Caves in Mabinay
Cave Capital of the Philippines
Mabinay is a municipality in the mountainous middle area of the Negros Island. It is known far and wide as a cave-town. According to locals, the municipality has more than 400 caves. Only about 100 of the caves are popular and 50 of these were identified and explored about 25 years back by a Dutch-Belgium team. Out of these, visitors can explore 7 caves. 3 caves can easily be accessed and the rest are reserved for mountaineers having more experience. Those who wish to swim through some underground river can find narrow openings to crawl through or enter the cave by rappelling down its entry.
Caving and Spelunking in Mabinay
One can save here in any season of the year. Various tour guides and operators can display a fantastic world underground. Guides can show visitors caves that match their ability. Suitable footwear must be worn. Most caves have interesting accounts associated with them, and guides can narrate the same to visitors.
Caves in Mabinay
Beginners can easily access the 3 smaller caves while more experienced cavers and mountaineers, the more advanced ones would be more appropriate.
Bulwang Caves
Beginners can explore these easily. These caves are situated in “Bulwang”, and the name also means “big hole“. One can ride to here within 20 minutes on a tricycle from the Mabinay bus terminal. While arriving from Dumaguete, visitors can tell their assistant within bus to stop at the cave’s entrance. For beginners, 3 caves are open.
Pandalihan Cave (Marriage Cave)
It is similar to the courting cage that inexperienced hikers love so much. Both caves can be entered easily and are shallow enough. No special tools are needed by visitors. Wedding customs were observed beneath the main hall’s open large ceiling. The cave has wonderful millipedes and bird nests. The millipedes have 1.5 cm in diameter and can reach 25 cm. Millipedes are peaceful by nature, but when they get disturbed they spurt a purplish liquid that leaves stains on the skin.
Crystal Cave (Honeymoon Cave)
It has a sloped entrance, is 12 m deep and 157 m in length. For beginners at least, this is the loveliest cave that can be accessed in the Mabinay region. Once accessibility to the cave was difficult, but things changed with efforts of the municipality. These days, a floor extension like a raft lets visitors stand in the cave’s middle.
Stalactites and Stalagmites cover its floor and ceiling. It is an extremely active cave and one can find many frogs, bats and the Tailless Whip Scorpion. Visitors should not touch anything here. Touching stalactites can make them change color because of a chemical reaction.
Other Caves in Mabinay
Odloman Cave
In the Philippine archipelago, it is the 2nd longest cave system and is 8,870 m long. One has to enter the cave through a roof hole or by swimming across a river underground. This cave has many amazing, large galleries connected through narrow, small corridors. The paths to these caves can be explored by just experienced spelunker or mountaineers.
Cayaso Cave
In this archipelago, it is the 9th longest cave. It is 2,222 m long and is the main hall has a subterranean river flowing through it. This cave is located just 1 km from the town-center of Mabinay.
Things to Bring for Mabinay Caves?
Beginners are recommended to wear proper footwear to keep their feet protected. Sandals and slippers should not be worn to the caves, and regular hiking shoes are preferable. A long-sleeve shirt and long pants can help avoid scratches or rushes during hikes. Taking nice flashlights is advisable for watching the small caverns and corners, as flash-lights offered by guides are not good enough. One should take along some sandwiches and sufficient water as there are no restaurants nearby to have a quick meal.
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