Cagayan De Oro : I'll Be Back Soon

Straight from Davao City, I took the 45 minute flight via Air Phil Express to City of Golden Friendship - Cagayan De Oro.  CDO as some may call it, is the capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental. It lies along the northern coastline in the province of Mindanao. My friend who now works in CDO arranged the airport pick up for me. Thanks to Clementine Ibanez for the ride. 

My friends Godo and Venus will  also be arriving later in the afternoon. They will be coming from Bacolod to Cebu then a connecting flight to CDO. I have instructed them that we will meet at the hotel for I will be arriving ahead of them.

Anyway, upon arriving at the Lumbia Airport, I was greeted by smiling faces and cheerful people. I saw my name in a board that is held by a young man. I approached him and introduced myself. He got my stuff and asked me where will I be staying. 

D' Budgetel is one of the newest budget hotels in CDO. It is located near Gaisano and is very accesible by public transport. I have booked a private room good for 3 pax and it cost only Php 1,090. Not bad for a fully airconditioned room with hot and cold shower plus Cable TV and Wifi access. It also includes breakfast which I must say is really a good deal.

So while waiting for the them, I rested and freshened up. I even took a nap. Hours later they texted me that they just have just landed and are on now the way to the hotel.  I was excited to meet them so I waited for the two at the hotel lobby. After a few minutes they arrived by a cab. I assisted them going to the room. They just dropped their bags and said " Okay, Lets Go! Lets explore CDO!"

We took the jeepney and head straight Limketkai Mall. We strolled by the different shops and decided to take some snacks at a lovely pastry shop by the name of MISSY BONBON. I love everything about this shop. Its interiors, the cozy ambiance and the food. Im a self confessed sucker for sweets especially the gelato ice cream. I tell you that their ice cream is the best! If you have a chance to visit CDO, never miss the chance to drop by Missy Bon Bon.

Dinner time at Cafe Macumba 

After the sumptuous dinner, we went back to the hotel for we have rest for the next day's trip to the captivating island of CAMIGUIN - our main destination. We only did pass by CDO for it is the gateway to the province.

So the next day we woke up early and had breakfast - free breakfast I mean. We took the cab and instructed the taxi driver to bring us to the port going to Camiguin. 

Upon arriving, I immediately asked the port staff which way to the the Paras Sea Cat Ferry terminal going to Camiguin. He told us that the trip was cancelled due to engine failure. We were shocked to hear that but I wasnt woried at all. Months before the trip I already did an intensive research of the various options how to reach Camiguin from CDO. Via CDO was Plan A since it much convenient and fast.

Plan B was another story. We asked the cab driver to bring us instead to the Agora Terminal. From there we took a 2 hour van ride going to Balingoan Port in Misamis Oriental.  We arrived at the port  at 11:00 AM, just in time for the 11:30 trip to Benoni Port in Camiguin.

Check my Camiguin Getaway entry.

From Camiguin, we arrived in CDO late in the afternoon. We were supposed to do white water rafting but we were so tired that we wanted to rest. Later that evening, we had a yummy dinner at Cafe Laguna and I had a meet up with my friend Clementine at Missy Bon Bon.

As much as we would like to have more time in CDO, we were only limited to passing by in transit.

I have so much plans If we were given extra time. 

With that I say - CDO, I'll definitely gonna be back!

Next Day : Camiguin