What'sThe 3rd Most Visited Place In The Philippines?

WOW Cagayan de Oro: Wild Rafting & Golden Friendships

For the longest time, I get to travel the country twice a year for the POGS conventions. But this April I visited Cagayan de Oro for the first time. I read somewhere that it is the third most visited place in the Philippines. Arguably it should be either no.1 or no.2. the Cagayanons represent what’s best in the Filipino: warm friendship; spirit of adventure; honesty.

A visitor is greeted on the tarmac with a big signage: Cagayan De Oro – the City of Golden Friendships. I had thought this was hype, common to all who promote their cities as tourist destinations. And as a rule, Filipinos are generally warm and friendly people. But as you meet the ordinary Cagayanons, from drivers to bellboys to vendors to tour guides, you will sense that they are a cut above the rest of us.

They are more accommodating, always on the alert in whatever way they can help. They will engage you in whatever language you will understand each other, be it Bisaya, English, or Tagalog. It is as if they are trained or have the instinct to host the numerous tourists that flock to their city. Golden Friendship.

Cagayan de Oro means "City of the River of Gold". They are the whitewater rafting capital of the Philippines and the guide said their river, which separates the city from Bukidnon province is accredited by world whitewater associations.

Do not fail to do whitewater rafting when you visit the place or you miss half of your life. They have whitewater runs for Intro, Advanced, and Extreme. Their Intro run takes 4 hours along 14 major whitewater, with a good dose of minor ‘not counted’ rapids and several ‘still’ waters where you can take a swim.

           TIPS: 

           1. Dress for the whitewater like you are going for a swim. Leave everything that can get wet behind. 

           2. Engage a rafting shop that has good tour guides serving as boat captains. Do not get on a boat just to finish the run. The prices are standard for all, but a good tour guide will make the difference in terms of safety and value for your money. You will get awed by his story and history. Example: “the next whitewater is major… it is very technical to navigate… it’s called the ‘Kiss the Wall’ bend…” 

            hehe, goodluck!