The last time I visited Philippines was almost exactly a year ago (to Boracay) and I seriously miss it so damn much!!! This time round, I had the chance to visit Davao where I got to explore some of Davao's most popular attractions including Eden Nature Park, Davao Crocodile Park's White Water Rafting Adventure, Maxima Aquafun and snorkelling at the Giant Glam Sanctuary in Samal Island!
Say hello to my travelling partners - Beatrice (coordinator for this amazing trip!!), Keline, Charlene, MongChin, Juli, Clara, Limaran, Jason and our two Nuffnang managers, Amantha and Madeline!
So happy to have my b Keline with me this trip!!!! What would I do without youuuuuuuu
This trip is in celebration of Cebu Pacific Air's (CEB) latest direct international route to Davao which was recently launched in December 2015!! Cebu Pacific Air entered the aviation industry in March 1996 and pioneered the "low fare, great value" strategy and has flown over 125 million passengers and counting!
Cebu Pacific Air also serves a wide range of in-flight food such as Chicken Inasal, Thai Chicken & Mango Curry, Beef Teriyaki, Asian Style Beef Stew, Baked Macaroni, Szechuan Chicken Noodles, Grilled Chicken & Veg Sandwich and Oriental Peach & Chicken Sandwich! Lots of choices huhhh!
CEB also gave me an opportunity to check out a commercial airplane's cockpit for the first time in my life! I was really in awed at the amount of buttons & switches they have inside~ Lol.
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First stop of the day was to EDEN NATURE PARK!
Isn't these shots of the butterflies so pretty!! Photo credits to the amazing talented official photographer Christian!
We also visited the Flower Garden and came across this beautiful Rainbow Pass!
We then took a break and had our lunch at their in-house cafe - Cafe Vista!
And ended off our lunch with a really popular Filipino dessert called Halo Halo!
After lunch, we continued exploring Eden Nature Park!
Amazing panoramic views :)
The three of us were also coincidentally in wording tops~
And finallyyyyyy, we arrived at what I would say, the main attraction of Eden Nature Park!
It's time to try out the Sky Cycling and Sky Rider! Bring it on!!!
But first, safety first!! Gotta strap on those helmets and harness!
The Sky Cycle was our first challenge! Honestly..... it didn't seem as high up when viewed from below but boyyyy when we started climbing the stairs up and eventually reaching the top, I became kinda nervous!!?!?!
I honestly almost chickened out of this Sky Cycle! Lol. And it's not that I am afraid of heights eh, but I just don't know why I hesitated?? It just seemed really scary!!!! Plus the rope to hold the bicycle kept shaking omg I was really damn scared la!!! But anyhowz, the first group went and came back and told me it's really fun so I mustered up my courage and went for it which I didn't regret at all!!
Keline even almost cried cuz she was really damn scared. I think its because she's so scared and it somehow had an impact on me so I ended up being scared too. HAHAHAH
Victory is ourssssss!! Onwards to the finishing line! + +
So proud that we did it!!!! :D
The Sky Rider is a set of 200-meter long steel cables suspended roughly 20 meters in the air between two steel towers, on which you glide along suspended while enjoying the view of Davao City and Davao gulf!
This wasn't scary at all!! It was soooooo fun and windy plus you get to see awesome views!!
The last of all was this Sky Swing where it hoists riders 80 feet above the ground. When in its highest position, the ride reaches a maximum height of 95 feet! When I saw the Sky Swing, all I had in my mind was "OKAY I AM DEFINITELY NOT DOING THIS" lol not yolo enough indeed
Here's the brave Charlene and Amantha who went on first to try the Sky Swing!! Omg even Keline went to try it lor!! Hahahaha I don't know where they get the courage from, I seriously cannot deal with this at all!!
So they went all the way up to the top and the next moment, boooffffff they just came flying all the way down. Omg I was like shouting in fear for them omg!! EVEN WHILE WATCHING I DAMN GANCHIONG AND NERVOUS FOR THEM PLEASE!! I can't imagine myself doing this omgggggggzzz
It was so much fun experiencing all these at Eden Nature Park especially the Sky Cycling!!
