After years of wanting to go to Lake Sebu, I finally found an opportunity to visit this place. We were planning our annual family vacation (which we’ve decided to be Davao this year) so my husband and I figured we could book a flight to General Santos City, go on an overnight side trip to Lake Sebu before heading to Davao to meet the rest of the family.
This blog entry details our 2-day trip to Lake Sebu via General Santos City before we headed for Davao. This will give you information on where Lake Sebu is located, how to go there, what to do and where to stay.
Where is Lake Sebu located?
Lake Sebu is a natural lake located within the Alah Valley Region in South Cotabato. Lake Sebu is also the name of the municipality where it is located.
This 42,450 hectares landscape is recognized by UNESCO as one of the most important cultural landscapes in Mindanao. The lake itself is considered by the government as one of the key watersheds in the Philippines and is recognized as an ancestral domain.
This municipality has been successful in preserving the culture of the T’boli tribe including T’nalak weaving. It is about 100 kms away from General Santos City and about 45 kms away from Koronadal City.
What are the things you can do in Lake Sebu?
Lake Sebu, more than anything, is a cultural hub filled with the rich heritage of the T’boli tribe. Most travelers who come to Lake Sebu for a cultural immersion shouldn’t miss the dream weavers and the wood carvers.
But apart from learning about its culture, it also has one of the most impressive and well-preserved natural wonders. One shouldn’t miss exploring its lakes and its most famous Seven Waterfalls.
Once you get to the Lake Sebu bus/van terminal, you will see a list of attractions that you can go to. Lake Sebu Tourism Office has categorized the tourist destinations into 3 groups – culture, adventure and nature.
Cultural Immersions
- Brass casting
- Bead making
- Wood carving
- Cultural performances
- Santa Cruz Mission School Inc. where most T’bolis have graduated
- T’boli food
- T’boli museum
- Loom weaving
- Lang Dulay Weaving Center
Adventure Trips
- Zipline over waterfalls
- Paragliding
- Kayaking and water biking
- Horseback riding
- Bird watching and hiking
- Mountain trekking in Three Kings
- Habal-habal and Skylab ride
- Caving/spelunking
Nature Explorations
- Lake Sebu
- Lake Lahit
- Lake Seloton
- Seven Waterfalls
- Lotus Flower
- Traan Kini Cold Spring
- Sepaka River
How to go to Lake Sebu from Manila?
Going to Lake Sebu was easier than I had expected. I was imagining long bus rides on bumpy roads but it turned out to be a way easier route than other more popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. Here are the steps on how to reach Lake Sebu from Manila:
Take a flight to General Santos City
The nearest airport to Lake Sebu is the General Santos International Airport. You can take a flight either through Cebu Pacific Air or Philippine Airlines. As of now, these are the only 2 airlines which go to General Santos City.
How to go to Lake Sebu from General Santos City?
Go to Bulaong Terminal
From any point in General Santos City, ride a tricycle or taxi going to Bulaong Terminal. The taxi fare will depend on where you are coming from so if you’re trying to save on money, tricycle will be your most affordable mode of transport.
When you get to Bulaong Terminal, you have several options to go to Lake Sebu:
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From Lake Sebu Terminal, there will be several tour guides and habal-habal drivers that you can hire to get you to your accommodation. The fare can vary between P50-100 depending on the specific location of your hotel. It’s advisable to confirm the fare with the habal-habal driver before starting your journey to ensure a smooth and hassle-free transportation experience.
As a tourist, you will be required to register at the terminal. This will allow the local tourism department to monitor the travelers in the area for their safety. At the terminal, you can also arrange your tours with the official/designated tour guides.
From Lake Sebu, going back to General Santos City, just follow the same route. Note that the trip of the van going straight to General Santos City is also at 3:00 PM.
How to get around Lake Sebu?
To get around Lake Sebu, the main mode of transportation is by habal-habal (motorcycle taxi), which is widely available in the area. Here are some details on getting around Lake Sebu:
- Habal-Habal (Motorcycle taxi). This is the primary mode of transportation in Lake Sebu. You can rent a habal-habal for a half-day tour for around PHP 400 or a whole day tour for PHP 750. These motorcycle taxis are convenient for exploring the area and reaching different tourist spots.
