Davao Birthday Weekend: [Day One] The City Tour

I spent my birthday weekend in Davao together with my cousins and my mom’s relatives as well. We were such a big group that we had to be divided into two: The Juniors (us!) and the Seniors (our mom and aunts).  We were originally going after Pearl Farm resort but it’s expensive to stay for 2 nights there. So we just decided to explore Davao City during Day 1 and spend my actual birthday in Pearl Farm for the second day and go to the remaining tourist spots of Davao on our last day.

I was texting my friends who live and those who’s been in Davao for any tips on where to go.  We had a van rented to take us around the place and luckily we were able to tour the city, hassle-free.

Note: The photos chosen in this post is to capture what it is like to be there. I hope it did serve its purpose, so no, there's no HD pictures and tourist-catalogue-type shots.

We were able to go to the recommended places such as:

1. Malagos

A Nature Park where you can find the Philippine Eagle.

My sister’s glad that we went to this place because you cannot just find this super huge eagle in Manila Zoo.

Tip: Entrance Fee is Php 55.00

2. Outland Adventure

Those who will try zipline will only get to pay. I’ve already tried zipline in Tagaytay with my friends and my sister already tried the zipline in Bohol so we just watched our cousin and aunt try the zipline, so we passed up on this one.

Tip: Price of zipline is Php 500.00 ( I think, I’m not sure about the price. You don’t have an option to go just one way because there’s no other way to go back than through the cables again.)

3. Crocodile Farm

By it’s name, you can tell it houses a lot of crocodile from the small ones to the really big ones before the biggest crocodile, Lolong, was found.

I don’t really like reptiles (even the small turtles make me icky). They had crocodile show and some animal show to entertain the kids. My cousins and I were just really busy walking around the park looking at crocodiles.

On the other side of the crocodile farm, there’s firedance show and some native muslim stuff that they sell as souvenirs.

Tip: Entrance Fee is Php 150.00

4. Jack's Ridge

I keep on getting  recommendations saying – you have to go Jack’s Ridge.

Jack’s Ridge is an overlooking area of Davao City where you can see almost everything. Restaurants are strategically located in the area. I don’t know if this is the highest peak of Davao but the planes that passes by are really low, I feel like we’re in Paranaque City. Haha!

Tip: No entrance fee.

I never really thought that Davao is really so big that majority of our time was spent on the road.  We spent the entire day in Pearl Farm the next day, which will be my next post because I believe it deserves an entire entry of it's own.

Upcoming post:

• Davao Birthday Weekend [Day Two] My Birthday at Pearl Farm Resort
• Davao Birthday Weekend [Day Three] Eden Park and Some Last MinuteShopping

Davao Birthday Weekend: [Day Three] Eden Park and Some Last Minute Shopping

For our last day in Davao, we went to Eden Nature Park.

The night before,  I was talking to our tour guide about whether Eden Nature Park is something that we must go to.

He said: "It's our version of Baguio"

I've been wanting to go back to Baguio this year but then I think my schedule will not permit it so I guess this is good to go so we went to Eden Nature Park.

Tip:

Day Tour Entrance Fee: Php 180.00

Comes with free snacks ( Bread, Spaghetti and Soda)

I'm really lazy and not in the mood for blogging the place so I just borrowed pictures taken by my sister. There are so many photos to choose from but I just got the ones approved for public viewing.

 The shuttle comes with a voice-over that explains the whole Eden Nature Park. It was recorded according to where we're going so the tour guide didn't do much of the talking.

Kuya looking all MACHO by the Park's Map and my sister running after...I don't even know what that is. There's a tour guide and shuttle provided so we can roam the place.

We got a very nice, smiley-faced tour guide, I just forgot what his name was. I should've taken a photo of him.

They have lodges, they grow their own veggies

This is their amphitheater ( I think) This is where my friends Marc and Nikki got married last August, I was not able to go due to grad school commitments.

The rainbow garden

The old house we went to

Interesting stuff I took photos of. Kind of creepy when seen in real life haha. We went to the "kubo" / house, and we got this instrument. I asked the tour guide if I can hit it, and he said yes, and I banged the thing with all my might. My kuya was shocked how hard I hit it. ( I was in the mood for hitting something really hard!)

Nice Organized Garden

 We were running after time because we're scheduled on two different flights, so we dropped by at Aldevinco for pasalubong shopping.

Tip:

• For my friends in Manila - Aldevinco is like Aranque in Pasay City. They sell the most affordable pasalubong to take back to the City.
• Haggle the place. My mom is the best at haggling/negotiating and got the best deal. 
• I just bought some eco-bags for friends and some native wallet for my friends in Grad School. I really had a good deal but mom beat me to the core in getting the best deal.

We also went to the Marina place (I think). My sister and her boyfriend went shopping for some tuna and seafood to take home.

