Davao City and Samal Island thread 8

[andee_gurl]

^We bought our pomelo ng nakabox lang sis. We bought them 600+ for about 9-10pcs ata. super mura and sarap

[Eggpudding]

^^
Kung sa airport mismo for sure mahal yun. Tsala pala, yung durian at marang, kapag airasia/zest gusto nila naka styrobox. Di din alam nung pinagbilhan namin sa Bankerohan kaya di kami nasabihan. Ayun, napabili ako ng di oras sa airport ng styrobox, nasa P430 din ata yun. Pero sabi nung pinagbilhan namin ng styro, sa PAL naman di naman daw mahigpit. Ayun, kaya baka iba iba rules ng mga airline companies. Check mo nalang sis bago kayo umalis.

Yung prices naman, depende kung in season, kasi mura talaga kapag in season. Nung nag punta kami last Dec, nasa 100 per kilo ang Mangosteen (pero yun ang pinaka nagustuhan ko kahit maasim asim pa dahil di season XD) Yung Pomelo, nasa P40 per kilo (small to med sizes, nasa 40pcs ata yung 10Kilos, sweet naman karamihan) Then yung Durian, nasa P60 ang Kilo. Usually nasa more than 1Kilo ang isang pc ng reg size durian. Suki kami kay Bobong and Maloy Fruit Stand sa Bankerohan, haha! mabilis mag bigay ng discount at freebies. XD

Meron din yung pomelo na naka box na, yung sinasabi ni sis andee, nakalimutan ko yung brand, pero sabi samin, yun daw pomelo na yun, lahat sure matatamis. Kaya daw mahal. hehe.

Sisses! baka may suggestion kayo ha? Ask ko lang kung anong resort sa Samal yung okay for daytour lang naman? Aside sa Pearl Farm? Yung medyo kalinya ng Pearl Farm =)

[hakunamatata]

Nabili namin yung pomelo namin 850/box 15 pcs. Malalaki at matamis naman. Menzi ang tatak. Hindi ko alam san nabili basta on the way sya to Magsaysay. Sinabi lang namin sa taxi sa mga fruit stand ng pomelo. Then yung durian frozen ang binili namin, meron din kami nabili na fresh pero dun namin kinain. Hindi kami nakabili ng mangosteen kasi madali daw mahinog.

[mslcgrey]

Tomorrow is our flight going to davao. Excited na! Hope the weather for the next few days will be great for travelling. 

[omneecka]

thank u sisses sa inputs nyo regarding pagbili ng durian, pomelo, and mangosteen!

[mslcgrey]

What a great place to live! That is our first and last impression of Davao City. I along with hubby and some friends just got back from a 6-day vacation/tour of Davao City and Samal Island.

We stayed at Royalehouse in Davao City, located along CM Recto. Very accessible ang location ni Royalehouse. Walking distance lang from San Pedro Cathedral, Museo Dabawenyo, Aldevinco, and restaurants. Medyo luma lang and may motel feel ang mga rooms but most probably this is because we booked their economy rooms. I guess better naman yung mga deluxe rooms. So if hindi naman kayo maarte and balak nyo naman na maghapon nasa galaan kayo then okay na dito. Malinis naman ang rooms nila, may hot and cold shower, and may cable tv na rin. Konti lang servings nila sa breakfast but nakakabusog naman. Nice ang staff nila, very helpful and courteous.

Must try ang Bulcachong. Para siyang bulalo with carabao meat. Kapag nilagyan siya ng calamansi then very similar na siya sa Kansi ng mga Ilonggo. This is our dinner for our first night.

On our first full day, we went to Eden. My original plan is to just commute but we ended up renting a taxi which is a much better option if hindi naman super tight ang budget nyo. Mas mainit sa davao city and medyo malayo-layo ang Eden. If mag-commute kayo then you have to ride the habal-habal or their tricycle. So medyo uncomfortable. We have a toddler with us so better option talaga for us na may car na hihintayin kami then naka-aircon habang nasa daan.

I love Eden! Kunin nyo talaga yung guided shuttle tour kasi hindi kayang lakarin. Very informative naman ang tour and helpful ang tour guides if you want your pics taken. Ganda ng garden nila, sarap magpa-picture. We are not able to try yung mga zipline nila and their skycycle rides but we did try yung free na parang zipline. May rope ka na sasakyan then with your weight you will slide down to the other end.  Exciting na rin! Konti lang yung plated snacks nila but masarap naman. Their lunch buffet looks delicious.

