Lake Apo Is The Bukidnon Crater That Shows You The Truth About Doing Nothing

Every life starts weightless and hollow, with a thousand missing pieces. As we grow, we begin to build habits, titles, and dreams, until we convince ourselves we’ve become whole. For a while, it feels true. But somewhere along the way, we get lost in the middle of the desert. Surrounded by noise, chaos, and constant scrolling, we begin to lose the parts of ourselves that once felt real. Fortunately, there are still oases where you can pause, reflect, and start to gather those pieces again. And sometimes, you’ll find them in unexpected corners, like Lake Apo in Valencia, Bukidnon.

Lake Apo was one of those unexpected oases I didn’t know I needed.

Honestly, I knew nothing about this deep, scenic crater lake hiding in the mountains of Bukidnon.

I saw it on our CDO-Bukidnon itinerary, but I wasn’t expecting much. 

I thought it would be just another selfie corner.

And I thought it was a quick stop between Musuan Peak and Mount Capistrano.

But I was wrong.

It wasn’t just a stop. 

It was a lesson in being still in a world that never stops moving.

So, what did I discover in my brief visit to Lake Apo?

My Lake Apo experience in Valencia, Bukidnon

We were just fresh off our hike in Musuan Peak.

With adrenaline still pumping and momentum on our side, we climbed back into the van, expecting we were headed for another climb.

But when I checked our itinerary on our phone, I found out Lake Apo was our next stop.

A lake I knew nothing about.

It rings a bell, for sure, but I couldn’t remember seeing Lake Apo photos online.

Maybe a photo or two had passed by on my feed, but nothing stuck. 

Nothing that made me pause.

There was nothing that made me say I had to f*cking see this.

Arrival at Lake Apo

When we arrived at Lake Apo, the first thing I noticed was the small parking area.

At least it wasn’t crowded. 

No noise, no honking vans, and no busy vendors trying to sell you keychains or ice candy. 

It felt still, and a little underwhelming, if I’m being honest.

But I was willing to give it a chance.

After all, this crater lake had made it onto our itinerary for a reason. 

Who knows? 

Maybe I’d find something unexpected. 

Perhaps there was something quietly spectacular waiting in this part of Bukidnon.

After paying the Lake Apo entrance fee, we made our way inside the facility, and immediately, I was caught off guard by its calm, picturesque setting.

Something softened in me. 

The place I expected the least from on our weekend adventure was slowly becoming the one I would remember most.

Snapping photos of Lake Apo 

Lake Apo is a dream come true for photographers. 

While it’s not as massive as Lake Lanao in Marawi, it’s still gorgeous and picture-perfect.

With its clear emerald waters and stunning surrounding hills, it’s a sight that will leave you speechless and in awe.

We wandered around the area, soaking in the views and snapping photos of the lake from every angle. 

The light was soft. 

The breeze was gentle. 

And the best part? 

It wasn’t crowded.

Yes, Lake Apo is a little touristy, but it doesn’t draw the same overwhelming crowds you’d see in places like Mount Pinatubo, Sumaguing Cave, and Mount Pulag.

At that moment, it felt like we had it all to ourselves, and that made all the difference.

The surprisingly difficult art of doing nothing

Soon, we went to the newest attraction at Lake Apo: the floating view deck.

And it looked absolutely gorgeous.

But just as we were about to walk across the pathway, the caretaker told us to wait. 

A few groups were already ahead of us.

So we stopped. 

We waited. 

We sat in silence.

And for a while, we did nothing.

For the first 10 minutes, I was convinced I had made a mistake.

I could’ve climbed another peak. 

I could’ve done something cooler.

Something with a medal, a view, or at least a story.

And here’s what they don’t tell you about doing nothing.

It’s ridiculously hard when your brain’s wired to always panic to move constantly.

And you almost convince yourself that this quiet pause is wasted time.

You sit there, finally away from the noise, thinking you’ll feel peace. 

But no. 

Your thoughts start sprinting. 

Your hands want to scroll. 

You think of unfinished work. 

You feel guilty for sitting still. 

Your legs want to hike something just to feel useful.

In fact, I thought doing nothing was the hardest part of our trip that weekend.

Harder than the hike to Musuan Peak.

And harder than river rafting in Cagayan de Oro.

As someone who constantly complains about being busy and stressed out, it felt weird to finally get the stillness I kept asking for, and not know what to do with it.

Has technology really changed the way I behave and process my thoughts?

And that question hit me like a splash of cold lake water.

In my relentless journey to become the best version of myself, I stopped knowing how to be still.

I stopped knowing how to sit in silence without needing to document it, fix it, or scroll through it.

But there I was on a bench near a quiet lake in Bukidnon, being reminded that peace doesn’t always come with music or movement.

