Sohoton National Park — Cave & River Safari

Tucked into the limestone country of Basey in Samar, Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park has been protected since 1935 for its caves, river gorge and rainforest along the emerald Sohoton River. This full-day safari starts at the visitor center where you register before boarding a covered outrigger boat for the scenic cruise upriver, gliding between towering karst walls draped in jungle. Locals sometimes call this the Golden River for the way the light plays on the water.

The highlight is the cave-and-bridge system itself. Panhulugan Cave, the largest in the park, opens into a cavernous dome where a natural skylight lets daylight spill onto a secluded pool perfect for a swim. A massive stone arch, the natural bridge, links the cave chambers, and you transfer to smaller kayaks or wade through clear streams to reach the heart of it. Headlamps reveal stalactites and stalagmites as your guide explains the Waray history behind the name hulug, meaning to drop from above. It is an unhurried, scenic mix of boating, gentle caving and swimming through some of Eastern Visayas' most dramatic scenery.