Dahilayan Adventure Park

Dahilayan Adventure Park boasts of its Dual Zipline being the longest in Asia. So I didn't let the chance pass when I went to Cagayan De Oro last weekend. They say that unplanned trips usually turn out to be the best ones, and I agree with that. However, I still believe that being equipped with essential information can save you from hassles. I just proved it true in our trip to Dahilayan, Bukidnon. They only offer a shuttle service every Saturday at 8am. If you missed it, it would really be difficult and expensive to go there. Their mini van/shuttle service parks at Coffeeworks Divisoria at 8am. They do not accept reservations for the trip. It is on a first come first served basis only. Luckily enough there weren't too many passengers that time. Roundtrip fare is only PhP350.

THE ROAD TO DAHILAYAN

The bus ride to Dahilayan was breathtaking. We passed by a number of plantations along the way and some of which were owned by Del Monte.

More Photos Here: Road To Dahilayan

On that day, there was a marathon event and we passed by some runners along the way. Running on that rough road at a very hot day was really impressive of them and the shortest distance of the event was 50-something kilometers! Whew! There were even no trees along the road to give them some shade while running.

ACTIVITIES: Zipline, Dropzone, etc.

Upon reaching Dahilayan Adventure Park, we went to the zipzone and paid for the 840m dual zipline and for the Drop Zone,a  free fall from 120 feet. They do not have a locker but the girl, who was one of their staffs, told us to leave our bag where they place the helmets and just bring our valuables with us. And so we did. It was also safe to bring a camera while ziplining. That's why I was able to shoot a video of Paul while "flying by wire". :D

There are many activities to enjoy at Dahilayan Adventure Park aside from the Ziplines and Drop Zone. The Forest Park offers different activities like the Luge, Zorb, mini-golf, and the Rope. Our bus was scheduled to leave at 4pm so we had a lot of time to explore the Forest Park. We didn't try any activities though. We just paid an entrance fee of PhP100 each. They have a picnic area, restaurant/cafe, and a wide place with magnificent view for cam-whoring. ^^

OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!

Rainbow!

FOOD

We had lunch at Pine Grove Mountain Lodge. Food is really good... and expensive! Not too expensive but... just expensive. lol The servings can be good for two persons though so you can still save some food expenses. There are no other restaurants or even establishments around so we didn't have any choice that time since we haven't visited the Forest Park yet.

There's a cafe in the Forest Park where you can have lunch as well but the price is pretty much the same at Pine Grove Mountain Lodge. So for those who do not want to spend much here, you can bring your own food and enjoy eating at the picnic area.

RATES

Here are some info on the activities and rates at Dahilayan Adventure Park (click the photo to enlarge). For more details, you may check their website: www.dahilayanadventurepark.com

  

VERDICT

Dahilayan Adventure Park is certainly a must-visit when you go to Cagayan De Oro. But make sure to go there on Saturday for a cheaper and more convenient trip.

Is it a place I'd love to go back to? Definitely! But if I ever go back to CDO, Dahilayan won't be on top of my list. I want to go to Camiguin first. We were supposed to go there actually but due to time constraint, we weren't able to. Then I want to go water rafting again and maybe visit Ma. Cristina Falls in Iligan. :D

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Travel Guide: Isla Gigantes in Less Than PhP2000

Ever since we have posted pictures of our Isla Gigantes Adventure, friends started to ask a lot of questions on how to get there, how much did we spend all in all, etc. So I thought I'd post a guide on how to get to Isla Gigantes and some tips on what to expect at the island.

Gigantes Group of Islands is accessible via Estancia (Iloilo) port.

How To Get There:

1. Estancia is just 2 hours away from Roxas City, Capiz via Ceres bus. Fare is PhP81.
    From Iloilo, bus ride is approximately 3.5 hours. Fare is PhP145 via Sara/Balasan-bound Ceres bus.
    Estancia-bound bus fare from Iloilo is PhP152.

2. From the bus terminal, you can go to the port of Estancia by riding a tricycle. Fare is only PhP10.

3. Passenger boats leave from Estancia port at 2pm so make sure you arrive early. Boat travel is approximately 1.5-2hrs and fare is PhP80 per person. From Isla Gigantes to Estancia port, passenger boats leave at 9am.

4. Once you get to the island, you will have to ride a motorcycle going to Gigantes Hideaway Inn. Fare is also PhP10 per person.

