7 Tourist Destinations You’d Surely Love in GenSan
GenSan is not only home of its well- known appetizing tuna but it is also haven of adventure and excitement.
First in the list is of course a visit at the General Santos City Fish Port Complex. The fish port is composed of 11 hectare land located at Brgy. Tambler, General Santos City. It recently gained another 3 years ISO 9001:2008 certification given by the TUV Rheinland Philippines, Inc.—the international certification body in the country. The quality stamp specifically covers the port’s core business processes in entrance formalities, assessment and collection of vessel charges, and departure clearance. (Read more here)
Photo by Inquirer
The next destination would be good for people who love trekking and climbing . Sanchez Peak is situated at the margins of barangays Olympog and Conel. It is 800 feet above sea level and you have a birds eye view of GenSan . Sanchez Peak is reached through two trails—the Balakayo (in Barangay Conel) and Balsinang (in Barangay Olympog) trails. For those who like a thrilling challenge, one has to take the Balsinang route. This route is favourable for climbers because of its shady trees that cover them from the scorching heat of the sun but this is quite more difficult than the other route because of its steep and rocky road. For neophytes, the Balakayo route is recommended because it is penetrable by motorcycles or “habal- habal .
Photo credit to the owner
Fifth (5th) Mountain Balakayo offers a great deal of extreme adventure. It is located in Barangay Olympog. They have the first Zipline and Cable Car rides of Grnsan. This 800- meter long and 80 kph speedy zipline is over a 2,000- meter drop ridge between of the highest peaks of Balakayo. Fee: P250 ($5.30)*. Its cable car is probably fearsome for first timers because it is open unlike other cable cars we see on TV. But you’ll love it because you will have a very good view of the green scenery. It can accommodate 4-6 persons and it only costs P200 ($4.24)* per ride.
Photo credit to the owner
Next is Manilay Ancestral House is something that will take you to the past. It is located in Purok Malakas, Barangay San Isidro, at the back of Savemore. It brings back good ol’ memories—when telephone wires, wooden floor made of tindalo and narra, wooden fridge that doesn’t need electricity, White truck with wooden carriage and photo albums were a hit. Manilay Ancestral House is a house of history, a reflection of what GenSan is and what Gensan was. This 2- storey house is owned by Mr.Warren Manilay built upon his fondness on antique collection together with his wife. Spanish- inspired, the house is actually a replica of the old house in Laguna which was meticulously done through transporting recovered materials from demolished old houses in Batangas where the Manilays come from and not altering their shapes that carpenters found it hard to assemble. Perfection at its best.
For visit reservations, you may just Goldenstate College (a tech-voc school owned by the Manilays themselves) at 552-5544. The house is more than functional; the hosts accept dinner meetings and “prenup” sessions at modest rates.
Photo by GenSan is Fun
Another is Klaja Karst. They say Japanese soldiers used to make tunnels in the area as their bivouac during the end of World War II. It’s named after a frying pot where Bisaya people call it “kalaha” because of it’s basin like appearance. Klaja Karst is located in Barangay Conel. It is 15- kilometre away or 15- pesos ride from barangay proper. Bunga Spring is found in the center of the Kalaha Karsts Area in General Santos City. The place has a campsite for tourists and stargazing is a great night activity. The cave has a pool inside that is about three meters deep and 22 meters wide.
Three (3) kilometers away from Klaja Karst is the Malakong Gorge, which makes it perfect for wall or rock climbing. This is an excellent place for boulder and rock climbing both for beginners and experts. You can also camp here and stay overnight.
30 minutes ride from Klaja Karst is Nopol Hills. It is General Santos City’s highest camping ground that will give you a very nice panoramic view of the Saranggani Bay and it’s neighboring towns. You will also have a very nice view of the sunset bay.
7 destinations in General Santos City that you shouldn’t miss. Although the Gensan Port is not really an official tourist destination, but you can visit them with the help of the tourism office. You need to get a permit to be able to enter the facility. Even though strict adherence to their rules is expected, they do welcome tourist and guest to witness the busy and internationally certified GenSan port. During my visit, I had the opportunity to see the Gensan port actions and was able to also enter the big freezer where they store hundreds of fishes for cutting and export.
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