If you’re planning to try Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls and want a place to stay the night before or after the adventure, Matutinao Beach Resort in Barangay Matutinao, Badian, South Cebu is a good choice.

LOCATION

The resort is conveniently located right along highway on a beachfront property. You can easily get here and back to Cebu City via the Ceres bus. The place is 100 kms southwest of Cebu City, which is 2 hours by private vehicle and 3 hours by public vehicle. It’s located just across the road from the church and the road leading to Kawasan Waterfalls, which is just walking distance.

CANYONEERING

The main draw of the resort is that it’s the headquarters of Kawasan Cebu Canyoneering, a reputable tour agency offering canyoneering tours. If you’re availing of their tour, you get rooms at a discounted price. The staff here can also arrange tours to nearby areas including Osmena Peak, Langub Beach and others if you have time to go around.

ROOMS

Matutinao Beach Resort currently has 4 aircon and 4 non-aircon cottages available, though the non-aircon rooms will be renovated to accommodate more guests.

On my first night, I stayed in a non-aircon cottage on stilts over the water. The room was basic (actually good for 3 people since it had two beds (1 double and 1 single bed). It’s good enough to stash your things and charge gadgets. The room had a balcony overlooking the water. I slept very peacefully with waves lulling me to sleep. It’s generally cooler in the area, so the lack of aircon was not a problem. The weather in Badian is relatively cooler than in the city and the room felt very cool even with just an electric fan. There are shared bathrooms just outside the huts. The newer shower rooms are near the restaurant.

Another group had booked the room previously and I was leaving early the next day, so on my second night, I transferred to a tent on the beach. The tent came with a foam pad, blanket and pillow and was set up right beside the dining area on the beach. I have no problem with camping, and it was actually very relaxing.

DINING

Matutinao Beach Resort has their own in-house restaurant with nice view of beach that serves Filipino breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have a large dining area that can accommodate big groups.

Be sure to preorder your food and follow up frequently, as the meals take a while to prepare and they sometimes run out of items if there are a lot of guests. Dinner and breakfast took a bit long to prepare, but I was happy that lunch was ready and waiting for us after our canyoning adventure.

RATES (as of March 21, 2016)

NOTE: Non-airconditioned rooms are currently undergoing renovations, so rooms are limited.

• Php 3,000 – air-conditioned rooms + free breakfast for 3 persons
• Php 350/night for tent and breakfast
• If you avail of the CANYONEERING PACKAGE with their partner (Kawasan Cebu Canyoneering), you get discounted rates:
• Php 2,000 – air-conditioned rooms 

ADDRESS & CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Matutinao Beach Resort is located in Matutinao, Badian, Cebu, Philippines
• Facebook: Matutinao Beach Resort
• Text Delia at 0906-9094183

HOW TO GET THERE:

• From Cebu City, go to South Bus Terminal
• Ride the Bato via Barili Bus. The fare is P120 (non-aircon) – P147 (aircon) per person (one-way). Travel time is around 3 hours. The earliest trip is around 4AM and last trip is around 6PM. The bus departs every 30 minutes.
• Tell the conductor to drop you off in Badian. The resort is right across the church.
• Note: Do NOT ride the bus Bato via Oslob. It will not pass by Badian.