My Mindanao Adventure
By: A. Tan- Kalilangan Festival of General Santos City
- Lake Agco of Mt. Apo Kidapawan City
- Lake Sebu of South Cotabato
- Gumasa Beach of Glan, Sarangani
Kalilangan Festival, General Santos City
Day 1We left Manila at 6:55 AM via Cebu Pacific Air and arrived at General Santos City, the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, at 8:45 AM. Before we started our itinerary, we had a short rest at Phela Grande Hotel.
Our first activity is to attend the famous Kalilangan Festival 2014, the 75th anniversary of General Santos City. Kalilangan Festival is a celebration of the history and culture of General Santos City. The street competition that shows the life of its inhabitants namely Muslim, Manobos, B’laans, Tagabilis and other native groups was the highlight of the closing program.
The high regards of the place to its tri people namely Moro, Christians and Lumads strucks me the most. The inhabitants of the city are sensitive to the culture, belief and faith of each other. We had dinner at grab-a-crab restaurant together with union officers of the different campuses of Mindanao State University and then capped the night with a coffee at the hotel.
Lake Agco, Mt. Apo, Kidapawan City
Day 2On our second day, we left the hotel at 6:30am and arrived at Kidapawan City by 9:00am. While my boss was in a meeting, I went to Kidapawan City Local Tourism Office to inquire and reserve for our Mt. Apo climb this coming May. The local city tourism officer was very accommodating. She even invited me to the Sadawa Festival, a means of promoting the city and the responsible hiking in Mt. Apo.
After my Boss' meeting, we headed to Lake Agco, a sulfuric lake located at the foot of Mt. Apo. I was so amazed with it as it was a lake so hot that I even imagined boiling an egg just by immersing it in its boiling waters. We had a short dip and steam in an area fit for bathing and it was truly relaxing. We traveled back to General Santos City at 3:30pm and reached the area by 7:00pm. We had dinner at Gusteau crab located in front of SM Gensan then headed back to the hotel.
Left: Ago Mahamanoy Mountain Resort Right: The sulfuric Lake Agco
Left: At the Ancestral Grounds of MADADMA. Right: Souvenir shop
Lake Sebu, South Cotabato and Gumasa Beach, Sarangani
Day 3We headed to Lake Sebu at around 8:00 in the morning aboard a private van. But one can commute from General Santos City to Lake Sebu by riding a bus to Surallah, then taking a van from Surallah to Lake Sebu.
Lake Sebu is one of the best places I've ever seen. One of the best features of the place is the Mystical 7 Waterfalls. We also tried the Seven Falls Zipline, the highest in Southeast Asia for 300 pesos. You can have a copy of your picture while riding the zipline for an extra 100 pesos for soft copy, or for 150 pesos soft and hard copy.
After our unforgettable Zipline experience, we went to falls no. 1, the best falls I've ever seen so far, then headed to Punta Isla to have lunch and try boating at the lake. Since Punta Isla is known for its Tilapia, we tried different varieties of Tilapia available on their menu. We headed back to General Santos City to buy our provisions for our planned overnight in one of the resorts in Gumasa, Glan, Sarangani. After everything was prepared, we proceeded to our favorite resort, Isla Jardin. Unfortunately the resort was fully-booked that night and they referred us to Rosal Resort instead. Rosal Resort compared to Isla Jardin is a bit pricey. I was not convinced at first because 3,300 pesos a night for three pax is quite expensive. But since we didn't have any other option, we took the room that was offered. I thought Isla Jardin was better, but when we explored the place, I must say that it was also a paradise.
Left: Mystical 7 Waterfalls. Right: Punta Isla
Left: Shot taken during the zipline. Right: At Mystical 7 Waterfalls
Left: Boracay-like sand. Right: A different kind of sunset at Gumasa Beach
Clear and pristine waters
We sat on the sand and enjoyed our cold beers. A vendor passed by carrying a huge fish, the kind of which I do not know. Since I was so ecstatic with everything about the place, I took an opportunity to have my photo taken with that big fish. I originally wanted to carry the fish but it was way too heavy for me to do so, therefore I ended up holding it upside down instead with its snout touching the ground. The people there told us that they can still catch these huge fishes in the area which is to me, a good sign that the place isn't exploited yet.We spent the rest of the night at the shore drinking, chatting and relaxing until we tire ourselves out.
Homeward Bound
Day 4We woke up a bit late the following morning but still had enough time to swim and walk along the shoreline. We saw a few locals and some foreigners in the area. We headed back to General Santos City to buy frozen tuna as pasalubong. There are so many stores selling frozen tuna in General Santos City, one of which is Citra Mina. Just tell them that you will be bringing the tuna in Manila and they will gladly pack it appropriately for you so that you can have it checked-in at the airport.
After purchasing frozen tuna, we again had lunch at grab-a-crab restaurant and went straight to the airport to catch our 3:00 PM flight back to Manila.
How to Get There and Other Useful Tips:
- From Manila, just take any airline going to General Santos City. It is highly advisable to take advantage of promo or seat sales since air fares to General Santos is one of the most expensive domestic flights.
- From General Santos City, you can take a bus going to Davao City and get off Digos City Terminal. Take a bus going to Cotabato City and just ask the driver to drop you off at Kidapawan City. From here, take a habal-habal (single motorcycle service) to Lake Agco, Mt. Apo. Another option is to simply take a van going to Kidapawan City.
- To reach Lake Sebu, take a bus going to Surallah then van to Lake Sebu. If you plan to stay for a night at Lake Sebu, you can go to Punta Isla. They offer affordable accommodations overnight.
- You can rent a van or commute to reach Glan, Sarangani. From General Santos City, take a van or habal-habal then tell the driver to drop you off at any resorts along Glan (I personally prefer, Isla Jardin and Rosal Resort).
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