By Irish Faith Clore
A tourist spot must look promising in its photos and must be a wonder in real life. If you seek wonder as a wanderer, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur is offering a paradise like river to you.
Meet Enchanted River—where fresh and salt water collided.
The river’s name was named after the poem wrote by Modesto Farolan “Rio Encantado” wherein he described the river as enchanted. It has a 269ft depth but according to the experts, no one has really reached the bottom of the river. There is also a hidden cave here and again, no one has reached the end of it. There are people who attempted to and there were tourists who went for fun but some of the fun caused accidents. Due to this, the little cave is prohibited to the public. It will make you wonder, what are the things we can explore more under? What does this river beholds more than what we see above? Or…what is the river hiding?
Speaking of under, Enchanted River is the home of thousands of fishes. Every 12 noon, swimmers are requested to mount because it’s time to feed the fish. Hinatuan Hymn will be played and two employees will ride a small boat to reach the main pool—they also prohibit the pool for swimmers to protect the fishes. It will thrill and excite you as the fishes will rise above, it seems like they know they will be fed as they heard the hymn. Their cuteness will definitely melt your heart and giggle like a child.
If it is a river—a fresh water, how did salt water collided with it? Well, if you ride a boat starting from the river, it will take you to the sea—a salt water that is located at the mouth of Hinatuan Bay. They have a cottage in the middle of the sea. If you love to swim with the fishes, you’re free to dive in. And if you want to eat them, well of course you have to pay. The fun part here is you can catch the fish on your own! There is no boundary between such waters, which makes more enchanting. When you’re at the river, you can’t taste any saltiness and if you’re at the sea, well it’s up to you if you want to taste it.
To preserve the beauty and maintain the cleanliness of the area, the food stalls and souvenir stores are located 300 meters away from the river. The local government of Hinatuan is keeping up the game in maintaining the beauty of the majestic paradise they behold.
You won’t fake laughter nor your smile because the beauty of the river will linger your mind. The water is sparkling as the sun hits the water, and it seems you can’t let go of the sight. The river’s lingering beauty will keep you up. It’s flawless beauty will make you come back. Indeed, it was enchanted to meet you, Enchanted River.
Image: Travel Gourmande
