I am so excited to share with you my sample itinerary for the four places I visited in Northern Mindanao! And it was a solo trip at that! It was a daunting experience, but very fulfilling. This trip has given me lots of unforgettable experiences, which I hope you will too!
I will also be providing links to tours that I used for this trip, which I am very thankful for making my Northern Mindanao trip successful.
CDO, Bukidnon, Iligan and Camiguin 5 Days Itinerary
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL AND CDO WHITEWATER RAFTING
- 8:00 AM – Flight to CDO
- 9:00 AM – Arrival at Laguindingan Airport
- 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Travel going to Agora Terminal (V-hire ride)
- 10:30 AM – Bag drop off at Hotel (I stayed at Winmin Transient Inn, which is just beside Agora Terminal)
- 10:35 AM – Jeep going to Limketkai Mcdonalds for rafting tour meet-up and also for early lunch
- 10:45 AM – Early Lunch
- 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM – Waiting for rafting tour meet-up
- 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Whitewater rafting (lower head section)
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Ride back to hotel
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Shower & freshen up
- 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Dinner
- 8:00 PM – Back to hotel
DAY 2 – BUKIDNON DAY TOUR
- 4:45 AM – At Agora Terminal looking for bus bound to Bukidnon (make sure it will pass by Impasug-ong Tourism Center, since that was my meeting place for my habal2x tour)
- 5:00 AM – 7:00 AM – Bus ride going to Impasug-ong Bukidnon
- 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM – Habal2x tour (based on the places I requested
- Communal Ranch
- Cowboy Town Resto (for late breakfast)
- Rotypeaks Ridge Camp
- Alalum Falls
- Camp Phillipps
- Pineapple Plantation (just picture taking)
- Dahilayan Adventure Park
- Must try: Razorback Mountain Coaster
- 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Travel to Manolo Fortich Bus Terminal
- 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM – Bus ride to CDO
- 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM – Rest & freshen up
- 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Dinner
- 8:00 PM – Back to hotel
DAY 3 – ILIGAN DAY TOUR
- 5:30 AM – 5:45 AM – Habal2x ride to Bulua Bus Terminal (you can also ride a jeepney, but it will take time)
- 6:00 AM – 8:30 AM – Bus ride to Iligan
- 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM – Habal2x tour (unfortunately I did not look for one online, so it was pretty expensive to have it on the spot)
- Maria Christina Falls (unfortunately there was a landslide the previous days, so I wasn’t able to go inside)
- Tinago Falls
- Went for a dip
- Mimbalot Falls
- Cheding’s Peanuts to buy pasalubong (recommended: mix nuts and the toasted nuts)
- Iligan Bus Terminal (last stop)
- 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Bus ride to Bulua Bus Terminal
- 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM – Habal2x ride to hotel (heavy traffic that day, so I opted for a habal2x instead of a jeepney)
- 5:20 PM – 6:00 PM – Rest and freshen up
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Dinner
- 7:00 PM – Back to hotel
DAY 4 – CAMIGUIN LAND TOUR
- 3:45 AM – At Agora Bus Terminal and looked for bus bound to Butuan
- 4:00 AM – 6:00 AM – Bus ride to Balingoan Port
- 6:45 AM – Ferry ride to Benoni Port
- 8:15 AM – Arrival at Benoni Port
- 8:15 AM – 8:35 AM – Habal2x tour, went to hotel first for bag drop off
- 8:35 AM – 4:00 PM – Habal2x tour
- Katibawasan Falls
- Tuasan Falls
- Soda Water Pool
- Sto. Niño Cold Spring
- Old Church Ruins
- Sunken Cemetery (boat ride is 100, but I didn’t get one since it’s too hot that day)
- Walkway to the old volcano and station of the cross (only at the entrance since it was too hot that day)
- Tongatoc viewpoint (picture taking)
- Ardent hibok-hibok spring resort
- Camiguin sign (picture taking)
- 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Back to hotel
- 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – Shower
- 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM – Rest
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Dinner
- 7:00 PM – Back to hotel
DAY 5 – CAMIGUIN ISLAND TOUR (HALF DAY)
- 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM – Habal2x tour ride to White Island ticketing station
- 5:20 AM – 5:25 AM – Booking (writing name for record, payment, etc)
- 5:25 AM – 5:30 AM – Bangka ride to White Island
- 5:30 AM – 6:30 AM – Explore White Island
- Picture taking, swim
- 6:30 AM – 6:35 AM – Bangka ride going back to White Island ticketing station
- 6:35 AM – 7:15 AM – Breakfast
- 7:15 – 7:45 AM – Habal2x tour ride to Mantigue Island ticketing point
- 7:45 AM – 7:55 AM – Booking (writing name for record, payment, etc)
- 7:55 AM – 8: 10 AM – Bangka ride to Mantigue Island
- 8:10 AM – 9:35 AM – Explore Mantigue Island
- Picture taking, swim, snorkeling
- 9:35 AM – 9:50 AM – Bangka ride going back to Mantigue Island ticketing station
- 9:50 AM – 10:10 AM – Back to hotel
- 10:10 AM – 11:10 AM – Shower, getting ready to check-out
- 11:10 AM – 11:12 AM – Hotel checkout
- 11:12 AM – 11:15 AM – Habal2x tour ride to Camiguin Airport
- My driver/guide made sure to pass by:
- Vjandep (pastel)
- Mambajao park
- My driver/guide made sure to pass by:
- 12:30 PM – Flight back to Cebu
Tours
CDO
- White Water Rafting
- Kagay Whitewater Rafting
- Contact them through messenger or mobile
- They usually have two schedule, morning and afternoon
- Kagay Whitewater Rafting
Bukidnon
- Habal2x tour
- You can contact kuya Junelo on messenger
- Or you can find some habal2x divers on Bukidnon facebook group. I found mine here.
