Davao Zone

Glan, Sarangani

Tired of the crowded beaches every summer? Weary of the long hassles of poring througha long list of beach resorts? Fancying an uncommon vacation getaway? Look no further than the white sand beaches of Glan, Sarangani.

A few weeks ago, my friends and I had the rare chance of spending a weekend in one of the beaches in Glan, Sarangani. There were some secluded vacation spots here and there, but we chose a place where there were no establishments. We set up camp near a small and sparsely populated fishing village, since one of my friends has some friends there.

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Green vegetation surrounded us. Coconuts, trees, shrubs, unique flowers never before seen all added to the beauty of the place. White sand beach riddled with rocky hills were in both sides of our camp. The waves were gently washing up on the shore while the cool sea breeze whirled around us. Best part of all is the beautiful Sarangani Bay would always display a magnificent sunset. Unlike those beach vacations spots frequented by most people, our spot in Glan was without tourists. That only added to the mystery and “exclusive” feel of the place.

If you want to go to a lovely, quiet place, I recommend going a trip down south. But if you’re not familiar with the place, you should definitely try checking in to one of the resorts. There are some resort scattered along the long, jagged coastlines of Glan. However, these resorts don’t have much tourists  anyway, so you can still enjoy the beauty and tranquility of Glan, Sarangani.

From General Santos City, take a van going to Sarangani (near KCC Mall) then from Sarangani, take a motorcycle going to Glan. You may want to go shopping for basic items in Sarangani or in General Santos City, since Glan is still a bit undeveloped.

Davao View From Jack’s Ridge

The place where you can see the view of Davao City from atop is at Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant.  To be on top of this marvelous place is sure astounding.  It’s open day and night for viewing purposes with minimal fee.  But if you dine and unwind in the cozy restaurant and café inside, viewing and picture taking are included.  Historically, this place was once the headquarter of the Japanese troops in World War II.  Now, it’s one of the city’s wonder-places for both tourists and locals.

View from Jack's Ridge by day

Not only is the view interesting at Jack’s Ridge but the different amenities as well.  You can bring your family to a swimming day at Kool Kat’s Pool or have an enjoyable singing night at the BMW KTV and Piano Bar.  Even a simple dinner at Taklobo Restaurant makes the night magical with their sumptuous meals and desserts.  Hmm, I missed the Calamares we had one night when we were there.

View from Jack's Ridge by night

How about planning your wedding at this Amphitheater and the reception at Penmar Hall.  It will be a wonderful experience of a lifetime.  Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant has all you need from cozy dining to simple relaxation.

Your wedding at Jack's Ridge Amphitheater

Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant is located at Shrine Hills, Matina, Davao City.  You may reach the place by a taxi or your own car, or tricycles maybe.

Monfort Bat Sanctuary

bat cave

Bats. More bats. Screeching bats. More than a million of them.

Imagine a cave in an island, filled with bats. Hanging upside down, close to one another, getting restless as the sun is setting. Hovering  all over the place.

Thats what I’ve experienced recently when I visited the  Monfort Conservation Park, in Samal Island.  Although known for its white beaches, the island offers this one of a kind place that even locals are not very familiar with.  The Monfort Conservation Park is a 24 hectare property in Babak District, Samal Island with five caves that makes up the bat sanctuary. It is the world’s biggest colony of fruit bats – Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats (Rousettus amplexicaudatus). It just opened four years ago and has been giving tourists a unique experience ever since.

Inside, you will see bats all cramped together at the cave walls. There were some bats flying around, others just hanging out (literally), while others scratching themselves. One thing you might notice immediately even before you go near is the foul odor emanating from the caves.  I don’t know if it came from the bat’s manure, or simply from the bats themselves. Another thing is the screeching sound (hey, if you live in a place that’s dark and the population is almost two million, who wouldn’t be smelly and screeching all the time?). The park has five caves and each were filled with bats. I have never seen so many bats before and it was like a horror movie come to life – bats, caves and nauseating smell in an island.

another bat cave

more bat cave

It is only a 20 minute travel from Davao City, and around 15 minutes from Babak wharf. You can ride a motorcycle (habal-habal). The entrance fee is only P20. It is best to visit before sunset.

You’ll see why.

Robinsons Cybergate Davao Update

It’s more than a year ago when I posted about Robinsons Cybergate, which was then under construction.  The mall has finally opened sometime in May 2009.  Last summer, we took the chance to visit the actual place and to my surprise, it was smaller than I thought. Some of the room-spaces on the second floor were still empty.  However, the supermarket and a hardware have been opened and serving the needs of the people of Davao.  There were cafés, restaurants, spa and offices in the building so it didn’t look that empty though.  But I did like the quiet and not so crowded ambiance of the place.  Here’s Robinsons Cybergate Davao.

Robinsons Cybergate Davao

Parking space at the Robinsons Cybergate Davao

Location:  along J.P. Laurel (Bajada)
Transportation: Jeepneys and Taxis

Malagos Garden Resort

Malagos Garden Resort is a nature retreat for the whole family. Located in the cool highlands of Malagos, Calinan, Davao City, the vast 12 hectare garden resort is home to many exotic flowers, fruit trees, a large collection of bird kinds and a host of other wildlife species.

The resort offers Overnight rooms, Function and Seminar Rooms and Halls, Restaurants, Coffee shop and a pool for children. If you are a nature lover, they have landscaped gardens with different trees and flowers distributed around, Butterfly Sanctuary, verandas, Farm Animals area and my favorite, the Bird Park where you can see different kinds of exotic birds.

An albino water buffalo

In the Bird park, there are many kinds of birds that I haven’t seen before. I was especially amused to see fat eye-catching chickens roaming freely around. There are colorful pheasants, wild ducks and those huge ostriches, among others. The resort features a Bird Show during the weekends and it hosts some sculpture of National Artist Napoleo Abueva. Truly an exciting and wonderful place to visit.

Fat rooster

Getting there:
Malagos Garden Resort is around 27 kilometers from the city center and 32 kilometers from the airport. It can be easily reached by Private or Public transportation.

By Car. Travel Time from City Center 30 minutes – 45 minutes.

By Public Transport.

a. Taxi. The taxi will bring you to Malagos Garden Resort. Travel Time from City Center 30 minutes – 45 minutes.

b. Bus and L300 Vans. City Center to Calinan and Vice Versa. Leaves the Bankerohan terminal every 15 minutes. Travel Time approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour.

The terminal for Annil Bus and L300 Vans are located at the corner of Quirino Avenue and San Pedro Extension, Bankerohan, Davao City (at the back of International Bank). It will also pass through SM City Davao, Roxas Avenue (Aldevinco Shopping Center/Marco Polo), Acacia (Madrazo Fruit Stand) and Quirino (Central Bank).

c. Motorcycle. Calinan to Malagos Garden Resort and Vice Versa. Travel Time 5 – 10 minutes.Upon arrival at Calinan, transfer to a Tricycle or Single Motorcycle.