One of the hidden gems in Davao Region is Kapatagan Valley. It is known to mountaineers as one of the pathways leading to the Mt Apo trail. It is also the camp site of choice for Mt Apo trekkers. In recent years, it has become an exciting destination for those looking for a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of city living. One of the resorts that is nestled in Kapatagan Valley is Camp@tagan, formerly known as the Mt Apo Highland Resort. Camp@tagan is composed of two resorts: Mirror Lake and Hillside. Mirror Lake is designed to be a comfortable halfway camp site for those preparing to trek to and assault the peak of Mt Apo. It has room accommodations and camp grounds equipped with a bonfire pit and a kitchen for easy food preparation and cooking. The cottages and the camp grounds are located alongside Mirror Lake which makes it an idyllic venue for bonding and team building activities, as well. Meanwhile, the still under construction Hillside Camp@tagan Resort is located along, where else, the hillside with a beautiful view of Mt Apo and the mountainside of Davao del Sur. It is the perfect escape for couples, families,…
Category: travel
Top 5 Reasons this Weekend will be Memorable
I am terribly excited to go to General Santos City this weekend. It's one of my favorite places in the Philippines, mostly because of the people. My friends Donna, Avel, and Orman are just three of the wonderful people who make my every visit memorable. This weekend, I will be visiting General Santos City once again. On Thursday, I'll be taking the bus to Gen San from Davao along with several bloggers from Davao and Manila. And I will be there til Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Long vacation is long! And super exciting! Here are the top 5 reasons why I am super excited: TUNA FESTIVAL 2011 I missed the Tuna Festival last year but I'm not going to miss this one. I have witnessed Gen San's Kalilangan Festival twice and those were fun experiences. This time, I'll be enjoying the Tuna Fest. I'm looking forward to taking peek at the Float Parade and the Street Dancing competition. Two Tuna Festival highlights that I am also looking forward to are the next two reasons why I am looking forward to this weekend. MR AND MISS GENSAN 2011 I have been a judge of the Queen of Mindanao Festivals Pageant…
Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park Opens to the Public
I am not a beach or outdoorsy person, but there's one thing that excites me, a world-class tourist destination in my beloved Mindanao. Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park has been teasing the public with the promise of a world-class resort and water park that will be the biggest in Mindanao and one of the best in the world. Paraiso Verde boasts of four exciting water attractions: the Moby Wave Pool, the largest wave pool in Mindanao that features a giant water bucket; the Adventura River Rapids which will take you on an adrenaline filled watery ride; the Wiggles Kiddie Pool for your little ones; and the Freestyle Swim Pool for no-frills swimming for fitness and recreation purposes. Plus they have food and beverage establishments, cozy cottages, a souvenir shop, and other facilities that will ensure that each guest is happy, comfortable, and safe. Sounds absolutely fun, right? Paraiso Verde spells pure fun for everyone. And the time is finally here. This weekend, Paraiso Verde will finally open its gates to the public in a Grand Opening Celebration that will surely delight everyone. On July 16, 2011 VIPs and Paraiso Verde's guests will be entertained only by the best. There…
Tuka Bay Marine Sanctuary
The Soccsksargen Experience (SEx) continued with lunch at Lourdes Park courtesy of the Kiamba LGU. Kiamba is one of the municipalities of Sarangani Province. Among other dishes, we had a sumptuous lechon de leche for our lunch feast. It was definitely a delight. :) After lunch, we rode a boat for a tour of the Tuka Bay Marine Sanctuary... The coves are really nice for a relaxing day at the beach. The waters are pristine and the beach is deserted. Sad to say, however, that the nice coral reefs below the surface are being overran with Crown of Thorns Sea Stars which are overpopulating the sea. As a consequence, it is stifling the corals and affecting the life cycle of many fish and other aquatic species. The Kiamba LGU is looking at holding education seminars for local divers, fishermen, and residents so they can help in harvesting the Crown of Thorns Sea Stars to help save Tuka Bay. If you are interested in helping out with this initiative, please send me a message at riajose at gmail dot com. Many thanks to the Kiamba and Sarangani Province LGUs, Avel Manansala, and the Soccsksargen Bloggers for the wonderful and educational Day…
A Trip to Maitum, Sarangani
The Soccsksargen Experience (SEx) Tour opened with a trip to Maitum. Soccsksargen stands for South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saragani, and General Santos, the provinces of South Central Mindanao, Region XI. Maitum is a town in Sarangani Province. And it paved the way to get the SEx Tour participants excited with the event. The first stop was the Maitum Town Hall which also housed the Maitum Museum. The museum housed cultural and historical artifacts of the town and its indigenous people. The most remarkable artifacts were the clay jars which held the bones of the early people of Maitum. The museum also had a display of indigenous music instruments and costumes including several tinalak belts and textiles. Up next was a hearty breakfast prepared by Cresing's Food Products. It was a cornucopia of seafood, organically grown rice, salted eggs, veggies, and rice coffee drinks. I absolutely enjoyed it and want to go back for more, more, more. Our last stop in Maitum is the Maitum River where some of the participants enjoyed a rough tube ride through the white waters of the river. It was certainly a trip with all the right ingredients combined for a total experience: history and…
Mindanao Food Appreciation Tour Day 1
It's already May 30, 1 am, Day 2 of the epic Mindanao Food Appreciation Tour / Soccsksargen Summer Safari (MFAT). Yesterday (a few hours ago) marked a first, Day 1 of the first ever MFAT. The day started with the arrival of Cagayan de Oro Bloggers in Davao City, led by President Chiq Montes. CDO Bloggers and Davao Bloggers ate a sumptuous feast at Ranchero's Grill and Restaurant in Davao City. All thanks to the generosity of Paolo Sunglao and his family. Everybody enjoyed the cornucopia of seafoods and the very tasty and tender baby back ribs, among other dishes. It was a very filling lunch. After lunch the group traveled to General Santos City led by Davao Bloggers Project Lead Brendel Balaga. Upon their arrival they checked in at the official hotel of the event, the Ice Castle Experience where I am currently blogging from right now. It is a soon to open hotel which has really nice amenities. Aside from the free WiFi, have beautiful rooms with flat screen tv, comfortable beds, and clean bathrooms. SUPER NICE! After settling down and freshening up, the participants went to the Pacman Sports Bar owned by Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao where…