Day 4 Eden Nature Park (4/7/2008)

To get to Eden Nature Park (ENP), we initially planned to ride a taxi. However due to budget constraints, we ended up commuting on the way there. Here are the options:

1. Taxi - taxis do not want to use meters and try to negotiate since they said the roads there are not all the way paved. They also said that it's important to arrange for pickup since there are no rides/taxis to take you back downtown. If you're willing to shell out money for convenience this is ok.
a. For the non-AC taxi, the driver asked for P500 one-way. However this is only up to the street/intersection leading up to Toril, not going all the way up.
b. The AC taxi driver on the other hand asked for P1500, roundtrip including waiting time.
If you can haggle more, the better. Although these I think are the standard rates.

2. Since we were on a budget, we opted to commute instead. The total cost we paid for the transportation to and from ENP up to Viajeros Inn (which is close to the Ecoland Terminal) is P486 (for the 2 of us). The breakdown is as follows: P20x2=40 (jeep to Toril for 2 from Quimpo Blvd in front of Park Square Inn) and P350 (P50/person/way, x4 for the 2 of us roundtrip + extra for waiting) for the motorcycle (also called habal-habal) to take you all the way to ENP and back to Toril intersection. From the intersection one can take a jeep again going downtown but since we were in a hurry to get back by 12nn at the hotel to checkout, we rode a non-AC taxi which cost us P96.

The jeep we rode has a signboard Toril. Ask the driver to tell you where to alight if you're going to ENP. It should be along an intersection. From that intersection at the sidewalk, a lot of motorists ask if you're going to ENP. The ride is P50 per pax. The 2 of us can fit along with the driver in one motorbike. It was quite an adventure. Make sure you have applied sunblock (we didn't). All in all, the travel time is an hour (30mins jeep ride from Matina and 30mins motorbike ride to ENP).

Upon reaching the gate of ENP, register immediately with the security guards. Kasi when we arrived they asked us to wait first (they probably didn't know we were guests and just asking for directions), and entertained the guests arriving in vehicles. Well, there were around 4 vehicles and tinapos pa muna sila lahat bago kami nakapasok. To think na nauna naman kami. We were in a rush pa naman kasi gusto namin mahabol yung tour which might start at 9am. It was already 8:45am. We also had no reservations so we wanted to make sure we register early.

When we got inside, we asked our motor driver if he can wait for us and take us back later since we were not planning to stay long. He agreed as long as we give him additional for the wait.

Flyers and more info on the Tinubdan cultural tour

We chose the Skyrider package which costs P325 (includes entrance fee with light snack and Skyrider fee, just P5 less if you pay separately). Am not sure if you can try the Skyrider by itself since it is located outside the main park but the fee just for that activity is P150. We also availed of the guided shuttle tour for P55 each.

Since a lot of guests were there that day several tours were scheduled every 15 mins. We were booked for the 9:15am tour. While waiting we took some pics near the Day Tour Center:

Posing by the kiosk... A scene stealer at the center... and a theatrical view from the Vista Restaurant

We also took a look at the Souvenir shop where I was tempted to buy one of their handmade recycled paper scrapbooks which are much cheaper than those in malls and bookstores. The cover designs are also much more creative and varied. I totally forgot to buy before we left since we were in a hurry and the Skyrider venue was out of the way.


Ok na sana yung posing kaso yung location

Eden Nature Park Guided shuttle tour

One can request for a brochure from the front desk which contains a map of the entire area. It shows the facilities and points of interests in the park as well as the trails for the guided tour and trekking. The tour is about 45mins to an hr while the trekking trail is 4km long. You can probably do everything in a day. For us, we only had half a day to spare. Each shuttle has a designated tour guide.

Our tour guide Fritz

First photo op is the Hydroponic Vegetable Garden. According to the definition they posted, Hydroponics, which literally means "water working", is a technology for growing plants without soil. Plants are basically grown in water with fertilizers and fixed in place by sand, gravel or other artificial means. The advantage of this is that there are no soil-borne diseases, weeds to pull, soil to fill and plants can be placed close to one another.

Lots of different types of lettuce grown in the garden

We also passed by the different lodge/accommodations available for overnight stays at the park.

The holiday lodges, log cabin and gardenia rooms are all spaced far from each other

There is also a prayer garden where a statue of St. Francis of Assisi stands at the center.

We stopped at the amphitheater to walk around the area and shoot more photos.

The place looks great for a garden wedding complete with arched walkway for a dramatic entrance and an amphitheater for the ceremony and reception

Pose lang ng pose... feeling model!

Where's the hidden mickey?!

Matinlo falls (which means "beautiful" in Palawan) with a hanging bridge and Bagani, a warrior guard of the Bagobo tribe

More vegetables and herbs at the Organic Garden

Savoring the smell of the different herbs and spices... mukhang high na yung isa dito :p

The colorful wishing well at Lola's garden...

...wish ko lang magkaron ng ganitong hacienda!

Bahay-bahayan sa munting kubo... practice sana maging haciendero kaso...

