caraga region — Page 8 — Caraga rising paradise

Surigao City – city of island adventures!

July 26, 2008 35 Comments

The amazing sights and sounds sent you packing from one island to another. The best way of exploring virgin places as man and nature joined together in one panorama of the day. Adventures that you will never forget! Surigao City is the champion in this field.

Surigao City is the only city in the province of Surigao del Norte. It is one of the six cities of Caraga region. The other cities are Butuan, Bislig, and the newly created cities are Bayugan, Cabadbaran, and Tandag.

The beauty of Surigao City makes an intangible asset of Mother Natures when someone would like exploit the city of island adventures. The adventures will never forget till the end days of life.

Surigao City, if missing from Caraga, then Caraga is like a person without feet. Tourism can not run completely to the finish line. If the province of Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte offers its best in sights and sounds mostly of beautiful mountains, landscapes, and valleys, Surigao City offers its best more in blue crystal water, white sand beaches, islands and islets. Not mentioning yet the beauty of Siargao, and other places. Surigao City completes the person in Caraga.

Its geographic location is in the northeastern portion of Mindanao. It is bounded by Dinagat Islands on the north, the mainland of Surigao del Norte on the south, Hinatuan passage on the east, Surigao Strait and Southern Leyte on the west.

When I visited Surigao City, it is the best place for hopping one island to another. You can see some of the islands when you are in the beach. It has 17 islands all in all across the horizon. When you cross these islands the adventure within you started like a wildfire of challenges and excitements. You will discover the unspoiled natural attractions that are beginning to unleash and show to the whole world the innate beauty that have known for years. The nature was so close to you just like a long lost friend in time. And you can say I love this place, and settle for the rest of your life.

Places Of Adventure

Lots of beautiful things will happen as you started to explore the gift of Mother Nature. I will never forget the memorable moments in Mabua Pebble Beach, but at the far right end separated by the hill was the panoramic view of Looc Beach. One of a kind Silop Cave and interior stone formation of Buenavista Cave were just amazing. Basul Island was the nearest islet in the city characterized by white sand beach in the front and rugged rocky shore on the other. Sagisi Island is a tropical white sand beach and crystal blue water that provides excellent diving sites due to the presence of coral reef with lushly preserved marine life. Don’t forget the Sebale Beach famous for its white sand, and the serenity offers by its surrounding coconut trees. Danawan Island game fishing was once an international fishing competition host provider because of varied shapes and sizes of different marine life abound the area. Zaragoza Tourist Park facing the sea with its manicured bermuda landscape, picturesque rocks, and plants provides a soothing romantic experience in the sea breeze, and the Zaragoza Rock Formations defined by its unique, natural rock formations, a wonder of its kind.

What’s more was the interesting sight of the so-called Little Venice of Surigao – the Day-asan Floating Village where houses erected on wooden stilts and bedded rocks with paddle boats plying the various waterways. The little ‘San Juanico Bridge’ of Surigao City is the Cantiasay-San Pedro Wooden Footbridge – the longest bridge in the country that is made of wood which connects the two islands.

These beautiful spots I mentioned will not end counting this way but there are other places like the man-made Maharlika Training Center, etc. You have to give time to discover, and be an adventurer in your own niche. Besides, there are some places unaccounted for.

Surigao City is not just island hopping but has some special interests like skim boarding, game fishing, caving, and mountain climbing and trekking. You can rent the top paddle board gear and make a day of it anytime. Basically, a complete game of your life.

Happiness cannot be bought in this world. The heart of an adventurist explore the best of worlds surrounds you. Once it begins it will never stops doing the same thing all over and over again.

Welcome to Surigao City!

pix from surigao city government website

You can reach Surigao City for 2 hours from Butuan City by bus.

Bermuda Travel – thinking the best ship for caraga

July 12, 2008 8 Comments

When I was young, I have read the place called Bermuda. Well, this time I have to talk the place outside Caraga, and I’m referring to Bermuda. Caraga and Bermuda are two tropical paradises located each other opposite of the globe. Caraga in the future will become a tourist hub. But Bermuda already marks its name internationally in tourism industry. Two names will map out the best tourist destinations in the future.

