn’t climbed up the truck yet so my son and I, along with other kids, rode on the car. 😁

_{A blurry photo is all I can get as we have already started traveling.}

We travelled for about two hours traversing roads in between mountains. We passed by Alcoy and upon reaching the town’s church, we turned right and drove uphill. The travel on unfamiliar roads was refreshing. I was actually surprised by the landscape I didn’t know existed.

We reached the area but there were already campers on the top of the peak. So, we camped on the lower side, the land that was owned by Kim's in-laws. There was a small chapel there as well.

As we have started bringing our things and starting to set up our tents, I couldn’t help but marvel at the view. The sunset was beautiful and the landscape is just as amazing. There was a cool breeze that constantly blew.

_{A quick snap with my son and the sunset.💜}

We set up our tents facing the beautiful horizon and the husbands of some colleagues started building fire so we could heat up some water. We have already brought food for dinner so we didn’t have to cook. The kids enjoyed running around and watching the adults get busy with the tents.

_{Preparing our homes for the night.⛺️**}

That night, the wind was even colder and the sky was filled with stars. We gathered round for dinner and chatted for some time.

_{There was no electricity and there's an unstable phone signal so we really had the chance to appreciate nature and each other's presence. (Upper photo was taken by my friend and used with permission.)} 🔎

Later that night, I went back to our tent with my son. It’s getting too cold and my son was uncomfortable with the amorseco spikes that got stuck on his clothes.😅 It was his first time to see amorsecos and I explained to him why it is often common to see this grass on fields.

While my friends have gathered to talk about many random things, I got out of the tent and watched the sky. It was clear and filled with so many stars. That moment, I wish I had a better phone camera. I could’ve taken better photos of the beautiful sky full of stars.

_{Don Mclean's "Vincent" resonated in my head when I saw the night sky.🎼✨**(This photo was taken by my friend using her phone and is used with permission.)} 🔎

We woke up in the morning with fog and wind all around us. I kept wiping the moisture on the tent. The wind was very cold. And there wasn’t a moment that it stopped blowing. We walked around and took some photos. Then I noticed that my bonnet and socks had become damp.

_{This was already beyond 6 in the morning.}

The gentlemen boiled some water for our hot drinks. I wanted to drink coffee but decided at the last minute to drink Milo (chocolate drink). I walked around with my son and some kids. We slowly climbed up the top of the peak where other campers were. It was too windy and too cold.

I noticed that when I drank the chocolate drink, it wasn’t warm anymore. It had only been less than 3 minutes.

We went back to our campsite and we, the adults, prepared breakfast. We still couldn’t clearly see the sun but the fog was starting to clear up. The wind still kept blowing.

_{Preparing easy breakfast meals.💜}

While some of us cooked food, others started preparing the food for lunch. We planned to go to Dayhag Waterfalls, around 20 minutes away. We laughed at how cold the marinated meat was when they took it out.

Breakfast was ready and we gathered again to eat. We had to make sure the kids were fed first. When they were done, we, the adults took our turn.

I was quietly eating, watching the beautiful view of nature when this dog came to me. He just sat in front of me, waiting for me to give him some food. Whenever I take photos of him, he seemed to know. I gave him some food later on.

_{A patient doggo🐕}

It was time to go and we took down our tents and cleaned up the area. We made sure to leave this place as clean as it was when we arrived.

We travelled for around 20 minutes again and reached Dayhag Falls. It is located in Upper Beceril in Boljoon, Cebu. It has several levels but for me, the safest level was the first one.

We continued prepping our lunch while the kids enjoyed the shallow part of the waterfalls. The water was really cold and refreshing.

_{This is the level that's safe for kids and it's just near the entrance.}

_{These, plus some grilled fish and eggplant salad?Yum😋!}

We had a very delicious lunch. After this, we tried to discover the other levels of the waterfalls. To be honest, the other levels aren’t too safe for kids. Down we went through the pathway. We reached Level 4 and only took photos. Going back was quite a challenge. Some of us had to stop every now and then. Hahaha!

_{Dayhag Falls, level 4, drops on a pool 5.8 feet deep.💦}

Later that day, we were back on the road, dropped by at our friend’s farm, then headed home. It was a tiring but fulfilling weekend trip but I learned a lot of things about the experience. One is that when going camping, we have to make sure that we will bring the necessary things that will help us in preparing our food. We were unable to bring many things that we actually needed. Second, we need to have tents that are actually waterproof. Most of our tents were not really waterproof and the moisture often forms into water droplets inside the tent. Had it rained that night, we would’ve all been soaking wet in our tents. Third, always be ready for unexpected weather and temperature. Many of us didn’t expect to experience the very cold wind in the campsite. There were only few of us who brought thick jackets, bonnets, and socks. Lastly, it would be good to have some fun activities when camping especially for the kids.

_{Teaching brought us together. We're enriching our connections with memories together.💜}

On a personal level, I was able to bond with my son and see him deal with a new situation. Honestly, there were times that he had a hard time dealing with some emotions while interacting with other kids. It was also a way for me to learn to understand him more. I’m just happy to see him smile and hear him laugh with other kids. My heart feels full when I see him try his best to connect with kids and adults in a new environment.

_{Fun time with new friends💞}

I am still excited to go camping again and I hope that I will be “fully armed” for the weather and fully prepared for the cooking and activities next time. I still want to bring my son with me so we can bond and I can learn to become a better mother to him, help him grow well, and let him have a lot of fun learning experiences.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog!
I hope we all have experiences that help us recharge especially on weekends. I hope we can take time to do something that helps us feel relaxed and ready for the coming days.

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Note: All photos in this post, except for those with 🔎hyperlinks, were personally taken using my phone. Credits to my friend Michelle for the two pictures she shared to me.