First Instameet in Gensan (WWIM15); Making History

It was a week ago when I saw this one post of @SINOPINAS announcing that they will be conducting an instameet, in celebration of the Worldwide Instameet 15, actually I heard about  “instameet” a couple of times from the group coz I Got the chance to join them when they had their SOCCSKSARGEN trip, but I really don’t have an idea on how things are done during such event so my curiosity led me to  initiate a conversation with @corvaceous (SINOPINAS executive secretary),  I told her that I really would want to join them given if I am in Metro Manila on those dates (teleport powers please, WISH!) and told her that I am hoping that one will be organize here in Gensan as well, then she gave me an idea, why not organize an Instameet in Gensan.

From that conversation, I realized that she has a good suggestion, at first I was hesitant because it might be too stressful and I can’t manage it well given that I only have a week to prepare (Oh men!) and no experience with instameet up, but knowing that she will guide me along the way, so "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED". (haha, bahala na si batman)

And so I started to look for people that could be of help in organizing the event, many were tapped among Instagram friends but  all have prior commitments except for one @wander_xangy  (buti na lang may isa), you’re the best trish!

And so after a series of messages on facebook and one meeting (a day prior to the event, but mostly our topic were irrelevant to the event, Laban lang)

the day has come (may pa last minute preparation pa si mayor na pa-props, napressure sa mga pa-props ng mga nag instameet sa ibang bansa).

Getting to know everyone and series of discussions such as traveling 101, photography 101, blogging 101, Social media marketing 101 and instagramming 101 were among the activities conducted during the instameet event. 

Batch 1

Batch 2

Photo sesh were also conducted...

with love as our binding force

we learn to unite

and walk together

to spread kindness and make our world a better place (ftc!)

once again, I would like to thank all who participated the event and for being part of history, of being the first #IGenerals (Gensan instagrammers)  who attended the First ever Instameet in Gensan and thank you also for sharing goodvibes and kindness to each and everyone.

See you again for the next instameet, SOON!

IGenerals
(insert first batch here)

Let’s continue to spread Love and kindness

Sox Local guides; MapYourWorldParty

photo courtesy of Sir AvelManansala

In participation to Google local guides map your world campaign, I was fortunate to be invited to join the celebration in the recently concluded #Mapyourworldparty held last March 29, 2017 in Jollibee, RD Plaza Branch, General Santos City and to be part of the Local guide team. (Special thanks to Sir +Avel ) 

Certified Local Guide

the event was spearheaded by the top Local guide of Soccsksargen  and head of the Sox Bloggers himself, Mr. Avel Manansala and was graced by the top caliber local guides in the region.

event moderator; top Local guide Sir Avel Manansala

Map up sessions and Informative sharing of tips and tricks on effective google mapping were among the activities conducted during the event.

special shoutout to Jollibee RD plaza branch for being our  partner in making the event a success and enjoyable, also for the continual support in the advocacy the Local Guides, indeed sa Jollibee Bida ang saya!

Jollibee, RD Plaza Branch, GSC

Talikud island; An ideal weekend getaway

It was just the start of the year but my feet and my thoughts cannot disregard its desire for an EDGEcapade and  so, for my first solo travel this 2017, i chose to explore the beautiful island of TALIKUD, it may be a small island but it has something to offer for both tourist and travel geek out there. 

Talikud island is a one hour boat ride from Davao city, it is adjacent to Samal island, the island is known to have been blessed with rich marine sanctuary and biodiverse ecosystem.



TRAVEL GUIDE:

From Sta. Ana wharf, Davao city (FERRY PORT) to isla reta, talicud island 
travel time: takes 1hr., tip: Boat leaves at around 9am or earlier so be early 
fare: 80 Php

Isla reta entrance fee: 100 Php you'll be given a ticket AND make sure to keep that since you need to present it upon paying for your boat ticket back to davao city (Last boat trip is 3pm) so basically you'll have 5 hourrs to explore and enjoy the whole island (for day tour)

After payment ask assistance on where you can hire a skylab driver that would tour you around the island, i hired KUYA ALEX contact no. 0908 206 4893, island tour rate is 350/pax (skylab can acomodate  2 pax) so basically that is 700 Php but i only paid 500 Php  (haggling expertise is very much needed)

PLACES TO VISIT:

👣Friendship road

too bad there were no flowers on the trees, in good season all
trees will be full of flowers which makes friendship road a
picture worthy spot.

👣 long beach

👣old giant balete tree

creepy vibe

👣faithhealer's camp (50php entrance fee)

👣Baga cave (70php entrance fee)

Other spots that you can visit: (unfortunately the roads going to these places were inaccesible due to heavy rainfall in the area the past few days)

✅Dadatan mangrove garden and marine sanctuary
✅Dadatan bat and conservation park
✅other beach resorts

Island tour usually takes 3hrs. from 10am to 1pm then you can chill in Isla reta resort, enjoy swimming and sunbathing. 

tip: bring your own baon (which i failed to do, good enough there was one available carenderia in the island, so solved ang lunch, buti na lang kundi gutom ang aabutin.  

fine white sands and crystal clear  beach water 

just chill and savor the moment

plan your weekend getaway now or a summer adventure during the hot season and consider TALIKUD to be your next travel destination.

