This blog entry was supposed to be posted 2 years ago, but we don’t have our blog back then- so let’s take a look back.
Chariel and I flew to Davao last May 28, 2015 to attend the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers Convention and we stayed there for 3 days. We have pre-booked our hotel via Agoda website and we chose North Zen Basic Spaces since it was cheap and near the convention area.
Day 1
After an hour and 45-minute plane ride from Manila, we’ve finally reach Davao Airport. From there, we rode a taxi to our hotel which cost around P120. By the way, the taxi drivers of Davao City are one of the kindest drivers in the Philippines. Moving on, we’ve reached our hotel early; we took a quick rest then we left to register for the convention to be held on SM Lanang Premier.
We’ve reached the venue just in time for the opening ceremonies. We got our freebies and food stub then we proceed to our seats.
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There was a lot of talking and things got boring. Being the adventurous millenials we are, after having our lunch, we’ve decided to leave the area and explore Davao.
Riding another taxi, our first destination was the Deca Wake Park which is an hour away from SM Lanang. I remember the wakeboarding costs P400 per head for 2 hours including all the necessary equipment. But they have a 50% off promo for first timers back then that is why we just paid P200 for each. A staff will orient you first about the tips and proper positions before you hop in. Wakeboarding is both fun and exhausting at the same time; you’ll experience muscle pains in your arms and shoulder.
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After wakeboarding for almost 2 hours, we felt hungry so we decided to have our dinner since it’s getting late. We rode another taxi for 30 mins to reach our dining place – Jack’s Ridge.
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Jack’s Ridge is located on a hillside which gives you an astounding view of Davao City. The food there was great! We’ve ordered a delicious dish which Davao is known for – Tuna. Everything is perfect: the ambiance, fresh air, the musicians, and the view of Davao City from above.
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After having our dinner, we went back to our hotel and called it a day.
Day 2
We woke up early the next day as we were about to explore the next tourist destination on Davao –Samal Island. If you’re asking about our convention, yes, we didn’t attend it anymore. Haha!
We rode the jeepney going to Sasa Wharf wherein we board a ferry to Samal Island. The ferry costs P10 per head and the travel time takes 10-15 mins.
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Upon reaching the dock of Samal Island around 8 am, we rode a habal-habal (motorcycle) going to Hagimit Falls. The entrance fee is P40 and an environmental fee of P5 is required before you proceed. Upon entering the vicinity, you’ll feel the fresh air and hear the sound of stream flow. We took the opportunity to swim in the fresh water coming from the falls. If you don’t know how to swim, no worries! They offer a rental on life vests. It was a great experience for us since the water is cool and clean.
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We didn’t stay long at Hagimit Falls since we’re already starving and there’s no decent food there. We rode another Habal-Habal going to our next destination –BlueJaz Beach Resort.
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The day tour entrance fee to BlueJaz Resort is P90 for adults. It includes unlimited use of swimming pool, but who needs a pool when you have the entire beach anyway. We’ve had pork barbeques, grilled tuna and fruit shakes for our lunch and I remember it only costs below P500 for the both of us. We also tried kayaking for P200 per hour, but we weren’t able to finish it because our arms got tired.
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We have to leave Samal Island before sunset because there are no boat transfers available at night unless you’ll rent them for a high cost. Luckily, there’s already a boat transfer service on BlueJaz Resort that will transport us back to Davao City.
We’ve return to our hotel at around 5pm and had our dinner there. Fearing that we won’t have enough time, we rushed to the famous Lola Abon’s Durian Candy Factory Outlet to buy pasalubong (please click on the link to view the prices). We almost ran out of stocks since it’s almost closing time, but we still got some. We recommend that you try their products especially for those with the sweet tooth.
Day 3 (Last Day)
We woke up early to pack our things since our flight back to Manila is around 12 noon. After breakfast, we went to Aldevinco Shopping Center to have a last minute shopping of another set of pasalubongs. The shopping center is just across Ateneo De Davao University and it contains a lot of souvenir items like: shirts, bags, jewelries and many more.
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After we bought souvenirs and pasalubongs, we’ve had our lunch and checked-out at our hotel. We rode a taxi going back to the airport and that ends our Davao trip.
Tips & Things to Remember:
- Plan your itinerary well to avoid wasting time and energy since it’s a huge province
- If you have the opportunity, stay longer. 3 days isn’t enough to explore its beauty
- Ask the locals for directions and mode of transportations. We rode the taxi most of the time and it costs a lot.
- Enjoy their tuna since it’s fresh and less expensive compared to Manila
- Some commercial establishments closes as early as 8pm, be there early
- Samal Island is a huge island with lot’s of beach resorts and even batcave, you may explore it for one whole day
- The Habal-Habal fare in Samal Island varies from P50 to P100 per head depending on your destination. Others will overcharge you, beware.
-The Street Rangers