- Jeepneys. Alternatively, you can catch a jeepney from Lake Sebu Terminal to explore the area. The fare for a jeepney ride depends on your point of origin and destination.
- Boat Tours: To explore the lakes in Lake Sebu, such as Lake Sebu, Lake Lahit, and Lake Seloton, you will need to rent boats. Most resorts in Lake Sebu offer boat tours, allowing you to experience the beauty of these lakes.
If you would like to contact Sir Mark, the habal-habal driver who drove us around Lake Sebu, you can contact him at 0916-957-5225.
How many days should I spend there?
I would suggest to have at least a night to spare when you want to explore Lake Sebu. The best time to explore the lakes would be early morning about 5:30 to 7:00 AM so unless you are able to travel from General Santos City at 3:30 AM, then a day trip will do.
If you are going to do a day trip, then follow Day 2 in my suggested itinerary below.
What is your suggested itinerary for an overnight trip?
I would highly suggest 2 days for a quick trip to Lake Sebu. Here is my suggested itinerary if you are staying for at least one night.
Note that this itinerary includes checking in at Anchor Hotel in General Santos City since we plan to go back to this hotel after our trip to Lake Sebu. We left our bigger bags in the reception on day 1 so we can go back and stay here for a couple of nights before going to Davao.
Day 1: Travel to Lake Sebu, sunset watching
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Departure from Manila to General Santos via Cebu Pacific Air |
| 12:05 PM | Arrival in General Santos International Airport |
| 12:30 PM | Check-in at Anchor Hotel There are a lot of hotel choices in General Santos but we decided to go with Anchor Hotel since we needed a place to leave our huge luggage behind and just bring an overnight pack to Lake Sebu. Anchor Hotel is a sister company of Dolores Lake Resort, the place we stayed in Lake Sebu, so they allowed us to leave our things and arrange for a complimentary airport transfer. |
| 1:00 PM | Quick lunch at Anchor Hotel |
| 2:00 PM | En route to Lake Sebu from Bulaong Terminal in General Santos City |
| 4:30 PM | Arrival at Lake Sebu We met Sir Mark, the tour guide we arranged prior to our visit, at the van terminal. We also arranged for him to pick us up at the terminal and take us to our resort. |
| 5:00 PM | Check-in at Dolores Lake Resort |
| 5:30 PM | Dinner while watching the sunset We were scrambling and hurrying because it was almost sunset. I saw a restaurant/canteen on the way which was facing west and overlooking the lake so we decided to eat there. |
| 8:00 PM | Back at Dolores Lake Resort to rest |
There are also other sunset viewpoints which you can go to on your first day. We were hungry the moment we arrived in Lake Sebu and all we could think of was food so we chose an overlooking restaurant. If food is not your priority, my suggestion would be to go with Evelandia Lake Vista or Divine Mercy Sanctuary
Day 2: Lake Sebu Tour
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 4:30 AM | Wake up and prepare for the lotus boat tour |
| 5:00 AM | Meet Sir Mark at Dolores Lake Resort |
| 5:30 AM | Lotus boat tour Sir Mark didn’t have his own wooden boat (owung) so we had to borrow one from a local fisherman. We paid P200 for the rental of the boat. |
| 7:00 AM | Short side trip to Punta Isla Lake Resort Right after the boat tour, he dropped us off Punta Isla Lake Resort. It was easier and safer for us walk from here to the main road compared to where we boarded the boat earlier. Punta Isla has a nice overlooking view of the lake and they have lush garden where you can take photos. |
| 8:00 AM | Back to Dolores Lake Resort for breakfast |
| 10:00 AM | Resume tour, second stop at T’boli Museum |
| 10:40 AM | Witness dreamweavers at the Lang Dulay T’nalak Weaving Center |
| 11:30 AM | Zipline over majestic waterfalls Spend a good amount of time here. You can trek a bit to see the other waterfalls in the area. See my blog entry here about the Highest Zipline in Southeast Asia |
| 1:30 PM | Lunch at Lantaw Lake |
| 3:00 PM | Travel back to General Santos City |
| 5:30 PM | Arrival at Bulaong Terminal; tricycle to Anchor Hotel |
| 5:45 PM | Check-in at Anchor Hotel |
| 7:00 PM | Dinner at nearby Jollibee |
| 8:30 PM | Rest after a long day! |
How much should my budget be?