 

I had a nice time in Davao but I didn't really had the chance to find out Davao through a local's eyes because we're always running after a schedule. Davao was nice but that day, I really just can't wait to go back to Manila.

Previous Posts about this trip:

• Davao Birthday Weekend: [Day One] The City Tour 

• Davao Birthday Weekend: [Day Two] My Birthday at Pearl Farm Resort

 

 

Davao Birthday Weekend: [Day Two] My Birthday at Pearl Farm Resort

For our second day in Davao, we spent practically the whole day of my Birthday in Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

Since we were on a tight schedule and going to Pearl Farm is A MUST, we decided to get the Day Tour Package instead of the overnight package since we have to meet our Davao-based relatives for Dinner on the same day.

Day Tour Package (php2,500.00 / pax) includes:

• ·       1 Lunch
• ·       Round trip boat transfers
• ·       Use of resorts selected facilities (swimming pool, beach area, tennis court, basketball court and game room)

Boat Transfer Schedule:

Wharf In: 8:00 AM

Wharf Out: 4:00 PM

Davao Marina to Pearl Farm: 8AM/1:30PM/4PM/6PM

Pearl Farm to Davao Marina: 6:45AM/10AM/1PM/4PM

Special Boat Transfer Rate: Php7,000.00 – one way

WARNING: A photo loaded entry. I would've posted more pics for proof but there are just so many. So I just took the ones in my point-and -shoot camera. Sorry for some not-so-nice photos. It's hard to take blog-worthy pics while I'm enjoying the place while I can! 

Pearl Farm Marina Wharf. This is the place for checking in while waiting for our ferry to take us to Samal Island, where Pearl Farm is located.

They gave us an orientation and overview of what are the things and activities that we can do during our Day Tour on the Island. There is another separate Island owned by Pearl Farm and we can go there for FREE! We just need to schedule it.

On our way to Pearl Farm. I took a nap during the 45 minutes ferry ride. They provided us cutesy water drinks and when we're near the Resort Drop off, there were two jet ski riders providing us entertainment. Someone told me that it's Pearl Farm's strategy to make the guests look at the Jet Ski Riders because it takes some time for the ferry to position it self to the dock.

View of the Landmark and the Samal Houses of Pearl Farm. We were welcomed with the nice staff who gave us welcome drinks the moment we arrived.

Hello Pearl Farm! Finally we meet! 

There are really nice huts that's located by the pool that were strategically located. Can you see how clear the water is? I'm not even using a DSLR when I took this photo. I love their infinity pool as well, but the water is cold. I guess I'm just used to hot springs. 

Other side of the resort

We roamed around the place and a golf car took us to the other side of the beach. I took a photo of some of the Samal Houses for rent.

One of my favorite part - The Ylang Ylang Spa. The moment we arrived, my cousins and I immediately booked a body massage appointment.

Day Tour Package includes Lunch Buffet. I took the photo of my Kuya's Platter! Haha! They have the most delicious Buffet I've had in years and the desserts are just scrumptious!  

Happy Birthday to Me! We stayed at Mandaya 14 for FREE! The Manager of Pearl Farm is so nice and accommodating, when he learned that we were a large group of 14pax and ran out of by-the-pool huts, he arranged a free room for us during the day!

We were really lucky that we get to meet really nice people in Pearl Farm (regular customers) and gave us some of their spare cottages and tips on how we can request for extra accommodation.

Pearl Farm Notes:

• I would say: WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE OVERNIGHT PACKAGE!
• Free use of their beach towels.
• Ferry rides are by schedule.
• There are designated smoking areas.
• A ferry ride is free, we had to arrange it the moment we arrive because other guests would like to go to the separate Island as well.
• The cheapest whole body massage is Php 800. But since my cousins and I were running late due to whatever activities we had, we just had a back massage for Phpo 200.00! They're sooo nice!
• The Mandaya house that we stayed do not have a door for the rest room. I don't know why?
• They only have one golf car to take us around, but the short cut way to the Mandaya houses is beside the Spa.
• They offer other tour packages like the hill top package which my mom and aunts availed while we kids roamed around the place, ala-survivor Philippines! LOL! 
• Pearl Farm offers package for honeymooners and the likes, it's best to take advantage of the package.
• The jetskis are for rent and we took home some sand samples from the separate Island. My sister and I have been collecting sand from every beach we went to ( EL Nido, Palawan, Boracay, Pagudpud - name it!) The guy in charge of the jetski took us for a nice ride in his jetski for free! 

I was telling my friends when I came back that Davao did not struck me as hard as Cebu, but I would definitely go back to Davao for PEARL FARM RESORT reasons!

This place is PERFECT for honeymooners. I think I want to tag along with my Kuya when he goes back haha! Hello third wheel!  But I am eyeing Bellarocca next for my destination. 

