Manila Guide Online

Davao. Home of the Durian, and the birthplace of my mother. I am very intrigued with the culture, beliefs and their highlights. According to my mom she is fascinated by how discipline the people is in Davao. She also boast about their richness in fruits and peaceful scenery.

Davao, comparing sizes by land area, is the largest city in the Philippines and in the island of Mindanao. It has one of the most progressive economies in the country with its seaport and international airport being very active cargo hubs in the region. In the whole southern Philippines, Davao City remains as a strong business and investment center.

Some of the historic sites in Davao City include the Battle Memorial, a historical marker memorializing the longest battle between the Japanese and Filipino-American forces during World War II. Another place to visit is the Davao Historical Society Museum, which features its historic collections, located in Magsaysay Park. The Uyanguren Landing Site marks the area where the Spanish conqueror, which name it bears, first landed. He later became Davao’s first governor.

But if you also want panoramic views and a relaxing place at the beach, the n I recommend visiting the pearl Farm. Pearl Farm Beach Resort is located at Samal, an island off the coast of Davao City. Pearl Farm is a 45-minute boat ride from Davao City Wharf. The resort was once a pearl farm where thousands of white-lipped oysters were imported from Sulu and were cultivated for white, pink and gold pearls.

Pear Farm’s unique cottages were patterned from the traditional houses of the Samal Tribe in Sulu. The resort offers five different choices of cottages/villas; Balay House ($115), Samal House ($210), Mandaya House ($240), Samal Suite ($350) and Sunset Suite ($350).

So much for that, Davao also happens to be one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Visit Davao and be entangled with its delicious durian.

Just like Bohol’s man made forest, Davo also blooms its own nature park which is manmade 95 %. It offers leisure, garden fields and exciting packages for the entire family.

From their website:

A mountain resort 3,000 feet above sea level, Eden Nature Park is 95% man-made! It is a great model of how we can re-create nature and rebuild a lost environment.

Discovered sometime in 1971, the resort used to be a logged-over area covered only by a blanket of wild grass. Its potential was, however, readily seen by the owners as the property provided an imposing view of Davao City and the Davao Gulf.

Not long after, terraces were carved out of the mountain slope, and thousands of pine tree seedlings were planted. As the pine trees grew, they provided canopies allowing other trees and plants to grow and creating a secondary forest. Today, there are over 100,000 pine trees spread throughout 80 hectares, providing a refreshing backdrop to the various attractions in Eden Nature Park.

Eden Experience

In our quest to provide you a time of your life when you visit Eden, we make sure that every bit of chance you take would be through its offered experiences!

Become acquainted with nature and indulge in an authentic mountain experience – marked by cool crisp mountain air while enjoying the spectacular views of pine trees which exquisitely blend well with its background.

How many new adventures can you experience over a lifetime? What number would you give it? The answer is indefinite, given the infinite possibilities within this 80-hectare resort and your imagination, for you to explore.

Eden invites you to take it easy in a private leisure where you can savor quality and intimate moments with family, catch up on your reading or simply sit back and entertain your thoughts.

Beyond street dances, arts and festivals, Tinubdan presents a window to take a peek of the lives lived by our Mindanaon ancestors. Tinubdan gives you entirely new appreciation of cultural treasures.

Food found in abundant flavors in the careful preparation of natural fresh raw ingredients, in the specialties of this extraordinary marriage between local and international recipes.

Embrace each other amidst the luxury of romantic balcony rooms, feel miles away from all your daily worries and cherish time with the one you love.

Experience it all at Eden.

Isnt it beautiful to think that more and more people are getting closer and one with nature.

Lately have I been failing in love again with the beaches. It just so happen that my hometown is blessed with white sand beaches. Up north where you could also relax is the Alegre Beach resort. The place is very peaceful and is way from the crowded city.

