Easy Hike for Clouds: Puntaas in Danao, Bohol

On a December Friday, my friends and I boarded the 12 midnight slow ferry to Tubigon and arrived three hours later in the cold, rainy, windy Tubigon Port, all dreary eyed, muddle headed, and sluggish. We waited an hour or so for the rain to slow to a trickle before disembarking to search for the van we had hired to take us to Puntaas in Brgy. Concepcion in Danao.

We found the van and, inside, a snoozing driver. Much as we didn't want to disturb his sleep, we had to because we didn't want to miss the clouds at Puntaas which slowly dissipates as the sun rises. The driver himself didn't know the exact location, only that it was in Brgy. Concepcion. After some stops to ask for directions, we finally reached our destination marked by rows of cars parked on the side of the road. We each paid an entrance fee of Php 25 before following the path and the people making their way to the top to witness the clouds.

It was an easy 15-minute hike up a moderate slope. On the mountain, enterprising locals have set up shop to sell drinks and snacks (and maybe even breakfast!). There were also campers already enjoying the soft morning sun and the view.

That morning there was no "sea" of clouds, just a "river" as my disappointed friends called it.  (In hindsight, the "sea" might have already dissipated; we had arrived around 6AM.) Nonetheless, to me it was still a beautiful sight to see. Not just because of the clouds, but because of the 360-degree view of nature; of paddies down the mountain; and of the clouds that have gathered low among a clump of trees and was slowly rising and fading.

A "river" of clouds as my friends called it

 Terraced rice paddies

In the morning light

Rising and fading

Before the sun could rise any higher and scorch us entirely, and when there was just wisps of cloud left, we headed back down the mountain and to the van to our tired and sleepy driver.

Reminders:

• Arrive as early as 430AM, bring a flashlight or headlamp.
• Although it's a short hike, wear good hiking shoes or sandals, ones you are willing to get dirty and muddy. The trail can get muddy if it rains.
• The "sea" of clouds isn't guaranteed to happen every day.
• If you're coming from Cebu, the nearest port to Danao (in Bohol) would be Tubigon. Starcraft, the fastcraft from Cebu to Tubigon, runs 8 times daily from 545AM to 530PM and takes an hour. Fare is Php 200 / 220 / 280. The slower option is the ferry, Lite Ferries, which takes 2.5 to 3 hours. It runs 4 times daily: 7AM, 12NN, 7PM, and 12MN. Fare is Php 200.