I give a BIG Smile whenever someone speaks to me about Nature. So I find myself associated with Tuguegarao a lot and imagining if I’m one with this place, we are both smiling a lot.
It was exactly the experience I’ve had 13 years ago while visiting Tuguegarao – The Philippines’ Smiling Land of Beauty and Holy Land of the North. Those incredible memories always linger in me.
One clear day, I took a morning (close to lunch hour) flight from Manila to Tuguegarao City for official meetings with some Mayors of the local government units in the Province of Cagayan. Tuguegarao is the only first class municipality in the province and where our Branch office (my travel host) is located.
How I look forward to official trips – not only do I get to represent my head office, achieve fruitful deals but also be rewarded with pleasure side trips within the province to learn more about the local culture. GOD is infinitely Good.
As usual, most business trips are not meant to take long days. With a mixture of sigh but more excitement, my visit to Tuguegarao happened only once for 4 days. So my travel host recommended to sight-see 2 of the most beautiful spots that the province boasts and which I highly recommend.
Considered as the Holy Land of Northern Philippines, it’s always the best time for soul searching while appreciating the resplendent views at the same time, when you’re in Tuguegarao.
We started our brief sight-seeing with Iguig Calvary Hills. It’s about 16 kilometers from the capital. And as soon as we reached, I just didn’t stop uttering “WOW”. I bet it was the only place in the Philippines or perhaps in Asia which had depicted the Stations of the Cross with a lot of labor, detail and love. Each Stations of the Cross comes with colorful statues and lies close to six-meter high. If you come closer to the statues you would see how it was crafted very meticulously until it’s almost seemingly alive.
Calvary Hills is situated in a 11-hectare rolling terrain so each Stations of the Cross are distanced prominently apart to give you the feeling of deep contemplation and a real sacrificial love as you walk laboriously to the succeeding stations. That is only if you choose to walk with a sacrificial purpose. Otherwise, you can always enjoy strolling lightly and cheerfully as you approach the next stations.
The place is one of the most favored photograph spots in the province not only because of the statues but also the sheer beauty surrounding the hills with a view of Cagayan River and the countryside. What a joy to behold.
The final stop is at Callao Cave. I would suggest to nominate this cave as a premier heritage site of the Philippines although it has been documented by the National Museum as a Protected Landscape and Seascape. What simply caught my attention was the turning of rock formation into something spiritual in its sense. The cave which had a cathedral-like room was converted by the locals into a chapel while a rock at its top was just like miraculously been formed to serve as the altar of the chapel. While the stream of light coming from a roof top opening gives a marvelous spotlight for the chapel.
Callao Cave is the most accessible among the other 300 caves by car and about 184 concrete steps to reach the entrance. It’s about 24 kilometers northeast of the capital. Feeling so blessed.
It is always most ideal to travel to Tuguegarao by air as it gives you an awesome view of the Province of Cagayan from the top. Our local carriers, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly daily to Tuguegarao City from Manila for an hour.
I was booked in Hotel Roma that time and I must commend this hotel not only because it is in the heart of the city with major stores and dining outlets nearby including the beautiful Saints Peter and Paul Metropolitan Cathedral. The hotel staff are all professional, which is by the way, the first thing I will observe in hotels and other outlets. It has clean and bigger rooms which are also very important factors for me. Internet connection is available for free and a cool AC just completed a cozy room.
As for menu, you would not want to miss “Vigan Longganisa” – a very popular dish in Tuguegarao City and in other northern provinces. It’s cooked either in deep or mild fry depending on your choice and goes along very well with fried rice and garlic/chili vinegar – another popular locally-made condiment in the northern provinces.
Jitrrie Travel & Tours offers a two-way promo airfare from Manila to Tuguegarao all year-round. Here is a flyer I recently posted on our Facebook page, Twitter, Linkedin and Google Plus. I hope to have the liberty of booking your flights to this place anytime soon.
But there’s only one thing I’m most sure, material wealth cannot buy transcendental inner peace what nature can provide very freely. And it is exactly the same inner peace that can make us conquer true joy when our time on earth has passed. A joy that is so difficult to achieve when there is no love and respect for nature and moral life.
Do take a moment to dwell in Tuguegarao and try to get Jittrie Travel & Tours serve your travel arrangements – from airline to hotel and tour bookings, etc. There’s nothing more special than feeling at home and being served personally.
Please find time to leave your comments. I would appreciate very much if you can let me know what else you expect and how you want to benefit from this travel blog site.
Kindly bear with me on this quick blog as I’m preparing to leave for airport shortly for a flight to Seoul, Korea with my husband. You can imagine now that it’s going to be a very exciting story on my next blog coming soon.
God speed to all my readers.