GREAT Catigbian: The Rise of a New Adventure in Bohol

When the Abatan River Life Tour in Bohol was established to promote sustainable eco-tourism in Abatan River along the towns of Catigbian, Cortes, Atequea, Maribojoc and Balilihan, the management thought adding an outdoor adventure tour will entice more tourists.

Thus GREAT (Green Recreational Eco-Adventure Tour) at Catigbian DATE (Dagook Adventure Tour Experience) Park was born. With The GREAT in Catigbian, Bohol aims to bring awareness to tourists to be sensitive to their environment and at the same time get to experience adventures in the jungle.

Nestled in a verdant land hemmed by emerald hills and dense wilderness, the DATE Park offers every visitor thrilling adventures in the forest. The activities incorporated in the GREAT are designed to test and build one’s courage.

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The adventure park is reportedly designed by the site designers of Danao Adventure Park. though it’s not as extreme as the adventures offered in Danao, DATE Park is definitely great for friends and family bonding.

Visitors are briefed first and armed with safety harness, slider roller, headgear and outsized hooks at the main center. The first activity is the canopy walk where tourists get to appreciate the verdant surrounding while walking on a 60 meter swaying footbridge.

Tour guides educate visitors of medicinal plants found in the area and how the locals produce pain relievers from them.  Interestingly, macaques can be seen roaming in the area.

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The second adventure is the monkey bridge, certainly the most exhilarating of all the activities in GREAT. Tourists get to walk on a 40 meter suspended cable and will be asked to wear a double harness attached to a safety cable.

Down below is the gushing Dagook Falls. After a walk through the monkey bridge, the mountain slide will take you back near the area where you started the activities.

So before you do the monkey bridge, make sure you are ready to get on the mountain slide (more like a zipline).

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For the mountain slide, visitors get to slide on a pulley suspended on a 200 meter cable mounted on an incline. Down below you’ll get to see the Abatan River rapids.

If you still have enough energy left after doing all the aforementioned activities in this recreational park, you can also do the hill and river trek and get to see Dagook falls up close.

DATE park adventure offers a packaged tour for PHP700 per person and 50 % off for students (PHp 350) inclusive of guides, use of equipment, park amenities and the abovementioned outdoor adventures.

There’s also a store inside the park that sells native delicacies and snacks.

How to get to Catigbian DATE Park:

From Tagbiliran city, ride a mini bus bound for Danao or Sagbaan via Cortes Town at Dao Terminal. Ask the driver to drop you at First Consolidated Bank across the Barangay road leading to DATE Park. Across the street there are motorcycles (habal-habal) that can take you to DATE Park. If you’re in a group, hiring a van is more convenient.

Gael Hilotin is the author of The Pinay Solo Backpacker.