Backpack Photography: An Invitation to Explore Lake Sebu

Lake Sebu • Into the Blue

It was sometime ago when we explored Lake Sebu in South Cotabato but the experience stuck in our collective memory.  It's really easy to see why.  The place is a picture of tranquility, especially in the early morning light.  The falls are incredibly riveting.  The people are so nice, we got offers of banana cue (we must've looked hungry after two transfers of vehicles from Gensan) even before our feet landed on the poblacion.  The T'boli crafts are simply exquisite -- I still have my treasured T'nalak cloth tucked away safely along with my Bajau banig mats I bought directly in Tawi-Tawi -- this sentiment coming from an avowed no-souvenir-save-for-a-ref-magnet traveler.  The T'bolis we met dressed in their colorful, eye-catching garb remind me now of the H'mongs we met in the highlands of Vietnam; come to think of it, even the cool climate harks back to Sapa.

Dramatic cascades of Falls Two

While I knew beforehand that the lake is situated some 300 meters above sea level, I wasn't quite prepared for the pleasant cool clime when we got there.   You can go around and hardly feel warm.  At night and in the early morning hours, it can turn nippy (all the better to huddle in the warmth of the thin blankets).  It takes some getting used to especially when one comes in from General Santos where it's either hot/humid or muggy (depending on the time of the year).  A good friend, Lantaw, told us excitedly that there are a lot of  new developments in the area; some good (zipline across some of the falls), some not so welcome (structures in the middle of the forest) so we thought why not pay a visit again.

Lake Seloton Fishing

On behalf of Backpack Photography, I would like to invite you to our Explore Lake Sebu Photo Tour.  It's a photo journey into the T'boli culture and the wonderful sights around this inland lake.  

Participants in our past workshops/tours have come to know that here at Backpack Photography, we are not just interested in showing our participants the sights but also give importance to discovering and appreciating the local culture as well as interacting with the locals.  Our relatively small number of invitees also mean we can give personal attention to each participant for their every photographic query.  

For interested parties, please visit www.backpackphotography.net or www.ironwulf.netaddress. for details.  Or you can email us at this address.