Conquering Northern Mindanao: Summary of our Trip

This is the sixteenth part of our 4-days-3-nights Conquering Northern Mindanao trip.

Our flight back to Manila from CDO is at 10:00 am so it’s not really considered a whole day for us there. We had an early morning start and had a cramming moment to buy pasalubongs (souvenirs) at the market. Lanzones in Camiguin is cheaper and yummier compared to that in CDO. The pastels are just the same between Camiguin and CDO. Anyway, just hire a motorella to take you to the market and just go around to look for pasalubongs and souvenirs.

CDO Airport

We hired a taxi going to the airport since it was a bit far away from Victoria Suites. CDO airport is a bit small but it’s very clean. The flight back to Manila was uneventful, except for the time that J won a bag in the Cebu Pacific game they had haha.

And that concludes our Northern Mindanao Trip. For 5 days and 4 nights, we were able to go to Camiguin, try the white water rafting in CDO, go around CDO, ride the dual zipline in Dahilayan in Bukidnon, and visit the 2 popular waterfalls in Iligan City. Not bad for a first timer in Mindanao. Our expenses report, unfortunately, got erased so I have no record of it now. But we spent around 18,000php all in all for the 2 of us so that’s roughly 9,000php + each person. Which is not bad at all!

OUR FINAL ITINERARY:

October 28, 2012 (Day 1)
7:00 am – Flight from Manila to CDO
8:30 am – Arrival at CDO
9:00 am – Ride bus going to Camiguin
12:30 pm – Arrive at Balingoan Port. Ride RoRo going to Camiguin
2:00 pm – Arrive at Benoni Port in Camiguin. Start of tour
8:00 pm – Return to Paguia Cottages
9:00 pm – Dinner
10:00 pm – Sleeping time

October 29, 2012 (Day 2)
6:00 am – Wake up time
6:30 am – Ride bangka going to White Island Beach
6:45 am – Arrive at White Island Beach
8:00 am – Return back to Paguia's Cottages
9:00 am – 2nd part of Camiguin tour
12:00 pm – Check out from Paguia's Cottages
1:00 pm – Ride RoRo going back to Camiguin
2:30 pm – Arrive at Balingoan Port
3:00 pm – Ride bus going back to CDO
6:00 pm – Arrive at Agora Bus Terminal in CDO
7:00 pm – Arrive at Victoria Suites. Check-in
8:00 pm – Dinner at SM CDO
9:00 pm – Return to hotel. Rest time.

October 30, 2012 (Day 3) 6:00 am – Wake up time
7:00 am – Picked up at hotel by 1st rafting adventure
9:00 am – Start of white water rafting
12:00 pm – End of white water rafting. Return to hotel.
1:00 pm – Arrive at Victoria Suites
2:00 pm – Start of DIY city tour
7:00 pm – Dinner at Limketkai Mall
9:00 pm – Arrive back at Victoria Suites. Rest time.

October 31, 2012 (Day 4)
5:00 am – Early wake up time
6:00 am – Travel to Agora Bus Terminal. Ride jeep going to Bukidnon
8:00 am – Arrive at Bukidnon. Ride Habal-habal going to Dahilayan Adventure Park
9:00 am – Arrive at Dahilayan. Adventure time!
12:00 pm – Return back to CDO
1:30 pm – Arrive back at Agora Bus Terminal. Travel to Bulua Bus Terminal
2:00 pm – Ride bus going to Iligan City
3:00 pm – Arrival at Iligan City. Cramming tour of Maria Cristina Falls and Tinago Falls
7:00 pm – Travel back to CDO
9:00 pm – Arrive at CDO. Dinner at Limketkai Mall.
11:00 pm – Rest time

November 1, 2012 (Day 5)
6:00 am – Wake up time
7:00 am – Pasalubong buying at market
8:00 am – Travel to CDO airport
10:00 – Flight back to Manila

SUMMARY OF CONTACTS:

