Plunging in to Jawili's Seven Basins

It was mid-October when we decided to go on a trip to Aklan. We got tired of our jobs and we thought we needed some place cool to visit and unwind.

Our destination was one of Aklan’s most popular tourist spots– the Jawili falls and its famous 7 basins. In just an hour's trip from Caticlan and 30 minutes away from Kalibo, you can reach this place by taking a bus or a jeepney. But since we’re talking about a road trip, the best way is still to bring a private vehicle. Don’t bring your sedan. Trust me. It’s best to bring a van or a 4WD vehicle.

We prayed that it wouldn’t rain so that we’d enjoy every bit of our weekend get away. But alas, in the middle of our trip, it did. The sky poured down so hard that we thought our trip was over.

Little did we know that the rain was actually a blessing! When we got to Jawili, we saw that the current flowing through the chain of lush waterfalls was stronger than the usual sunny days – this made the view even more breath-taking. It almost looked like something from a movie scene. The small waterfalls connecting 7 deep basins are arranged somewhat like rice terraces and culminate at the tranquil waters of a main basin. As we approached one of the basins, we felt gentle sprays of fresh cold water touching our faces and I have to tell you, the feeling was so inviting.

A small stair case by the side of this large pool leads you up to more of the basins. The rocks were very slippery because of algae and prevented us from exploring more of the area. Using your Havaianas slippers won’t do you any good in that terrain, believe me. It is way better to be on foot.

Even though I’m not a big fan of swimming in cold, green waters (They give me the feeling that there’s some nasty creature lurking beneath the rocks) I was tempted to and accepted the challenge to jump into one of its smaller basins. But calling it “small” doesn’t mean that it’s not deep enough for a 10 foot cannon ball plunge. Our friend, Imman, who has been there for quite a few times already, jumped first into the basin. After 3 seconds or so, Imman surfaced and began swimming towards the rim of the basin, panting.

Alvin and I jumped next and even though I had my hesitations, I still went for it. It was just one of those I-have-to-try-this moments that’s so hard to resist. I felt the splash of my lame leap of faith but never the terra firma beneath the water. It was that deep – a 10 foot deep basin - but it felt great! The water was fanatically cool and it was just the right temperature.

We stayed at Jawili for not more than an hour but after taking some more pictures, we admired the place for a little bit more, packed our stuff and said our goodbyes. 

I told myself that the next time we go to Jawili, I won’t have second thoughts about jumping into one of its beautiful, crystal clear basins.

Check out our album:

Jawili Waterfalls