Caraga lying in the southern part of the Philippines faces the great Pacific Ocean, and a home set of many voyagers in the past with the best ship – the Butuan Boat. Times have change. Caraga lured modern travelers and fun-seekers from the different parts of the globe, and feel the sights and sounds as it slowly became a most favorite place to visit in the country. Modern transportation facilities should be the top priorities, something that we should not forget, to answer the needs of visiting tourists.

But the tropical paradise opposite from the other end of the world facing the Atlantic Ocean, I’m referring to Bermuda, has already its world-class cruise facilities, the Bermuda Cruises. The fun begins by choosing the best cruise line, and you will not regret when choosing best cruises that will start the day – a perfect vacations right away. Well, that surely makes the difference. Canada Cruises and European Cruises are also tops the list of best cruises in the world for Canada and European countries, respectively.

Bermuda is about 600 miles off the coast of South Carolina, and almost perfectly free from hurricane-infected American east coast. It has a 21 miles pure paradise, and has almost perfect year-round climate to make your dream vacation a success. With the presence of Bermuda Cruises it’s really a perfect place for you and your family to visit Bermuda. How I dreamed the best cruise in Caraga. Hope someday I will be the one to first jump when it started to run in Caraga.

Mabua Pebble Beach – absence of sands; presence of stones

July 11, 2008 15 Comments

Mabua Pebble Beach was found in Mabua, Surigao City in the province of Surigao del Norte. Surigao City known as city of island adventures because of the presence of different islands and islets. But Mabua is not an island. Mabua is found along the coastlines of Surigao City’s mainland proper.

when we were in Mabua, all we have to do is SMILES…

For the first time when I set foot in Mabua Peeble Beach, I thought the place the same as when you were in Siargao and Boracay. But it is not. Sands are prohibited in the beach because natures by the way put the place into a magic circles of stones and not by sands. Wondering where the stones came from and became endemic in a place where beach usually ruled by sands and not by stones. Mabua Peeble Beach is a unique beach in Caraga as well as in the Philippines.

The Best Part And The Healthy Way

We stayed in Mt. Bagarabon Beach where stones piling up from one level to the next level maybe it were formed during the process of high tide and low tide. Sea waves form unique sounds when smashing with pebbles in the shoreline. It was sweet to your ears. The crystal clear blue water was tempting because stones clear the seashore unlike sands. You can climb the highest stone at the right side and take a glance of the world below. Different possibilities are coming in when you are in Mabua. The main thing you are closer to nature.

Looking at the stones were smooth and well-formed with different shapes but mostly oval. I tried to walk in the distance, and these stones were harmless enough when walking with your barefoot. It will give you some feelings of strength afterwards as you take back to the cottages. Intimate reflexes between your feet and the stones have the impact in your body. As we know that our feet has some reflex points that is connected to our internal organs (inviting those reflexologists to come and witness the best Mabua Peeble Beach reflex zones hehehe…). This is the way how we blend ourselves with natures.

Beautiful sunset and islands cross your eyes while relaxing in cottages that are built indigenously in a parallel setting. Horizon were so sweet especially lovers tend to be sweeter each day in this hidden paradise in the eastern part of Caraga. I remember my friend telling me that when it’s already 4:00 in the afternoon, they have to skip any routine activities from their class and jump to Mabua Pebble Beach to catch live – the beautiful sunset. It is one of the best at Mabua. Park yourself at the top of the stone hill, or just go at the mountain top and be a tough adventurer catching up how the sunset began to fade in the horizon. At this moment of our visit though clouds sneaking up the horizon, still you have to hurry-up catching the beautiful scenery of hidden sunset.

I used to take my time at the stone hill. There I refreshed myself for an hour. Taking glance of the world below you – the sea, the curve Mabua beach, peoples, islands and islets, sunset, fresh winds, and mountains…and what else. This is the world I live. Before I retire and going back to Butuan City all what is left is a memory of a hidden paradise that I treasured so much.

