d) Take home pasalubong or specialties from Butuan!
A trip is not complete if you can’t take home a few things back home to Manila that will remind you of the amazing trip you’ve had in Butuan. The Trading Post at the Watergate Hotel has some of the best finds in the Caraga Region. This curated corner has native bags made of Romblon, abaca and other tribal cloths, they also have pillow mists, beauty oils, Mushroom Crisps, Sweet Potato chips, Wild honey, Tableya, Virgin Coconut Oil, Accessories, the list goes on! They also have your traditional souvenir t-shirts, magnets and tumblers.
A few of my personal favorites that you can order from the locals are the Sweet Dreams chocolate bars, Jilla’s Chewy Bars, the Biko Dukot, and of course, the lechon (no need for any special sauce because it is that good and that flavorful!). One quick tip when you visit different provinces in the country, always try their lechon as different provinces have different ways of preparing their lechon and a lot of them are really good and the lechon in Butuan is on top of my list!! I’ve listed the contact numbers just below the photos should you wish to order them and take some home with you.
Chewy Bars – +639177433364
Sweet Dreams Chocolate Bars- +639177162178
Biko Dukot – +639073093534
5) See the rest of the Caraga Region!
Since Butuan is the center of the Caraga region, it makes Butuan the gateway to other hotspots in the region. The Caraga region is famous for their pristine beaches, majestic waterfalls, untouched coves and emerald mountains. There is so much to do and so much to see in the entire region! Britania Islands in Surigao Del Sur is one of beaches we got to visit. There are 24 Islands and Islets in Britania and there are locals who offer their boats for hire so you can get to the other islands. When it’s low tide, you can even walk from one island to another!
We also got to visit the Mabua Pebble Beach in Surigao Del Norte. This hotspot is quite unique as the whole stretch of the beach is lined with different sizes of pebbles that it’ll make you wonder where did they all come from and how did they get to this one special spot.
Other places you can visit in the Caraga Region are The Enchanted River, Tinuy-an Falls, Daku Island, Cagwait beach, Dinagat Islands, Lake Bababu, Bega Falls, Agusan Marsh, Tinago Islands and so much more! I do plan to visit and document those trips someday soon so watch out for those trips!
Whew! So there, that’s my list of things to do in Butuan. Now do you believe me when I say that there is so much to do in Butuan City? I myself cannot wait to explore the other beaches in Butuan and the rest of the Caraga region. It would be a shame to come to the Philippines and to just stay in Manila and not see the rest of the country. Even we Filipino’s forget to explore our own backyard when there is so much beauty in our country. So when in Manila and need a vacation, Butuan and the neighboring provinces in the Caraga Region ought to be at the top of your list now. This list was just a glimpse of what you can do in Butuan, but as always, and as in any travel adventure, don’t be afraid to just go where your feet and the wind may take you and just enjoy the sweet and swell ride!
**one of the best times to visit Butuan is in the month of May as they have a month-long celebration of the Balangay Festival. Here are some photos we took of the festival this year. I also included the video by Wang Videography so you could appreciate Butuan even more and get excited about your vacation there 😉
Need help with you Butuan Itinerary? Email visitcaragaph@gmail.com for suggestions or inquiries
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If you have other suggestions of places to visit in the Caraga region, we’d really appreciate it if you could share them with us here and hopefully we’ll get to visit and feature them soon too! If you also have anything to add to our list (food, pasalubong, historical places, etc), please feel free to share them with our readers by commenting below. Cheers!
Thanks to Derrick Lim of Imagine Nation Photography for helping me out with some of the photos!
I love Manila but as in any other city, you have to be careful and wary of the things around you! Read this post!
https://www.wheninmanila.com/knockout-gas-in-taxi-cabs-new-modus-operandi/