Important Notes:

*For those who need to travel by plane, nearest airport would be in Roxas City. But flights are very limited. If there is no flight to Roxas City from your area, next option is Iloilo or Kalibo. But I am not sure if there is direct bus or van routes from Kalibo to Estancia.

*Sara/Balasan Ceres bus will only drop you off at Bani-an corner where you will have to ride a tricycle going to Estancia port which is about 5-10 minutes. Tricycle fare is also PhP10.

*I think there are also L300 passenger vans that travel to Estancia but I'm not sure about this.

*It is best to contact someone from the Island to know if there is a boat trip when you get there. They may also arrange a boat service for you.

*It is best to go there during summer as it may be difficult or may not even be possible to go to the island when there is low pressure in the area.

Electricity

Electricity in the island is limited. It is only available from 4pm-11:30pm. Though the resort uses a generator after the electricity is cut off. But i think they only turn the generator on for a few hours.

Mobile Networks

There is no mobile network signal in the island. You can try hanging your cellphone on the tree. You may be able to receive some text messages. If you are desperate to make a phone call or send a text message, the resort caretakers can accompany you to a higher area within the mountains where there is a signal. They call it their "call center". ^^

Water Supply

The resort owner, Mr. Joel Decano, boasts of their unlimited water supply which comes from a natural spring. You can even drink water straight from the faucet. We brought our own mineral water but we were also able to drink from their supply. It has a taste so you may not get used to it easily. :)

Gigantes Hideaway Inn Expenses

Accommodation

Accommodation is PhP200 per person per night. You can take any of the rooms they offer. Our group occupied the whole house which has 3 bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and 1 restroom.

Food

The resort can provide food for you. They will charge you with the same price from the market. Then you will just give their cook, Manang Anggay, a tip for her cooking service. Seafoods are very cheap in the island and our sumptuous dinner on our first night was only PhP745.

Island Hopping

Boat rental is PhP2500 including the tour guide fee. This activity will take you to seven beautiful islands including Tanke, a natural pool.

Spelunking

The tour guide fee for spelunking is PhP200.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breakdown of Isla Gigantes Expenses (Accommodation, Food, Activities, Tips):

Dinner: 

3kgs Scallops (Shell-on) @35/kg - 105
1kg Scallops (meat)                       100
1.5kg Fish @ 80/kg                       120
2kgs Crab @190/kg                       380
Soup                                               40 

Total                                             745

Breakfast:

7 Eggs            56
Hotdog           25 

Total              81

Lunch:

.5 kg Scallop (Meat)    50

Dinner:

2kgs Scallops (shell-on)     70
.5kg Scallops (Meat)         50
1kg Fish                            80
2kgs Crab                         380
1.5 gantang Rice              120 
Total                                 700

Accommodation (2nights)

7pax @ 200each - 2800

Activities & Misc.

Boat Rental - 2500
Spelunking Tour Guide Service - 200
Cooking Service Tip - 358

Overall Total Expenses at the Island: 7700

Total Expenses per person: 1100

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Here is a breakdown of the overall total expenses for each person (in a group of 7) for the Isla Gigantes trip:

Bus fare from Roxas or Iloilo: 80 (Roxas) / 145 (Iloilo)
Tricycle Fare from terminal to Andok's Restaurant: 10
Andok's Restaurant (lunch): 40
Tricycle Fare To Pa-on Beach Club (Side trip while waiting for the boat schedule at 2pm):10
Pa-on Beach Club Entrance Fee: 20 (consumable)
Tricycle Fare to Port: 10
Boat Fare to Isla Gigantes: 80
Motorcycle fare to Gigantes Hideaway: 10
Gigantes Hideaway Inn Expenses (Accommodation,Food,Activities  + tips): 1100
Boat Fare Back To Estancia - 80
Tricycle Fare to Pa-on Beach Club - 10
Lunch at Pa-on Beach Club (No entrance fee if you eat there or maybe order something) - 145
Tricycle Fare To Bus Terminal - 10
Bus Fare to Roxas or Iloilo - 80 (Roxas) / 152 (Iloilo)

Overall Total Expenses Per Person:

From Roxas - PhP1685

From Iloilo - PhP1822

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isla Gigantes Contact Information:

Joel Decano

Proprietor/Tourism Officer

09184685006

09155796612

Facebook: Isla Gigantes

email: isla.gigantes@yahoo.com

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I ♥ CEBU ~ Mactan Island Tour

On our last day in Cebu, the original plan was to go malling. But since we already did that for 2 days, we just decided to leave our baggage at the airport and go to Mactan Shrine. There are tour packages for a Mactan Island tour but they're way too expensive. It was actually easy to go there commuting.

