CDO, Bukidnon, Iligan and Camiguin 5 Days Itinerary (w/ Expenses)

June 2, 2024
1 Comment

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.

Table of Contents

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
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

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.