After Eden, we head straight to the Japanese Tunnel. Short lang yung distance nung tunnel na pwedeng puntahan ng tourists and nothing special talaga but okay naman puntahan if you have the time and money to spare for their 50-pesos entrance.
 
After the tunnel, Davao Crocodile Park na kami. We tried their exotic ice creams. Masarap yung vanilla ostrich and for me okay na rin yung Crocodile Pandan ice cream. I’m not a fan of durian so I did not bother to try the durian ice cream. Dito na rin kami nag-lunch. We tried their crocodile sisig. Okay naman. Hindi lang naming type yung timpla nila ng sisig. Too sweet for us. For the park, worth it yung entrance. Since May 1, so may show sila na usually kapag weekdays wala. We love the show. Even though nakapanood na kami sa tv ng mga birdsd doing tricks, iba yung personal. We are amazed by birds playing basketball, riding a bike, etc. Exciting naman yung feeding frenzy ng mga crocodiles and yung may nag-tight rope walk while sa ilalim andun ang mga crocodiles. So if hindi holiday ang punta nyo sa davao, I suggest na weekend kayo mag-crocodile park para mapanood nyo yung show.

For dinner, we tried one of the many cheap buffets in Davao City. For 140 pesos, buffet dinner na with 1 glass of iced tea. They have maybe 4-5 main dishes, plain rice and fried rice, and some desserts.  Masarap naman and for 140 okay na.

Ang haba na pala. So cut ko muna ang kwento. 

[akosibangbang]

For Davao:
1. Crocodile Park/ Butterfly Garden/ Tribu K'Mindanawan Fire Dance - P250 entrance fee for the 3 sites. Ang ganda and astig ng fire dance. not like the ones in Boracay. must watch!!
2. Eden Nature Park - avail of the Guided Shuttle Tour (P120) para malibot yung buong lugar; mababa lang yung zipline (P150) and skycycle (P200) nila. Sulit yung Buffet lunch nila for P520, masarap!!
3. Japanese Tunnel - P50 entrance fee for this 100m tunnel. not much to see, but if you have time to spare, then go for it. malamig sa loob

For Samal:

1. Maxima Aqua Fun P250 entrance fee - unli slide, unli blob, unli tarpauline, canopy walk, etc. You can bring your own food. sobrang saya nung giant tarp slide nila!! not for the faint heart! and mura din scuba diving, P850 lang good for 30 mins
2. Monfort Bat Cave - P100; Guinness Book of World Records Title Holder for Largest Colony of Geoffroy's Rousette Fruit Bat; you're lucky if you see the 2 white bats
3. Hagimit Falls - P40; malamig and clear yung water, unfortunately holiday nung nagpunta kami so super dami ng tao. kaya di na kami nagswim.

For Davao Hotels, we tried:
Royal House (budget hotel; sulit for the price), Marco Polo (if you have the budget; good location & good service; di masarap buffet pero masarap food sa poolside restaurant), and Crowne Regency (bad location - beside motels), Ritz Carlton ok din service

For Samal Hotels, we tried:
Secdea (Daytour P650 only inclusive of buffet lunch; class reosrt & very relaxing!), Punta del Sol hmm, walang water na lumalabas sa faucet; kelangan pa kami igiban ng staff nila.

For restaurants, we tried:
Nanay Bebeng (P350) - masarap yung mango pastry nila and melon juice!); Marco Polo buffet (P1000) di ko nagustuhan; Saluhan Buffet (P150) maalat yung ribs nila.

Hope that helps

[mslcgrey]

Continuation....

For our 2nd full day, we went to Phil Eagle Nature Park, Malagos Garden, Lon Wa Buddhist Temple, Museo Dabawenyo, Matina Town Square, and Jack's Ridge. This time, we rented a van na a month ago ko pa na-booked. 3300 for the whole day. Okay na rin kasi 6 adults and 1 infant kami for today.