From Sampaguita hotel, we took a taxi cab going to the airport. Fare was PhP203. Then we left our baggage at the Malayan Insurance-something (I forgot the exact name). From the airport we took a taxi cab going to Mactan shrine - fare was PhP113.50. Then an "umbrella boy" approached us and gave us an umbrella. We didn't know what was that for or how much. They just actually lend you an umbrella since it was a very sunny day and you'll just give them some cash after your tour inside the shrine.

Since we haven't taken breakfast yet, we decided to eat first before going to the shrine. Then a number of umbrella boys were telling us to go to this-and-that sutukil restaurant. We didn't want to waste time so I just followed one of them. He then brought us to Fredz Sutukil and told us that he will guide us inside the shrine. 

The seafoods were a bit pricey but it was really delicious. Here's some photos and the breakdown of our lunch at Fredz Sutukil:

View at Fredz Sutukil Restaurant

Lunch at Fredz Sutukil:

1 platter rice - 40

Cooking Charges (2 dishes for 1 fish) - 160

1L Sprite - 80

Lapu-Lapu (600g) - 288

1 chicken BBQ - 80

Total of PhP648

MACTAN SHRINE

There is no entrance fee at the Mactan Shrine. There's just a donation box at the entrance so you can donate any amount you want or nothing at all. You also do not need a tour guide because it was just a small place that looks much like a plaza. But we just let our tour guide, Junel, accompany us inside. He looked pitiful and kind anyway.

Magellan's remains were buried here.

This is is the spot where Magellan died.

The view at the back is where Magellan and Lapu-lapu fought.

After the tour, we asked Junel how to commute back to the airport. He also did not demand any particular amount for his tour-guiding so I just gave hime PhP100. He said that being an umbrella boy was his only source of income which he is still proud because he's earning it in a legal way. So if you visit Mactan shrine, you can look for this guy. :)

Going back to the airport was fairly easy. No need to ride a taxi at all. We rode a jeepney that passes at SM Savemore with only PhP9 fare. Just tell the driver to drop you off at Savemore and walk through the street beside Savemore and you will see yellow multi-cabs. It's just beside the Island Souvenirs building.

It was 5 hours before our flight so we decided to have some coffee first (Starbucks is beside Island Souvenirs). After coffee, we saw this sign:

It's always good to end a vacation with a relaxing massage. Since we had few more hours left before our flight, we availed a one-hour massage from Nuat Thai. A dry body massage was only PhP150 while a massage with oil was PhP200.

So after that invigorating massage, we rode a multi-cab going back to the airport for an PhP8 fare. I think it was just around 5pm and our flight was 7pm. So we had to wait for 2 more hours at the airport. But 30 minutes before the flight departure, Cebu Pacific crew announced that our flight was delayed and the new estimated time of departure was 11:45pm! I'm used to Cebu Pacific's delayed flights but not this LONG. The gave us a chickenjoy meal and offered us a hotel accommodation at Cebu and just catch an early flight the day after. Maybe half of the passengers stayed at Cebu while half of us waited for the 11:45pm flight. 

Well, except for the delayed flight, the whole trip was a great experience for me and my BF. :D

Mactan Island Tour Expenses:

Sampaguita Suites to Mactan International Airport (via taxi) - 203/2(persons) = 101.5

Airport Baggage Deposit Fee (21kgs for 5 hours) - 150/2(persons) = 75

Airport to Mactan Shrine (via taxi) - 113.50/2(persons) = 56.75

Lunch at Sutukil Restaurant - 648/2(persons) = 324

Tourguide (optional) - 100/2(persons) = 50

Mactan Shrine Donation (optional) - 20

Mactan Shrine to SM Savemore (via Jeepney) - 9

Savemore to Airport - 8

Terminal Fee - 200

Total = 844.25/person

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I ♥ CEBU ~ DIY Cebu City Tour

So we didn't stick to our original DIY itinerary. lol The whale sharks got us really tired and exhausted. Anyway, we went back to Cebu City after the whale shark watching at Tan-awan, Oslob. We checked in at Sampaguita Suites at Plaza Garcia branch. I chose this branch because it's near SM City and luckily, it is also near two of Cebu's attractions - the Sto. Niño Basilica Church and Magellan's Cross. We started the tour on our 3rd Day though. We just went malling after the whale shark watching.

