Timoga Cold Spring, Iligan City

Known for its natural beauty and overflowing water. Timoga Pools are one of the most popular tourist spots in Iligan City. The clear icy cold water is from Lake Lanao which is known to be the largest fresh water lake in the Philippines. The springs, to which the resort gets its water source, are just but one of the many outlets of the Lake; other than Maria Cristina and Linamon Falls.

With the seemingly endless supply of fresh and cold waters, Timoga cold springs have earned its reputation to be one of the “must be visited” spots in the city. Visitors from all over the country all commend to the refreshing and natural feel of the waters, minus the irritating chlorine solution, which make it distinct from the others. No wonder it is called the “flowing swimming pools.”

Admission (As of May 2016)

• Entrance Fee: Php 100.00/head
• Cottage: Php 100.00 to 300.00 (*depending on the table size and the location)
• Corkage Fee (drinks): Php 2.00/bottle (*not applicable to all swimming pools)
  

How to get there:

From the city, ride a Buru-un line jeepney. Tell the driver or the “kundoktor” to drop you to Timoga or simply tell them the exact swimming pool that you wish to access.

Fare:

From the city to Timoga as of May 2016

• Jeepney – Php 11.00 (adult), Php 10.00 (student/senior citizen) (recommended)
• Taxi – Php 250.00 to Php 300.00

Note: Please be careful in dealing with taxi drivers. I am not confident with the Taxi service here in Iligan City. They tend to ask too much. Since Timoga is 9 kilometers away from the city proper, most taxi drivers will offer you a “pakyaw” system wherein they will ask you to pay a much higher amount compared to usual meter. I noticed recently that Taxis here in Iligan City doesn’t have a meter. Before deciding to ride on a taxi, ask the taxi driver first.

• If you are with the whole family or with friends more than 15 persons, the “pakyaw“ system comes ideal when traveling to Timoga. Deal with any Jeepney driver, most drivers offer will be approximately Php 350.00 to Php 500.00, depending on the number of people.

To view other Iligan City routes click here

What to Bring

• Swimming attire and gears.
• Clothes. Do not forget to bring your towel to dry you up after.
• Food and drinks. Note: Food and beverages are far more expensive in Timoga. You can save big time when you bring your own food and drinks. Some swimming pools collects corkage for the drinks that you bought outside their grounds. A minimum of Php 2.00 per bottle is not too much.

Nanat’s tips

• plastic cellophanes – for easy garbage disposal and for wrapping your wet clothes, swimming attire and gears before putting it inside your bags. This will prevent your bag from getting wet and ruined. Note: I know there are people who are paid to clean the mess but I think it would be much nicer if you can keep your place clean before leaving. And if it is not too much to ask, please do not just throw your garbage anywhere. 
• Wear slippers – some wear shoes to look good in going to Timoga but I definitely suggests to wear slippers.

Night Swimming

Many prefer to go swimming while the sun is still up, other prefer to stay longer until it’s dark, while some would like to start after the sun has set. Each and everyone’s preference is their choice. However, not all pools are open for night swimming, as there are only two pools offer such services. These are:

• Holiday Swimming Pool
• Mimar’s Springway Resort

It is advised that you have your own transport service as it is hard to catch a ride back home around these hours.

Here are some pictures of us tanning ourselves out in Timoga:

Me and Arvin with our family and sister’s in law siblings at Holiday Swimming Pool.

About the Author

Nathalie Bolotaolo-Donguines A graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management who is a home-based freelancer that specializes in Search Engine and Social Media Optimisation.

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