Train to be a Circus Performer at Kampo Juan

Kampo Juan, an hour's drive from Cagayan de Oro City, is in Barangay Dicklum, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. To get there from CDO, take the bus to Manolo Fortich (fare is around Php50). At the junction (keep your eyes peeled, the sign pointing to Kampo Juan faces the opposite direction) hire a motorcycle to take you to Kampo Juan (or walk 3 km).

 

 Click location map to enlarge

A few meters before Kampo Juan is the MacArthur landmark. The significance? Click on the photo below to read about it.

 

Click to enlarge

At Kampo Juan, an entrance fee of Php50 per head is collected. With this, you are now entitled to laze around in their pavilion. If you plan to have lunch there, bring food and utensils. They only have chips and drinks for sale. A water dispenser at the pavilion is available for all the guests.

 Choose your spot in Kampo Juan's pavilion

For the restless, lazing around the pavilion might be boring. Snooze not, Kampo Juan has some activities to wake you up. And this was part of my friend's evil plan. The reason why he fed me too much for breakfast? He wanted me to become a circus performer. He wanted me to ride a bike on a wire.

In Kampo Juan, you can ride a bike a hundred feet above the ground (they call it the anicycle), zip over gorges, and strut across (and back) a hanging bridge. To do all these, gather up Php600 and some courage. (If you are tired of ziplines and hanging bridges, you can just try the anicycle for Php300.)

For a person who rides a bike like a drunk, why ride a bike on a wire? Because no biking skills are required. Woohoo! With all the courage I could muster, I get strapped on and pedal, pedal, pedal my way 200 meters across a 100 ft deep gorge.

 Circus performer in training

After the longest bike ride of my life, I am strapped to a line and zip over a field and another gorge....

 

Zipping over a gorge with slippers secured

...to get to the hanging bridge, which is 120 meters across and 100 ft high. This hanging bridge has to be crossed twice, because there is no exit on the other end. (What's the point of this bridge then? :-D )

To the end and back

After walking 240 meters and causing the bridge to sway with every step, I am strapped to another zipline. At the end point, there is a treehouse nearby to relax in, enjoy the view, and get your normal heart rate back. Then a very short leisurely stroll back to the pavilion.

The path back to the pavilion

This short adventure over ravines can be accomplished in just an hour. After one hour under the blazing sun, I am back to lazing about in the pavilion.

If you do not want to bring lunch to Kampo Juan, you can go to Pinutos sa Kanto, Totsie's, or Del Monte Clubhouse; all three are just a ten-minute drive from Kampo Juan. Beef steak (from any of the three) is recommended.

 At the Del Monte Clubhouse, you can stare at the golf greens while eating

Kampo Juan
Brgy. Dicklum, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon
0926 621 2192
Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays 8AM - 5PM


How laying Mustachio's life on the line lay Mustachio's wallet on the line too:
Entrance fee Php50
All Rides Adventure Php600