This is a more tranquil and serene accommodation offering beautiful glimpses of nature to honeymooners, leisure travelers and nature lovers. Enjoy your own private cabana when staying at the Alegre Beach Resort along with televisions, mini-bars and air-conditioning. International and local cuisines are served throughout the day at the Pavilion Restaurant while the Cliff Restaurant offers the islands freshest seafood and barbeque. After dinner is served and the sun sets, guests are treated to live cultural performances. For the active travelers, enjoy a host of water sports provided by the hotel like kayaking and snorkeling. There is a business center equipped to meet most company needs. Spend a day at the fitness center followed by long spa treatments and massages. Its location on Calomboya Sogo allows quick access to a nearby golf course.

The resort also offers different activities to enjoy during your stay.

Biking and Trekking
The unique landscape of high rocky cliffs and the scenic natural environment are perfect for biking and trekking.

Nearby Golf Courses
Two golf courses are less than an hour’s drive away.

Snorkeling
The clear waters of Alegre Beach Resort allows you to observe a variety of colorful reef fishes and corals up close.

Kayaking
Kayaking can be enjoyed as either a leisurely workout for beginners or a challenging sport for the experienced pro. Imagine gliding freely on the surface of the water, getting to see the beautiful sights of nature, and enjoying a cardiovascular workout while you are at it. This recreational sport is a great way to tone your chest and arms and can even be enjoyed by people with mobility disabilities.

Jet-skiing
No traffic. No speed cops. Zoom at top speed or just feel the wind in your face. Experience the thrill of the never-ending jet take-off. Experience freedom!

Like I said in most in my blogs, I am a beach lover. Obviously since this are one of the things I constantly talked about. Just recently did I discovered a small resort but filled with mouth watering sceneries. Just located 4 hours from Cebu City in the town of Bato, Santander is Eden Resort.

Eden Resort is a family owned and operated resort in southern Cebu.

While offering you services you can only expect of the best renowned hotels and resorts, we can also keep a closer relation to our guests with a personal touch you can’t get from a big resort with too many guests to keep a personal relation to.

Our goal is to offer you a western standard of living in the beautiful Philippine country side.

Leisure Activities offered at Eden Resort includes:

Why not take a ride in one of our ocean kayaks? Revitalizing for body and mind.

FeelFree Kayak – The Best Feeling On Water: We rely on kayaks from Feelfree International as they have more than 10 years experience in the design, development and production of quality kayaks moulded from high performance plastics.

Toby’s Sports – Over 30 years experience on supplying the sporting industry with quality products: The kayaks are supplied to us by Toby’s Sports. With 36 branches all over the Philippines they have a branch close to you as well.

Jamis Bikes – Mountain Bikes: Jamis has manufactured bikes since 1979. Since 1981 they have been on the leading edge of development of professional and recreational mountain bikes.

Kona Bikes – Mountain Bikes: Kona bikes of Canada has manufactured high performance mountain bikes since 1993.

YKK Trading – The most well equiped mountain bike store in Cebu: We get our bikes from YKK Trading in Cebu. YKK Trading offers a wide range of bike brands and accessories, each market leaders in their own right.

Plantation Bay a five star hotel and resort in Cebu is truly amazing. Aside from its classy interiors ad inviting pools, it is also eco conscious.

Plantation Bay provides free school bus service in the community, making it possible for hundreds of local children (who could not afford public transportation) to obtain a basic education. On a continuing basis, we support a number of local residents for vocational training. In 2004 Plantation Bay paid for the reforestation of about 120 hectares in Cebu’s highlands, and provided most of the funding to build and operate a day-care center for indigent families in South Cebu City.

The employees of Plantation Bay enjoy good salaries and benefits. Equally important, all staff members are treated with dignity and respect as part of the Plantation Bay Family. Training and career-advancement opportunities are provided to all staff members. A flattened and informal hierarchy system improves work performance and efficiency while providing a personal sense of satisfaction to every staff member. For these reasons, Plantation Bay is considered one of the best workplaces in the country. Guests quickly notice and appreciate our staff’s excellent morale and eagerness to please.

