Thursday to Sunday
February 12 to 15, 2026

I spent this year’s first vacation leaves on a trip to the southern part of the country. Cagayan de Oro was our port of entry, but most of our time was spent in the barangay of Dahilayan and on the island of Camiguin. Read on to find out how thr trip went.

Day 1

Laguindingan Airport

Shane coordinated this trip and for the ease of logistics (since we were a big group), we booked a tour package. It is possible to DIY this trip, of course, but I would recommend that only to solo or couple travelers at most. The more pax you have in your group, the more cost-effective it would be to just get a package with a van to make your tour more comfortable and to make the most of your time and money.

Upon arriving at Laguindingan Airport, we were picked up by our designated driver, Kuya Jericho. After filling in the tour manifest and contract, we headed to our first destination.

Shrine of Divine Mercy

Before entering the shrine, we had to wear the provided long pants for the men wearing shorts, and long skirts plus a veil for the women showing skin. I also had to take off my earrings.

Inside, we were treated to a 15-meter statue of Jesus overlooking the lush grounds of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental. The statue faced the sea and was surrounded by other, smaller statues of religious icons. The place was quiet, and serene, definitely a good location to meditate and offer prayers. 

On the way out, we passed by the Divine Mercy Church, a circular building impressively adorned with the crown of thorns. I admired this unique look and we said a quick prayer before moving on. Inside the shrine compound were souvenir shops and a food court, but we skipped on these for now.

Del Monte Pineapple Plantation

This stop was mostly just to buy some Pineapple Ice Cream. There was a giant pineapple statue as a landmark so we took some photos of that. After securing the cold dessert, we headed up to Dahilayan.

Dahilayan Forest Park & Adventure Park

These two parks have separate entrance fees but you just have to pay the environmental fee once, so remember to keep your receipt! The Forest Park is more suitable for families and those with kids. They have a lot of fun activities like the rainbow slide, mini golf, go carts, and bumper cars. For the more extreme activities, head over next door to the Adventure Park, which has zip lines, ATVs, and drop rides. 

We first stayed at the Forest park, where Shane and the others rode the rainbow slide. I was in charge of documenting them ride the 100-meter slopes. One ticket was good for two rides so I have to say it was worth it. 

After exploring the free parts of the park, we had lunch at Jessie’s Diner, a retro restaurant famous for the classic-style gas station layout as well as multiple classic cars parked out front. The food was also in theme, serving classic American diner food like burgers and nachos. For a themed diner, I enjoyed their food a lot. Their nachos and quesadillas were decent and the spaghetti was a flavor I haven’t tasted since I was a child. All solid offerings for a theme park restaurant.

After lunch we headed to the Adventure Park to try out a couple of their rides. First, we did the Razorback Mountain Coaster. This was a 600-meter ride where gravity is your friend and brakes are the only thing keeping you on the monorail. This was a lot of fun and my favorite for the day. It was a shame one ticket only got us one ride, I’d love to do this again and this time, not use the brakes at all.

Next was the Dropzone, a pendulum swing above a man-made lake. It features a 120-foot freefall and you swing back and forth until you are rescued by the park staff. It was my first time trying a ride like this and I was a bit nervous, but it was actually fun. I felt my butthole shrink and dig into my stomach on that initial swing back, but afterwards, it was just fun swinging around.

Dahilayan Asaka

Our accommodation for the next two nights was Dahilayan Asaka. It was a nice place surrounded by greenery, plus the staff are friendly and hospitable. We paid extra for a gallon of water plus wifi is also an additional fee (thankfully, I had good data coverage). The shower heater also didn’t work on the first night but the cold never bothered me, anyway.

For dinner, there were a lot of local karinderyas nearby. Although they closed early, we were able to have a really filling dinner at a nearby place that served grilled chicken and bbq. Because our first day started very early (I didn’t have a lot of sleep before the flight), I was in bed and snoring very quickly.

Day 2

Impasug-ong Tourism Office

We started the next day early. Our first destination was to this tourism office for a picture taking. There are toilets and souvenir shops inside but they were still closed when we arrived.

Lover’s Lane

We also stopped by the view deck called the Lover’s Lane. This was right beside the highway and unmissable. Thankfully, we arrived early so there were only a few tourists to compete for the picture taking spots. We also bought a cup of sikwate from an old lady. It was incredibly hot, rich, and delicious.

