General Santos City or GenSan for short is known as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines” and home to our beloved boxing champ, Manny Paquiao. But what else is there in GenSan? Well you’ll be surprised that there are actually a lot of beautiful sights to see and exciting activities you can experience here.
With the help of Wow Gensan Association of Travel Agents and CEMCDO, we got to discover Magandang GenSan with a few side adventures in South Cotabato and Sarangani.
Check out our 4D3N Gen San itinerary:
| DAY 1 | ACTIVITY | NOTES |
| 11:00 AM | Arrival at General Santos Airport | |
| 1:00 PM | Isla Jardin Del Mar Resort | A piece of tropical paradise located in Glan, Sarangani, which is around more than an hour drive from GenSan. The resort offers accommodations but you can also come here for a day trip. Entrance Fee for day trip is only P70 for adults and P30 for children. |
| Lunch | Enjoy a sumptuous seafood spread paired with fresh buko juice for the perfect beachside lunch. | |
| 2:00 PM | Swimming and Water Sports Activities | You can spend a fun-filled afternoon here trying out the exciting water sports activities. You can choose between the Flying Fish, Banana boat, water bike, etc. |
| 4:30 PM | Leave the resort | We wish we could’ve stayed longer but it was time to head back to the city proper. |
| 6:30 PM | Check-in at the Sydney Hotel | A great location if you want to be at the center of the city where everything is accessible. |
| 7:00 PM | Dinner at the Roofdeck | Enjoy your dinner with the view of the city lights while a live acoustic performer plays. |
| 8:30 PM | Food trip along Pioneer Avenue | At nightfall, just outside the Sydney Hotel, you’ll find a long strip of food stalls selling different types of street food. The most popular one here is the Pastil and with just P10 you can get unlimited toppings like chili garlic and adobo eggplant with your Pastil!Yummmmm! |
| DAY 2 | ACTIVITY | NOTES |
| 4:00 AM | Check-out from the Sydney Hotel | |
| 5:00 AM | General Santos Fishport Complex | A trip to GenSan will not be complete without going here. Make sure you come very early so you can watch the fishermen at work. You’ll be amazed at the massive tunas being carried around the port like it’s no big deal! Note: It is required for visitors to wear long pants and shirts with sleeves. |
| 7:00 AM | Sarangani Highlands Garden | Perched on top of the hills of Tambler in General Santos, it has an exceptional view of Sarangani bay. Every corner of this place is IG-worthy with the lush gardens filled with floral blooms and bonsais. Note: Come visit them on April if you want to experience their Summer Flower Festival. |
| 9:00 AM | Breakfast | Have a hearty breakfast surrounded by nature and tranquility. We recommend ordering the Arroz de Sarangani, Crispy Tuna Belly and a cup of their Sarangani blend coffee. |
| 11:00 AM | Felicidad Orchard and Garden Organics | This is the first DoT accredited Agri-farm in the Soccskargen region. For only P150 you can take a tour of the farm which includes a salad and juice. |
| 1:00 PM | Snacks | After an interesting afternoon of learning about herbs, vegetables and other plants in the farm, you can rest and enjoy some of their refreshments like the calamansi turmeric tanglad drink and Pomelo Salad. |
| 4:00 PM | Late Lunch at The Kitchen Table | Located inside the stylish Avior Hotel, they offer Spanish-Mediterranean-Asian cuisine that can cater to the most discriminating taste buds. Our must tries are the Slow Cook Pork Baby Back Ribs, Tuna Belly Mediterranean Style and the Beef Bourginon. |
| 5:30 PM | Check-in at Mt. Sabrina Panoramic View & Resort | The resort is perfect for a quiet getaway and has a spectacular view of the Sarangani Bay. Also, do check out their tuna-shaped swimming pool! |
| 7:00 PM | Dinner | Take your pick from classic Filipino favorites. |
| DAY 3 | ACTIVITY | NOTES |
| 3:00 AM | Check-out at Mt.Sabrina Panoramic View & Resort | |
| 6:00 AM | Lake Sebu | Lake Sebu is located in South Cotabato and is home to the T’boli tribe. Visit the lake early in the morning and cruise the lake in a wooden canoe while the pink lotus flowers are in full bloom. |
| 9:00 AM | Breakfast at Dolores Lake Resort | Try out different Tilapia dishes like the Daing na Tilapia, Embotido style tilapia and Nilagpang na tilapia. |
| 10:30 AM | Shop at COWHED Souvenir | Owned by Cooperative of Women in Health and Development. You’ll find beautifully handcrafted items here like handloom weaving and embroidery products, Brass works, wood crafts, T’nalak cloth and colorful beaded accessories. |
| 11:00 AM | Lang Dulay Weaving Center | Watch the tedious process of how the T’nalak cloth is created by the T’boli dreamweavers. |
| 11:30 AM | Seven Falls and Ride the Zipline | The seven falls zipline is known to be one of the highest in Asia, standing at around 180 meters above ground. Forget about your fear of heights because the breathtaking view of the forest and waterfalls below is so worth it! |
| 2:00 PM | Late Lunch at Dolores Lake Resort | Finish your meal with their Blue Bell Tilapia Ice Cream. YES. TILAPIA. It may sound like a strange flavor for ice cream but it’s surprisingly good! |
| 3:00 PM | Go back to Gensan | |
| 7:00 PM | Dinner at Tiongson Arcade | A favorite dining spot for locals if you want to indulge on seafood cooked your way at an affordable price. Our personal favorites were the Chicharong Tilapia, Grilled Tuna Belly and the special Pinaputok na Tilapia. |
| 9:00 PM | Durian for dessert | Cap off your last night in GenSan and eat durian by the roadside along Santiago. |
| 10:00 PM | Check-in at Hotel Dolores | We recommend this hotel for travelers that are looking for comfortable accommodations at a reasonable price. |
| DAY 4 | ACTIVITY | NOTES |
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast | Breakfast is served on their rooftop restaurant, Alta Veranda where you can watch the hustle and bustle in the city while you sip on your morning coffee. |
| 8:00 AM | Check-out from Hotel Dolores | |
| 8:30 AM | Walk around the city | Just around Hotel Dolores is the public market and you’ll also find huuuuge ukay-ukay stores that sell pieces for as low as P5! |
| 9:00 AM | Plaza Heneral Santos | Unwind for a bit and breathe in some fresh air inside the park. You’ll also find the monument of General Paulino Santos here, the man behind the name of the city. |
| 10:00 AM | Pasalubong Center | Don’t forget to do some last-minute pasalubong shopping before going home. |
| 12:30 PM | Flight back to Manila |
For hassle-free bookings, book your flights via Cebu Pacific Air, flights to General Santos City are available daily.
Special thanks to the Wow Gensan Association of Travel Agents and CEMCDO team for organizing our whole trip and Joquezelle Gangoso for immersing us in her culture and showing us the beauty of GenSan.
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