The budget for a Lake Sebu trip really depends on the activities that you would like to do during your trip and how long you are staying. For our one-night trip, the cost is roughly P9,000 per person. This includes airfare but excludes the expenses for one more night stay in General Santos City after the Lake Sebu trip. Note that these are prices during our trip in 2019 and most likely have increased since then.
| Activity or Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight from Manila to General Santos City via Cebu Pacific We were not able to get promo fares for this trip. If we have, it would definitely cost a lot less, maybe half the price we got. | P5,401.24 per person |
| Airport transfer from General Santos City International Airport to Anchor Hotel | Free (complimentary by hotel) |
| Breakfast at Cafe Rodrigo (Anchor Hotel) | P235 for a complete meal |
| Tricycle from Anchor Hotel to Bulaong Terminal | P10 per person |
| Van from Bulaong Terminal to Lake Sebu (Express Direct) | P150 per person |
| Habal-habal ride from Lake Sebu Terminal to Dolores Lake Resort and to dinner | P120 + tip because we had him wait for us a long time at the hotel |
| Dinner overlooking the lake | P380 for all 3 of us (chicharon tilapia, adobong manok, 4 cups of rice, 2 Coke and 1 bottled water) |
| One night accommodation at Dolores Lake Resort | P2,600 |
| Full day tour (T’boli Museum, Lang Dulay and Seven Waterfalls) | P750 + tip |
| Lotus boat rental | P200 |
| Punta Isla Resort entrance fee | P10 per person |
| T’boli Museum entrance fee | P20 per person + donation |
| Lang Dulay Weaving Center | Donation only |
| T’nalak pouch souvenir | P250 each |
| Seven waterfalls entrance fee | P20 per person |
| Zipline | P350 per person |
| Official photos during zipline | P150 for 3 photos |
| Costume rental | P50 each + donation |
| Lunch | P565 for all 3 of us (Nilagpang, Inasal, unlimited rice, Coke, bottled water and calamansi juice) |
| Van from Lake Sebu to Marbel | P80 per person |
| Bus from Marbel to General Santos City | P95 per person |
Where can I stay in Lake Sebu?
There are only a few hotels/resorts in Lake Sebu but I have done enough research on each of them to be able to make a good decision.
My first choice would have been Punta Isla Lake Resort. Although they don’t have a good rating in Tripadvisor.com (only 3.5 out of 5), I believe they are one of the biggest and most travelers end up staying with them.
There are about 2-3 more resorts in the area but it was farther away from the lake. My goal was to get a place overlooking the lake but near enough for us to lounge and watch the sunset/sunrise if we had a chance.
We found a more expensive but newer resort called Dolores Lake Resort which was on their introductory promo when we came to visit. Read about our stay in Dolores Lake Resort here: A Review of Dolores Lake Resort
Here’s a list of the resorts in Lake Sebu based on my preference:
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- SLT – T’boli Home Stay
- Lemobung Lodge
- Mountain Lake Eco Resort
- Tolento Lodge and Resto
- Merl Garden
- Monte Cielo
Below are some photos I took of Dolores Lake Resort and Punta Isla Lake Resort…
Is it possible to do a day trip in Lake Sebu?
It is definitely possible to do a day trip in Lake Sebu from General Santos City, especially if you have your own transportation. If you don’t, there are several cars/van that you can rent. Here are the rates according to one of the car/van rental companies where we have inquired:
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Car up to 4 persons – P4,000
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Small van for 6-7 persons – P5,500
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Big van for up to 15 persons – P6,500
There are several transportation rental companies that you can contact in General Santos City. Hotels in General Santos City should also be able to arrange this trip for you. Just inquire at the receptionist of your hotel. If you don’t have any contact, you can try reaching out to Kuya Loloy at 0927-766-4278 or 0910-437-8122.