PSSCC is a division under the Davao City’s Office of the City Mayor. It was created through Executive Order No. 18 Series of 2012, specifically to provide protection, security, safety and risk management to the people of Davao City.
It was really interesting cuz we get to see all the CCTV footages all around the city live!
We also happened to see some of the fire fighters having their vigorous training!
Before coming to Davao, I was told that Davao is like a 2nd Singapore, in the sense that it is very safe and rules here were also pretty strict! After visiting the PSSCC, I finally understood why!
For dinner that night, we had it at MARINA TUNA~
Tuna Sashimi // Davao Tuna Kinilaw
Crispy Tuna Tail // Tuna Belly
After the dinner, we did some shopping at SM Lanang Mall which is beside our hotel before calling it a night!
We took a boat ride to SAMAL ISLAND which is a world-class destination for those who wants to get a taste of its unspoiled beaches, rich marine life and culture!
Since the boat ride took awhile to reach Samal Island, we decided to turn it into our photoshoot location instead! And I absolutely love how the pictures turned out! Thank you @chriztiandeleon and Cebu Pacific Air once again for the amazing pictures!!
Full of laughter whenever I'm with my girls!
We finally reached the GIANT CLAM SANCTUARY and looked at what greeted us!!!
All geared up and ready to snorkel!
Look at how crystal clear the water is!!! We also got the opportunity to touch these Giant Glams!
But what really caught my attention was the countless number of starfishes!! They were like.. e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!!!!!!! Of cuz, I had to take a photo with it and I absolutely love the results of this underwater shot!
And don't worry, no starfishes were harmed in the process of taking these photographs!!
So much love for Milly's for always doing my eyelashes so perfectly! It not only saves me so much time while doing my makeup, but it also prevents me from looking too cui/shag from all the water activities!! Most of my makeup were gone by the end of the day so I thank God for these eyelash extensions otherwise I'd look super hideous!! Lol.
Ahhhh fun times!! Can we rewind back to those days please!!
This was also where I got to take this photo which I major loveeeee and that's why it became my blog banner too hehe. Living the mermaid life~~
We had our lunch on board that day and it was a selection of some of the freshest seafood!!
Photo credits @explodingbelly
All things Billabong!! Also a special shoutout to Billabong for providing us with amazing swimwear, apparels, slippers and beach bag this trip!! Thank you Billabong!!!
Right after lunch, we travelled to our next destination - MAXIMA AQUAFUN & CANOPY TOURS!
An adventure paradise in Samal, Maxima Aquafun & Canopy Tours is known for its exhilarating water sports activity. Its natural beautiful landscape mesmerises all the guests as it appears like a floating resort on the sea. It is famous for its 40 meters giant slide along the cliff that cascades towards the water, canopy walk, and perfect scuba diving spots. Activities available include the Giant Water Slide, Water Blob and Canopy Walk.
We were told to set a challenge for ourselves for this trip and coincidentally, both Keline and I chose this as our challenge as we thought it'd be pretty scary to slide down this huge slide that sends us plunging right into the ocean!? Especially for Keline since she can't even swim lolololol
All smiles before sliding down the Giant Water Slide!
Here's a short clip of myself going down the slide~ Hahahah it was really funny cuz I kinda flipped and somersaulted into the water LOL. It wasn't really captured in the video though but yeahhhh check it out!!
Never a dull moment with my beebz
Showered and changed into a new set of clothings before heading to Waterfront Insular Hotel, Lanang, Davao City for our dinner with the Philippine Department of Tourism (Region 11)! Apart from enjoying a special seafood dinner by the beachfront, we also had the chance to watch a cultural performance put up by the Kalumon Performing Group!
Kalumon means a close knit of kin, family, or clan. This is the inspiration that moved young performing artists to group together, creating contemporary performing pieces rooted in the culture indigenous to the Filipinos. They perform the modernized version of Mindanao dances - neo-ethnic dance.
And oh, do you know that Davao is really famous for their DURIANSSSSS as well??
Dress from NEONMELLO (NMXSHENNY for a 10% off) | Bag from @tallulah.bag :)
And here's a big group shot with all the bloggers, guides and Philippine Department of Tourism (Region 11) - Davao!
