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Zamboanga Sandakan Visa Run

Philippine Visa Run – Aleson Shipping Zamboanga to Sandakan As of this writing, the Philippine Immigration Department allows foreigners to stay in the country for up to 16 months on a tourist visa. I decided to make the Sandakan, Malaysia trip from Zamboanga in Mindanao. I love being at sea so I drove down to [...]

Lake Sebu South Cotabato

Lake Sebu Mindanao This scenic lake is up in the mountains, 20 kilometers off the main highway between Cotabato and General Santos in Mindanao. The smooth concrete road makes access easy for a weekend stay or a quick run for lunch. The T’boli people that live here have a rich cultural heritage and were famous [...]

Sandakan Sabah Malaysia

Sandakan Malaysia I spent a grand total of 4 hours as a tourist in Sandakan on the Island of Borneo. The idea of the visit was to get a new visa upon re-entering the Philippines at the seaport of Zamboanga in southern Mindanao. Borneo The boat trip from Zamboanga takes about 20 hours. The schedule [...]

Pagadian Mindanao

Pagadian Mindanao Pagadian has a unique character that appeals to me. It has a Dunkin Donuts, Jolibees, a Guisanos and all the other franchise stores that are found in any sizable city in the Philippines, but the blend of Catholic and Muslim people makes it appealing. If you head east on the road towards Cotabato [...]

Scuba Diving Mindanao

Cambridge Dive Center – Tuna City Scuba Center Chris Dearn dives Sarangani Bay in Mindanao with a passion. His small dive shop in General Santos is a gold mine of experience and information about diving Sarangani Bay in southern Mindanao. cell 0920 437 7119 ph 083 301-6130 Cambridge Dive Center Nunez St. Purok Malakas, General [...]

Tagged: Scuba

Climbing Mount Apo

Climbing Mount Apo – Route starting from Agko Springs near Kidapawan, Mindanao. Climbing Mount Apo is a good workout. It’s not a technical climb, but don’t underestimate it. Take a good rain coat and a small tent because it rains a lot and gets very cold at night. Hypothermia could be a problem if you [...]

Rubber trees Kidapawan

Rubber tree nursery – Kidapawan Mindanao This rubber tree nursery is on the side of the road leading up to Mt. Apo. I had picked up a passenger near the hot springs in Agko that was involved with the project and he gave me a quick tour. The grafting procedure is being explained. I might [...]

Lake Agko Resort Mount Apo

Agko Resort – Mount Apo – Kidapawan City Lake Agko Swimming Resort – cell 09056030607 This hot springs resort is at the trail head leading to Mt. Apo. It would be a good idea to arrive the night before the climb so you can get an early start. The Agko resort is a simple rustic [...]

Kidapawan Tourist Center

Kidapawan Tourist Center – Cotabato Province Mindanao – People interested in climbing Mount Apo in Mindanao should check in at the tourist office next to the city hall in Kidapawan to get a permit and organize a guide. Most of the climbing by tourists is done through this office but there are probably other ways [...]

Old Barracks Suites Kidapawan

The Old Barracks Suites – Sudapin Kidapawan City Cotobato Mindanao tel 064 288-1299 I was passing through Cotabato province in Mindanao and decided to stop in Kidapawan City to get some information about climbing Mt. Apo for my website. It started raining just as I was coming to town so I decided to stay the [...]