My Davao trip continues with my older sister as we explore other provinces in the region. I can say I had a great time at the region and staying away from the bust streets of metro and chaos and mostly traffic is always a great idea.




I was so determined to climb any mountain in Mindanao. When I booked this ticket a year ago my plan is to climb Mt. Apo but given the tragedy happen in between as my trip gets nearer the plan was changed thus visiting all the provinces of Davao Region instead. But despite that, I still managed to look for alternative, though a bit far from the structure and physique of Mt. Apo but still a mountain in Davao. The only mountain I can climb on a dayhike and on a half-day is Mt. Kiyawa in Davao Occidental. Thanks to LOGSAC blog for his entry about the mountain for I was able to reach the place.










On my 4th day in Davao Region, we are heading to another destination and my 4th province in Mindanao. We arrive at Davao Occidental around 10:30 in the morning of a Sunday. I am so excited because I am going to climb my first mountain in Mindanao. Though as the title suggest “failed hike” so you know how this trip ended. But good thing I have a second destination on this province if ever we finish climbing early.

We weren’t able to climb because the barangay is close and I don’t want to do it “backdoor” style. You know without permission from the authorities. I want to do it the right way. But the barangay is close and they are pin pointing different names and no one from their part will guide us so I decided to just head to our second destination. The Little Boracay in Sta. Maria Davao Occidental.

It's really a good thing to have a back-up plan whenever you travel, to always ready if your plan a doesn't work. But if none you can always ask around and enjoy being lost and discover places you never thought finding.

My trip to Davao Del Sur is jampacked! We went to two different landmarks that is far away from each other. I said “we” because this time my older sister joins me. The initial plan is to backpack Davao Region alone. But I tease my older sister who also climbs that I will visit this certain lake which will give me a nice view of Mt. Apo. I think every mountaineer’s dream is to climb the highest mountain in the Philippines but after it’s fire accident they close it down leaving us no choice but to just stare it from afar which is fine with me though.

Another is that it is our first time to travel together, to travel just the two of us and I feel so excited. This is also the first time my sister will be doing a backpacking.

We met at the grand terminal and we start our adventure to explore the Baguio City of the South. Why Baguio City of the south? The climate change and there were pines trees everywhere! Cold weather in a perfect place.

Our first stop is the Eden Nature Park. This is the best place in Davao Del Sur for any kind of outing, be it with Family or Friends or Company outing. The place has a lot to offer and you will never run out of things to do. ****

The only plan here aside from roaming around is to do a sky cycle which I am dying to try since my Bohol trip. My sister who still have fear of heights is game to try it too. And we enjoyed it. The whole experience was fun and I will gladly do it again.

The entrance to Eden Nature Park has a complimentary food which we chose a nice spaghetti meal. HAHA! My all-time favorite dish. When we think we had enough of the park we head to our next destination. To see Mt. Apo face to face.

It took us two hours to reach the lake where we are going to stay for overnight. It was around one in the afternoon when we arrive at the Lake Mirror. But it has two address and the one we are looking for is the one farthest from where we alighted. So we walk another two kilometers to Lake Mirror. Lake Mirror previously Mt. Apo Highland Resort now Camp@Tagan Lake Mirror and Hillside in Kapatagan, Digos City. It has two campsites the lower level is situated in the lake where it mirrors the highest peak in the country Mt. Apo, thus the name.

After setting up our tent I easily doze-off and into my dream I succumb. I felt really tired from work from previous days before this trip while my sister is busy roaming around the place and taking so much picture. And oh, by the way, my sister bring a new memory card. :D When I woke up l felt tired twice the one from before I sleep. It was almost night that we just ate our dinner then I go back to sleep right away.

We are the only guest in the resort. It was so quiet and all creepy things you can think of. There are closed cottages but since we are on budget trip (though my sister can afford this but I decided to just settle on a tent) The caretaker of the place told us that the best time to see Mt. Apo is right before sunrise and after it for the  clouds will surely cover it.

I woke up around four in the morning and I am already wide awake and ready to see Mt. Apo. We were so thrilled to see it when we go out the tent. We were like kids seeing something so amazing for the first time. Dreams do come true! And I promise myself while staring at it that I will be climbing it when they open it.

We spend the entire one hour and half taking so much picture of the highest mountain in the Philippines, taking turns to take a photo with it on the background.

Again, when we think we had enough time admiring it I suggest on heading to our next province: Davao Occidental.



My trip to this two spots in Davao Del Sur dated last November 12, 2017, is an official entry to my 81 Before 30 Challenge.

During my planning stage on my backpacking in Davao Region there is only one place I have in mind to visit in Davao Oriental, and that is the town of Mati. It was when my enthusiasm with surfing is at its peak so definitely Mati is expected on the list. Plus I really wanted to start my Davao Region adventure on a beach. Thus finding the paradise in Mati: Amihan sa Dahican.

Arriving in Davao with my 60L bag with all the things I am expecting I’ll be needing for the next couple of days.

Surprisingly, there is a beach in Mati that is worth the travel time. Davao Oriental is on the farthest right side of Davao City and four hour long bus drive needs to be endured to reach the place. You will be passing by different towns and provinces before you will set foot on the surfing capital of Davao. But again as I’ve said it is worth it.