Sometimes, it comes disguised as boredom. As stillness. As waiting your turn on a floating view deck while your brain begs for stimulation.

Exploring the other Lake Apo activities

As we were patiently waiting for our turn, I checked out the other activities in Lake Apo.

And honestly? There’s not much.

Just a few bamboo rafts, floating cottages, and scenic corners perfect for photos.

I’m not even sure if swimming is allowed on this lake since it’s quite deep.

But I guess that’s the whole point.

Maybe Lake Apo wants us to pause, slow down, and escape the buzz of modern life.

Perhaps the Universe carved out this crater for people like me, who forgot what it means to do nothing.

The Universe made it to hold not just water, but silence.

Reflection.

Space to breathe.

And in that stillness, if you’re patient enough, you might just start finding the missing pieces you didn’t know you’d lost.

The lake as a mirror

I went closer to the lake and sat on a rock.

And I did nothing.

I just sat there, admiring the still, clear, and beautiful waters of Lake Apo.

Then, something clicked.

I realized I lost the rebellious side of me who embraced the art of doing nothing.

I lost that person who craved quiet moments and lazy Sundays doing nothing but reading a book or listening to the radio.

I became a version that my younger self would hate.

I became a poster boy for efficiency and busyness. 

And I became the overachieving adult I once swore I’d never become.

On some days, I felt like I was wandering the desert again, searching for a way back home.

But as I glanced at the still waters of Lake Apo, I saw not just a reflection.

I saw fragments of myself I thought I had lost years ago.

Why the world doesn’t want you to stop

It felt like time paused.

And it felt like I had stepped into a different reality.

Then, another quiet thought lit up in my mind.

It was a theory I had long buried under deadlines and dopamine hits.

Here’s the thing.

The world doesn’t want you to stop.

It leads us to a web of lies to prevent us from thinking and reflecting. 

And we eat every lie the world feeds us.

We blindly follow the gospel that algorithms preach.

We’re so busy chasing updates, likes, and breaking news that we forget to check in with ourselves.

We forget how to be still.

There’s no time to reflect, no space to breathe, no room to just exist.

Because the world thrives when we’re too distracted to question, too exhausted to resist.

We’ve created a non-stop circus designed to keep us occupied.

And it doesn’t just steal our time.

It steals our clarity too.

And somewhere along the way, we even gave up our power to decide.

We vote for corrupt, ineffective leaders not because we believe in them, but because we’re too tired to dig deeper.

We are too busy to do the hard work of thinking for ourselves.

So we accept the loudest voices on Facebook.

We let TikTok trends decide what matters.

And it was not because we wanted to, but because we’ve forgotten how to slow down and choose for ourselves.

And maybe that’s why Lake Apo exists.

It’s not to wow you with activities.

But to hand you back the silence the world keeps stealing from us.

It exists to remind you that stillness isn’t a waste of time.

It’s where the lost pieces start finding their way home.

The floating view deck

Finally, it was our time to see and take pictures of the floating view deck of Lake Apo.

As we were about to set foot on the viewing deck, the caretaker reminded us to be careful because the lake is ridiculously deep.

So, how deep is Lake Apo?

I asked him that question, and he said nobody knows.

Carefully and silently, we went to the floating viewing deck, and snapped a bunch of pictures.

There are plenty of beautiful spots in Lake Apo, but personally, the viewing deck is the best one.

Afterward, we decided to depart from Lake Apo, and make our way to our next stop, Mount Capistrano.

Even though I’m more into hiking, I truthfully didn’t mind spending the whole day in Lake Apo.

I mean.

Lake Apo didn’t offer me a grand epiphany.

It didn’t hand me a spiritual breakthrough.

But it taught me something no heart-pumping adventure ever could.

It taught me that wisdom and healing sometimes look like doing nothing.

That rest can be productive.

That stillness is a superpower in a world obsessed with speed.

And boredom?

It’s actually not empty.

It’s full of everything we’ve been too busy to feel.

I left Lake Apo a little quieter. 

A little slower.

And truthfully, a little stronger.

And it was not because I did something great.

But because, for once, I didn’t do anything at all.

How much is the entrance fee in Lake Apo?

The entrance fee to Lake Apo is PHP 100 per person.

What time does Lake Apo open?

Lake Apo in Valencia City, Bukidnon, welcomes visitors daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Where is Lake Apo located?

Lake Apo is a stunning crater lake located in Barangay Guinoyoran, about 11 kilometers west-southwest of the city center of Valencia City, in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines.

How to get to Lake Apo?

There are many ways to get to Lake Apo. The most convenient one is to join an organized tour. There are tour operators, like SUGBO Adventours, that offer tours to Lake Apo and other nearby attractions.