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There’s no other place like home if you’re a true Kagay-Anon. Even if you traveled far and wide to many places, yet, you still miss the small, bustling, and peaceful city. Cagayan de Oro is home to almost 500, 000 people and more. With a few tourism spots and business ventures, CdeO would soon be the next haven for the Philippines.

Centuries before CdO became a city, the place was inhabited by island natives known as the HImogolan. During the Spanish colonization, the town Cagayan became the permanent capital of Segundo Distrito de Misamis (the city was then called Cagayan de Misamis). After the Spanish regime, the Americans occupied the land, and the country as well. When the Americans gave the Philippines its independence in 1946, the small town became a city four years later, and its name was changed to Cagayan de Oro. It was later known that the “de Oro” was appended to “Cagayan” due to stories of gold mining activities known to Spanish explorers.

Today, Cagayan de Oro city is slowly becoming one of the booming cities in the country. The city was known to generate income, as well as attracting tourists, particularly foreigners. Also, the place has a lot to offer: that includes big malls, hotels, “gimmick” sites, theater performances, parks, recreation areas, dining sites, schools and institutions, bank and commerce, and more.

Among a few sites and tourists destinations that sure won’t be missed by many, one is the White Water Rafting. The experience is fun and exciting, also filled with the adrenaline rush through the current of the Cagayan de Oro River. Their travel guides are experts in their field, and are well trained in First-Aid, Life Support, and Swiftwater Rescue. The rafting rates may be high, but spending your money on it is definitely worth the experience.

Another tourism spot, Monigue Cave is located at Barangay Mabuaya. This cave is known for its beautiful sparkling formations called the Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) or Calcites. The cave is mesmerizing, yet, getting inside the cave is a bit difficult. Since the cave is the entrance of the flowing water from the underground stream, there is a chance you might get wet, so be prepared. If you reach the small opening that is too narrow to be passable, with 6 inches airspace between the ceiling and the water, you may have to submerge yourselves one by one, complete with helmets and waterproof cap lamp. The results may be rewarding as soon as you took the tricky route to reach the destination.

If you have enough of watery sites and would rather enjoy a rather, exciting night at the streets for the change, then the Night Café and Night Market is just for you. Every Fridays and Saturdays, the streets of City Golden Friendship Park (Divisoria) are a haven for food lovers and shoppers. Night Café is a street café set-up where you can taste native delicacies, mostly grilled food and cold soft drinks, and beer. For entertainment, there are live band performances. A few kilometers away from the food area, is the Night Market, where you will find a vintage of clothes, accessories, shoes, and gadgets.

here are still a few tourism sites that are worth mentioning, but it would be better if you come and get a taste of the sights and sounds here in CdeO. You won’t have a thing to worry about the place being boring. Besides, the people here are friendly, and hospitable. No wonder the place lives up to its reputation — it’s definitely the “City of Golden friendship.”

Canibad isn’t as popular as Paradise Island Resort or any other resorts in Samal, only a few know about this place. It’s not yet commercialized and only a few people went there. It was a 30-minute ride from Sasa (Davao City) to Babak, Samal Island and another 45 minutes of rough and bumpy ride to Canibad. Whew! I can remember one of my friend saying the ride was ‘unsa man ni dyez pesos padulong langit‘, hahaha… I can’t blame her because the road was really rough plus the driver of the motorcycle drove so fast… When we arrive there, I was amazed of the beautiful view from atop.

But you still have to trek downhill and it’s kinda narrow trail for about 5-10 minutes ( I think) It was pretty scary going down and I almost fall straight down if not for that coconut tree and the food I was carrying was the first one to get on the white sand of Canibad, while I on the other hand was embracing the little coconut tree (can’t imagine how I looked like at that moment lol). Whew! It was really an awesome trek but thankfully we manage to get there safe and sound (kay nah, lahi ra ba gyud ang pananghid sa mama kay magbuhat kuno ug project nyahahaha).

This was the view when I first set my foot on the white sand… Can’t help myself from taking pictures hehehe… It was so peaceful when we arrive there, no other visitors except us, it’s like we have the place exclusively for us and that’s good so we can really have fun…

It costs us 20.00 PHP (0.50 USD) each for entrance and the cottage… If you plan to stay for the night you should bring the following:

• Flashlights because there’s no electricity there, or you can borrow a gas lamp from the caretakers there, they were friendly and kind they let us borrow one.
• You can bring mineral water also, there’s a water supply but not for drinking…
• Tent and Sleeping Bags.
• Food Of course! Sarap mag-sugba hhmm…. missed those times already…

I can still remember when that thin dog snatched our sinugbang bangus… *lol*

I really love watching the sunrise and sunset there and I also enjoyed lying on the sand and watch the stars at night together with the fireflies near the trees… It’s been a long time since I saw fireflies and I was still a kid the last time I saw it, It’s really a great experience, you’ll feel the serenity of the place…

It is a good place to relax and if you want a place to be with yourself… The place is a not well developed resort yet a lot of people still keep on coming back to that place (especially us), it’s simply beautiful, that makes each visit a remarkable one.

I have never appreciated the Philippines the way I did when I traveled most of its places a year ago. I have traveled from the south going up north, checking out the places I only saw in my History books and postcards. We were 15 in the van, touring the whole archipelago. Of course, we started from Davao City. Having fun with my cute little nephew and niece, we ate and sang most of the time.

First stop, Surigao. Not much of a scenic view, but since we were all eager to see every site, taking pictures here and there is a must. J We took a barge from Surigao going to Leyte. Four to five very long hours. It was dark then when we reached the town of Liloan, Leyte, so we had to stay for the night in a hotel near the pier. The night was cold, it was raining the whole time. Nevertheless, I had a good night sleep – thanks to a nice hot shower. JThe next morning, we had to wake up at 5:00am to continue our travel. Essentially, we had our breakfast … what better place could be than in Jollibee. J Tacloban, had to order food using their native tongue although it is similar to our dialect here in Davao. Our journey sets off to the most renowned bridge in the Philippines – the San Juanico bridge.

It is a place to behold, as they say. No wonder, this historical and world-renowned spot exemplifies beauty in its own right. JAt the end of that bridge is the Samar Island, known for its plantations and typhoons. J We have a grueling travel – it took us 13 long hours to trek 100km by land. However, we have seen the beauty (and madness) of Western Samar.After that austere trip, we headed to the next island – the biggest in the country, Luzon. Via barge, we crossed the deep ocean of Allen, Samar to Matnog, Sorsogon. It was just an hour trip but the waves were so enormous – it kept everyone quiet (and others praying). JFinally, after two days of land and sea adventure … we have arrived Luzon. It was midnight then so we had to find a place to stay in. Through the help of a guide, we found a resort place in Matnog.

Another day has come for us to travel again. Heading north, Bicol region is a justifiably beautiful place … with Mayon volcano to be proud of.

Welcome to iTravelPH.com

iTravelPH.com is an independent website that features up to date information for travel and vacation in the Philippines. The information provided here is a contribution of my friends, recommendations of some travelers including my personal travel experience.

The places mentioned here are my favorites, those where I frequently visited with my friends and my family. iTravelPH.com focus is on culture and tradition, food, beauty of nature, art, history and other interesting staffs along the way. You can check the picture gallery to see the pictures of my journey.