Bukidnon: Cowboy and Tribal Locations | Travel Blog Ep 4 🇵🇭

Date: July 18, 2024

Exploring Bukidnon: A Journey Through Mountains, Ranches, and Local Delights

After gifting the jungle family in Ep 3, our journey continued to Balai Dahilayan to explore the stunning region of Bukidnon. The day was filled with scenic views, funny moments, and memorable stops along the way.

Sharing Norwegian Candy with Kuya

To kick off our adventure, I introduced Kuya, our driver, to some Norwegian candy I had brought from home. This particular candy was half berry, half licorice, and coated with a sour layer.

Kuya’s reaction was priceless—his face showed complete shock! But after the sour taste faded, the candy turned sweet, and he ended up enjoying it. 

Kimchi also gave it a try, but I suspect she wasn’t a fan and might have discreetly spit it out while pretending to finish it! A hilarious moment for sure.

Revisiting Atugan Bridge and Tribal Sculptures

Our next stop was a revisit of Atugan Bridge, which we previously featured in Ep 2. To give you a better view, I zoomed in on the bridge through my video editing software, so you can appreciate the details.

We then arrived at the Impasugong Tourism Center, where we were greeted by impressive tribal sculptures, capturing the essence of the local culture. One of the sculptures even depicted a man riding a buffalo or a cow (I wasn't entirely sure which one), adding to the authentic feel of the place. The artistry and craftsmanship in these statues were truly amazing.

A quick stop at 7-Eleven for drinks and ice cream for the crew

Next we headed to Lovers Lane Impasug-ong, where we were treated to more breathtaking mountain views. 

Driving further, we crossed the Atugan Bridge once again and made our way up the hills toward Communal Ranch Bukidnon. The long, bumpy road led us to a cowboy-style ranch surrounded by vast mountain scenery. It felt like stepping into a Western movie!

While there, I picked up a few souvenirs, including a tribal wallet and a nice magnet to remember the experience. From the ranch, 

we passed by the Malaybalay City Hall, a government office, before stopping at Kuya’s favorite gas station, Jetron.

Satisfying Our Sweet Tooth at Pineapple Road

After another long drive, we stopped at a roadside shop selling fresh pineapples, three for only 100 pesos!

Not long after, we found a place selling coconuts at DAA Pitstop Grill & Restaurant. I tried eggplant with egg but didn’t like it much, so I gave it to Kuya.

The restaurant was full of cats, and I couldn’t resist sharing a fish bite with them!

The highlight was a massive halo-halo coconut, packed with sweet treats.

After enjoying the massive halo-halo coconut, I made sure to tip both the restaurant staff and the talented makers of the dessert. Their hard work and the delicious treats really added to the experience, so I wanted to show my appreciation for their effort. It’s always nice to give back to those who make these moments special!

It took a while to finish, and I even had to pour the rest into a cup to enjoy it in the car.

Funny Moments and A Snake Prank

As Kuya went to the restroom, I overheard him practicing karaoke with his portable speaker. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to record it, but the fun didn’t stop there. Later on, as we continued our journey, Kuya broke into song again in the car, though I couldn’t include the full clip in the video due to copyright concerns.

After another long stretch of driving, Kimchi and Julie fell asleep, and we finally arrived at the Overview Park. There, I bought a few gifts for my mom, including a back scratcher and a massage tool. I also handed some coins and my YouTube card to two Kids we met.

And then came the prank: I had bought a fake snake at the park, which I used to scare Kuya. It was hilarious! Although he looked a bit annoyed afterward, we’re still friends to this day. At the park, we also saw more sculptures that reflected the rich tribal history of Buda.

After pulling off the prank on Kuya, I found a cool tribal shirt that I just had to get. It had a unique design that really captured the local culture, making it the perfect souvenir to remember the day.

Wrapping Up the Day

On the way home, we made a quick stop at a Buda vegetable stand, where I picked up some bananas and veggies. Our journey took us through misty rain, and as darkness fell, we arrived in the city to drop off Julie. After one last stop, I gave Kuya a special gift—PHP 3,000 as a token of appreciation. 

He was thrilled and later told me he used the money to buy new shoes!

If you enjoyed this adventure and want to see more content with Kuya in the future, let me know in the comments below! Would love to hear your thoughts on what we should do next! 😄

 I hope you all enjoyed this adventure as much as I did. Stay tuned for more exciting journeys in the next episode!

Watch the Video of Ep. 4

See you in the next episode of the Davao series!

more exciting journeys in the nex