In this post I want to show you four different peaks that you can visit when hiking in the Badian Highlands on the island of Cebu. You can even do all 4 of these peaks in just one day!

The hikes covered in this post are the tourist friendly walks, no large multi-day hikes, just some good locations to go and explore from Moalboal if you are sick of scuba diving or visiting waterfalls for a while.

Although these hikes can be done from Oslob or Cebu city as well, they are listed here as hikes near Moalboal as that is the closest tourist town to these 4 hikes. It is highly likely that if you were to do these hikes, you would be doing them while based in Moalboal.

If you want to know how to get to Moalboal from Siquijor, check out this post. You can reverse this as well to get to Siquijor from Moalboal, see what to do in Siquijor here.

For now though, let’s take a look at these hikes near Moalboal!

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4 Peak Near Moalboal Video

If you prefer to watch video content, check out this video I have made which covers the 4 hikes near Moalboal. I personally find videos more helpful for getting an understanding of what to expect.

Where are these 4 hikes near Moalboal?

The 4 hikes today are all located in the Badian Highlands. The Badian highlands are located on the western half of Cebu island, just to the south of Moalboal.

Moalboal is the closest tourist town and is more than likely where you will be based when you decide to do these 4 scenic hikes near Moalboal.

You can see all 4 of the hikes in the image below, with the boundary representing the borders of Badian municipality.

Are the hikes near Moalboal difficult?

None of these hikes near Moalboal are overly difficult, but you need to have some basic level of fitness and to not be too afraid of heights.

All of the hikes offer guides if required, although only one of them has a mandatory guide, you can ask for guides for the other hikes as well.

What do I need to do the 4 hikes near Moalboal?

There are limited requirements, water and a mode of transport are the two main things you will need.

I have seen people do these hikes in just standard joggers or in some cases wearing sandals, but a sturdy pair of hiking shoes is recommended. Some of the hikes involve moving over loose rock and the more ankle support you have the better here.

Other things to consider, depending on the season and time of day, are sunscreen and bug repellent.

Why should I do these hikes near Moalboal?

You don’t have to do these hikes near Moalboal, but it offers a great alternative to scuba diving or visiting waterfalls. It’s a great way to break up your trip and avoid getting waterfall fatigue.

The views are incredible, see below, think of the chocolate hills in Bohol, it’s the same landscape here.

You will get panoramic views of the island of Cebu and a lot of these hikes near Moalboal (with the exception of one) are not crowded at all.

casino peak badian highlands towards moalboal 1080*720

Looking towards Moalboal from Casino Peak.

Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (Amazon/eBay link).

4 Hikes Near Moalboal

Let’s get into it.

As I stated in the intro, if you are keen enough you will have enough time to do all 4 of these hikes near Moalboal in the one day.

It will be tiring, with lots of climbing, but it saves you the scooter ride back and forth as these 4 peaks are all relatively close to each other.

Is the road to the Badian highlands dangerous?

There are a lot of reviews on Google Maps stating that the road that Google directs you on is dangerous, this is not the case at all in 2025 as the road is constructed fully.

I had zero issues taking the short route, it shaves an hour off the trip when compared to some people’s recommendation of going through Alegria, the information in the reviews is old.

Just ride the way Google Maps directs you and you will be fine. On the way back north to Moalboal it will be largely downhill, so make sure your scooter has good brakes if it is an automatic.

Kandungaw Peak

Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 (Amazon/eBay link).

Kandungaw Peak

What is it?

The 5th highest mountain peak on Cebu island (information on this is scarce so I could be wrong).

This is the most taxing of all the climbs today, but also arguably the best of the lot.

958m above sea level, the peak is a stunning rocky outcrop complete with a flag for photos.

There is also a bonus cave that you can explore.

How much does it cost?

₱50

kandungaw peak vertical flagpole 720*1080

Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 (Amazon/eBay link).

Opening Hours?

Open 24 hours, but you wouldn’t want to come too early as there is normally a fog that sits over the Badian highlands until somewhere between 08:00-10:00 when it burns off.

You can start climbing at around 06:30 if you want and are lucky enough to have a clear sky at the mountain peak.

How do you get here?

Ride your scooter, it is about 40-50 minutes ride from Moalboal.

kandungaw peak vertical pathway 720*1080

Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (Amazon/eBay link).

How long will I spend here?

The hike up will take you anywhere from 35-60 minutes. That is a big bracket, but the reason is that the hike is all uphill and quite relentless.

There are people who can almost run up, for most people 45-50 minutes at a slow pace would be an average time.

Once up the top you can spend as long as you want. There is a cave to explore and a large area to walk around as well as taking photos.

I think that you will likely spend 3-4 hours here if you include the ascent and descent times.

When to come?

I personally came early, which is because I wanted it to myself. Unfortunately the day I came was a public holiday in the Philippines so there were other people here.

It is quite foggy early on though, I had to wait an hour or so for the fog to clear as well as the crowds.

Ordinarily though if you aim to reach the summit at about 08:00-09:00 you will be able to outlast the fog.

Do you recommend it?

Yes, absolutely brilliant.

kandungaw peak watchful dog in the mist 1080*720

Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 (Amazon/eBay link).

The guardian of the fog.

Kandungaw Cave

The cave can be accessed with a short 5 minute hike down the western face of the summit, it is not overly large but it is quite raw and untouched. There are signs pointing to the cave from the shelter at the peak of Kandungaw.

There is another path leading up to the cave, which is an alternate path to the summit from the west, this path is in poor condition and extremely slippery, so it is best to only descend as far as the cave and no further.

In the cave you will need a headtorch to fully appreciate it. I think if you skipped it you wouldn’t be missing much though, there are better caves around the Philippines.