MINDANAO SOLO-BACKPACKING FOR 9 DAYS: SOX, CARAGA and Maguindanao


HERE'S MY MINDANAO ACTUAL TRAVEL GUIDE AND ITINERARY:
COVERED 8 PROVINCES: SARANGANI, SOUTH COTABATO, SULTAN KUDARAT, MAGUINDANAO, NORTH COTABATO, SURIGAO DEL NORTE, DINAGAT ISLANDS, AGUSAN DEL SUR

SUB-TOTAL EXPENSES WITHOUT AIRFARE: 18,486 Pesos
AIRFARE: 2,235 Pesos Back and Forth
TOTAL EXPENSES: 20,721 Pesos

TRAVEL GUIDE: AWAO FALLS, Compostela Valley

Awao Falls
Awao Falls hides on the mountainous farming village in Brgy. Awao, Municiplality of Monkayo. In terms of Eco-tourism, Awao is the top destinations in the province of Compostela Valley, now Davao de Oro. There is no direct transportation to this majestic waterfalls, so having an hour bumpy habal-habal ride, with river crossing, is necessary to see its hidden beauty. Getting here will certainly be challenging but you will be rewarded with a pristine and breathtaking waterfalls. The picturesque is perfect, the ambiance is relaxing, the water is cool, and the air is fresh.

TRAVEL GUIDE: KAAMULAN PARK AND ZOO, Bukidnon

Kaamulan Park and Zoo
Kaamulan Park and Zoo is definitely the most relaxing part of my travel in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. This government owned park offers an outstanding and remarkable experience to all visitors. Why not? Inside Kaamulan, the wind is fresh, the temperature is cool, and the ambiance is relaxing because of the greens that surround the area. The landscape is clean and well-maintained, thus, the entire area is picture perfect - a perfect place to bond with your loved ones.

TRAVEL GUIDE: MATIN-AO COLD SPRING, Malaybalay, Bukidnon

Matin-ao Cold Spring
Matin-ao Cold Spring is one of the public summer destinations in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon; it is a long river system where the cool and crystal waters are free flowing. The crystal clear pool lit by a natural skylight creates the picturesque more dramatic. Not only that, the area is surrounded with hardwood trees that preserve the tranquility and also serve as a perfect backdrop. And of course, the set up is not complete without the birds singing their lullabies to welcome the visitors. There are benches and has a wide open ground for family gatherings and picnic. A habal-habal is needed to visit these spots because they are located in a remote area on an adjacent location.

TRAVEL GUIDE: NASULI COLD SPRING, Bukidnon

Nasuli Cold Spring
Nasuli Cold Spring is one of the "not so visited destinations" in Bukidnon. For the locals, it's a prominent place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature but a few travelers and backpackers know about its hidden beauty. Nasuli is definitely a natural cold spring with cool and crystal clear waters that can quench your body heat. Not only that, this resort in Malaybalay City is surrounded by trees, plants and flowers which preserves nature's tranquility and creates a relaxing ambiance. To combine all, the landscape of Nasuli Cold Spring is picture perfect which can be considered as one of the must visit attractions in Bukidnon.

TRAVEL GUIDE: PASEO DE SANTIAGO, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte

Paseo de Santiago
My Iligan City habal tour ended at the Paseo de Santiago, a seaside complex with several food stalls and shops. Since it's seaside, of course it's by the beach, the sound of the waves makes the area cozy with the cool breeze - a perfect spot to relax. Others would call it a "hangout area" where you can have a few bottles of beer and "ihaw-ihaw," with someone performing on the mini stage. The area is wide with an instagrammable landscape which includes the gorgeous fortress (photo above), a wide map of the Philippines on the ground and the statue of Lapu-Lapu on the other side. The perfect time to visit this place is during sunset. It is privately owned, thus, entrance fees are being collected.

San Lorenzo Wind Farm (Guimaras Windmills)

San Lorenzo Wind Farm (Guimaras Windmills)
My last destination in Guimaras was Guimaras Windfarm with 27 gigantic wind turbines that harness electricity from the wind. The island is surrounded by the seas, so it’s a perfect location for renewable because of its sea breeze. According to Kuya Ken, the harnessed energy is being transported to Ilo-Ilo City via cables submerged into the water. There’s a registration but no entrance fee. Also, we talked about the proposed bridge that will connect Guimaras to Ilo-Ilo, however, it was rejected because it can damage the living underwater creatures. By the way, Bangui Windmills is the most prominent wind farm in the Philippines which brought a lot of tourists in Ilocos Norte and just recently, I featured the Tanay Windmills in Tanay, Rizal.

Tori's Backpackers Paradise, Siquijor

Tori's Backpackers Paradise
Tori's Backpackers Paradise is the cheapest place to stay in Siquijor. At their small reception area, the receptionist greeted with the genuine "Good Morning, Sir!" and a smile. That very moment, I thought that this place is perfect. For an overnight stay, I only paid 350 pesos, great deal, right? This resort is backpackers friendly because of its cheap price and they have a dormitory type room where visitors can meet other visitors. I was just sad because my visit was off season and there were only three visitors in the resort. If you want privacy, that's not a problem because they also private rooms.

Siquijor Church, a quick visit

Siquijor Church
The Siquijor Church greets all the visitors as it is situated near the port. It was established in 1783 by the secular priests. It was built using coral stones and initially used cogon for roofing. What's unique about this church is the bell tower built a few meters away. Like some other old churches in the Philippines,  its convent served as the hiding place from the pirates and other invaders. Today, it is the center of Catholicism in the province but for a non-Catholic like me, this church is the living witness of the past survived by the province and its people.