 

Bakngeb river cave adventure in Tboli South Cotabato

The town of T'Boli in South Cotabato has gain its popularity as one of the prime tourist destination in Region 12, for the reason: one, because of the rich cultural heritage of the T'Boli tribe that has been preserved and showcase up to the present. two, because of the natural wonders that can be found in the locality, on top of which is the beautiful Lake Holon (blog about Lake Holon soon) aside from that there are falls, hot spring and the famous Bakngeb river cave.

The river cave is situated in Sitio Bakngeb in Barangay Laconon,  which is approximately 30 minutes of skylab (habal-habal) ride from the town proper, while on the road expect a bumpy, uphill, downhill ride (insert probinsyano themesong "Kapit ka sa akin" sobrang relateable sa experience, moreover prepare for the nakakangalay and sakit sa pwet effect, but once you reached the site you will definitely forget all that you've gone through instead you would feel the excitement and pure bliss.

photo courtesy: google images

HOW TO GET THERE:

Gensan (bulaong terminal) to Tboli terminal: 1.5 to 2 hrs. Van ride fare: 140-160 Php


once you reach Tboli's Poblacion proceed to Tboli Tourism Office (walking distance from the terminal) ask locals for direction, Tourism staff will assist you with transportation to Bakngeb 

Tourism office to Bakngeb via Habal-habal 30 mins. ride, fare: 225 Php one way (max. passenger 3 persons)

other expenses: 

entrance fee: 10 php
river rafting/canyoneering: 50 Php/person

WHAT TO DO:

• take instagrammable photos

enjoying the river

• have a t-boli house tour/receiving area (you can leave your belongings here while having the activities in the river cave)

• swimming in the river

savor the moment

• 
  eat native food prepared by the locals themselves (tip: order na kayo before pa kayo mag start nung activity para pagtapos niyo, ready na ang food for attack)

• River rafting and canyoneering

on board at river cave entrance

                after wearing safety gears you will be riding a raft that would take you inside the cave against the strong current of the river gushing out of the cave (tour guide will be with you the entire activity, it is 100% safe), once you reach a certain point inside the cave, you will then be asked to jump off the raft to further get in, this time you will rely on your strength to hold on to the ropes assembled along the trail (BTW, prepare your body with the extremely cold water), aakyat din ng mga bato para makatawid , tapos lalatay ng logs hanggang sa makarating sa designated endpoint sa loob ng cave, the river cave is 4 km. long, (don't worry, di aabot ng 1 km ang canyoneering, di na kasi kayang puntahan ang natitirang bahagi dahil sa sobrang lakas ng tubig, delikado na raw. habang nasa endpoint ng cave, pwedeng kumuha/magpakuha ng photos, sobrang ganda sa loob (tip: bring action cam/waterproof cam)

waving means we are enjoying

         Yung pinakaenjoy na part ay yung palabas na ng cave dahil magpapaanod ka sa current ng tubig, at first nakakatakot pero safe naman and eventually maeenjoy mo na cya sobra (may nginig factor pa) at ng malapit ka na sa bukana ng kweba tapos yung iluluwa ka na at mahuhulog ka sa sapa na may taas na 5ft, yun talaga yung super enjoy (tried it 3x haha) 

          So don't missed the fun, visit and experience Bakngeb's river cave adventure now, it is  perfect for family and barkada outing. 

it is more fun in CARAGA

It was my birth month when i decided to file a leave for a Ten days solotravel In the beautiful places collectively known as the CARAGA region namely Surigao Del Norte (Siargao island, Socorro islands), Surigao city, Dinagat islands, Surigao Del Sur).

Actually this was my first major solo travel so i told myself "hope for the best but expect the worst" of course before the actual take off i made a solid itinerary and concrete plan of activities as well, I did some research and checked out  "Biyahe ni Drew" episodes featuring the above mentioned places.

WHERE IS CARAGA REGION LOCATED?