You should not miss the Phil Eagle Nature Park. I guess for others kaya hindi nila na-appreciate kasi wala silang tour guide so i suggest na may tour guide kayo to tell you a lot of fascinating info regarding our very own eagles. They can "imprint" on people if lumaki sila just seeing this person. (Ala-werewolves of Twilight) They are also monogamous and their courtship can take 2-3 years. Marami pang cool facts about them. By the way, for 300 pesos pwede kayo mag-sponsor ng isang block sa pathway in the park that will be there with your name for 5 years. That 300 will also go to the upkeep of the eagles. Also, if big time naman kayo mga sis then 125,000 a year for five years will give you a right to name an eagle whatever you want and pwede rin kayo ang humawak sa kanya during his/her yearly medical check-ups.

I admit the only reason why I want to go to Malagos is for me to be able to buy their chocolates and cheeses but nag-enjoy din ako sa tour namin especially the bird feeding part.

After Malagos so gutom na kami so nagpahatid na kami sa Luz Kinilaw for lunch. Masarap naman but medyo may kamahalan yung grilled pusit nila. Kahit more than 500 yung tuna belly ok lang kasi ang laki naman talaga. We also ordered yung bagabay yata yun, yung eggs ng fish. I'm not really a fan of fish eggs but one of our friend favorite niya naman yun. Okay sana yung kilawin nila na 100 per serving kaya lang ikaw yung magtitimpla as in ikaw yung maglalagay ng suka.

After Luz, we went to Lon Wa Buddhist Temple. If hindi against sa religious belief nyo, then you can make wishes here.

After, Museo Dabawenyo naman. If you are into history then this is a nice place for you. Again, ask for a tour guide. Free entrance so super sulit. Unfortunately, may nakasabay kaming irritating lady sa tour namin dito. But overall, okay pa rin.

Next is Matina Town Square for Aling Foping's halo-halo. Typical halo-halo lang naman siya, you can just choose the ingredients you want but ang sarap ng chili con carne nila especially the warm bread that goes with it.

After MTS, Jack's Ridge. Supposed to be mag-didinner kami dito but busog pa kami so nag-coffee lang kami sa Karlo's Gourmet and Coffee. I tried the mangosteen frappuccino and okay naman siya.

By the way, merong rotating brown out sa Davao City. Ito lang yung medyo hindi namin type. May generator naman ang Royalehouse but it can only generate enough electricity for the lobby so no electricity sa room pagdating namin. We went to SM Lanang while waiting na magka-kuryente.

SM Lanang is comparable to SM Aura. Napabili pa nga yung friend namin sa Forever 21.

On our way back to Royalehouse, nakasakay kami sa black taxi. Supposed to be, ito yung mga taxi na pwede ang credit card but since nagkaproblem sila sa program kaya for the meantime wala muna.  I forgot our driver's name but grabe very knowledgeable si kuya. He is also quite fluent in English. Natuwa kami ng sobra sa kanya.

[mslcgrey]

^naku sis, if we will be able to find jobs na comparable sa salaries namin now then sige lilipat kami dyan. hehe

For my final post regarding our trip, on our 3rd full day, our group went to samal island. Ang swerte din ng mga taga-davao city because samal is just 15 minutes away. Nag-overnight stay kami sa villa amparo garden resort. Medyo malayo siya from the wharf which is the reason why hindi ganun kadami ang mga tao. Hindi na kami nakapag-tour around samal.

About villa amparo, if group naman kayo then i do suggest na kunin nyo na yung shuttle nila pagpunta nyo dun. 700 one way and up to 10 persons ang kasya. Comfortable pa kayo. We got their deluxe 4 room. May 2 queen beds and 1 sofa bed na kasya up to 2 persons. 4500 per night. Like the room. Mahina nga lang reception ng cable nila but hey, nasa beach ka so enjoy the nature.

Nice yung mga gazebo nila. Marami silang hammocks and lounge chairs. Nakatulog pa nga ako in one if their hammocks that have a great view of the sea. They also have a sari-sari store that sells drinks, snacks, and dito ka rin pwede mag-order ng food. Medyo matagal ang service nila when it comes to food so mag-order na kayo while hindi pa kayo ganun kagutom. It will take almost an hour for your food to be delivered. But in fairness masarap and they have big servings. Super worth it yung 180-pesos shrimp sinigang nila, kahit hindi malaki ang mga shrimps super bawi naman sa dami. Okay din ang chopseuy nila.

Medyo hindi lang okay yung swimming area nila, mabato but may area na okay naman. Siyempre, during high tide kayo mag-swim. May mga water activities din sila like jet ski, banana boat, etc but hindi na kami nag-avail. Beach bumming lang talaga ginawa namin.

