Kalinga tourist guide
Bontoc – Philippines
Francis Pa In is the freelance guide that operates in the mountains aroundĀ Tinglayan. He finds tourists in BontocĀ and guides them through the back country of the Cordileras Mountains. He has introduced me to headhunters (now deceased), native tattoo artists, and monkey hunters.
Francis with Mum in 2010 in Tinglayan.
cell phone number 09157690843
Francis is based out of the Churya-a Hotel and the Pines Hotel in Bontoc. He rides on the jeepneys and buses with the tourists to his home in Tinglayan.
year 2006 – He doesn’t have a cell phone and is just now getting introduced to the internet but try sending an email to darwin_churyaa @ yahoo.com for info on the hotel and getting a hold of him. Update 2010 – Francis has a phone now! cell phone number 09157690843
Even if you don’t contact him he will be wandering around town and will probably find you.
I have known Francis for a 14 years and he has always been a pleasure to visit the Kalinga villages with. He will be a life long friend.
It is possible to trek without a guide but it is more smooth traveling with a guy that knows the area and speaks the local languages
The Kalinga people tend to be leery of strangers passing through on their own and it is difficult to interact with the locals if you are not with someone that speaks their lingo. Tagalog is rarely used.
Tinglayan Kalinga guide
thanks for this info, i’ve been having the hardest time getting a hold of this guy!
Amazing post !
I travelled with Francis back in 1990 ! we came across him by chance. He was not a tour guide back then so we just tagged along him going around some villages in the area – we walked for 3 days – it was an amazing trek. Francis was so kind and took care of us and introduced us to some remote villages where we were welcomed like VIP’s. I will remember this experience for all my life ! Francis as well as his brother Marino are great people !
4 sure Moti
Francis has deep roots in Tinglayan and in the traditional area of the Kalinga people
dp