Tuguegarao-Sta. Ana, Cagayan | Day 3. Caving and the Search for the very elusive Tuguegarao Longganisa

Day 3 is the final day of this long weekend adventure for the Stokedtraveler. Two things remained to be done, take a bite of the famed longganisa and go spelunking on the even more popular Callao Caves.

Before this day came, the group bid farewell to their luxurious private villa stay at Sun City and transferred to a more reasonably priced nearby accommodation – Country Inn & Resort.

Country Inn & Resort

The group took a tricycle from Sun City to Country Inn. They passed through some local houses and went deeper until they reached the location of this humble yet very homey place to stay.

Photo credit to owner

To the Stokedtraveler’s amusement, they were warmly welcomed by wide smiles and assisted to their room by the resort staff wearing colorful flowery headdresses. J Such hospitable reception is a rarity in this part of the country. Having dealt with difficult locals in the past days, staying here felt like being in an imaginary bubble separating this tiny spot from the rest of the non-tourist friendly locals.

Tuguegarao-Sta. Ana, Cagayan | Day 2. Surviving Cagayan

Day 2 was planned for the trip’s highlight. Everyone had to make sure they rested well to keep up with all the island hopping, hiking and spelunking that was in store for them.

Engano Cove, Palaui Island, Cagayan

Securing that green pass for the island hopping tour was a hassle. Avoid negotiating directly with boatmen or anyone presenting themselves as tour guides. Just go directly to the ‘Visitor’s Center’ located in San Vicente Port and ask assistance from there. The standard tour which will bring you to the destinations listed on this blog will cost P3,500 for the boat rental for a group of 6 persons. There will be other fees on top of the boat rental (i.e. island passes, guide fee). You can also skip the fee for the snorkeling guide and snorkeling gear. Just bring your own snorkel gear. After all, there isn’t so much reef life to experience at least in the places the Stokedtraveler’s group visited. Do not leave the visitor’s center without that ever so important ‘green pass’ and remember to bring it with you on the day of your tour.

Here’s the breakdown of the whole day island hopping itinerary:

Day 2

8am-5pm – Island Hopping (Cape Engano, Punta Verde, Crocodile Island, Anguib Cove)

5pm-6pm – Boat ride from Anguib Cove to Sun City

6pm – Check-in at Country Inn and Resort

Tuguegarao-Sta. Ana, Cagayan | Day 1. A Long Journey's End Leads to the Sun

“Mula Aparri hanggang Jolo, Saan ka man halina kayo…”, One can’t help but hum these lines from the popular noon time show “Eat Bulaga” when the sign “Aparri” first shows up on one of the many UV Express Vans shuttling passengers from Tuguegarao to other points of destination within Cagayan. Just seeing this sign board immediately creates that feeling of being so far away from the Manila or anywhere in the central or southern parts of the country.

Cagayan is the northeastern most province in Luzon facing the Philippine Sea. There hasn’t been much buzz about this province since until the reality TV show ‘Survivor’ started filming a few of its seasons in a few of its outlying islands. In fact, this claim to fame is the primary reason the Stokedtraveler was convinced that the trip to this far off place is worth the time.