The next day, 12 noon nagcheck out na kami and back to the city we go. For lunch, we tried Glamour Resto's crab buffet. For 450, eat all you can crabs na. Isang dish lang ang crabs but masarap and malalaki talaga ang mga crabs. They also have shrimps, and other dishes. Naubos ko yung kilawin nila. Kahit mga 1:30 na kami dumating, never namin na-feel na minadali nila kami. Also, dinagdagan pa nila yung nakalagay sa buffet. Super worth it.

After our very heavy and delicious lunch, check -in ulit kami sa Royalehouse. After a short rest, we went to aldevinco for pasalubong shopping. Hubby and i just bought 2 shirts for our nieces and wallets for our officemates. We prefer foods/delicacies a pasalubong. Then rest uli.

Since its our 2nd wedding anniv that day, nakaplan talaga that we will have dinner at Claude's. I love this place, so romantic. Yes, it is pricey but since may special occasion naman ok lang and in comparison sa prices ng fine dining restos in manila mura pa sa Claude's. We tried their french onion soup, goat cheese salad, grilled blue marlin, porkchop ala claude's, cheesecake, and coup tropicale. We also tried their davao punch. For the soup and salad, you have the option to have it divided into two. A nice way to lessen the bill and for people na in a diet. Nice experience.

The next day is our last day. Bili lang ng fruits then straight to the airport na.

Super miss ko na ang Davao City. 

[aNgelofThEMorning]

Hi sisses  pansin ko wala masyado pumupunta sa Compostella valley.safe ba dito? Next week punta namin ng davao 4d/3n ang iti compostella, mati, samal, city tour.feasible ba to? 8am dating namin then 4pm uwi sa last day. Base sa kwento nyo 2 days  ok na magstay sa samal eh.tia

[beach_n_sunsets]

I looooove Davao!!

Ang linis, maayos at ang babait ng mga tao. Napaka-ideal ng lugar na ito for people who like adventure, nature and the beach pero hindi na kelangang lumayo pa kasi everything is in/near the city!

Davao City

1. Eden Nature Park - okay siya for big groups Daming lugar na picture picture lang kayo although ang bilis ng tour at timed siya.

2. Outland Adventure - Medyo malayo na siya sa city proper pero they have the best zip line for me! Kung adventurous ka, this place is for you.

3. Let's Crab Eat - Crab buffet! Konti lang yung choices nung pumunta kami (midweek kasi) pero sulit na sa dami ng crabs na nakain namin We ditched Jack's ridge for this haha.

4. Marang!! - Juskolord, ang sasarap ng prutas sa Davao at ang mura!! Mahal na daw yung pagkakabili namin na P35 sa malaking marang kasi hindi daw season. August daw ang bagsak presyo talaga mga prutas.

Samal Island

1. Pearl Farm Day Tour - nung pumunta kami eh kaka-start pa lang ng renovation ng Pearl Farm. Outdated na yung itsura ng resort, kaya need na talaga i-renovate so they can keep up with the competition. Medyo pricey ang day tour tapos ang dami pang guests so pahirapan kumuha ng pwesto kaya sinulit na lang namin sa buffet lunch hehe.

2. Samal Island Huts - the best! Not beach front pero kung trip mo yung laid back lang, consider this place! Ayoko kasi ng mga 'mainstream' resorts sa Samal kasi alam ko nang maraming tourists at mga locals and ayoko masyadong maraming tao hehe. Ang sarap ng food nila kahit medyo mahal pero nag-enjoy kami and okay din ang service nila!

3. Samal Island hopping - di ganun ka jaw-dropping yung mga sites pero na-enjoy namin talaga Ang peaceful kasi tapos tuwang tuwa ako sa mga locals kasi love na love nila yung lugar nila

[honeycrushed]

We're going to Davao this weekend and haven't booked a place in Samal yet.  I'm considering Paradise, Chema's or Villa Amparo.  Well, Chema's ang nasa top ng list ko.  Trying to reserve their two-bedroom cabana, but parang hindi available.  Kaso hindi ba too romantic don?  I'm going with my husband and his friend.

[coffee_art01]

We're going to Davao next wk. We booked at Royale House then Blue Jazz naman sa Samal Island. Hindi ata good choice yung Blue Jazz, I read bad reviews sa Blue Jazz.  Meron po ba sa inyo nakapag stay na dito?