Atugan Nature Farm

There were a lot of changes to our itinerary on this day because of an impending typhoon. We arrived at CEDAR Ecopark for a hike to some waterfalls, but a government missive closed the entire park for safety. Because of this, we had a detour at Atugan Nature Farm for some coffee and binaki.

Kapanglaw ATV Adventure

After lunch, we headed to a Pineapple plantation which would be the venue for our ATV adventure. This was my first time riding one so I was equally excited and apprehensive. Learning to use the ATV was actually easier than I thought and in a few seconds of pushing the gas trigger, I was ready to ride at full speed.

But in reality, it was a tame experience as we were all moving at low speeds to avoid the mud flinging everywhere. It had rained a bit and despite my careful driving, I was covered in specks of brown everywhere. We toured the pineapple plantation, taking the occasional videos and photos at certain spots, and then returned to the starting area to wash off.

TIL that ATVs are super fun and I’m looking for a wilder trail next.

Communal Ranch

To get to the Communal Ranch, we had to ride a pick-up truck that took us on a bumpy ascent towards a hidden valley. This government-owned ranch boasted incredible views of the surrounding mountains and a man-made pond. Imagine the Windows XP wallpaper or the land where the Teletubbies lived. It was something like that.

Our tour package here included some drone shots so we took part in the choreography taught to us by our drone operator. It seems that drones are a big business in places like these and even without prior reservation, you can just talk to the locals to purchase a package. There are also horses and cowboy hats for rent should you wish to complete the “rancher” look.

RotyPeaks Ridge Camp

After the drone shoot, we returned to our truck for an even wilder ride up a mountain trail to RotyPeaks Ridge Camp. Here, we were offered complimentary binaki and coffee. This outdoor camping area and lodge has more scenic views of the Bukidnon mountains and they take advantage of their location very well.

There are lots of places to take pictures in, including a toilet with a very picturesque view right in front of it. We also had another drone shoot by the mountain ridge right beside the camp. They also had overhanging net hammocks and swings for the not-squeamish.

We didn’t stay too long because we had to ride back down to the highway before it got dark. Once we were safely back in our van, we returned to our accommodation for the night.

Day 3

Balingoan Port

We started the day early and had breakfast before heading to Balingoan Port, the terminal connecting the mainland to Camiguin. We were supposed to ride the 8am barge, but once we arrived, it was already full. We had to wait for the next trip, scheduled at 10:30am. We were able to get on the barge at the right time, but it departed very late, so we arrived in Camiguin already in the afternoon.

This is one of the few advantages with having a private van, we were able to adjust our itinerary and were able to visit the attractions scheduled for the day.

Mantigue Island

We headed to San Roque port where we rode a pump boat towards Mantigue Island. This was a beautiful, small island with white sand and vibrant, blue waters. Here, we had our packed lunch before heading into the sea for some snorkeling. There wasn’t much accommodations, but they had cottages for rent with tables and chairs.

Sadly, we didn’t see any turtles, but Shane and I got to say hi to a very friendly pair of clownfish which were taking shelter on a piece of rock. They were adorable and didn’t seem to be afraid of us, unlike the other fish who shot away as soon as we approached.

After taking some pictures and admiring the view, we waited for the pump boats to take us back to port. The boat system here was first come, first served and it went smoothly as there wasn’t a lot of tourists that day. Take note that tourists can only stay on the island for a maximum of three hours. That’s enough time to do everything you need on the island, I think.

Katibawasan Falls

Mantigue Island took up most of the afternoon so we only had a short stop in Katibawasan Falls. It is the tallest waterfall in the island, reaching 70 meters above the basin. The spray of the water was so powerful, the wind was able to push me back with a bit of force.

The water was incredibly cold and refreshing. I was only able to dip for a bit before I felt my body heat get sapped out. I was wondering how it must feel to stand right under the cascading waters. I imagined it must be a very extreme water massage. However, there was a piece of rope indicating where people can swim safely, so I followed the rules and stayed on the safe part.

Ardent Hot Springs

Camiguin, “The Island Born of Fire” because of its many active volcanoes, is well known for its hot springs. The most visited is Ardent Hot Springs, at the foot of Mt. Hibok-hibok. Here, we were able to take a dip in the geothermal pools. The hot springs complex was composed of many layers of pools, with water cascading from the highest pool down to the lowest. There were a lot of people here, both locals and foreigners.

