During the last week of March 2024, my mother and I went to Bukidnon to attend the 70th birthday celebration of her sister-in-law. Before I delve into our recent vacation experiences, I'd like to share my first two visits to Bukidnon, which happened years ago.
Bukidnon, Philippines🇵🇭
Bukidnon is a province in the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region, occupying the northern-central section of Mindanao. Its capital is the City of Malaybalay. Often referred to as the 'highland paradise in the heart of Mindanao,' Bukidnon derives its name from the Visayan term 'bukid,' meaning 'mountain.'
I've visited Valencia City, Bukidnon, twice before to see my uncle, my mother's eldest brother, who supported her education until she graduated. The first visit was in 2019, followed by the second in 2021. Just last month, I had the opportunity to visit for the third time.
~Family Vacation in 2019~
The trip in 2019 was particularly special because we traveled there as a family. It was a 4-day, 3-night vacation, and my four elder siblings and my mom were the ones who put in a lot of effort and time to plan it out and allocate the budget, considering we're quite a big family.
During that trip, we had the opportunity to visit many places and tourist spots, thanks to the ample time we had and the hospitality of my cousins, who kindly offered to take us around.
Central Mindanao University
The first place we visited was the Central Mindanao University campus. My mom graduated there in the 1980s, and many of my cousins and relatives have also graduated or are studying there. My mom always spoke highly of their college/school, and when we finally visited the campus, I understood why.
This is the only group photo I found. I don't know where the others are. 🤦 Looks like you'll be seeing more my solo pictures, hehe.
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Their school wasn't like any typical school I had seen in Cebu. It was different—huge and sprawling. You needed to take a service just to reach another department or area. They had forests with super huge trees, large planting farms, park, church and extensive animal farms. Everything there was on a grand scale, and we were truly amazed.
We also visited one of our elderly relatives who was very close to my mom when she lived there. Getting to their house involved a walk of around 2 km. Along the way, we were treated to the stunning view of Musuan Peak, a majestic mountain in the area.
Lake Apo
One of the places we visited was Lake Apo, located in Brgy, Guinoroyan, Valencia City. Lake Apo is a crater lake, and it was my first time seeing such a vast lake, complete with floating cottages. We took the opportunity to ride one of the cottages and took many pictures.
Nasuli Spring Resort
We also visited Nasuli Spring Resort. Unfortunately, I couldn't find our pictures that time.
I had planned to swim, but I couldn't manage because the water was too cold. Many people were enjoying the spring and the diving boards. Actually, the memory is a bit blurry, hehe.
Monastery of the Transfiguration Shrine
We also visited the famous Monastery of Transfiguration Shrine in Malaybalay City, which is run by the Benedictine Monks. The unique pyramid-shaped church is an architectural masterpiece by National Artist Leandro Locsin.
Our last stop for that day was a subdivision where Kuya Nonon, one of the engineers, took us. I was amazed by the spaciousness of the houses; they were not close to each other at all. The roads were expansive, possibly four lanes if I'm not mistaken. Everything exuded elegance and luxury. We strolled around and stopped at their pool area, where we had the chance to take a few pictures.
RR Family Spring Resort
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On our last day of that vacation, we visited RR Spring Resort. Among all the places we visited, this is probably my favorite because my siblings took a lot of pictures of me in different areas. Obviously, I'm a bit of a picture addict, hehe.
~2nd Visit in 2021~
In 2021, it was a somber visit as my uncle, my mother's elder brother, had passed away. My elder sister, my mom, and I went there to mourn with his family until he was laid to rest in the cemetery.
After the burial, we decided to visit some places and create happy memories there, amidst the sadness, before our flight.
Revisiting Lake Apo
For the second time around, I had the opportunity to revisit Lake Apo. Surprisingly, not much had changed since our visit in 2019. However, the serenity and tranquility the lake exudes remained unchanged. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, simply soaking in the peaceful atmosphere.
We also visited a beautiful retreat area with stunning mountain views and fresh air. Although I forgot its name, it felt like a retreat/camping area, complete with a bonfire. It was the perfect spot for solitude or peaceful moments.
Everyone was already tired, so we decided to head home. But before that, we grabbed some food along the highway. At the food place, we noticed a huge wall painting that we thought was nice, so naturally, we took more group pictures.
RR Family Spring Resort for the 2nd time!
The next day, we revisited RR Resort. I noticed some changes after 2 years. This time, we spent more time taking pictures in their man-made forest and along the riverside. We had so much fun; it was evident.
Bukidnon is truly a wonderful place to visit. In fact, there are many other places worth exploring there that we haven't had the chance to visit yet. Hopefully, soon I'll have the opportunity to explore more of Bukidnon, and even venture beyond to discover the beauty of the entire Mindanao region.
Thank you for reading, Hivers!
Always remember to explore and enjoy life!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hello there! I'm Danah, a Marketing Services Associate by profession. I'm an adventurous person, always seeking to discover new experiences and extract valuable life lessons from each of them. I'm passionate about dancing and performing on stages in front of the crowd. I thrive on exploring the great outdoors and capturing memories.
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