Kuya Erwin
CDO Airport Taxi
0916-2729353

Paguia Cottages
Rocky Village, Yumbing, Mambajao, Camiguin
Telephone No: (088) 387-9018
Mobile Nos: 0917-3107085, 0919-8942681
Email address: roel.paguia@yahoo.com

Victoria Suites
Tirso Neri Street, Cagayan De Oro City
Telephone nos: (088) 309-2222, (088) 847-4447
Mobile No: 0922-8219728
Email address: info@vicotriasuitesonline.com

1st Rafting Adventure Philippines
Telephone Nos: (088) 875-1270, (088) 856-3514
Mobile Nos: 0917-3255544, 0908-8849575
Email address: riverguide95@yahoo.com, riverguide95@raftingadventurephilippines.com

Kuya Bibot
Habal-Habal (Motorcycle) Driver in Bukidnon
0916-2864637

Kuya Joven Generalao
Habal-Habal (motorcycle) Driver in Tinago Falls
09276798356


SUMMARY OF PLACES VISITED:

CAMIGUIN:

• Katibawasan Falls
• Sto. Nino Cold Springs
• Bura Soda Water Park
• Ardent Hibok-Hibok Spring Resort
• White Island Beach
• Sunken Cemetery
• Old Church Ruins
• Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross

CDO:

• White Water Rafting
• Gaston Park
• City Museum
• St. Agustine Church
• Vicente de Lara Park
• Macabalan Wharf/MacArthur Marker
• Limketkai Mall
• Missy Bon Bon Breadshop
• Bigby’s Café and Restaurant

BUKIDNON:

• Camp Phillips
• Dahilayan Adventure Park
• Del Monte Pineapple Plantation

ILIGAN CITY:

• Maria Cristina Falls
• Tinago Falls

Read more:
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Getting to CDO and Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Katibawasan Falls at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Different "Springs" in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Island Beach at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Old Church Ruins and Walkway to the Old Volcano
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Water Rafting in Cagayan De Oro City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: DIY City Tour of CDO
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Food Tripping at Limketkai Mall
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Go To Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Dahilayan Adventure Park
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Eating Fresh Pineapples in Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Get To Iligan City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Maria Cristina Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Tinago Falls

Read More»

Conquering Northern Mindanao: Tinago Falls

This is the fifteenth part of our 4-days-3-nights Conquering Northern Mindanao trip.

Tinago is a Filipino term meaning “hidden” and that’s exactly what the waterfall is because it is hidden in a deep ravine. You have to descend around 300+ steps, some cemented, some rough roads, before arriving at the falls.

After Maria Cristina Falls, we scrambled on to go to Tinago Falls. To get to there, just walk back to the main highway where the driver dropped you off, get a jeepney again going to Buru-un and tell the driver again to drop you off at the street going to Tinago Falls. Once there, there are a lot of habal-habal for rent and it is advisable to get one because it’s very far away. We were able to hire one motorcycle for 30php/person, so that’s 60php going to the falls which was worth it. Look for Kuya Joven when going there.

Anyway, when we arrived at Tinago Falls, there were no more tourists in the place since it was already around 4:30 pm. Entrance fee depends on you, they accept donation of any amount. 2 guides joined us going down and at first we were hesitant to get their services since we didn’t want to pay, but it is VERY MUCH advisable to get a guide because it is a long path going down and you might get lost because the trail sometimes disappears. Unfortunately, when we got to the falls, it was nearing night time so we were not able to appreciate the so-called “blue waters” of the falls. It also started raining a bit making the surroundings darker. But nevertheless, Tinago Falls is still very very beautiful and it was worth it to go there. We only stayed for around 30minutes because we didn’t want to trek back in the dark.

Tinago Falls

Even in the dark, Tinago Falls is still beautiful

Tinago Falls

TIP FOR GOING TO TINAGO FALLS: go there either early in the morning or early in the afternoon to fully appreciate the falls!