Photo courtesy: Google Map

Caraga, officially known as the Caraga Administrative Region or simply Caraga Region and designated as Region XIII, is an administrative region in the Philippines occupying the northeastern section of the island of Mindanao. (courtesy of: Wikipedia)


TRANSPORATION DETAILS:

Point of Origin: General Santos City

Gensan Bus to Davao City Bus Terminal (Ecoland): 3 hrs bus ride fare: 220 Php

Davao Bus Terminal to Butuan Bus terminal: 6 hrs bus ride (bus departed at 10pm) fare: 500 Php
 
Butuan to Surigao City Bus terminal: 4 hrs bus ride (bus departed at 4am) fare: 205 Php

Surigao City Bus terminal to City ferry Port: 30 mins. Jeepney ride fare: 10 Php

Surigao City ferry port to DAPA port, Siargao island: 2.5 hrs ferry boat ride fare:  250 Php

Dapa port to General Luna (surfing spot) : 45 mins. Habal2 ride  fare:  200 Php



My first destination is the beautiul island of Siargao (surfing capital of the Philippines), I stayed there for 5 days and i loved it, no wonder a lot of tourist and travelers would love to go there. From beach bumming, surfing, island tour, eating fresh seafood, chilly vibe of the entire island and night parties all these in Siargao.

ACCOMODATION IN SIARGAO:

check this out: Paglaom Hostel (budget hostel for budgetarian travellers, my home away from home)

Chillin at Paglaom's social hall 

WHAT TO DO IN SIARGAO: 

General Luna's Viewdeck 

⇨ SURFING (for a newbie like me you can surf in the beginners surfing site called the jogging horse) surfboard rental and instructor fee per hour: 500 Php

stand and surf

⇨ Swimming in Magpupungko tidal flats & lagoon and Tayangban cave pool in Pilar; 
    a 45 mins. Habal-habal ride from General Luna fare:700 Php  tour (good for 2 pax) 
     Entrance fee: Magpupungko resort: 50 Php / cave pool:  20 Php and cave tour with guide : 50 Php

Magpupungko tidal flats

Magpupungko Natural Pool

Entrance to Tayangban Cave pool

⇨ Island hopping in Guyam, Naked and Daku island, boat rental: 1500 Php

Cruisin with @celeendavid and @riccimonfero
 (travelers from Manila)

Guyam Island

Daku Island

Naked Island

⇨ Island hopping in Socorro Island's Sohoton, Bucas Grande; 3 hrs. from Siargao Island,         boat rental: 3000 Php/ entrance and tour guide fee: 1600 Php (divided by no. of persons) 

Sohoton, Bucas Grande Islands

Bucas Grande Islets

encounter with stingless jelly fish
 in Sohoton Jellyfish Sanctuary

    Travel tip: you can do the entire island hopping by paying a cheaper price for the boat rental instead of                                    separate tour for all the Islands (for our tour we paid 3500 3 islands + Sohoton Island)

After 5 nights and 6 days in the beautiful island of Siargao, I went back to Surigao city and had a daytour around the city central and a side trip to Pebbles beach in Mabua, a 30 mins. Tricycle or habal-habal ride from Surigao city 150 Php.

Surigao City

Labamba Pebbles beach, Looc Surigao City

6th day: At 11am i went back to Surigao City port to catch up the 12 noon ferry bound to Dinagat Islands; 1.5 hrs ferry ride from Surigao City  ferry port, fare: 100 Php 

PLACES TO VISIT IN DINAGAT ISLANDS: A quick afternoon tour at:

White Castle (Islanders castle)

view from White Castle 

San Jose beach, Dinagat Islands

Dinagat Islands Open Stadium

7th and 8th day: i went back to Surigao city from Dinagat islands, from surigao city I travelled down to Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur, which is a 7 hrs bus ride; fare: 600 Php

since I arrived in Hinatuan at around 2 pm, i just stayed in one of the Inn in town and decided to have my tour on the following day. 

PLACES TO VISIT IN HINATUAN:

enchanted river which is a 45 minutes habal-habal ride from hinatuan proper, 

Expenses: habal fee: 300 Php, Entrance fee: 30 Php, Enchanted river island hopping fee: 150/hr banca cruise (divided by no. of persons)

Enchanted River

Stingless Manta Ray feeding at C Fish cage Sandbar Resort

Pacific View Resort

Rock Island Resort

swimming with BRENDA (stingless Manta ray)
in Sibadan Fish cage

9th day: Bislig tour (Tinuy-an Falls), it is a 1 hour habal-habal ride from Hinatuan
              fare: 500 php
              entrance fee:  50php
              habal-habal ride from tinuy-an falls to phoenix bus station at Mangagoy bound for                 Davao city; fare: 200 Php ( tell the driver to pass by  at the "I love Bislig" site for a photo op) 

Tinuy-an falls (2nd tier)

Tinuy-an falls (3rd tier)

Sariling Sikap Jumpshot 

10th day: i traveled back to Gensan from Davao city.

My overall Edgecapade in the region is truly a memorable one and I really had a good time despite the long rides and fear of the unknown but once you get there,all the struggle, the worries will be gone. 
Moreover, I proved to myself that solo traveling is fun and exciting as long as you are diverse and knows how to interact with other people then you can survive, always have a brave heart and be hungry for wandering, enjoy life and seize the moment. YOLO lang!

Thank you for reading, til next blog!