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Friday, June 10, 2016

4 days in Davao with Cebu Pacific Air + Giveaway!

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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!

All assembled in the airport for our late night flight to Davao!
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Say hello to my travelling partners -  Beatrice (coordinator for this amazing trip!!), KelineCharleneMongChinJuliClaraLimaranJason 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
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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!

CEB is well known for its very Filipino culture of fun, through punny advertisements, in-flight games and safety demo dances! It also recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in March 2016 and launched its new cabin crew uniforms (designed by famed Cebuano designer Jun Escario) which I super love!!! Don't you think it represents the summer & beachy vibes of Cebu very well? Yellow for the sun and blue for the sea, accompanied with matchy straw hats!! Major cute!!
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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!
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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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CEB currently offers an extensive network of over 90 routes on 64 destinations spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Guam in the U.S. It also flies to 5 direct Philippine destinations from Singapore including Manila (32 times weekly), Clark & Cebu (7 weekly flights), Iloilo and Davao (3 weekly flights)!
So the next time you're heading to Philippines, do remember to check out Cebu Pacific Air on what it has to offer! ;)


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After a 3hrs++ flight, we arrived in Davao and checked into Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Davao situated right beside a super large mall called SM Lanang Mall! The hotel is connected to the mall by a bridge which makes it very convenient for us guests to drop by the mall to do some souvenir/snacks shopping! :D Not only does it offer great accommodation but it also offers wonderful amenities such as their bar/grill which serves international cuisine, a poolside lounge, outdoor pool, gym, meeting rooms and more!6
Settled in and slept in to prepare us for a full day of activities the next day!


DAY 1
We were all up early in the morning to explore Davao! In all honesty, it was actually my first time of hearing Davao and I had really no idea on what it has to offer me until this trip! Davao is the gateway to the southern Philippines, a hub of commerce, industry and transportation in the southern Mindanao region. It is a premier eco-adventure destination with many outdoor activities to offer, ranging from river-rafting to sky-cycling. It also has easy access to both the islands and highlands from the city!
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First stop of the day was to EDEN NATURE PARK!
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Eden Nature Park is a mountain resort 3000 feet above sea level. Visitors can enjoy the peaceful surroundings with the cool breeze and the thousands of pine trees which grow around the area. In addition to activities for the adventurous such as the Sky Cycle, Sky Rider and Sky Swing, Eden Nature Park also offers 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.

On our first stop in Eden Nature Park, we visited the Butterfly Garden!
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Isn't these shots of the butterflies so pretty!! Photo credits to the amazing talented official photographer Christian!

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We also visited the Flower Garden and came across this beautiful Rainbow Pass!
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We then took a break and had our lunch at their in-house cafe -  Cafe Vista!
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And ended off our lunch with a really popular Filipino dessert called Halo Halo!
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After lunch, we continued exploring Eden Nature Park!
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Amazing panoramic views :)
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The three of us were also coincidentally in wording tops~
YOU, I'M SERIOUS! NO COMMENTS.
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And finallyyyyyy, we arrived at what I would say, the main attraction of Eden Nature Park!
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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!
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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!!?!?!
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The Sky Cycle is definitely a MUST TRY where riders paddle a bicycle that is suspended 60 feet high and traversing 200 meters!!
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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!!
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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
But 3 cheers for us cuz we overcame it!!
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Victory is ourssssss!! Onwards to the finishing line! +
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So proud that we did it!!!! :D
Next up was the Sky Rider which is essentially zipline la!
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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!
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This wasn't scary at all!! It was soooooo fun and windy plus you get to see awesome views!!
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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
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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
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It was so much fun experiencing all these at Eden Nature Park especially the Sky Cycling!!
Do remember to check this place out the next time you're in Davao! ;)
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Eden Nature Park (prices per pax)
• Guided shuttle tour - PHP 120 (approx SGD 3.50)
• Sky Rider - PHP 150 (approx SGD 4.50)
• Sky Cycle - PHP 200 (approx SGD 6)
• Buffet Lunch - PHP 550 (approx SGD 16)
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Our 2nd stop for the day was to the PUBLIC SAFETY & SECURITY COMMAND CENTER!
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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. 
The PSSCC operates through coordinative approach to address the different issues of safety and security relative to Crime, Terrorism, Security, Traffic, Health and Social Services, Emergency Services, and Disaster Risk Reduction by using information, people, technology, and intelligent solutions. 
This coordination between, but not limited to, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the Task Force Davao (TFD), the Traffic Management Center (TMC), the Central 911, the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DCDRRMC), the Barangay Officials and other law enforcement agencies, plays a vital role in the operations of the PSSCC in furtherance of the peace and order of the city.