We hired a habal-habal going back again to the highway for 60php. At the highway, ride a jeepney going back to the market and just tell the driver to drop you off at any place where there are jeepneys going to the bus terminal that has buses going to CDO. Ride that jeep and then go down to the bus terminals and ride a bus going back to CDO.

We arrived at CDO at around 7pm and we were so exhausted at that time. We had dinner at Limketkai Center again since we were a bit addicted to Missy Bon Bon at that time. And then we called it a night.

Addicted to Missy Bon Bon

So, was it worth it to do a side trip to Iligan City? DEFINITELY! The Maria Cristina falls alone is worth the hours of travel! But it is more advisable to do a day tour in Iligan City instead of just a half day tour so that you could appreciate the waterfalls more and you won’t be rushing around trying to get there before dark. Also, the people in Iligan City are very friendly so don’t hesitate to ask around for directions.

Kuya Joven Generalao
Habal-Habal (motorcycle) Driver in Tinago Falls
Mobile No: 09276798356


Read more:
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Getting to CDO and Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Katibawasan Falls at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Different "Springs" in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Island Beach at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Old Church Ruins and Walkway to the Old Volcano
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Water Rafting in Cagayan De Oro City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: DIY City Tour of CDO
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Food Tripping at Limketkai Mall
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Go To Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Dahilayan Adventure Park
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Eating Fresh Pineapples in Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Get To Iligan City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Maria Cristina Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Summary of our Trip

Read More»

Conquering Northern Mindanao: Maria Cristina Falls

This is the fourteenth part of our 4-days-3-nights Conquering Northern Mindanao trip.

Maria Cristina Falls is also called the “twin falls”. The flow of the water downwards is separated by a rock making it look like there are 2 waterfalls emerging into one. This 320-feet waterfall is also the primary source of electric power for the city.

HOW TO GET TO MARIA CRISTINA FALLS:
From the bus terminal, ride a jeepney going to the market and tell the driver to drop you off at the place where jeepneys going to Buru-un are found. That jeepney will be passing in front of the National Power Corporation where the Ma. Cristina Falls is located. Just tell the driver to drop you there. You will be dropped off at a bridge and from there you can walk towards the entrance of NPC. Ignore the habal-habal (motorcycle) drivers offering you a ride going to the entrance because it is just very near.

National Power Corporation

Welcome to Maria Cristina Falls

Once we got there, we paid the entrance fee of 35php/person and then waited for the shuttle van to take us to the falls. It was a bit of a long wait and we were worried about the time since we planned on going to Tinago Falls afterwards. But anyway, the van arrived just in time so we ventured on.

The Shuttle Going to Maria Cristina Falls

The one thing that we could say about Maria Cristina Falls is that the word “majestic” isn’t enough to describe it. It’s such a “macho-looking” falls for such a sexy name haha. We were just staring at it with our mouths open wide because it was so beautiful. We saw the falls in all its glory including the two cascading waters. Even from a distance you can feel its powers and feel some mists in the air, that’s how strong the falls were. It was such a great experience to see a place that we studied during our elementary years. I was actually teary-eyed a bit when I saw it haha.

Maria Cristina Falls at a Distance

The Falls connecting to the River

Just Amazing

Majestic Maria Cristina Falls

We stayed there for around 30 minutes and then decided to go back so that we could still go to Tinago Falls.

Next: Tinago Falls

Read more:
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Getting to CDO and Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Katibawasan Falls at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Different "Springs" in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Island Beach at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Old Church Ruins and Walkway to the Old Volcano
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Water Rafting in Cagayan De Oro City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: DIY City Tour of CDO
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Food Tripping at Limketkai Mall
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Go To Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Dahilayan Adventure Park
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Eating Fresh Pineapples in Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Get To Iligan City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Tinago Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Summary of our Trip

Read More»

Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Get To Iligan City

This is the thirteenth part of our 4-days-3-nights Conquering Northern Mindanao trip.

Our trip to Iligan City wasn’t originally planned but since we had time to spare after our Bukidnon trip, we decided to just go ahead and go there.

