Text and photos by Zsarlene B. Chua
THANKS to Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the Davao City mayor who ran for and won the presidency, the spotlight is now on his city. As news stories abound on how the city’s hotels are now at full capacity thanks to people eager to meet — and perhaps curry favor — with the president-elect, it may be a good idea to hurry through Davao City’s Francisco Bangor International Airport and go directly to the many tourist offerings one can find in the city’s outskirts and the rest of the region.
A familiarization tour from April 29 to May 2, hosted by the Department of Tourism (DoT) and its regional counterpart, took the media to many of the attractions of the Davao Region. Many, in true Philippine fashion — are beaches because, yes, this country has many damn good beaches, while some are unique to Davao.
BANANA BEACH
An hour-and-a-half away from Davao City center is Banana Beach, a four-kilometer stretch of sand overlooking the Davao Gulf located smack dab within the 760-hectare (ha) Hijo Estate — first bought by Jose “Boy” Tuason in 1968 — in Madaum, Tagum City in Davao del Norte.
Banana Beach got its name because the Hijo Estate is a thriving banana plantation which exports Cavendish bananas to the Middle East and Japan. The estate also has a 91-ha coconut plantation and manufactures coco-based products such as coco sugar. It also, according to its Web site, includes a “fully operational industrial zone” and two leisure developments under Hijo Estate Resorts: Banana Beach and Lanikai (the Tuason family’s heritage home).
The beach has six air-conditioned casitas and nine without air-conditioning, all of which were designed by Angelo Mañosa as stylish interpretations of a nipa hut. There are plans to make all the casitas air-conditioned, which will cost the resort P100,000 per casita according to Francisco Correia, executive assistant manager of the resort.
Aside from the customary water sports, what sets Banana Beach apart is that it also offers a forest tour which will take a visitor through nine hanging bridges overlooking huge rattan, ilang-ilang, and anahaw trees. The 60-ha forest is also home to wild boar and Philippine long-tailed macaques which one will readily see at the start of the tour. The resort also offers a 4.5-kilometer river cruise.
For more information, visit www.bananabeachdavao.com
ISLAND BUENAVISTA RESORT
While home to many beautiful resorts, the Island Garden City of Samal is also where the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped three foreign nationals and a Filipina on Sept. 21, 2015 from the Ocean View Resort. One of the victims, Canadian John Ridsdel, was beheaded on April 25.
“We thought after (the Samal kidnapping incident), we would experience a slowdown (in visitor numbers) but some people noted that the best time to go to Samal was after the incident because it’ll be safer,” said Brenda A. Ocampo, marketing manager of Island Buenavista, a four-ha exclusive island resort in Samal whose tagline is “Own an Island for a Day.”
The resort offers exclusive overnight use of the island for 10 people for P105,000 (additional fees apply for additional people up to a maximum of 35). The rate includes the use of six beach huts, two island suites, and a family villa. Everything, including tap water, is shuttled in from Davao City so it is advised to book the island a few weeks ahead so there is time to get everything ready.
The island also offers day tours for P35,000 for 10 people which includes a snack and lunch. The island’s white sand is comparable to Boracay’s. It also has peacocks in residence.
It should be noted that the security guards on the island carry rifles and some spots do not have cellphone coverage.
For more information, visit www.buenavistaislandresort.com.
EDEN NATURE PARK AND RESORT
After the beaches, we moved on to the forests. On the last day of the familiarization trip we were taken on another hour-and-a-half shuttle ride from the Davao City center to the Eden Nature Park and Resort located in Matina.
Now, Eden is a curious thing as Island Buenavista’s Ms. Ocampo — who is also the marketing manager of this resort — said that the 80-ha mountain resort’s forest is man-made. Its owner, the Ayala family of Davao (not to be confused with the Ayalas of Makati), discovered the logged-over area in 1971 and decided to create a resort there.
There are over 100,000 pine trees spread throughout the property (the seeds were sourced from Baguio City), which is located 3,000 meters above sea level and has a climate comparable to Tagaytay City. The resort tour guide said it took more than 20 years before the forest at the foot of Mt. Talomo was fully developed. The resort soft-opened in 1997.
Eden Nature Park and Resort offers scattered accommodations that require shuttles to get to, so deeply embedded are they in the forest. Not surprisingly, cellphone signals are difficult to find.
This resort — which has a Duterte standee for photo ops — offers adventure rides such as the Skycycle and the Sky Swing, and a zip line.
For details visit, edennaturepark.com.ph.
PHILIPPINE EAGLE CENTER
A trip to Davao will not be complete without visiting the Philippine Eagles — considered to be the largest eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface.
The Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City (a one-and-a-half-hour ride from the city center) houses 39 of these critically endangered birds in an eight-ha property, 18 of which are captive-bred, along with 10 other species of birds, four kinds of mammals, and two kinds of reptiles.
While some of the eagles have their own cages, others, due to injuries, are tied to a stump in a fenced-in spot of land like “Fighter.” Our guide said that Fighter had been shot by a poacher and the center had to amputate a part of his wing to save his life. While the majestic Fighter can no longer fly, he seems to know he’s superior to all others on the food chain, and wouldn’t pose for photos unless the guide asked him to.
Outside the center, several indigenous people were selling tribal-patterned bracelets, some of which has “Duterte” written on them.
For details, visit www.philippineeagle.org/center.
MALAGOS GARDEN RESORT
A few minutes from the eagle center is the famous Malagos Garden resort, known for its cheeses — which were a hit at the recently concluded Madrid Fusion Manila 2016 — and its chocolate. It was a shame that it was raining that day so we couldn’t go around the resort although we had plate upon plate of their Chevre, pineapple Ricotta and Pepato cheese so everything was well and good.
The resort has more than a few sculptures by National Artist Napoleon Abueva, and, according to a fact sheet compiled by the DoT, it also grows the Queen of Philippine Orchids the Waling waling (Vanda sanderiana). It also has a bird park, butterfly sanctuary, bee farm and petting zoo as it is an accredited wildlife center.
For details visit www.malagos.com.