It was really interesting cuz we get to see all the CCTV footages all around the city live!
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We also happened to see some of the fire fighters having their vigorous training!

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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~
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Its main attraction is the “Original Ten Way Tuna Menu Experience” that utilizes all the major choice parts of the tuna into 10 delicious and healthy dishes cooked in the way you want them. Starting with its opener, The World Class Quality Tuna Sashimi, to the Original Davao Tuna Kinilaw, to the Cripsy Tuna Tail (Buntot) up to the Famous Mouth Watering Davao Tuna Panga (Collarbone) to name a few are now known to many. 
It offers guests a sumptuous dining experience with a variety of seafood coupled with other ala carte that creates a fusion of Japanese, Chinese and Filipino-Davao Specialties.

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Tuna Sashimi // Davao Tuna Kinilaw
Tuna Eye Soup //  Tuna Jaw Grilled

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Crispy Tuna Tail // Tuna Belly
Tuna Tendon // Tuna Kare-Kare

After the dinner, we did some shopping at SM Lanang Mall which is beside our hotel before calling it a night!


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DAY 2
Got up bright and early at 6am for a full day of water activities today! 
We conquered the sky on Day 1 and now onwards to conquering the sea on day 2!
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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!
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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!!
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Full of laughter whenever I'm with my girls!
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Damn nice la and the 3 of us were coincidentally in white!

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We finally reached the GIANT CLAM SANCTUARY and looked at what greeted us!!!
Ahhhhh the sea water so damn clear and blue!!
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The Giant Clam Sanctuary on Samal Island is an ongoing conservation project of the Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) Marine Reserve Park and Multipurpose Hatchery. The giant clams, locally known as taklobo, are the largest living bivalves (a family Tridacnidae) whose size can reach up to 50 meters and weigh up to 500 kilograms. It is a solar animal that needs the sun to survive, thrive and grow. Most of them line the coral reefs.
The tour highlights the 3,700 giant clamshells spanning across the 14-hectare sea. It includes an hour of snorkelling and island seeing the sights in the stunning body of water.
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All geared up and ready to snorkel!
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Look at how crystal clear the water is!!! We also got the opportunity to touch these Giant Glams!
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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!
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And don't worry, no starfishes were harmed in the process of taking these photographs!!
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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.
Quote 'Shennyyang' for a $5 off normal eyelash extensions // 50% off when you do the newest Milly's D' Volume Lash Series!

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Ahhhh fun times!! Can we rewind back to those days please!!
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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~~
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“Taklobo” Giant Clams Tour (prices per pax)
• Entrance fee - PHP 100 (approx SGD 3)
• Rental of snorkel gear - PHP 100
• Rental of rash guard - PHP 100
• Boat rental (for 1-12 guests) - PHP 500 (approx SGD 15)
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We had our lunch on board that day and it was a selection of some of the freshest seafood!! 
The lunch was surprisingly good, especially the satays!! Love it!
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Photo credits @explodingbelly

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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!
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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
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All smiles before sliding down the Giant Water Slide!
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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!!
We also wanted to try out the Water Blob (it looks really fun la!!) but after doing the Giant Water Slide just twice, we were all super worn out!! Had zero energy left to plunge into the sea once more~ Lol!

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Maxima Aquafun & Canopy Tours
• Day tour (Adults) - PHP 300 (approx. SGD 9)
• Day tour (Kids) - PHP 200 (approx. SGD 6)
*includes lifebelt, tram ride, unlimited use of waterslide, water blob, jumping board and canopy walk on weekends
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And here's more pictures taken by the lovely @chriztiandeleon while we were making our way back to our boat! It was honestly just a simple & rugged looking bridge, yet he could make the pictures turned out so !!
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Never a dull moment with my beebz
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By the time we returned back to our hotel, it was about evening time! We checked into our 2nd hotel of the trip - Seda Abreeza hotel Davao!

Seda Abreeza Hotel Davao Seda Abreeza offers 186 guestrooms for discerning travellers searching for the best hotels in Davao City - Southern Mindanao Island’s hub for commerce, tourism and industry. Located just across Abreeza Mall and about 20 minutes drive from Davao International Airport, the hotel ushers guests to a world of unparalleled comfort and convenience, and reflects the city progress with cutting-edge features that include an e-lounge with a bank of iMacs at the lobby and complimentary Wifi throughout the premises.
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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
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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??
I am not a fan of durians myself but the rest who tried it and said it was absolutely delicious!! ;)
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Dress from NEONMELLO (NMXSHENNY for a 10% off) | Bag from @tallulah.bag :)
Pic credits @chriztiandeleon

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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.
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The first stop of our #GirlsNightOut was to Eagles Bar @ Marco Polo Hotel!