After the dinner, it was the much anticipated Davao Pub Crawl!!! Well I guess by now you all should know that I am rather into the night life scene! Hehehe :p The pub crawl is a tourism program initiated by DOT-XI and private sector partners that features Davao City’s urban night life to further boost tourism in the city. The tour includes visits to pubs in the downtown area of the city that offers unique concoction of drinks.
The first stop of our #GirlsNightOut was to Eagles Bar @ Marco Polo Hotel!
& we had the chance to try out their signature Davao Punch and Sapphire Road!
Next stop was to Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar!
This bar was quite an interesting one! They serve infused rum made with local Davao fruits and ingredients! Some of those we had the chance to try includes the Chilli Rum (srsly spicy!), Pineapple Rum, Mango Rum etc!
CHEERS!!!!!
Though the night was still young, we ended the pub crawl after 2 stops cuz we were all feeling pretty tired from the full day of activities! However, as part of the pub crawl, there are still 3 other participating bars including *147 Beer Avenue, Blue Room Jazz Bar - Apo View Hotel and Primo Cafe and Grillez!
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After doing some crash course on how to handle the raft/how to get back on the raft if we happened to fall out of it etc... off we went to conquer the 13km of Davao River!
Though it was tiring at some points, it was definitely a great experience and so much fun!! Hahaha I could still remember when our raft collided with a huge rock and I fell out of the raft... for the next couple of minutes I was just bumping into rocks all over LOL. It wasn't exactly pain but it was pretty funny cuz I was trying hard to get back onto the raft but always found myself crashing into another oncoming rock
Paddles High5!!
It started drizzling halfway through and it was so fun and much more breezier/cooler compared to having the glaring hot sun!
We even got the chance to jump off the raft and just swam for the next 1km or so in the river! Technically we didn't even have to swim cuz the current kept pushing us forward lol
And YAYYYY 3 cheers for all of us again cuz we survived and conquered the white water rafting!!
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Built by Robert Ker during 1920’s, The White House has been restored and transformed into an elegant fine-dining restaurant and wine lounge. More than the picturesque setting, the White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge is also a landmark, offering modern fusion dishes in a very cosy environment.
Our napkins folded into a suit! Lovely!
Uni shots! Major love, this was the best!!
This meal was definitely the best meal I had in Davao!
To end off our last night, we did MASSAGE!!! OMG my eyes literally glowed when I heard the word M-A-S-S-A-G-E... Time to reward ourselves after working hard the past few days! Lol
Located along J.P Rizal Ave, Pressure Points Spa is one of Davao’s homegrown spa and wellness centres. Its facilities include shower rooms, saunas and massage rooms. Prior to having our massage done, blood pressure was taken as well so I thought it was pretty professional of them! The massage was really comfy too, it was such a relief to our tired bodies!! :)
DAY 4
After breakfast, we did some souvenir shopping at Aldevinco Shopping Center!
Oh did I mention that Davao is well known for their pearls as well? Now ladies, you know what to get the next time you're in Davao! ;)
Keline and I got some souvenirs for you guys as giveaways (It's a BFF set!) so if you like it, head down to Nuffnangsg's Dayre to find out how you can win it!
Roaming around Davao city in CARRISLABELLE! Quote Shenny for discounts!
After the souvenir shopping, it was back to Seda Abreeza Hotel Davao for our farewell lunch!
We were served a mixture of regional favourites as well as international classics! That pomelo salad was damn gooooood tho!!
And presenting the cutest dessert ever!! Almost too cute I couldn't bear to destroy it hahaha
And then it was time for us to say goodbye~~ Both Keline and I were dying not to go back cuz we were having so much fun here in Davao! But I am sure there will come a day we'll get the opportunity to visit Davao again! Once again, thank you Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Department of Tourism (Region 11) - Davao and last but not the least, Nuffnang for making this amazing trip possible!!
#VisitDavao #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines #VisitThePhilippinesAgain2016
I'm from Davao and I have to say this is one of the best reviews/travel blog entries about Davao which I have seen :) I hope you will be back! :D Glad you had fun
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