Switzerland of Cebu | Calbasaan – Campinsa Trail

Another day, another adventure! Last weekend, we explored the Calbasaan – Campinsa Trail with Day Hike Therapist, combining hiking with a cause. It was my first time on this trail, and I was excited to see the so-called Switzerland of Cebu in Campinsa, Campo 6, Talisay City. It was also my first hike as a volunteer guide for DHT.

Our adventure began at Arbees on Pakingne Rd., Minglanilla, where we met up with nearly 20 fellow hikers. We took a habal-habal ride to Calbasaan Integrated School, our jump-off point.

The habal-habal ride was an adventure in itself—bumpy, rocky roads felt like a roller coaster of emotions and back pain. I could just imagine how hard it is for locals especially for students having this kind of road, especially during rainy season.

After almost a 30-minute ride, we arrived at the jump-off site. It was foggy when we arrived in Calbasaan and the early morning cold breeze was refreshing.

We started our hike to the Calbisaan Trail and headed to the bamboo view deck which is our first stop over.

We took some photos and then stopped briefly at Lubas II, where sari-sari stores are available. The hike was mostly on open trails. Though the weather forecast predicted rain, it was a hot Saturday with the sun blazing down. I regretted not bringing an umbrella.

We had lunch at Campo 8, where there was an eatery. Then we proceeded to the highlight of our hike: Little Switzerland. There is a 20-peso entrance fee for the site.

The view was magnificent. The lush green mountains were a treat for the eyes. This would also be a perfect camping spot. I imagined enjoying the view at night while stargazing and playing some good old music. The mountain ridges were breathtaking. It’s an ideal spot for meditation. It would really be nice waking up to a hot cup of coffee with such a view after a night of camping.

There’s also an elevated bamboo view deck, though it’s a bit old and shaky, so caution is needed. A few huts provide shade, but the swing was unfortunately broken when we arrived.

After taking countless pictures at Little Switzerland, we continued to our next stop: Manipis View Deck, also known as the Sleeping Dinosaur called Isay, named after Talisay the municipality where the view deck is located. With a bit of imagination, you can see a dinosaur shape in the mountain ridges.

The view was lovely, and several stores at the deck offered street food, coconut milk, and snacks. There are also comfort rooms available. This is a popular stop for motorists on Manipis Road. We then continued our hike to Camp 4 for our exit point and took a multicab to Tabunok Public Market.

The hike covered about 14 km with an elevation gain of around 512 meters. The trail was mostly open with significant downhill sections. Some parts were slippery and muddy, and I even slipped on loose rocks, scraping my knee during one of the downhill stretches.

Hike Itinerary:

Expenses:

• Habal-habal from Arbees to Calbasaan: 100 pesos each for two people per motorbike, 150-200 pesos if solo
• Entrance Fee at Little Switzerland: 20 pesos
• Multicab from Campo 4 to Tabunok: 35 pesos

Let the Photos do the Story Telling

There were a lot of mini farms that we passed by along the trail.

We come across farms with tomatoes, cassava, banana, eggplants, a corn field and we even saw a dragon fruit farm.

Not sure how to strike a pose? Don’t worry! Bitang, one of our talented DHT guides, is a master at giving posing tips and will help you capture that picture-perfect souvenir from the hike.

Thank you to everyone who joined us; your support truly makes a big difference!

If you would like to know more about upcoming dayhike events with DHT, Please follow them on facebook at Day Hike Therapist and together let's help our next beneficiary - an underserved school in Cambangkaya, Catmon.

The proposed project includes building a fence and providing instructional materials. If you share the same love for nature and passion for helping other people, come and join us!

We hope to see you on the trail!

Most of the photos were taken by me and majority were shared by James Suico to DHT with permission to share.