A little something about one of my favorite travels of 2018. Super late, lol. But here goes nothing.

You probably know General Santos as one of the world’s greatest boxing icons, Manny Pacquiao’s, homeland. Surprisingly, there is more to this place aside from that fact! My workmate and I visited this 1st class highly urbanized city in Soccsksargen way back 2018 (I know, sobrang late yung post lol), and I was delighted about the whole experience. ♥

Here are some of the things I loved about the place:

1. It has a laid-back vibe

This is probably a province thing. I just love how time seems slower, how the setting feels much more serene, and how everything is 10x better than when you are in a bustling city. For some reason, it feels less exhausting getting around here than in Metro Manila. 

2. You can easily get around town with tricycles

I come from a busy city – so I’m used to seeing different modes of transportation such as jeepneys, tricycles, buses, taxis, so on and so forth. But when we landed in Gen San, we pretty much only rode a tricycle to get around (Disclaimer: from the airport to the hotel and vice versa – of course we had to ride a taxi :P). If we wanted to eat out and go on a culinary adventure at the famed Tiongson Arcade, we only needed to hail a tryc. From our hotel to the “provincial mall” KCC, hail another tryc. What if we need to check out pasalubong sites? Well – you guessed it already – just hail a tryc! 

Of course, don’t forget to act less like a tourist to avoid getting taken advantage of by some drivers. I really don’t like to use the word scam, but you already know how some people are when they see individuals not from their homeland. The tip given to us by our local acquaintance was to pay the exact amount (P7 to P10) every time we ride a tricycle. Or if we have a bigger bill, we would demand the “specific change” that a local would ask from them, too. 

3. It is the perfect place to indulge in seafood

They say you shouldn’t leave Gen San without a visit to Tiongson Arcade, so my travel buddy and I made sure we eat here at least once before our trip is over. Tiongson Arcade is probably one of my favorite places ever – that’s because we got to eat a lot of yummy home-style dishes (Paluto type of service) without burning a hole in our pockets. A seafood dinner is pretty pricey in Metro Manila, but not here! After all, Gen San is the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, and it has an outstanding total daily catch compared to other fishing ports in the country.

Note: If you are an absolute sucker for tuna or fish, you should visit the General Santos City Fish Port Complex as early as 4 am for the freshest catch! The best thing about it is that it’s cheap. It’s unfortunate because we didn’t have enough time to come to the port, but at least we got to eat the delicious and fresh seafood this city takes pride in. 

ALSO READ: Quick Binondo Foodtrip

4. You can go to the beach if you need a little nature trip

Okay, so the stunning and untouched white sandy beach dubbed as the “Boracay of the South” isn’t exactly in Gen San. But since our starting point is Gen San, then I included it here. Gumasa Beach is a perfectly good spot to unwind and relax because a) it has crystal clear waters b) it is Boracay minus the big crowds and c) you’d just wish you can dig your feet into the fine sand and enjoy the relaxing breeze all day.

This beach is not yet commercialized, so don’t expect the same vibrancy and noise you’d normally experience in Boracay. That’s not exactly a bad thing if you value tranquility over a rowdy party. 

We just took a van bound to Glan from KCC Mall and hopped off at Alegado Terminal. From there, we rode a tricycle to take us to our preferred resort. Since the transpo going back is scarce, we were advised to book the tricycle for our return in advance. Don’t forget to get Sir Driver’s contact number so you can easily remind him if you want to be picked up!

Note: I’ll probably create a Gumasa Trip Guide article…. 

5. You will enjoy shopping at their Ukay Ukay Hub

If you love thrift shopping, then you’ll love the Ukay Ukay hub in Gen San. It is the biggest thrift shop place I’ve seen to date and you can score good finds for as low as P5. We probably spent a good hour or two looking around, and I don’t think I’ve spent over P400 for the 10+ pieces I got from that hub. 

If I remember it correctly, the hub was near the market. I suggest you look it up in Google or ask the locals before coming here just to be sure you don’t get lost. 

Make sure you have a mask with you because it’s pretty dusty or maalikabok inside due to it being housed in a tent.

6. The malls are not too crowded

Compared to Metro Manila malls, that is. You can also probably set up a ninja course in the activity center of the mall! P.S. I’m not even exaggerating. But this is probably only for Robinsons and SM because KCC is pretty crowded. If you are curious as to why, one of the locals we asked said (quote-unquote) “Parang airconditioned palengke. Mall na sobrang mura talaga lahat ng binebenta.” We went there to buy some of our pasalubong and it’s true. 

Not to mention, the locals tend to support the provincial mall more. 

I know this blog is super outdated. If you have something interesting to say about beautiful General Santos City, feel free to comment it below ♥