Sadly, I was dismayed by a local that kept blowing his nose and spitting into the water. We immediately headed upstream and took a dip at the highest-tiered pool to avoid contamination. Crazy. The water was also not “hot.” It could be because of the rains that changed the temperature, but it was not the relaxing kind of hot. That day, it was a lukewarm spring.

I found more enjoyment eating grilled hotdogs and chorizos at the restaurant right outside the hot spring. With all the activities that day, I was starving and these freshly grilled skewers really filled me up.

Seascape Beach Resort

Our final accommodation was this quaint beachside resort. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating well so we weren’t able to take a dip in the waters because of a heavy rain shower. The rooms were spacious and had comfortable beds. This was the best sleep I had in this vacation.

It was also nearby some good restaurants. We decided on Checkpoint Camiguin, a lively place offering many hole in the wall spots as well as a mini grocery store. They had grilled meat for sale, but we opted for the restaurant on the 2nd floor called, The 2nd Floor. I bought some freshly made iced Sikwate from a cafe at the ground floor and that hit the spot.

Day 4

Sunken Cemetery

Another famous landmark in Camiguin, this cemetery eroded to below sea level after a volcanic eruption in the late 1800s. Now, a giant white cross was erected as a marker. There’s not much to do here but to take pictures. There were people doing some snorkeling in the waters but that struck me as a bit creepy, but also interesting.

Right outside the cemetery viewdeck, there are stalls selling souvenirs and delicacies. Locals were also stationed to assist the tourists with their pictures. Arriving in the morning, we didn’t find much of a crowd, but it still took some time to get some exclusive group shots.

Soda Water Pool

Our final stop before heading back to the mainland was to take a dip in this natural spring. It is said to be rich in minerals. I dove into the pool and felt the cold water embrace me. It was just the right temperature to be refreshing. I did a few laps across the wide pool. It was still early in the morning so there weren’t a lot of people yet.

After soaking in the water for a while, we fixed up and prepared for the ride back to CDO.

Benoni Port

Right outside the port, we bought some pasalubong as we wouldn’t have enough time in CDO. VjANDEP Pastel is the famous takeaway from Camiguin and we bought boxes of them. These soft, fluffy buns with yema filling also served as a snack for the long drive we had in store.

Thankfully, we were able to catch our scheduled trip from Benoni back to Balingoan Port. It was the exact same barge and just like the first ride it departed late again. I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the port as well as their spacious waiting area. I wondered how it would be during peak season, but it looked to be well-maintained as of our visit.

Laguindingan Airport

Back in the mainland, all that was left was a very long journey from Balingoan Port straight to the airport. Almost 6 hours of land travel with a single Jollibee stop in the middle for sustenance. We managed to arrive with time to spare before our flight. We thanked Kuya Jericho for his time accompanying us for the past 4 days and bade him and CDO goodbye.

Miscellaneous Thoughts:

• Maybe it was just the off season, but we didn’t encounter a lot of tourists in every destination. It was all very manageable, which was good. Most of the tourists we saw were also locals. I don’t recall seeing much foreigners during our stay.
• The food in Bukidnon and Camiguin were delicious AND cheap! As someone spoiled by Manila quality food and prices, I was happy to taste delicious food at affordable prices. Shoutout to Sonsona’s Lutong Bahay for the great breakfast meals.
• VjANDEP’s Pastel is washed, sadly. Too much bread and they obviously cut corners on the amount of filling per bun. I still remember the glory days when every bite made my sweet tooth tingle. Now, it can’t even spread around the fluffy bread.

This was a good trip  to start off the year and I’m happy to say that this vacation restored my faith in local travels. I’ve been privileged to visit other countries in Asia and I usually complain about how bad it is in the Philippines, but I’m glad that for this trip, there is a working system that enabled tourists like us to appreciate the innate beauty of our country.

Thanks to Shane and family for adopting me on this trip. And most especially to Shane for arranging the logistics and communicating with the travel agency throughout the trip. You may check them out at Grandia Travel and Tours to book your package. You can also contact them at 09627780288.

Keep your minds open and stay safe!

-jgzn