Travel: Famiy trip to Davao
Like my Coron trip last summer, this is my 2nd
time visiting Davao City. I am excited for 2 things:
1. the last time I was in Davao, I was actually just in Samal island for the duration of my stay so this time around, I will be able to tour the city and
2. I will be spending time with my family which is always a good, making more memories together.
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| Philippine Eagle |
It was a cloudy to rainy Thursday in Manila when we left and
we were worried that it’ll be the same in Davao. Talk about touring with an umbrella or beaching in the rain.
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| Flying Cebu Pacific |
However when we arrived 2 hours later, we were greeted with sunshine and beautiful weather. Yes!
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| Welcome to Davao! |
Our accommodations for this trip were provided by Apo View
Hotel. The hotel is centrally located in downtown, right beside People’s Park
and the Pasalubong center.
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| Apo View Hotel |
At the lobby, we were greeted by a large Durian
fruit, one thing that you can equate with Davao city.
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| The Durian fruit welcoming us |
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| We love Apo View Hotel |
We arrived just in time for lunch and were greeted by a sumptuous buffet
lunch. The food was yummy and you have a wide array of different choices to suit your taste. Also, the restaurant had big glass windows that looks out to the garden which gives everyone a nice view of the outside while eating.
After lunch and a little freshening up, we were now up for a
half day city tour. First stop was Museo Dabaw which gives visitors an overview
of the history of Davao city. Unfortunately pics are not allowed inside which I
think is better since you will get to appreciate the exhibit more instead of
just taking pictures and not paying attention to anything. Also, admission is
free, making this one free thing to do in Davao city.
Next up is visiting the D’ Bone Collector Museum. The museum
houses bones that were donated or found in Davao and was put into an exhibit
for viewing. They have a wide array on display from dogs, to crocodiles and
even dolphins and the main highlight is a whale skeleton.
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| Whale skeleton |
After some bones, next, we visited Davao's 911 center. This is famous because this is the first 911 in the country and patterned after the US.
There, we were given a tour, as well as explained to the group the steps they take during an emergency situation.
Saving the best for last, the last stop for the day was visiting the president's house in Davao. Security is tight and checkpoints are guarding the streets going to the house. You'll need to walk a little to reach the humble house with the president's cardboard image greeting you from the outside.
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| President Duterte's House in Davao City |
Ofcourse, touring the city wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t
stop by for souvenirs to bring back home. We stopped by a pasalubong center to get our fix on everything Davao and durian. You will definitely get your Durian fix from different candies to pies.
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| Durian Candies |
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| Durian Pie |
The next day, we woke up early because we had a full day
ahead. One Philippine icon that is a must visit when in Davao is ofcourse, the mighty Philippine eagle. It is already known that these majestic birds are dwindling in number in the wild so visiting the Philippine Eagle Center is a good way of being educated as well as supporting the cause of preserving and helping these birds climb in number.
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| Philippine Eagle Center |
The center is located in a lush forests with huge trees and a stream flowing through it. Before entering and starting the tour, you'll need to sanitize (dispenser found at the entrance) I guess to protect the birds from any germs that you might be bringing in.
Its good to know that a lot of Philippine companies support the foundation by adopting an eagle or by donating to support the foundation which makes you want to support these companies and their products.
One thing that I enjoyed most is being able to take pictures with the residents of the center.
One thing that I enjoyed most is being able to take pictures with the residents of the center.
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| White Bellied Sea Eagle |
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| White Bellied Sea Eagle |
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| Baby Owl |
After all the pictures and a few Pokémon later (yes I caught some Pokémon), we headed to our next destination which was Malagos Garden Resort for more nature and grab lunch.
There's an entrance fee but the manicured gardens as well as all the beautiful spots to take photos are well worth it.
There's an aviary, a playground and areas to play sports like a soccer field. Or you can just walk around and enjoy the gardens. There are some parts of the place that are still being constructed (as of this writing so pardon the dust), after all has been done it'll add more appeal to the place.
Malagos also has a restaurant that serves Filipino dishes so if your hungry after all the walking and photos, you can definitely grab lunch here.
Boy oh boy, the lunch was delicious and I definitely ate so going to our next destination, obviously I passed out and slept through until we arrived at Eden Park Resort.
At Eden, you can have the option for a day tour or stay overnight, as they have different rooms available for rent.
The resort is huge and lush. As the your guide has mentioned, some trees are very old and pre-date the resort. They also have flower gardens and a working hydroponics garden where they grow vegetables that they use in their restaurant.
The day pass includes snacks so after the tour, you'll have something to nibble on and continue taking pictures afterwards.
Heading back to the city, we stopped by some roadside stall to buy some durian and other fruits that are not readily available in Manila. Highlights would be the Durian and the Marang fruit which was sweet.
Although tired, we had dinner in one of the more popular sites in Davao which is Jack's Ridge which gives diners a good vantage point of the city up above. We ate at Taklobo restaurant for some pinoy and seafood delicacies that surely made up for the entire day of touring.
Just like the previous day, call time was early the next day since we have another day of exploring Samal island. Davao is lucky to have this island very close where they can relax and have R&R and just lay on the beach.
It was my first time with a RoRo (Roll in Roll Off) where we were inside our van while we crossed to Samal Island. While the rest of the group stayed inside the air-conditioned van, I went out to take pictures and enjoy the view.
Once in Samal, first stop was visiting the Monfort Bat Sanctuary that holds the Guiness World Record for the largest colony of Rousette fruit bats. Prior to seeing the bats, there's a short presentation regarding the place and its inhabitants which I thought was a very good way to promote as well as educate.
A short walk will bring you to the different caves and its residents. Since it was early in the day, they are all resting and just hanging out (literally! :))
After the bats, we needed to cool of and what a better way than to check out the Hagimit Falls for some snacks and go for a swim.
Reaching the falls may prove to be quite a challenge since its quite a walk downhill (so imagine leaving the place going uphill).
But the hike is well worth it with lush surroundings and a river that heads up to the waterfalls.
Being a Saturday, the place is quite popular with families and friends enjoying the cool water. There are cottages that you can rent so you'll have a place to set-up. There's also a grilling area so you can bring in food to cook as well as a store just in case you forgot to bring something.
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| Hagimit Falls |
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| Hagimit Falls |
After a quick dip (the deepest part I was told was 6 feet), we headed back up and went to another place to swim at which is the beach.
After a short drive, we reached Paradise Island Beach Resort. Like the waterfalls, it was definitely a popular place for both locals and foreigners alike. The restaurant was full and the beach was filled with sun worshippers and beach goers like me.
It was a beautiful day, perfect for a day at the beach. It was definitely a well spent Saturday with family and friends.
After some swimming and frolicking in the warm waters of Samal, it was time to go back to the city for dinner. Good thing it was just a short ferry ride that we were back in no time.
For our last dinner at the city, we went to Café Tavera which was nearby our hotel. I really liked the overall look and feel of the restaurant. I also liked that they have an al fresco area which was perfect for that night because of the beautiful weather.
There, you can choose fresh seafood and have it cooked and prepared at the restaurant. They have an array of catches that will definitely catch whatever you're craving for.
Everything we ordered was so good and I especially liked the crab and the seaweeds. A prefect dinner to cap our long weekend stay.
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| Chili crab |
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| Seaweed salad |
The pool area was very spacious and the pool was a good size. There are also lounge chairs where you can lay out, chill and just relax which I did (not to mention take a million selfies :D)!
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| Shorts by Topman and watch by Technomarine |
Til' my next post, see you guys!
Don't forget to follow me in Instagram at @cjsohot
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