What’s a better way to address summer heat than to soak and bathe in nature’s given refresher? Well, that’s what we did after we descended from our Panimahawa camp. Just a few kilometers away from the Ant Farm, the jump-off for Panimahawa Ridge, is a recreational park named CEDAR.
Read about our Panimahawa Ridge trip here.
CEDAR is located in Impalutao where Panimahawa Ridge is also located. Actually, CEDAR was not on our original itinerary. It just so happened that we still have plenty of time after our Panimahawa Ridge trip and we were looking for an activity to pass time. We were looking for a place perfect to quench from the searing heat of the summer sun. The locals were quick to suggest CEDAR eco-park as it is just a few kilometers away from the jump-off area.
The place is quite popular among the locals. It is mostly where locals spend summer with their families since it is more accessible than beaches, which are several kilometers and provinces away. Bukidnon is located right in the middle of the mountainous region of Mindanao island, so beaches are mostly out of the options. CEDAR is maintained by the local government and requires visitors to pay a minimal fee for maintenance. I must say they are doing quite fair in preserving the place as I saw the trees still intact. They also provide parking spaces but expect the place to be crowded especially during peak seasons.
Upon knowing that the eco-park has a multi-leveled waterfall, we were then eager to reach the site and soak in the water. Entering the vicinity, we can already see several cars going in and out of the park. There were tourists and locals at the same time. But one thing that caught our eyes was the lining towering trees making an isle as if welcoming you to paradise.
The second thing that caught my eyes was the cold spring made to a wide swimming pool. The area is adorned with ornamental plants and tall trees adding shade and intricate sunlight to the surrounding giving a paradise-like ambiance.
Heading to the waterfalls requires a few meters of a walk. Several steps away, we already heard the crashing sound of the water and the sound of people having fun.
We headed straight to the top-most level of the waterfall. Eager and excited, we just put out bags on the side and jumped straight to the water. The water was not as crystal clear as I expected but it was surely cold to fight off the summer heat.
We took the opportunity to wash off the dirt from our sweaty bodies and relax while soaking like in a huge bathtub. Enjoying the water so much took our attention from the time ticking until it was our stomachs grumbling and demanding for lunch.
Thankfully there are several eateries right by the highway. There, we satisfied the demands of our appetite. Luckily the eatery owners were hospitable enough to allow us to use their bathroom to change to our dry clothes. It was already past 1PM and we still have an ample amount of time for another destination. We were supposed to visit the less uncommonly visited Alalum Falls just along the highway heading back to Cagayan de Oro City, but we collectively decided to just keep it on our checklist of places to visit for now. So we hitched a bus heading to Cagayan de Oro City. It was my first time riding a double-decker bus and I was amazed to know that this kind of bus is already operating in the country. Tripling my surprise was the fact that I experienced the double-decker bus in the less modernized province of the country. By far, I haven’t even seen one plying within the major cities of the country, at least in the Visayas and Luzon area.
We called it a day when we arrived in Cagayan de Oro City. We stayed in a reasonably cheap inn near the bus terminal since we will be departing early the next day for Iligan City for our next destinations.
WANDERING FEET PH 
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