Hello Hive,
Today, as I sat in my chair, my thoughts drifted to a business trip to Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental back in 2019.
Cagayan de Oro means "river of gold" and is the gateway to Mindanao, the southernmost part of the Philippines.
My architect friend Romina asked me to design her dream house on the ridge located in an exclusive subdivision uptown. During this period, we collaborated and also worked on other projects together. My family and I traveled there for her house's groundbreaking where I met the construction team for the first time. Additionally, we also wanted to visit an outpatient clinic that we both designed which then just started its operations.
After a 45-minute flight from Mactan Domestic Airport in Cebu, we landed in Laguindingan International Airport in Northern Mindanao, an hour drive away from Cagayan de Oro City.
Where We Stayed : Uptown vs Downtown
Cagayan de Oro's urban development is divided into 2 major zones; the Uptown and the Downtown. The bustling downtown area is relatively older, grid-like streets with a profusion of commercial areas, teeming with restaurants, bars, and shopping centers.
The quiet uptown area on the other hand sits on top of magnificent hills with a stunning skyline. The Uptown is filled with high-end subdivisions, luxury commercial districts, and new urban developments.
In retrospect, we could have perhaps stayed at Uptown where the project was situated (to which I did during my second visit).
However, for easy access to restaurants and supermarkets within walking distance, we were treated to a free stay in a studio unit on Centrio Tower in the Downtown Area. The condominium tower is conveniently adjacent to Centrio Mall by Ayala, one of the top shopping malls /retailers in the Philippines. It is located right along the busy C.M. Recto Avenue and Corrales Avenue.
If you're a gregarious traveler who'd like to be in the center of the action, I highly recommend the Downtown Area.
If you're craving a relaxing suburban vibe in the middle of high-end neighborhoods, then choose any of the hotels in Uptown.
Where to Eat in Cagayan de Oro City: Seafood Galore at Red Tail Shrimps & More
We spent a full week in the region, seizing the opportunity to insert leisure into this originally planned business trip, some of which were spent off-grid in a vegetable farm in Dahilayan, Bukidnon and a serene visit to a modern monastery with its own coffee plantation.
The week turned out to be more productive than we had anticipated. We had a clear idea of what we intended to accomplish yet nothing felt rushed. We dedicated a few afternoons together with our families, so after a morning visit to a building depot for material selection, we decided to have lunch and spend time with our children at Amaya View.
Amaya View is a sprawling nature-themed park on the highest peak of Cagayan de Oro City. It is formerly known as Sierra del Oro located in Barangay Indahag, a 30-minute drive from downtown. It is privately owned and managed by the Unabia Family.
The resort is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily.
How to Get There?
We just followed the GPS to Amaya View and Hugo Sky Lounge in a private vehicle. There's an Amaya View Van at the van terminal inside the Gaisano Mall Parking Area with a fare of Php 100/ person with a minimum of 4 passengers. You may pay for the vacant seats if you're less than 4.
Amaya View Attractions
Larry's Hill Adventure Hub is a gigantic playground for kids and adults with a reduced entrance fee of Php 50 (USD$ 1) per person. Bungee jumping, zipline, wall climbing, and basic rappellling are some of the activities you'll find there for an additional fee.
Here's an aerial view of Amaya Hills. There was a lot of walking but they have an available shuttle transfer that runs in a loop throughout the property to escape the scorching heat.
It's a popular site for paragliding and we surprisingly found a paramotor as well. If I'm not mistaken they're the same paragliding company that operates in Oslob, Cebu.
We had lunch at SUTU Skye Dining with an exceptional view that serves local cuisine. From there you'll also find Amaya Cafe and Hugo Skye Lounge Restaurant and Bar.
Spend an afternoon at the AZUL Infinity Pool which is open from 8 am to 10 pm for Php 350/ adult and Php 200/ kid 4 feet below during weekdays from Mondays to Fridays. The prices increase over the weekends and holidays with an additional locker rental of Php 50. We didn't spend time at the pool during our visit.
Noah's Ark & Aviary
A modernized replica of the biblical ark. I'm not a fan of zoos and animals in captivity but since we were there, why not? The kids had an interesting learning time. I however found it confusing between the animal statues mixed with living animals. It all felt artificial.
There are airconditioned Hobbit rooms at the far end of the zoo by the way.
Noah's Ark went trending this month due to a crocodile incident. An elderly man jumped inside the enclosure to take photos under the assumption that the crocodile was a sculpture despite safety warning signs. He was then attacked but thankfully received immediate first aid from the company nurse and was later rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment.
The Rock Chapel was interesting and as I can imagine a lovely minimalist wedding venue. It's a Catholic Church with tempered glass aisle flooring that unveils its rocky foundation.
Amaya View overall is a stunning destination to unwind after a busy day.
