Tabuk is the lowland gateway to Kalinga — a working agricultural city of around 100,000 in a hot valley known as the "rice granary of the Cordillera." There is very little to see in Tabuk itself, but it is unavoidable: this is where rafting trips on the Chico start, where buses arrive from Manila and Tuguegarao, and where vans leave for the mountain villages.
The Sunday market is large and colourful. The cathedral in the centre is one of the older buildings. Otherwise, treat Tabuk as a one-night stop while you arrange transport to the highlands.