Playground for Pinoy games which is also near the swimming pool

After the tour, we went to the Vista restaurant near the souvenir shop for our light snack. There were only 2 choices, it was chicken sandwich with drink or oriental noodles with drink. We picked 1 of each to try them both although we both wanted the oriental noodles. We were surprised that the oriental noodles was pancit canton pala. We both had a hot noodle soup in mind. We ended up liking the chicken sandwich better than the noodles. We've heard that the buffet is good though especially their fresh green salads. We planned to have a buffet lunch downtown instead at the Iron Horse.

I would have wanted to try the Indiana Jones ride but due to time constraints we just proceeded to the Skyrider venue which is at the other side of the park. Anyway, it's just a kiddie version of the Skyrider. We took the motor on the way there and asked the driver to wait for us a little more. Luckily there were no other riders around so we did not have to wait in line. We were asked to sign a waiver and then put on the hardhat and the straps (not sure if that's what it's called). We went up the tower and it was already nerve-wracking by this time. It was scary and exciting. Once I got in the air, my fear went away and I was able to raise both my arms and look at the lush scenery. You get to do this twice back and forth. So you'll eventually get the hang of it. Rene is proud to have done it coz he's afraid of heights. After the ride he even said, "it's not bad after all".

Skyrider at Eden Nature Park Davao

Iron Horse Resto Bar

We got back to our hotel to check out and left our baggage at the front desk. We took a jeep going to Iron Horse restaurant. We got a little lost as the signage is not very obvious. Finally when we saw it, it was already packed. We paid for a buffet lunch (P95) and bottomless iced tea (P35) which cost P130 per person. Not bad. The place is outdoors so it was hot but it's ok. This place is known for their seafood buffet. We got to try everything except for the crabs. We were not able to get any. Naubos ata agad. I guess that's the first food to run out. But anyway, we still got full and nasulit na rin.

We sat near the buffet table but too late for the crabs... di bale busog pa din!

Aldevinco Shopping Center

We reserved the afternoon for pasalubong shopping. Although we weren't really planning on buying much. We went to Aldevinco shopping center but this place is more of native items. Not much food delicacies. We bought some souvenir keychains for P10 each. We also decided to buy pearls at the Pearl Collection store coz I lost mine a few months ago. The pearls here are authentic (at least it looks to be) but cheap. Freshwater pearl stud earrings cost less than P500. I used to have one bought in Manila for less than 3k. We bought a pair of dangling baby south sea pearl earrings which cost us P1500. I forgot to ask if the metal is gold or silver. I think it's silver.

Citra Mina Seafood Market

We headed afterwards to SM City to pass the time. We eventually plan to buy some tuna at Citra Mina Seafood Market which is just walking distance from SM. After some window shopping and eating merienda at Rai Rai Ken, we proceeded to Citra Mina. We bought 9oz tuna fillet (sashimi) for P137 each, 0.6kg tuna panga for P61.20, 0.505kg tuna belly for P86.85 and 1kg salmon head for P65. The styro box cost an additional P70.

We got our bags at Viajeros and took a taxi to the airport. When we got there, the rain poured heavily. We were lucky not to have rain throughout our stay. Well, that sums up our 4days, 3nights trip to Davao.


Related entries:

Day 1 Trip to Davao (4/4/2008)
Day 2 Pearl Farm Day Tour (4/5/2008)
Day 3 Philippine Eagle Center (4/6/2008, part 1 of 3)
Day 3 Malagos Garden Resort (4/6/2008, part 2 of 3)
Day 3 Crocodile Park Davao and more (4/6/2008, part 3 of 3)
Day 4 Eden Nature Park (4/7/2008)

Day 3 Crocodile Park Davao and more (4/6/2008, part 3 of 3)

The Crocodile park is located in Davao Riverfront Corporate City in Ma-a, 30mins from downtown Davao. We had some difficulty locating it as there were no signs along the highway to indicate if we're on the right track. I keep seeing signs though leading to the Butterfly House. And from my own travel notes, i knew that the Butterfly house is just close to the Crocodile park.


The entrance fee is P100 each (adult) and P50 per kid, although there's a promo this summer where kids 8 and below are free. Sayang, we should have brought Bea and Isha with us. Kaso they were already tired from this morning's trip. We went there around 3:30pm so we can catch the shows which will start around 4:30pm. We found the schedule for the shows as follows:

Mondays - 4:00-4:20 PM
Wednesdays - 4:00-5:00 PM
Fri/Sat/Sun - 4:45-6:45 PM

The show sequences do not seem to be strictly followed though. More information on the fees, show descriptions and the place can be found at their website here: http://www.davaocrocodilepark.com

The major attraction here is Pangil, the largest crocodile in the park. Notice the relative size of the people outside his cage and Pangil. He can easily swallow an adult human. In the afternoon show called Pangil encounter, caretakers get inside his cage and with a stick, probe Pangil. This prompts him to move towards the stick and kick his tail, splashing water to the spectators around including me. This is quite scary and funny at the same time. Pangil must be pissed to be disturbed.