You can reach Surigao City for 2 hours from Butuan City by bus.

Holiday Break – pick the best guesthouse

June 26, 2008 1 Comment

Yesterday, I walked the streets in the busiest hour of Butuan City. People started to move after office hours, and prepare themselves to go home. Or else wanted some cool place to pass themselves from the rigorous work of the day, or take a night life with them and forget the bad taste of the day. Peoples coming in and out from the streets, going to stores to buy something, and have some sweet food with them before going back home. Streets filled with lights, the plaza was full of visitors and honeymooners, and of course in front was the best and coolest hotel in the city to feed up your mind like a Holidays in Devon.

Well, visitors coming to the city and find a home for them from the other side of the globe. That is they got the best services and hospitality of the staff, and the best amenities. Hotels are the best retreat when you are far away. You’ll feel comfortable like Devon accommodation. Anything you’ve got was the best, and the least among others.

When my family went to other cities in Caraga, I find myself in a crossroads where to patch my things up and put everything in its place. The best way is to find a guesthouse with cool ambience, and there, make peace with your mind. It feels like home. Drawing to a place that is far away is so uncomfortable. You have to excel yourself in this field, and be the one to know what is best for you and your family. After all, going home with your family is the best gift you have, while savoring the best amenities that equaled the excellence of Devon cottages and guesthouses. This is one of memorable moments in your life when picking the best holidays with your family and love ones.

Siargao Escape – the series continue at Cloud 9

June 25, 2008 2 Comments

You can not ignore the waves, and have a second look when the surfers began to smash in the perfect waves that began to form in the beach of General Luna, where Cloud 9 located. This is one of the best of Siargao!

General Luna not only gifted of being white sanders, beautiful Guyam, Dako, Bikini, La Januza, and Corrigedor Islands, but was a home to professional surfers of the world. Cloud 9 is just one of the surfing sites to make it big and became a hit in the international scene.

Witness different surfers coming from the different parts of the globe gathered in one place, and have some fun in the sea. A contest of who will be the best surfers in the world takes place in the last week of September, dubbed as Siargao International Surfing Competition. Siargao is the surfing capital of the Philippines.

When I set foot in front of Cloud 9, along the white sand beach of General Luna, of course, it is still a long way to go. You have to take a walk the stairway to heaven before reaching Cloud 9. Of course, heaven is far away…but this time clouds will become your heaven when seeing the waves of Cloud 9. A ticket of your dream in reaching the tip of your soul which is peace and happiness within yourself as you take a look between surfers and the waves, waves and the horizon, islands and white sands, and friendly peoples along the way. These are the way we belong to Caraga.

The Magic of Cloud 9

Reaching the end of the stairs, you can grip yourselves, relax, and see surfers in action. You forgot something in this world before you seeing those waves began to form in giants. Fantastic things began to emerge in one unique setting between surfers and the waves flying and smashing. I remember my friend saying that when you are a starter to this field you have to give time to play with the waves…later you will become addicted to it. Even you’ve got a hard fall and devastated with pain and bruises, you still manage to go and become a surfer. The best part of being a surfer, you enjoy of what you are doing. You have to take your time and pass it on to the world you belong, and forget everything in this world. And done the best of your life.

But for spectator like me, yes, I’m still part of Cloud 9. Even though you are not a surfer but you enjoy seeing them – the waves and the surfers – and me, became the third party which completes the scenery. Showing us the innate beauty of this unique place, all you have to do is look and navigate every angle of the waves, and you can say (wow!) as time passes by. The intimate feelings you’ve got when looking at Cloud 9 is so different. It will make you healthy and powerful person to live with as you go with nature like this. Do not miss single seconds of the day as the show began in its place.

pix from freida of butuanon dot org

You can reach Siargao by MV RORO for 4 hours or by super cat for 2 hours from Surigao City, and from Butuan City to Surigao City for 2 hours by bus.