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Hiking matters #423: Mt. Bandilaan and other outdoor attractions of Siquijor

Gideon Lasco 1 Comment ,
The century-old tree in Campalanas, Lazi, Siquijor

DUMAGUETE CITY – Today I visited the island province of Siquijor, and was greatly rewarded with some interesting outdoor attractions, together with my fraternity brother, Puerto Princesa-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Arnaldo Favila Jr.. As a medical anthropologist, my fascination in the island lay in its rich tradition of folk medicine, but there was little I could do in a day, so we were more of tourists, allowing a tricycle driver to take us through the usual stuff.

I just came from a four-day Cleopatra’s Needle in Palawan (see Hiking matters #419-422) and am about to head to Cebu for a weekend of hiking (hopefully). So this is more of a filler episode – and as filler episodes in anime series go, it can be really fun.
We first went up Mt. Bandilaan, which is really just a fifteen-minute walk up – maybe even less. Though only 632 meters above sea level and a not-too-prominent peak, this mountain is culturally significant, being  the sacred place where healers and sorcerers take their herbs and perform their rituals during Holy Week – in the same vein as Mt. Banahaw. 


After the hike, we went to the Century-Old Tree in Campalanas, which reminded me of a similar tree in saw in Aurora in 2010. Ancient and giant trees are always a fascinating sight for mountaineers. I am also reminded of the gigantic trees in Mt. Talinis. Indeed they are a reminder that left alone, many trees will for hundreds of years.

Then there was Cambugahay Falls, one of my favourites – even though I lost my goggles there after a ‘Tarzan jump’. With its nice woodlands and even coastal forests, like the one in Maria, Siquijor definitely has some things to offer the outdoor enthusiast, and even though I was just there for a day, I was well rewarded. Thank you, Siquijor, for the wonderful experience!

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1 Comment on "Hiking matters #423: Mt. Bandilaan and other outdoor attractions of Siquijor"

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Amery Calven
10 years 1 month ago

Being a nature lover this is one of my favourite places to visit. I visited this place after completing my san francisco to disneylandwith my wife. Siquijor is located in Central Visayas region. During our trip we were stayed in Casa de la playa Beach Resort. That is famous for its fabulous location. That was a charming experience of our life.

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