Before I end this post, I'd like to share Cucina Higala a great place that offers modern Filipino & Asian Cuisine for dinner when in Cagayan de Oro City. It's located on Mabini Street.
I wasn't expecting this post to last this long but thanks for reading and reaching this far.
Have you been to Cagayan de Oro? Any other restaurants or sites to visit that you highly recommend for us to try?
"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.
References:
Amaya View Recent Crocodile Incident
wiki
You had a great trip, and your food looks delicious.
Hello @whynotcamp, discovering new dishes while traveling makes the whole experience sweeter. Thank you for your kind words, is there is a particular dish that you discovered while traveling that became your favorite or you miss?
It looks fabulous!
Hi @nicolasbernada, thank you, I'm glad you liked it.
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Hello Priyan @priyanarc and @diyhub, I'm extremely grateful for your support and for the feature, thank you.
The places and the foods are superb, this is my kind of travel I wish I can also travel soon.
Hi Jonathan @afterglow, speaking of food, have you tried "Palapa", it's a Maranao condiment that is made of sakurab, local scallions? It's a really delicious accompaniment to their dishes. If you haven't yet, that's a must-try when visiting the region. I hope by next year, traveling becomes much easier.
Greetings @discoveringarni, I haven't tried "Palapa", I just heard of it.
Thank you for the suggestion, I will try if ever I get to visit the region.
You're most welcome, it's really good
Obviously, Cagayan De Oro is one beautiful place! I have not been there but hoping that one of the days in the future, we will be able to see it for ourselves :)
Hello @ifarmgirl, I look forward to visiting again one day and hope you do too when the restrictions ease up. What I love about this highly urbanized city is that nature is just right along the fringes available to everyone in 30 minutes. An hour journey, the landscape changes to green mountains heavily laden with pine trees and wide pineapple plantations.
Let's hope for the best and look forward to the day when restrictions finally ease up everywhere :) That is what makes the city attractive, nature is not far from anyone's reach. It would be great to be amongst the pineapple plantations someday :)
That's such a lovely thought, cheers to that 🍍🥃
That Church was absolutely stunning! Would I be right in thinking that area is where the old airport was? I can't think of another location in the area that has such elevation.
I have some special memories of CdeO from visits in 2006 and 2008. There was a 'night cafe' on a Saturday when they shut the main square and turned it into a huge street cafe with a multitude of food vendors and had live music.
It sticks in my memory so well because the band playing that night was a Duran Duran tribute band and the lead singer was dreadful! The screech of 'Wild Boys' will haunt me forever, and it was so surreal. Thousands of miles from home sat eating dinner in such an environment so different to what I was used to and listening to Duran Duran, it still makes me smile.
As for the architecture. The creativity and execution of projects in South East Asia never fail to amaze me. It's so unlike home. I guess this has something to do with the less rigid rules and regulations surrounding architecture and planning, but even so. Having the canvas to achieve such work is wonderful to behold.
Best wishes and thanks for sharing :-)
Hi Nathen @nathen007, I checked it out on the map. Perhaps, you're right. There's a neighboring airport called Lumbia Airfield not far from this development-- could that possibly be the old airport?
The night cafe is familiar and that sounds fun. There were strips of bars and restaurants along the street downtown that was full of life till the wee hours of the morning.
Haha, memories like that really leave an impression about the place lol. Now I have Wild Boys playing on a loop in my head that will accompany me for the rest of the afternoon. 😂
wow. Dream place, dream food!. I will work hard to retire early on these dreams. I'm so happy for you to experience such lifestyle.
Hi Mike @mikevuu, nice to meet you here on Hive. May travel and great times be abundant for us all next year. Who knows, leisure opportunities may present themselves even before retirement. See you around 😀
Hey @discoveringarni, The pictures are so beautiful I wish to visit there soon. You fond memories of this trip are incredible. I wish you more such fantastic trips and have a beautiful evening.
Hi Sahiba @sahiba-rana, thank you, and may we all have many more of these experiences in the new year. Can't believe 2021 is almost about to end.
Actually, It's hard to believe this year is about to be over. anyways happy new year in advance.
Wishing you the same
Wow @discoveringarni this trip seems very interesting. Specially the themed park it is such a joy to travel there.
Keep flourishing and sharing your experiences.
Hi @praditya, they created a skye walk, which is a long hanging bridge sometime after we visited the theme park. Thank you for your support as always and for your good wishes.
Interesting trip. Sounds like there is a lot of cool stuff to do in the area.
It seems like there is always someone at the zoo who thinks that jumping the fence is a good idea. It's like people go on vacation and think that they can just do anything they please, and then end up getting hurt over it. 🙄
Crazy, right? Oh my, it must have been scary for a crocodile to jump right at you. I went to a crocodile farm also in Mindanao once and watched them in a feeding frenzy leaping in the air for a bite of fresh meat 😱
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