Iligan City is popularly known as the “City of Majestic Waterfalls”. As the name implies, it houses 23 waterfalls within the city, most popular of which is the Ma. Cristina Falls. It is also the primary source of electric power of the city.

Other waterfalls found in Iligan are the ff:

• Abaga Falls
• Bridal Veil Falls
• Dalipuga Falls
• Digkianlao Falls
• Dodiongan Falls
• Gata Falls
• Guimbalolan Fall
• Hindang Falls
• Ikog Falls
• Kalisaon Falls
• Kalubihon Falls
• Kamadahan Falls
• Kibalang Falls
• Languyon Falls
• Langilanon Falls
• Limunsudan Falls
• Linanot Falls
• Lumbatin Falls
• Malaigang Falls
• Malapacan Fall
• Malinao Falls
• Maria Cristina Falls
• Mimbalut Falls
• Pampam Falls
• Pindarangahan Falls
• Rogongon Falls
• Sikyop Falls
• Tinago Falls

So from Bukidnon, we rode a van going back to Agora Terminal in CDO. We arrived at CDO around 1:30 pm, bought Jollibee take-out food, and headed straight to ride a jeepney going to Bulua Bus Terminal. At the terminal, find the bus going straight to Iligan City. Fare was 145php/person and the trip lasted around 1 ½ hours. Depart at the last stop of the bus which is another terminal and there you go, you're in Iligan City already!

Up next, going to Maria Cristina Falls!

Read more:
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Getting to CDO and Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Katibawasan Falls at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Different "Springs" in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Island Beach at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Old Church Ruins and Walkway to the Old Volcano
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Water Rafting in Cagayan De Oro City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: DIY City Tour of CDO
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Food Tripping at Limketkai Mall
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Go To Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Dahilayan Adventure Park
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Eating Fresh Pineapples in Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Maria Cristina Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Tinago Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Summary of our Trip

Read More»

Conquering Northern Mindanao: Eating Fresh Pineapples in Bukidnon

This is the twelfth part of our 4-days-3-nights Conquering Northern Mindanao trip.

After the exhilarating adventure at Dahilayan, we again rode the habal-habal to go back. But Kuya Bibot has a surprise in store for us. We stopped over at their house and we noticed him getting a knife. We were wondering why and then suddenly he turned towards the pineapple plantation. The knife was for cutting open a pineapple haha! We don’t know if this is legally allowed but Kuya Bibot just sauntered on, took a pineapple, and cut it open for us to have a taste. It was one of the sweetest pineapples I have ever tasted. It was such a unique experience to eat a pineapple in the middle of a pineapple field while looking around to see if someone would be catching us because of what we’re doing.

Eating Pineapple in the middle of a Pineapple Plantation

Exploring the Plantation

Fresh Pineapples!

The weather in Bukidnon is very ideal for cultivation of pineapples (moderate dry season with average rainfall). Because of this Del Monte has a plantation placed there and is considered as the biggest pineapple plantation in the Far East. There are literally thousands of pineapples everywhere. The air is cool despite being sunny and it was such an enjoyable experience.

Del Monte Building

After that, we headed on back to the terminal and we rode a van going back to CDO. Originally, we didn’t plan any trip to Iligan but since we had time to spare, we went in Amazing Race mode and decided to try out Iligan City.

Next up, our travel to Iligan City.

Read more:
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Getting to CDO and Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Katibawasan Falls at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Different "Springs" in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Island Beach at Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: The Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Old Church Ruins and Walkway to the Old Volcano
Conquering Northern Mindanao: White Water Rafting in Cagayan De Oro City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: DIY City Tour of CDO
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Food Tripping at Limketkai Mall
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Go To Bukidnon
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Dahilayan Adventure Park
Conquering Northern Mindanao: How To Get To Iligan City
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Maria Cristina Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Tinago Falls
Conquering Northern Mindanao: Summary of our Trip

Read More»