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

Plunging in to Jawili's Seven Basins

It was mid-October when we decided to go on a trip to Aklan. We got tired of our jobs and we thought we needed some place cool to visit and unwind.

Our destination was one of Aklan’s most popular tourist spots– the Jawili falls and its famous 7 basins. In just an hour's trip from Caticlan and 30 minutes away from Kalibo, you can reach this place by taking a bus or a jeepney. But since we’re talking about a road trip, the best way is still to bring a private vehicle. Don’t bring your sedan. Trust me. It’s best to bring a van or a 4WD vehicle.

We prayed that it wouldn’t rain so that we’d enjoy every bit of our weekend get away. But alas, in the middle of our trip, it did. The sky poured down so hard that we thought our trip was over.

Little did we know that the rain was actually a blessing! When we got to Jawili, we saw that the current flowing through the chain of lush waterfalls was stronger than the usual sunny days – this made the view even more breath-taking. It almost looked like something from a movie scene. The small waterfalls connecting 7 deep basins are arranged somewhat like rice terraces and culminate at the tranquil waters of a main basin. As we approached one of the basins, we felt gentle sprays of fresh cold water touching our faces and I have to tell you, the feeling was so inviting.

A small stair case by the side of this large pool leads you up to more of the basins. The rocks were very slippery because of algae and prevented us from exploring more of the area. Using your Havaianas slippers won’t do you any good in that terrain, believe me. It is way better to be on foot.

Even though I’m not a big fan of swimming in cold, green waters (They give me the feeling that there’s some nasty creature lurking beneath the rocks) I was tempted to and accepted the challenge to jump into one of its smaller basins. But calling it “small” doesn’t mean that it’s not deep enough for a 10 foot cannon ball plunge. Our friend, Imman, who has been there for quite a few times already, jumped first into the basin. After 3 seconds or so, Imman surfaced and began swimming towards the rim of the basin, panting.

Alvin and I jumped next and even though I had my hesitations, I still went for it. It was just one of those I-have-to-try-this moments that’s so hard to resist. I felt the splash of my lame leap of faith but never the terra firma beneath the water. It was that deep – a 10 foot deep basin - but it felt great! The water was fanatically cool and it was just the right temperature.

We stayed at Jawili for not more than an hour but after taking some more pictures, we admired the place for a little bit more, packed our stuff and said our goodbyes. 

I told myself that the next time we go to Jawili, I won’t have second thoughts about jumping into one of its beautiful, crystal clear basins.

Check out our album:

Jawili Waterfalls