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& we had the chance to try out their signature Davao Punch and Sapphire Road!

Next stop was to Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar!
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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!
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CHEERS!!!!!
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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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DAY 3
Yet another early call time for another round of water activity! This time round, we did white water rafting at DAVAO WILDWATER ADVENTURE!
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Davao Wildwater Adventure offers river rafting adventures along Davao River. Accompanied by trained rafting guides, the professionals ensure the safety of guests while making sure that they get the most adrenaline rush as they paddle and get tossed through 13 kilometres along Davao River’s roller coaster ride of fun.
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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!
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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
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Paddles High5!!
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It started drizzling halfway through and it was so fun and much more breezier/cooler compared to having the glaring hot sun!
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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
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And YAYYYY 3 cheers for all of us again cuz we survived and conquered the white water rafting!!
Definitely a fun activity to do plus you get to tone up those flabz arms
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Davao Wildwater Adventure
• Package rate of PHP 1700 per pax (minimum of 5 per group) (approx. SGD 50)
*includes transportation (From Crocodile Park to Rafting Area and back), lunch and refreshments, use of paddle and boat as well as Raft Guides
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Our last dinner of the trip was at a lovely restaurant called White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge!
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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.

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Our napkins folded into a suit! Lovely!

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Uni shots! Major love, this was the best!!

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This meal was definitely the best meal I had in Davao!
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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
We had our massage done at Pressure Points Spa!
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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!! :)

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Pressure Points Spa
• Holistic Body Massage - prices start from PHP 500 (Approx SGD 15)
• Foot massage - prices start from PHP 400 (Approx SGD 12)
• Facials - prices start from PHP 300 (Approx SGD 9)
• Waxing - prices start from PHP 200 (Approx SGD 6)
• Body scrubs and wraps - prices start from PHP 900 (Approx SGD 27)
• Other treatments including foot detoxification, ear candling, manicures and pedicures start from PHP 200 (Approx SGD 6)
• Packages also available on request
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DAY 4
Finally!!!! Keline and I managed to be up on time to have our breakfast only on our last day!! LOL we decided that sleep > breakfast so we would always sleep in a lil more and skip our breakkie hahah!
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After breakfast, we did some souvenir shopping at Aldevinco Shopping Center!
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Aldevinco is an 8,370 square meter square meter commercial complex located at the junction of Claro M. Recto Avenue and Manuel Roxas Boulevard, and was designed by a Filipino Architect Roman Solitaria of Manila. It was opened to the public and inaugurated on January 2, 1965.
An arts and crafts gallery of its own, it showcases the culture and heritage of the Mindanaoan. Here, you will find genuine Mindanaoan products, antiques, and a wide variety of colourful souvenir items - from mats, brooms, table cloths, and other house ornaments and accessories, musical instruments, tribal swords; to various Batik product, clothes, shawls, jewelleries, and ethnic fashion accessories like dangling earrings, bracelets, necklaces and anklets of beads and brass - an all-time fashion favourite in Davao City. There are also products imported from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.

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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! ;)
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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!
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Roaming around Davao city in CARRISLABELLE! Quote Shenny for discounts!
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After the souvenir shopping, it was back to Seda Abreeza Hotel Davao for our farewell lunch!
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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
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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!!
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#VisitDavao #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines #VisitThePhilippinesAgain2016

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I think most people only think of Manila, Boracay or Cebu when we talk about Philippines... but there's just so much more to it! I am glad I had this opportunity to visit another part of Philippines which is relatively much more unexplored and yet still has so much to offer :)
The Philippines’ largest airline, Cebu Pacific Air flies from Singapore to the eco-adventure capital of Davao thrice weekly. 
Lowest year-round fares start from SGD 182. For bookings and promos, visit https://www.cebupacificair.com/sg-en or call +65-315-80808.

For more information:
Cebu Pacific Air's social media:
Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // Youtube
Website: https://www.cebupacificair.com/sg-en

Philippine Department of Tourism (Region 11) - Davao
http://www.davaocity.gov.ph/tourism/
http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/destination/davao/


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PS: Cebu Pacific Air is holding a GIVEAWAY!! Stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to visit Davao! (Total 3 pairs to be given away!) Follow my instagram @shennyyang to find out how you can be one of these lucky winners! :)
Contest ends 19 June 2016, 2359.
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I hope this post was helpful to you guys in one way or another and till the next post~
 Shenny

1 comment:

  1. 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

    ReplyDelete