Our lovely artificial lagoon was built over a site consisting of barren rock, so no ecosystem was destroyed for the resort. To create fabulous white-sand beaches bordering the lagoon, mountain stone was quarried and crushed into fine grains. (A bonus is that, unlike real beach sand, ours is always cool to the touch, even under direct sun.) Thus, no natural beaches or sandbars were despoiled. The fine woods used in some furniture were recycled from old houses or church timbers. The wood ceilings seen in the lobby and many bedrooms and meeting rooms are actually made of ordinary plywood, painstakingly hand-stained to simulate the look of mahogany panels.

Extensive use was made of coconut timber, a widely-available renewable resource. Other coconut parts of little commercial value were used in decorations and finishes around the resort. The use of plastics was avoided wherever possible, a feature which also lessens fire and smoke hazards.

The resort simply makes heaven so much closer. It has well furnished and comfy rooms and the pools are one of the highlights. The resort also has a spa which is very relaxing.

The spa’s setting is uniquely charming, designed to resemble an 18th century Tokugawa Japanese village with its own thundering waterfalls, creek, and fog-like mist. Open your skin’s pores and float away your cares in a soothing hot spring; rejuvenate your body in a stimulating mineral bath; and enjoy a vigorous hydro-massage in the main waterfall basin.

Visit Cebu and always remember this beautiful location by the beach.

Cebu has an extended island which is called Mactan Island. It is well commercialized with malls, factories, beach resorts and villages. Mactan Island also gives you the best five star hotels. If you are on a tight budget, there is also some resort that just asks for an P70 entrance fee. Shangrila-Mactan is a five star hotel and resort that offers one of the best amenities and sight in Cebu.

The Philippines’ premier five-star resort, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa Cebu is a lush garden retreat ideal for vacationers and families. This Cebu luxury resort features kid’s play areas, a wide range of restaurants, and CHI, one of the largest and most luxurious spas in the region.

ROOMS

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa offers a selection of room types which feature a range of amenities in addition to a level of service that goes the extra distance. It is this Shangri-La standard for service excellence that separates Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa from other Cebu resorts.

Set amid 14 hectares of lush tropical greenery, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa offers 547 luxurious, expansive guest rooms and suites in two wings: the Main Wing and the Ocean Wing.

Each guestroom features a decor which blends contemporary Filipino furnishings with indigenous elements such as abaca, capiz, banana leaf and rattan, and offers private balconies with spectacular views of Mactan Sea and the surrounding Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary and islets.

Dining

Restaurants

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa offers a range of tempting dining options to indulge in during your stay in Cebu. Restaurants on offer include our new Acqua restaurant, featuring the best of contemporary Italian cuisine, to perennial family favourites such as Cowrie Cove, a great spot to enjoy fresh seafood by the beach.

Lounges & Bars

Whether on the beach, by the pool or at our E-Zone entertainment center, a refreshing cocktail, cooling drink or light snack is never far away. While the night away at the lively ChillOut Bar.

Health & Leisure

Whether your plans include family adventure, rejuvenation or pure relaxation, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa offers an enticing array of activities for both adults and children.

Our signature spa, CHI, is one of the largest and most luxuriously appointed spas in Asia. Each treatment takes place in one of our private spa villas or suites, allowing you to indulge your senses in spacious and private surroundings

Apart from all that, Shangri-la is one of the tourist attractions because of its white beaches, calm surroundings and hospitable crew.

Meetings

With exceptional service and an idyllic location coupled with an impressive array of modern facilities, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa functions as an ideal wedding and meeting venue in Cebu.

With a relaxing, lush tropical setting overlooking the Mactan Sea, the latest facilities, and attentive, professional Shangri-La service, Mactan Resort and Spa offers a premier location for your event or special occasion in Cebu.

Weddings

Our professional wedding specialists look forward to helping you take advantage of our romantic tropical setting tempting catering options, and attentive service for your most special occasions, be it an intimate family gathering or a large banquet reception.

The Ocean Pavilion, a glass-enclosed architectural masterpiece offers breathtaking view of the ocean, perfect for the most romantic and intimate wedding ceremonies and receptions.

For celebrations of a grand scale, The Marquee is a spacious, fully-air conditioned tent that can seat up to 1,000 guests.