Upcoming post:

• Davao Birthday Weekend [Day Three] Eden Park and Some Last Minute Shopping

Must Try: Majid's Persian Kabab in Davao City

I still couldn't find the time to post stuff about that trip to Davao so I will just post a few things when I can. I've been juggling a lot of things lately and I've been very busy. For real.


I remember reading the plane's magazine about the things you have to see in Davao. We' re only there for a couple of days and our schedule's been really hectic. I was reading something about a really yummy kabab at Majid's that is a must-try when in Davao.

So can you imagine how wide my smile is when I saw this:

It's the Kabab House that I read in the magazine

We arrived there 30 minutes prior to their closing time and found out that they were close the next day! 

I am such a huge fan of Cholo kebab and the last time I had a really good one was years ago! I'm happy that I got the chance to eat Kabab while strolling the streets of Davao City on our first night. 

Sorry for the crappy photos, I do not have a decent camera during that night.

Davao was good, but I was not swept off my feet as hard a Cebu. Thank God for Pearl Farm, which I will be creating a separate entry for sometime soon.

Project FEETrail: Introduzione

My cousin told me why not blog about feet in the Philippines because he believes Filipinas have the best feet. ( My cousin's British).

I didn't realize I've been taking many feet shots until I finally tried to clean up my hard drive. I had forgotten to take feet shots when I was out of the country or in another place because I wasn't doing it on purpose. 

I don't have the best feet, but I like taking photos of where I am standing to remind my self of what "state" I am in and where I've been.

Here are some of the pics I've recovered ( I don't know where I saved the others): 

November 2008, Jupiter Street, Makati with my good friend Gino. Gino and I were lost somewhere in Makati and we're scheduled to meet our American clients for dinner. 

February 2009 - Feelin Boracay's powder-like sand with my cousin. My first time in Boracay and I  really don't want to go home after having been there. 

Team Chucks. (okay these are shoes but still...)  May 2009 at Crystal Beach Attic, San Narciso, Zambales. I was with Karen and her then beau and this is after we went surfing.

Thirty and thankful this Thanksgiving

I am honest enough to tell you that before my birthday, I had the bluest of all birthday blues. If I have to hang on to dear 29, I would.

You see,  I have all my birthdays figured out. For the past years I've spent my birthdays in Manila, Davao and last year Boracay. I was supposed to go to Cebu-Bohol this year, but something came up. Then I had another plan and booked myself at Nurture Spa Village in Tagaytay, but Typhoon Yolanda came to our country and I decided to use the money to donate it to victims instead. On the actual day of my birthday, I was scheduled to see my spiritual adviser but the day before our appointment, the schedule got mixed up. Therefore, plans A to C went down the drain.

Then I get a BBM from my guy friends. Jimmy is almost rarely in town and was just in elbi for the graduate school registration season. So it was an instant pick me upper seeing them outside my office building waiting for me. We had an instant pre-birthday dinner with lots of interesting catch up.

Birthday Salubong with my favorite boys

The next morning I have no plans at all. I mean, it's the big three-o and no plans at all. I decided to have a "do-as-you-please" day and have the day all to myself.

Boracay Birthday Getaway: Veli's Inn

"You're flying to Boracay in 20 days and you still don't have accommodation? That's so not you."  Kuya Stew said on his last night in Laguna. He's been to Boracay twice this year.

His then girlfriend, now wife, booked their accommodations using this website: Agoda.com. I'm not really a  fan of these sites, because I prefer the direct transaction. It's exactly what I did when I booked our trip to Davao last year and when we booked ourselves in a nice hotel in Kalinga. I always, always want to transact directly to the hotel concerned. Trust issues, I guess.

I was supposed to go on this Boracay trip alone, then my sister booked herself as well because the roundtrip airfare from Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) is so amazingly cheap that we got it for less than Php 1,300.00 ( Less than $32.00, Less than 20.00 British pounds, that's all in with travel insurance). We booked it on a P2.00 promo flight of Air Philippines last February, we forgot about it when Dad got sick, then now that we have an already paid round trip ticket on hand to one of the Philippine's most amazing paradise, it would really be crazy not to go!

I tried calling other googled accommodations that seems to be offering good and practical rates. My sister and I are determined to make this a budget trip so every peso counts! I've been calling Boracay Courtyard, Taj's Guesthouse, but they keep on hanging up on us when we called. I guess it's either they are freaked out by an anonymous callers (then why give your business number online) or they have jampacked guests. (They could've just properly said so.)

Since I do not want to be stressed last minute, I decided to give in to this whole Agoda thing and booked my sister a room for 3 nights and 4 days. We found Veli's Inn.