My flight to Davao is as early as five in the morning so surely I will be arriving early at the province and I’ll have enough time to travel to Mati. Going from places to another in Davao starts with their grand terminal. From the airport I take a cab going to the terminal and from there I take an air-con bus going to Mati. I intentionally chose a window seat so I will have so much time admiring the entire region while on trip and it did not fail me. I suggest you to do the same because you get to see parts of the region while on the bus, not to mention passing by Davao Del Norte and Compostela Valley but if you want to just sleep it off it is entirely up to you. On my part I enjoy long bus ride so I really don’t mind.

In Mati also lies the famous Sleeping Dinosaur. The initial plan is to get off to that part first before I head to Dahican. But fail to do so because the conductor forgot to tip me off and I don’t blame him it’s fine with me I can just visit the island the next day.

Arriving at the terminal I need to ride another tricycle to bring mo to Dahican. It was another twenty minutes ride and the driver is kind enough to take me to this I <3 Mati that I am obsessed with everytime I visit a place (probably because of bitterness happened on my Cebu trip haha!).

Mati is full of coconut trees and I am so addicted to them, the sceneries are all amazing, the weather is good, the air clean and the place is just so peaceful.

When I arrive at Amihan Sa Dahican, a guy I forgot the name (I’m really sorry) welcomes me and assist me on the place and on where I’ll put up my own tent. Then I finally met the guy behind Amihan Sa Dahican Kuya Winston who happily takes care of the place, the kids, and most especially the sea turtles that hatch on the place. If you know me personally I have a thing with sea turtles and I even had it tattooed on my right wrist, too bad that time they just released the baby sea turtles.

Kuya Winston helped me setup my tent and told me to rest for a while before we take the surfing lesson. While setting up and all we had a little conversation about the place and it feels like I’m home instantly. The place is so peaceful and amazing. The sand is almost white, the water is so blue and green, the community is amazing, and it is definitely one happy place for me. Too bad I only have overnight to enjoy the place. So I really make the most out of it.

Three in the afternoon comes and we’re ready to play on the waves! It is my first time so it was an amazing feeling! And I realize so many things that time that when your mind is on something you can do it right away there and there! I easily learned how to surf, of course the basic stuff only, like standing on the board and balancing on my first try. Kuya Winston is the one teaching me and the other guy earlier was the one taking the pictures from the shore. Kuya Winston told me that I am a fast learner and can take the surfing into next level that I just need to practice my paddling more because it’s tiring really. :P But that was the best one hour of my life. I had the best time with the waves and my long board. And I am definitely hooked there and there.

After my surfing lesson I washed up and Kuya Winston takes me to the other side of the island where the non-surfers go for a swim. There is no waves there and the sun set there too. I mentioned to him that I love sunsets so we had a short trip there. Too bad it was a bit gloomy and cloudy so I did not see the sunset in Mati.

I had a dinner beside Amihan Sa Dahican, it is a resort hotel with restaurant, Kuya Winston take me there too after a short trip on the other side of and told me to just walk to the front beach if I’m going home. It was already dark when I finished eating dinner and head back to Amihan.

During my conversation with Kuya Winston earlier I mentioned to him that I am planning to dreads my hair soon. He delightedly told me that his hair before was dreads and had it done by himself and offers me to dreads mine too for free. Who am I to disagree?? I said yes of course but only one big strand of dreads only. After they finish eating dinner we start our dreads session and chit-chat continues. Dreads takes time to make we spend the entire night dreading just one! But all is fine, I’ve been dreaming to have mine for long.

Kuya Winston takes good care of me during my stay, I did mention about my fascination with sea turtles and feels bad that I will not get to see the hatching so after dreads session we roam the long stretch of Dahican beach to look for sea turtles but we saw none. I felt bad though but there’s always a next time. We end up drinking with his friends and afterwards call it a night.

I am so excited to wake up the next day because sunset being on the other side means sunrise will be in front of me. It was as early as four in the morning when the sky breaks. But it was so gloomy and so cloudy but still a magnificent view.

That was one of my best morning. I get to see the community in Amihan. The kids woke up early to start enjoying and catching the wave with their skimboard. I watch them as they ride those waves and the feeling is surreal. They were so simple and just fell in love with the waves of the water. I envy them for that. How simple life here with the waves to make them happy.

After playing on the waves they prepare for school and I was left there contemplating if I really want to go back to Manila. HAHA! I fell in love with how my one and only strand of dreads turns out and asked Kuya Winston to dreads more up to a total of five strands. It eats the entire morning and I really wanted to stay for long but can’t because I need to visit Compostela Valley too. I am way out of my itinerary for staying until late lunch in Dahican. Dreading my hair gives me so much time to hear stories from the local which I am forever loving to do whenever I visit a new province. Their stories are worth listening and I promise myself to visit the place and to stay for a week and can’t wait for September this year for I will be going back and making the promise a reality.

I had a morning surf too with Kuya Winston, no taking of pictures this time just there enjoying the waves under the scorching sun and again I had the greatest time of my life. I tried skim boarding and I know it wasn’t for me or I just had a rough start? HAHA! The waves swallowed me whole and got rolled over by those sands that it goes all on my hair and scalp! A nice welcome to my five strand dreads. Imagine how hard it is to remove those sands. After washing most of it from my hair I take the shower and had the saddest moment of my life. Bidding goodbye to the place I fell in love with.

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