Apparently, you can find many tour packages from anywhere in Cebu particularly from taxi drivers. Even the security guard at Sampaguita suites presented us a laminated flyer of sort. But it was too expensive for two persons only. Maybe for a group of 4 or more, the tour packages could be worth their money. Another reason I didn't want to avail of any tour packages is because we don't really want to go to all of the tourist attractions. So here is our customized Cebu City tour on a Sunday:

Magellan's Cross

Magellan's Cross is just outside Sto. Niño Church. So before going inside the Basilica, we visited Magellan's Cross first which is just across the street from Sampaguita Suites. 

Sto. Niño Basilica Church

We then went inside the Church. It was Sunday morning and there were a lot of people attending a mass and others just touring inside the Basilica.

Fort San Pedro

Fort San Pedro is just near the Basilica but we do not know how to get there by commuting so we just rode a taxi. The fare was just Php47 anyway. The entrance fee to the Fort San Pedro is PhP30

From Fort San Pedro, we headed to SM City Cebu for lunch and to buy some hiking gears like tent and sleeping bags. The taxi fare from Fort San Pedro to SM was PhP75. 

Taoist Temple

Next on our plan is to go to the Taoist Temple. Before going there, we dropped our bought stuff at the hotel first. It was already past 5pm when we went to the Taoist temple and unfortunately, the temple closes at 5pm! So the taxi driver told us that we could just take pictures outside the temple since we were already there. ^^

From the Taoist Temple, we wanted to go to Tops but you really have to rent a taxi going there and the driver offered to take us there for PhP1500. He even lowered it down to PhP1100 but it was still expensive for us. He said that they charge a fix rate because it's too far and they have no assurance that they'll have passengers back to the city. So we just went to Ayala Mall since it was the nearest mall from Taoist Temple that we know of. From Ayala, we already know how to commute back to Sampaguita hotel.

There are other tourist attractions that we have not visited in Cebu City but I still enjoyed our DIY tour. It feels good to go to places on your own because you get to learn different routes and it makes the whole trip more fun and challenging. :)

Summary of Expenses:

From Sampaguita Hotel - Sto. Nino Church and Magellan's Cross - 0

Sto. Nino Church - Fort San Pedro (via taxi) - 47

Fort San Pedro to SM City Cebu (via taxi) - 75

[ SM City to Sampaguita Hotel (via taxi) - 75 ]

Sampaguita Hotel to Taoist Temple to Ayala Center (via taxi) - 180

Ayala Center to Sampaguita Hotel - 8

Total Expenses for our Cebu City tour = PhP385 (taxi fare not divided)

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I ♥ CEBU ~ Whale Sharks at Tan-awan, Oslob

The day after we went to Osmeña Peak, we headed straight to Tan-awan, Oslob Cebu, at 6am which is only an hour ride from Dalaguete. We rode a Sunrays bus going there and just told the "konduktor" to drop us at tan-awan brgy. hall or where we can watch the whale shark. The bus fare was PhP50/person. There are also Ceres buses but we rode the first one that passed at Dalaguete. :D

We first paid for the fees which amounted to PhP420/person. PhP320 for the boat and swimming (fee). But if you don't intend to swim, you will only pay PhP300. Then PhP100 for the entrance fee which includes the use of a life jacket. There are already tourists before us so we had to wait for our turn though the line isn't that long yet. So it was a good thing that we went there early.

click to enlarge

I actually expected that guests will be oriented about the rules or proper conduct in whale watching. But there was no briefing or orientation. You just have to refer to the code of conduct in their sign board →

We left our bags inside the sari-sari store which was also part of the whale shark watching site. We were a bit hesitant to leave our valuables there but we had no other choice but to leave it there. Thankfully, the people there are trustworthy. 

The taxi driver who brought us to the airport on our last day told us that he was from Tan-awan. He said that the town has long been a home to the whale sharks. Ever since he was a child he already saw and heard about the butandings. He said that there was a large whale shark before, as large as a Ceres bus. But it is no longer there, perhaps it's already dead. The driver further told us that fishermen don't dare kill these whale sharks because of their superstitious belief that if you take one from them, they will also take one from your family in return. 

Anyway, the whole encounter with the whale sharks was really really fun. I think you cannot fully appreciate these magical creatures if you don't see them underwater. Most tourists just watch them from above the water so I can't imagine how they enjoyed their time.lol Swimming or even just watching them underwater is truly a one heck of an  experience! The gentle giants are really magnificent, amazing, and magical. I love watching their spots that seem to glow underwater and their gills that seem to breathe life under the sea.