At the center of the park is a huge pond where a lot of adult crocodiles are put together. Most of them are not moving even with their mouth open while others just swim in the water. You can have a top view of them and the park by going up to the bridge overlooking this caged area. This is where the Crocodile dancing show takes place. The caretakers basically just hang fresh meat over the bridge towards the crocodiles and wait for them to leap for it from the water. In the show we watched that afternoon though, the crocodiles did not participate so I used up a lot of memory space without much action. :( Mukhang natuto na ata sila. :p Kasi pag medyo bumebwelo na yung crocodile inaangat nung caretaker yung meat para mas mataas yung talon pero hindi tinutuloy nung crocodile. Mautak na sya. =)

There are other animals that can be seen in this park such as an Ostrich and Bengal Tiger seen in the pics below.

Make sure to take a look also at the crocodile skeleton shown here. I almost missed it. I chanced upon it near the entrance while waiting for the show to start. We already toured the park for around an hour and had to pass the time till the show starts. You can try to eat at a nearby eatery behind the park which I think is called the Riverwalk Grill. Just have your wrist stamped so that you can go back. We would have wanted to try their Crocodile meat but the only available dish they have is the Croc Adobo. Other preparations i think that they have in the menu are Croc Barbeque, Sisig/Sizzling(?) Croc and spicy Croc. They all cost P360 each good for 2 people. We already ate Chicken Adobo for breakfast and lunch so didn't try it. We ordered a shake and club sandwich each instead, which cost us P260 (for 2). The river I think is where the White water rafting is held. This section of the river is quite calm though.


By the time we got back, the show has already started. I think it was the Animal encounter and the Tightrope walking which occurred 1st. I did not really see the stunts as the cage where this was held was covered by the crowd. I think it was mostly the monkeys that were shown here. By the time they said that the next show is Pangil encounter, I was already positioned near Pangil's cage. I had a good view of this including getting enough splashing exposure. My camera also got wet. 3rd part is the Crocodile Dancing which we didn't see much since the crocs did not participate. 4th is the Crocodile Feeding as seen at the left pic.


The last part of the attraction is the Animal Petting. Medyo magulo ito kasi unahan yung crowd makahawak dun sa mga Animals. I was able to touch the snakes but not hold them. On another circumstance I would have wanted to hold them and get a pic. I was scared that one wrong move by any of the people trying to touch them and the animal might try to attack. It was almost like a commotion. Obviously, I couldn't even get a good stable shot.

I hope in the future the staff will be able to hold this in a more organized way. Like maybe having people lined up to wait for their turn. Anyway marami namang animals to hold so there's enough for everyone. In this way, you'll even get a good shot na solo or kayo lang w/o the crowd holding on to the animal as well. Nag-aagawan kasi. Plus you'll never know when matopak yung animal especially with a lot of people trying to touch it. Sometimes even when there's a caretaker you cannot predict the animal's mood.

Lola Abon's Durian Candies

We went to Lola Abon's store which is also at the owner's residence in Matina and bought some Durian candies for pasalubong. Price for a small plastic bag of sweets is around P30. I liked the pastillas and the yema. I was hesitant to buy the the tarts coz I had bought tarts before (from another province) na yung filling tinipid tipong nasa top portion lang at puro breading na. Rene bought one though and when I tried it, wow ang daming filling. Mas madami pa sya kesa sa breading so it was really tasty. This brand of candies is definitely high quality. My only regret is that konti lang binili namin. Should have bought more.

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague


The shrine is just a little past the street going to Jack's Ridge. The place looks huge but since it was dark already we were not able to explore the place much. The shrine is definitely romantic for a wedding as the place is on top of a hill. My cousin says the view would have been nice but we couldn't see it then. It's been cloudy since we've been there that's why we also couldn't see the top of Mt. Apo clearly.




Jack's Ridge

This place has quite a history. One of the fascinating stories is that it was once under water as evidenced by these shells found and displayed here. It could have been millions of years ago before this area slowly developed into a hill. Another recent history is during the end of the WWII when this place used to be part of the Japanese headquarters. I've heard also of the Japanese Tunnel here in Davao although we weren't able to go there.

Lots of photo ops around here:

This is a nice date place

Lots of space to go around, up and down ... An Amphitheater overlooking the city

Belly's Grill

Initially our plan was to eat dinner at Penong's. But having passed 2 of its branches already and they were all crowded (and some still had to wait in line to be seated), we decided to eat here at Belly's Grill instead. It's a good choice too though. Below are food we ordered:

Baked oysters (w/ cheese and garlic) and Ambaw soup (clam soup)

Ostrich steak and Grilled Tuna belly

We're obviously happy and full to the brim!

All in all, the food we ordered cost us around P1000. The 3 of us finished everything. Although, it is more likely good enough for 4-5 people. That wrapped up our Day 3 in Davao. Whew!

Related entries:

Day 1 Trip to Davao (4/4/2008)
Day 2 Pearl Farm Day Tour (4/5/2008)
Day 3 Philippine Eagle Center (4/6/2008, part 1 of 3)
Day 3 Malagos Garden Resort (4/6/2008, part 2 of 3)
Day 3 Crocodile Park Davao and more (4/6/2008, part 3 of 3)
Day 4 Eden Nature Park (4/7/2008)