White-water fun in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

I have forgotten how thrilling white water rafting is, especially when you’re assigned at the front! In the past, I am usually seated at the back or middle, but since we’re with first-timers and youngsters, we had the ‘privilege’ of leading and absorbing all the impact. In the process, I also ingested quite a bit of river water through both nose and mouth . But we did not fall at any point . I also learned to turn my head slightly inward when tackling the rapids to avoid the big splash, and it worked!

We did 14 rapids in total, some wild, some mild. A half day activity, with the rafting taking 3 hours at least. If you’re up for more challenge- you can opt for the extreme version which takes two days and entails camping. We did the lower to medium section, which is exciting enough. If you would like to push it further, go on the rainy season according to our guide. But I think I am ok with the calm, dry season for now. Would I do it again? Yes definitely!

 

Cagayan de Oro which also means many rivers of gold, is a highly dense, urbanized city in northern Mindanao that is well-connected by flights from Manila and Cebu as well as boats and buses from various islands and provinces.