Here's a compilation of the underwater videos we took using Sony TX10.

music used: Shark in the Water by VV Brown

Right after the whale shark encounter, we took a shower and had our brunch. They serve food there like grilled fish and pork. There is also a carinderia across the street. On my DIY Cebu itinerary, we were supposed to go to Kawasan Falls after Oslob. But we got really tired swimming so we just headed back to Cebu City. :D

How To Get To Tan-awan, Oslob:

1. From Cebu City, go to South Bus Terminal.

2. Ride a bus going to Oslob.

3. Tell the "konduktor" to drop you at the whale shark watching site.

Summary of Expenses:

Dalaguete to Tan-awan - 50

Whale Shark Watching Fees:

Entrance - 100

Boat+Swimming - 320

Tan-awan to Cebu City (via aircon Ceres bus) - 155

Southbus Terminal to Sapaguita Hotel (Via Taxi) - 61

Total Expenses Per Person From Dalaguete To Tan-awan To Cebu City - PhP686

Total Expenses Per Person From Cebu City - Tan-awan & Vice Versa - PhP791

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I ♥ CEBU - Osmeña Peak

Our Iloilo - Cebu flight arrived at around 9am. Plan was to go to Osmeña Peak after lunch so we just stayed at SM City first to check some hiking gears and to have lunch. From the airport, we took a taxi cab going to SM which costed us PhP176.50 (I will provide a breakdown of all the expenses at the end of this post for reference). Since it was just past 9 yet, we stayed at Starbucks waiting for the mall to open. Starbucks frappuccino is one of my guilty pleasures so I couldn't resist the opportunity.lol

At around 1pm, we went to the south bus terminal near Elizabeth mall. We rode a jeepney going to "E-Mall" (short for Elizabeth Mall) with only PhP8.00 fare and walked our way going to the terminal. Just ask some vendors or security guards for a direction. You will have to pay for the terminal fee before going into the bus. The trip to Dalaguete is about 2 hours so we opted for an aircon Ceres bus. Just ask which bus is going to Dalaguete. The "konduktor" didn't know where Osmeña Peak is. He told us that there is NO Osmeña Peak in "Dalagit", only Ocean Bay. So I just told him to drop us at Dalaguete town proper. I don't know how to pronounce it actually but the "konduktor" pronounces it as "Dalagit".

As soon as we got off the bus, there are guides who would offer to take you to Osmeña Peak using a habal-habal or a motorcycle. The fare was PhP150 per person for a one-way trip. I wasn't sure if it was overpriced or not but we just accepted the offer. The winding road to Mantalongon was a bit scary especially when you're riding a habal-habal. All I did was trust the driver and the God above for our safety. When we finally got at the foot of the mountain that we were about to trek, there were two kids who served as our guide as we trekked our way at the peak. I think it took us 10-15 minutes to reach the peak and it was very tiring because we brought our bags with us. We actually told the driver to drop us at a nearby lodge at Dalaguete first to leave our bags but he though we wanted to stay at Mantalongon. 

There were only three tourists aside from us probably because it was Friday - Friday the 13th to be exact. ^^ When we went back, the habal-habal driver already smelled of Tanduay. He must had a few drinks when we went up at the peak. So that got us nervous because he had to drive us back to Dalaguete. Thankfully we had a safe trip back to Dalaguete and he dropped us at a lodge.

I forgot the name of the lodge - actually I don't know if it has a name.lol I just remember that it was painted in pink and it was near a school. The room rate was Php400/12 hrs. We checked-in at 6pm so it was already a good deal for us since we're planning to leave at 5am to go to Tan-awan for the whale watching. But I will cover that in my next post. :D

Summary of Expenses:

Taxi Fare (Airport to SM City Cebu - 176.50

Jeepney Fare (SM City Cebu to Elizabeth Mall) - 8/person

Southbus Terminal Fee - 5/person

Southbus Terminal to Dalaguete Town Proper (Via Aircon Ceres Bus) 105/person

Dalaguete to Osmeña Peak (via habal-habal)- 300/person (roundtrip)

Tourguide at Osmeña Peak (optional) - 100 (optional)

Dalaguete Lodge - 400/12hrs (for 2 persons)

Total Expenses for this trip: PhP756.25/person

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