I wished well at a wishing well

I don’t know about you but I have a serious thing for wishing wells. I just get this giddy feeling that upon seeing a wishing well, I wanted to go and see how deep it is and throw a coin and wish in good faith.

The last wishing well that I saw was when we went to Eden Nature Park in Davao City last year and there’s this wishing well called Mayumi’s wishing well located inside the park. Good thing we were allowed to take photos. It’s my first time to see gumamela flowers in different colors.

I wanted to know how deep it is but the tour guide said that it’s not really that deep and they gather the coins to donate it to charity.

Last year, during that exact same time that I was standing in front of this well, I was going through such a tsunami wave of emotions, reflections and reality all rushing in at the same time. 

It was just a day after my birthday and we're headed back to Manila in a few hours. I wished for something really big that I feel an intervention from the Universe is necessary.

Three months later, I honestly do not remember what I wished for at that moment but I can feel how much weight have been lifted off my shoulders. 

I really cannot vouch the effectiveness of wishing wells but I think when you wish something really sincere enough and in good faith, the universe will conspire and align the upcoming events to go with what you wished for.

Quick Review: Chubby Habbi's Mediterranean Food

I actually miss the Kebab place in elbi square where my friends and I used to go. They really have this authentic kebab garlic sauce, good customer service, although uncomfortable chairs but there are many other tihngs that makes up for it. I wish we have something like Majid's kebab around UPLB area where it's yummy and affordable at the same time. 

Few weeks ago, my friend Mags mentioned "Chubby Habbi" which sells kebabs and the likes. And since we're always in search for a new place to eat, we decided to check the place out:

Pay as you order:

What it looks from the outside:

That's Frankie after ordering:

 

The menu:

Food:

Frankie ordered this with pita bread. 

I've been lusting for chelo kebab and this seems like a good substitute:

We pretty much ordered the same thing so there are no other photos of other stuff on the menu (Boo!)

Quick Review:

• Reasonably priced.
• Clean ambiance.
• Though their garlic sauce is not as good as the garlic sauce of Majid's (Davao) and Everyday Kebab (elbi square), still its not bad.
• No smoking area within the covered area but you can smoke outside.
• Pay as you order.
• Food rating: 3.5 out of 5
• Contact number:   049-576-9345

Travelling Solo: If not now, when?

"I remember an old catholic joke about a man who spent his whole life going to a church every day and prayed to the statue of a great saint begging "please, please, please, let me win the lottery." Finally the exasperated statue comes to life and looks down at the begging man and says "my son, please, please, please, buy a ticket." So now I get the joke, and I bought three tickets." - Liz Gilbert (source)

I bought a ticket because I’ve never been on a trip alone. Plus, I've been itching to "one-up" my last birthday trip in Davao last year.

I've been hearing stories of solo travellers donning the Eat, Pray, Love Journey, I figured out maybe I can do the same. Original plan is to make sure I am out of the country but then I am on a strict budget.

So when I found a round trip ticket to the beach (that I fell in love with) that costs only Php 918  ($21.3657 to be exact, round trip plane fare with insurance) that fell on the weekend before my birthday, I immediately grabbed it!

Actually, special thanks to sis for booking it for me. My office internet was acting up and so I let her use my credit card. 

I have almost 8 months to prepare my self for this trip. :)

Next on the list: Accommodations in Boracay

Does anyone know a nice room for a budget SOLO traveller? Emphasis on the SOLO Traveller. I do not need AC. I just want a nice solo room with a comfortable bed, fan room, clean rest room since I will be out most of the day.

We almost missed our flight to Tuguegarao

I think, now that Kuya's wedding successfully pushed through, it can now be told that we almost missed out flight to Tuguegarao. 

The last time I rode the plane was November last year when our family and relatives flew to Davao for my birthday weekend, I always seem to not remember what stuff to bring and what to check in. Good thing, we're shipping flowers for Kuya's wedding which allows us to have more kg for check in. Not only I am a terrible light packer (I always tend to bring more clothes than what I can actually use), I'm a paranoid flyer as well. 

It's been almost a year and NAIA Terminal 3 really did change from the last time I saw it. First, you can now bring hairspray via hand carry. I even remember seeing another passenger leaving his brand new bottle of perfume because he did not check it in and it was not allowed to be hand carried.

Boracay Birthday Getaway: I'm still a paranoid flyer

I wish I could be one of those people who flies in and out with a breeze. I cannot fly with ease. I had to calm my self down, pray to St. Joseph and brace my self for turbulence, although I love take offs and landings. I wish I can get one of those pills that Kuya talked about before. In UK, you can go to your doctor, tell him you're a nervous flyer, then they can give you some anti-anxiety pills. Funny, for a nervous flyer like me, I still get excited about seat sales, will book 'em in a jiffy then deal with paranoia later. I totally understand why people get drunk on the plane.

More after the jump!