[aNgelofThEMorning]

Hi Sisses!

Enjoy naman kami sa Davao! Hinde na kami nag-city tour kase malalayo yung pinuntahan namin. Super worth it naman! Ganda ng Dahican beach, mati city at Aliwagwag falls. Super fun din sa Maxima Aqua fun at ang ganda ng beach ng Isla Reta. Actually nag-book kami sa Red Parrot sa Kaputian kaso pagkakita namin nadismaya kami kase wala naman syang shore na malawak, so pinapunta namin yung banka sa Kaputian resort ata yun, katabi nya halos. Pero mas ok pa rin yung Isla Reta kaya ayun bumalik kami.

Dami tao sa Isla Reta, wala kami matulugan puno na lahat eh. Nag-tent na lang kami tapos nag-rent ng cottage. Pinaka-gusto ko dito yung double dog na activity. Para syang banana boat pero dalawa lang kayo. Enjoy sya

Yan na lang muna kwento ko

[iska-hazel]

i miss davao.... i also penong's chciken barbeque and pinakbet with chicharon overload we will be back soon definitely

[pretty_B]

Time to plan for our Davao Trip! :> magbabackread na ulit ako and search search na sa google. hahaha. but i need help!

sisters, sino ba ang subok nyo ng tour guide sa davao? we're a group of 6-8 kasi. and para less hassle. magtotour guide nalang sana kami for the city tours, etc.. but sa amin ang itinerary. :3

[coffee_art01]

Just arrived from Davao. I had a great time except dealing with Royale House. Sobrang pangit ng service nila. Nagpabook kasi ako 3 months before our davao trip. Tapos per batch kami dumating. Nalito yung receptionist sa payment. Tapos yung family room deluxe namin hindi pa naibigay kasi may sira daw. Kaya ko nga pinabook ng maaga para masettle na. Ang nakakainis pa wala akong narinig na sorry sa kanila. Never na ko mag stay sa Royale house.

[Eggpudding]

Sis Pretty B eto contact namin sa tour guide namin, depende ang price nila sa mga pupuntahan niyo. Alam ko madami na ding feedback si Kuya Lory 09192210438 sana yan pa yung number nya. Since 4 lang kami nung nag punta kami kaya taxi lang nya yung gagamitin. Then kung madamihan naman alam ko sabi nya Starex daw na van gamit nya kapag 5 pataas. Side kwento pala, nung dumating kami doon, sinundo nya kami sa airport, on time naman sya, kahit na super aga din ng flight namin, di kami delayed. Then may biglaan syang pupuntahan, kaya pinasa nya kami doon sa kakilala din nya, na upgrade pa kami, kasi from taxi naging bnew private car na yung gamit namin. At okay din yung si Kuya na pinasahan nya samin.

[pretty_B]

^hi sis Eggpudding! sarap ng name mo! hihi. thanks sa contact number. sige magtatanong na din ako sakanya. nagtitingin tingin din ako ng blogs na review about sa tour guide eh. gusto ko na din kasi talaga itulad sa palawan trip namin na talagang may tour guide na ang magaassist sa lahat.

post numbers pa mga sis!

[aNgelofThEMorning]

Kami nag-stay sa Jade Dragon Suites nung nasa city kami. Ang ganda ng room na nakuha namin, 2 TV, 4 single beds, 2 aircons and 2 bathroom for 2k lang. Sa mga gusto naman ng tour guide, recommend ko si kuya bong, starex taxi yung gamit nya and bago pa. If ever gusto nyo gayahin itinerary namin or punta kayo Mati or  Cateel mas ok na sya kunin. Makulit at mabait sya, nung nasa Mati nga kami nagulat ako may fish na syang binili fresh catch ng mga fisherman pagkagising ko para daw yun na lang bauinin namin sa tour, mas mura daw. Sya rin nag-suggest nyang Jade Dragon, mahal nga daw sa Royal eh overnight lang kami. Tapos nung nasa Samal kami nagkagulo yung sched namin pabalik, delikadong maiwan kami. Tinext ko lang si kuya Bong tapos nasundo na kami kagad sa pier, dinaan kami sa mga pasalubong saglit tapos diretso na airport. Dinagdagan ko lang bayad sa kanya kase feeling ko kulang talaga binayad namin sa kanya sa service nya na ok na ok.