Magandang GenSan!

Magandang GenSan!

That was how our host Ian Tupas welcomed us to the tuna capital of the Philippines. General Santos City or Dadiangas to the locals is also home to the famed boxing champ Manny Pacquiao.

It was close to lunch when we arrived at the airport. We proceeded to the Robinson's Mall to have lunch at the Grab A Crab restaurant. The place had a cozy feel to it and the dining booths were separated by glass and art work wall giving the diners some privacy.

When the waiter handed me the menu, I was amazed by its size that I had to exclaim, "Whoa!" It was the largest one I've seen so far. We ordered their Szechuan crabs, seafood mix soup and of course the tuna kinilaw. Dining in this resto was the best starter for this trip. The dish served definitely satisfied our palate. This place is a MUST when in GenSan.

Mixed seafood soup

Szechuan Crabs

Tuna Kinilaw

A trip to GenSan won't be complete without having a photo of Pacman's mansion and that was what we did after lunch.

Then, we fetched Bibian and Ainia, Ian's wife and daughter, at the SPED school before going to the KCC mall where Ainia had some shopping spree.

For the remainder of the afternoon, we chilled at the Saranggani Highlands, a piece of paradise filled with blooms, shrubs and trees overlooking the Saranggani Bay. This place is a grand playground for kids and a perfect setting for photo sessions. By dusk, we had our dinner. Then we retired for the night at the Dolores Tropicana Resort.

Entrance to Saranggani Highlands

The bridge and mini-falls

Blooms all over

View of the rear portion of Saranggani Highlands

Duplex cottage at Dolores Tropicana Resort

View of the pool area from the restaurant

The next day, we went to the Fish Port but only two members of our group managed to get inside the port because we were not in proper attire, meaning all covered up (shirts with sleeves, long pants and closed shoes or boots). So the rest of us just waited at the shed outside of the complex while our companions went shopping for the freshest tuna catch that would fill our tummies come lunch time in Lake Sebu.

It was a quick trip since the city served as the gateway to our destination which was Lake Sebu. Hopefully, I get to visit the city again to explore more of its environs.