Thursday, July 14, 2011

[CAGAYAN DE ORO] Mapawa and Malasag


The transfer to Travelers Pod has given me strategic access to the highway. Now, Gusa Terminal is just around ten minutes by jeep. I rode one to get there and asked how I could reach Mapawa and Malasag. One jeepney driver was kinda irate explaining in Bisaya how I should have gotten off the highway and rode another jeep, blah blah blah. I am just asking for directions, dude. I am not asking you to marry me. Why so serious? And so I rode another jeep going east. I sat next to the driver. We went all the way back to his house. I specifically asked him to drop me off where I could ride any form of transportation going to Malasag. When he saw me still seated next to him as we parked in front of his house he was oh so surprised. I was, too, because I thought his house had some sort of portal that would bring me to the place. Anyway, I had a lot of time so this is not really a big issue.


He took me back to the highway. This is the reason why the trip lasted longer than expected. The road up to Mapawa is 5 kilometers. Malasag is around 2.5. There is a waiting shed by the highway which you can easily spot thanks to the many habal-habals parked there. There is also a board indicating the fees to various locations uphill. Going all the way up to Mapawa is 35 pesos. 70 if you are alone and in a hurry. Round trip is 140 but if your driver has to wait then you should give him something extra. Mine cost 250 including a side trip to Malasag on the way down. I think it is already a good deal given how long the driver had to wait.


The entrance fee to Mapawa is 50 pesos and that is already cheap considering the facilities they have inside. The place is plain awesome. By the entrance are steps going down a mini waterfall with a safe swim hole. You won't be dragged downstream because there is a big boulder blocking the path. No diving! The water is not that deep. You can do a river trek if you like but the terrain is muddy and kind of slippery, so always be careful!


I went up again and followed the road down to a big open field with two horses and an obstacle course. This is such a perfect place for team building activities! There is also a pool on the hill. Farther up there is the starting point of the zipline and an area for horseback riding. Make sure to bring friends or family along so you could enjoy this place. I think you really would. It is an adventure close to nature. Fun, fun, fun!


Malasag could be reached in around ten minutes by habal-habal. This one is more of a garden than an adventure park. They also have a pool and several cottages that you can rent as family lodging. Since it is a garden, you will see so many trees, plants, and flowers. The woman at the souvenir store also told me that there are tribes living there and that they have a street dance show at 4 PM, which I was no longer able to witness because I left early. The place also gives you a view of the city from above, amazing from the viewing deck! The entrance fee is 30 pesos, by the way. You should do Mapawa and Malasag in tandem to save on transportation costs given their proximity and location in just one area.

7 creature(s) gave a damn:

scout said...

Hey, thanks for all the travel tips. Your posts about CDO and Dahilayan have been helpful in making my own itinerary. I'd just like to ask for your opinion since I plan on going to both Malasag and Mapawa, but can only stay overnight at one of them. Which one do you think would be better?

ihcahieh said...

@scout - Hi! I don't know about accommodation arrangements, although I think Malasag is the better option. They are just near each other if you have your own transpo, so I don't think it would matter. Mapawa seems more like a team building venue than a resort to me. =)

scout said...

Thank you. Malasag it is, then. The only problem is that we don't have our own car. Hmmm... I guess we'll just have to trek to Mapawa in the morning. I hope the road isn't that steep. :)

ihcahieh said...

@scout - No prob! Actually may mga habal-habal naman pero nakatambay sila usually sa may highway. Enjoy CdO! =)

Anonymous said...

Nice blog, Hope we can also assist future tourist by providing additional information regarding Malasag and Mapawa areas.

ihcahieh said...

@Anonymous - Thanks! Hope you push through with some sort of aggressive marketing strategy, these awesome places should get more tourists!!!

Jayson Park said...

Oh, so Mapawa nature park is near Malasag? I never thought of that! Holy week is coming so this might be a good all-in-one trip after doing the station of the cross. We would probably go to Malasag first to complete the stations and then head to Mapawa. Thanks for the info!

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