Camiguin
- Habal2x tour
- You can contact sir Jeoffrey on messenger. He offers both habal2x tours and tours via car.
- You can also find some habal2x drivers on Camiguin facebook group. I found mine here.
Other Destinations Worth Visiting
CDO
- Gaston Park
- St. Augustine Cathedral
- Vicente de Lara Park
- Plaza Divisoria (Golden Friendship Park)
- City Museum
- Museum of Three Cultures
- Museo de Oro in Ateneo de Cagayan Xavier Center for Culture and Arts
Bukidnon
- Monastery of Transfiguration
- Lake Apo
- Panimahawa Ridge
- Limunsudan Falls
- Balisbisan Falls
- Cedar Park
- Mount Capistrano
- Blue Water Cave
- Lover’s Lane
- Clip Side
- Pine Ridge
- Catihan Eco Park
Iligan
- Lawis Spring
- Limunsudan Falls
- Paseo De Santiago
- St. Michael’s Cathedral
- Hindang Cave
- Dodiongan Falls
- NPC Nature’s Park
- Kalubihon Falls
- Dalipuga Centennial Park
- Pampam Falls
- Sapang Blue Falls
Camiguin
- Mt. Hibok-hibok
- Katunggan Park
- Giant Clam Sanctuary
- Parola Mambajao + 1914 Monument
- Taguines Lagoon
- Sto. Rosario Church
- Burias Shoal
- Binangawan Falls
Travel Tips & Recommendations
CDO
- Lots of bus rides in CDO, so make sure to have nausea/dizziness medicine with you.
- Just like other major cities, CDO has heavy traffic once in a while, but angkas are available there. There’s also a lot of habal2x drivers in the city, just make sure to negotiate the price first before getting one.
- If you are traveling a lot by bus, I recommend checking in at Winmin Transient Inn. This is just beside the Agora Terminal, so it’s very convenient.
- Take note that aside from jeeps/multicabs and habal2x, motorela is also available in CDO. It’s like a bigger version of a tricycle that almost looks like a small jeepney.
- If you are traveling CDO and is also planning to visit Camiguin, I recommend that you get a return ticket via Camiguin airport to really save time.
Bukidnon
- I recommend getting a habal2x or 4×4 tour online. You can get one on FB, links provided above.
- You can’t predict the weather, so I recommend bringing extra clothes with you.
- Also bring raincoats, since you will never know when it will rain
- There’s a lot of rough roads in Bukidnon, and most of them are very steep, so ready your butts, lol.
- When visiting communal ranch, I recommend going there early in the morning so it wouldn’t be too hot.
Iligan
- I think it’s cheaper if you book a habal2x tour online, than getting one on the spot when you arrive in Iligan.
- I recommend staying more than a day in Iligan, since there’s so many places to visit, especially if you love falls.
- Tinago Falls have almost 400+ steps, so get your feets ready, lol.
Camiguin
- Before visiting Camiguin, make sure to get individual QR codes online. You will need it to enter and exit the island.
- I recommend riding a bus rather than v-hire going to Balingoan Port.
- You can ride a bus bound to Butuan and drop off at Balingoan.
- You need to scan your QR code first before you can book a ferry ticket to Camiguin.
- You can commute in Camiguin, but to save time, I recommend hiring a habal2x driver/guide especially if you are traveling solo. For groups, there are also van tours available or van for hires.
- You need to try snorkeling, especially on Mantigue Island, so to save money, I recommend bringing your own snorkeling gear.
- Just like in CDO, motorela is also available in Camiguin.
Expenses
Please note that I didn’t add foods, souvenirs and other personal expenses in my computation below. For food, I allocated 150 per meal. Please also note that this computation is good for 1 person.
![CDO, Bukidnon, Iligan and Camiguin 5 Days Expenses | Blushing Geek](https://i0.wp.com/blushinggeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/cdo-bukidnon-iligan-camiguin-expenses_blushinggeek.png?resize=407%2C791&ssl=1)
You fit so much in. That’s amazing, Vanessa! 🙂
Thanks Sophia Rose! Until now I can’t believe I was able to do that alone. Such a great experience <3