Camiguin Deserves a Second Chance

The tall and gentle cascade of Katibawasan Falls

When my flight to Mindanao was booked, the first thing that came to my mind was Camiguin. I’ve seen lots of beautiful photos and heard enough great stories about the place. The White Island, the prominence of Mt Hibok Hibok, the sunken cemetery and the hot springs made this island an “enchanting and captivating” place to explore.

But nature has its way of making you see things differently. It was a drizzling Monday morning when we left Cagayan De Oro City. Kim, Cha and I took the easier route going there, two-hour fast craft via Paras Sea Cat. It was almost noon-time when we set foot in the island, and the overcast sky we left in CdO followed us in Camiguin. The place looked bleak and lonely.

One of the pools at Ardent Hot Spring

Paddling Through the Wild Rapids of Cagayan de Oro River

We left Manila an hour past our scheduled flight, thanks to Cebu Pacific. When we arrived in Cagayan de Oro City, I thought we won’t be able to push through with the river rafting. Who would actually do it nearly sun down? Well, we decided that our adventurous hearts won’t be cowed by the possible danger ahead. So from the airport Kim, Cha and I headed straight to Mambuaya, the jump-off point. We were supposed to start it at 3pm but with the delays, we hit the first major rapids a little after 4pm. And then the 13 kilometers sunset river rafting/cruising ensued.

 

Experiencing Asia's Longest Dual Zipline in Bukidnon

At 4,500 above sea level, the first 5 seconds of the 840m flight is the most scary

Waking up to a rainy morning and with a flight to catch in the afternoon, Cha, Kim and I decided to ditch the original plan of commuting our way to Bukidnon. We contacted Kuya Danny, a cab driver, who agreed to drive us to Dahilayan Adventure Park for P2,000 roundtrip. We left CDO at 7a.m. and reached Manolo Fortich at 9. It really wasn’t supposed to take two hours since we were aboard a private car. But we just couldn’t be stopped from taking photos of the scenic views on the way to the site. We enjoyed the lush vegetation, the plateaus, the charming old houses of Del Monte farmers, the magnificent hills on the background, the small talks with some farmers and the photo ops amidst the sprawling pineapple field. For the delays and muddy feet we got, it was fun.

Philippine Churches: Bato Church

It took 53 years (from 1830 to 1883) to build the St. John the Baptish Parish, known as the Bato Church. Said to be one of the oldest churches in my home province Catanduanes, it's one of the places that's not to be missed if one plans to visit our small island.