Travel date: 10 to 11 February 2018
This is not my first time in Oriental Mindoro as my bestfriend from college is from this province and it is usual for me to get invites to the province. And, the invites are usually accompanied with tours around the province. Yet, this place for me is still a truly hidden gem and never fails to surprise me. People usually associate Oriental Mindoro with Puerto Galera but this province definitely has a lot more places and spots to be discovered.
My stops this time were:
Day 1:
- Sights – Aras Cave, Aras Falls, Calapan City Hall, Capitol Building
- Eats – Chipping’s, Cafe Bernita, Cafe Meow
Just sad to see the graffiti on the stones but this was very remote. We were actually the only ones that were doing the trek. It is a short challenging trek with river crossings but the view was worth it. Definitely something different.
Day 2:
- Sights – Silonay Mangrove Conservation and Eco Park, Public Beach, Overlooking – Christ the Redeemer
- Eats – Marhabten, Anahaw
I became a fan of kayaks ever since I learned how to do it properly. My main concern is though was that there are really no directional signs on where to go so we felt lost after a time. We had to retrace our steps just to get back.
I have to thank my sister for arranging the itinerary and contacting the local tourism offices. I guess, for the most part, the sites visited were not yet ready for tourists. But, that is part of its charm, how rustic the province is. For guides, best to contact the local tourism offices.
I will never get tired of visiting this province, especially since it is easily accessible by buses and ferries.
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