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.

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.

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.

My friends and I decided to go scuba diving around Davao Gulf. Since all of us were inexperienced, we took the “Diving 101″ course from the Carabao Dive Center, located at the Sta. Ana wharf. This only cost us P750 inclusive of the diving equipment, fee for the instructor and boat fare. Plus photo and video coverage of your diving experience. Neat deal. The diving instructors oriented us about the basic techniques of scuba diving, safety precautions, how to operate the oxygen tanks and of course, hand signals since you can’t talk underwater. Each person was assigned one instructor, and they will let you dive a depth of 30-50 feet(depending on the underwater terrain) for about half an hour. So we dove, saw strange and beautiful corals, colorful fishes and had a great time.

If you are looking for some fun under the sea, Davao can offer some great dive spots to enjoy. There are several dive sites in the Davao Gulf, which are only 45 minutes to 120 minutes away from the city proper. You can choose from the following dive spots: Ligid Islad, Aundanao, Tagbobo, Pangubatan, Mushroom Rock, Paet Point, Coral Garden, Isla Reta, Talisay Wall, Angel’s Cave, Mansud Wall, Malipano Island, Pearl Farm, Punta del Sol, and Paradise Island.

me and my buddies

dancing jellyfish

Nemo and family!

It is a series of 84 falls appearing like stairway to heaven with various heights among the steps ranging from 6 to 110 feet. One step is measured 72 feet and another is 67 feet. Overall Aliwagwag Falls is 1,110 feet of cascading energy and 20 meters in width. All these in the midst of virgin forest. River at the foot of the falls. 13 rapids to cross.

Located amidst thick forests just some 25 kilometers away from Cateel proper, Aliwagwag Falls offers adventurers and vacationers alike a wild exposure and relaxing in its refreshing waters will give you an unforgettable and fun experience.

Cateel, Davao Oriental is some 360 kilometers from Davao City is accessible by bus at the Ecoland Transport terminal. L300 vans are also available from Davao City.

Beautiful Aliwagwag Falls

Enchanting Aliwagwag Falls