A beautiful river on Mindanao Island
The Enchanted River was my last stop on the island of Mindanao , to Philippines . And what a stopover! I really wanted to go to this magical place after seeing some photos on it Google . And in fact, it is much more impressive than on the internet. And then I have to admit that being able to say “I was there” makes me somewhat proud of this adventure. The Enchanted River is located in the area called Surigao del Sur , east of Mindanao.
Strangely, the " Nice river “is not so touristic than that. I had to cross two Westerners at the place and absolutely none at all Hinatuan , the nearest town to The Enchanted River. So going is worth it, especially to several. Getting there alone is a little more disappointing because it is really a place of memories and sharing. I wish I could tell someone in 10 years: “Do you remember when we were there?”. But, well, it is part of the lonely nomadic life and we must accept it.
To talk about the place, it is absolutely hallucinating. All these bruises are so blue! And these greens so green!! I had previously been able to go to some spots where water was particularly clear and colourful, especially to Koh Phi Phi en Thailand , but here is never seen! Seeing this in pictures is already not bad, but flooding his mind and his eyes with this divine fluid is 1000 times better!
How to get to the "Resident River"?
This is where it gets complicated. Access to such a place requires plethora of adventures and a lot of trouble! It would be too easy if not. So to get to this sacred place, the simplest thing I think is to get to the city San Francisco (named San Franz ), one of the important cities in eastern Mindanao, accessible from Davao City Or North Mindanao. Arrived at the Bus Terminal, you will have to reach the small town of Hinatuan (about 1 hour drive from San Francisco), jeep (80 pesos) or van for more comfort ( between 200 and 300 pesos ). Once in Hinatuan, you will have to find someone to drive you to the enchanted river on a motorcycle. Don’t worry, once you arrive at the Bus Terminal d’Hinatuan, you will be expected by a pack of rugged bikers: “ You want to go to Enchanted River? » The river is 15km from Hinatuan and it will cost you about 300 pesos round-trip by motorcycle . If you have one filipino number , do not forget to request the phone number of the motorcycle driver to bring you back. If you don’t have a number, you can always find bikers near the river. But be careful, don't stay too late because the night falls fast and once you fall, you can see nothing but slab! (This good old Beatrice...Hum...). 
For me, I stayed in Hinatuan, it’s even simpler. Maryland Hostel is very cheap. In Hinatuan, the premises are clearly not used to Western foreigners. Wait for you to be accosted by most people, especially children who are definitely the most curious! It’s a little stressful, I must admit it. But no one will hurt you. On the contrary, it is their pleasure to see Westerners. “ What’s your name? ", Where are you from? ", Where are you going? » are some of the questions you will need to answer if you choose to be polite!
Conseil de Tonton Bastien : In Hinatuan, do not hesitate to take a tricycle that you will find anywhere in the city. You can put your belongings there that will be protected by a roof and it will only cost you 5 pesos. Practical and cheap, especially if it rains!
To summarize
You will understand, The Enchanted River is reserved for adventurers! To get there, you really have to want it. Already that few tourists dare to venture on the island of Mindanao (or wrongly), so if it is to go to the end of the bottom of the Surigao del Sur ... But if you have a fairly sharp adventurer spirit, throw yourself into the mouth of the "single river", it still is worth the blow, and it is unique in the world. Getting there is an incredible challenge, so if you accept and go to the end of the challenge, you can be proud of yourself and, like me, say “I did it!”. Good luck! 😉
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