The Aviary at Eden Nature Park

Male (peacock) Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

Eden Nature Park and Mountain Resort is one of the best places to visit in Davao during summer. If you want to get away from it all and experience the grandeur of Mother Nature all in one place then don’t forget to add this destination to your places-to-visit-this-summer list. Summer’s far from over so start planning your trip now! J

The first (and hopefully not the last) time I went to “Davao’s Baguio” was last November 2010 when we covered an event for the Marketing Society of UP Iloilo. [Eden Nature Park: Davao City's Version of Baguio]

One of the things that I loved about my visit there was the animal sanctuary. Eden has its own deer park and aviary. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take some decent pictures of the deer because they were too shy to even pose for the camera.

I spent most of my time taking pictures of the birds at the aviary. At least they had nowhere to go to once I had my lenses set. haha! Some of the birds even came closer to have their pictures taken! I had fun “working” with a pair of red-and-blue Lories because they did countless tricks just to impress their visitor. 

I had a good 2-hour session with all of the birds. It was my first time to be in an aviary. I felt like a kid during his first visit to the zoo. Listening to the gentle water gushing through the stream nearby awakens your senses and relaxes the soul after a long and stressful day. Add the myriad sounds of the beautiful birds around you and you could almost tell that you are in paradise.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, (Cacatua galerita)

Red-and-blue lory, (Eos histrio)

Olive-headed Lorikeet, (Trichoglossus euteles)

Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", (Chrysolophus pictus)

Victoria Crowned Pigeon, (Goura victoria)

Northern Cassowary, (Casuarius unappendiculatus)

Thanks to Ms. Sham Leonora for the camera. :)

Eden Nature Park: Davao City's Version of Baguio

If you're in for an adventure of a lifetime, there's no need to travel to the other side of the world. There are so many places to choose from in our country, and one of the most worthy destinations is Eden Nature Park and Mountain Resort in Davao.

Eden is a mountain resort that was discovered in 1971. The whole 80-hectare property that used to be covered with patches of wild grass has now over 100,000 pine trees covering the whole area. The whole resort and most of the forests here were manually cultivated and structured making the whole park 95% man made!

The resort offers a plethora of amenities which include the Basketball Court, Flower Garden, Deer Park, Prayer Garden, Lola’s Garden, Seminar Village, Amphitheater, Vista Kiosk, Garden Hall, Cafeteria, Mountain Trail Playground, Campsite, Swimming Pool and my personal favorite, The Aviary! 

As for the food, where do I even begin? Eden is located 28 kilometers away from the city and 3000 meters above sea level. It takes 30 minutes to an hour to reach this place by shuttle so instead of transporting the ingredients from the city, the owners make their own patches of organic vegetables and fruit tree orchards.

Everything you eat in Vista Restaurant is freshly handpicked from their own gardens. That's organic, baby! From the vegetables in your favorite salads, to the herbs and spices used in your favorite dishes, everything’s concocted in there. If you plan on spending your vacation the healthy way, then this is the right place for you. Having dinner here at night will offer you a fantastic view of Davao City and the Davao gulf. 

If you want to try something new, you can also try out fishing for your own food at the Fishing Village. Their ponds are abundant with tilapia (St. Peter’s Fish) and catfish. Every thing that you catch is weighed and cooked fresh. You have 4 different choices on how you want them to cook your fish: pinaputok, inihaw, fried, and paksiw. My personal favorite is the pinaputok. They wrap the fish in banana leaves and deep fry it. The banana leaves give the fish a different aroma, making it more mouth-watering to eat, especially with freshly cut onions and tomatoes, dipped in soy sauce. It's like having a full course buffet. It's unbeatable. *Definitely nom nom*

I am an adrenaline junkie and adrenaline junkies like me would never want to miss the zip line aka Skyrider. But if you are not warmed up for the ride yet, then you can try out your rope gliding skills at the Indiana Jones. Yes. Ze Indiana Jones. The only difference between Jones’ swings and yours is that there’s solid ground with fresh grass just 2 feet below you. Falling off won’t hurt that much. 

Eden is perfect for seminars, congresses for student organizations, family vacations and even weddings! You won't ever get bored in this place and, temporarily, you might be able to forget everything that’s been bothering you at the office. It's definitely a place worth visiting in Davao and is beyond doubt one of the best places to go to if you want to find peace or just bond with your friends. 

 

(Photos by: Sham Leonora)

View more of our photos:

Eden Nature Park

For additional Information:
Eden Nature Park Tel. No:
(63)(82)299-1020
(63)(82)296-0791

Email:
info(at)edennaturepark.com.ph
 
Web Site:
Eden Nature Park