Cold weather, towering agoho trees, and picturesque view of mountain – these are things that Filipinos, especially those from Luzon, associate with Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, and to Sagada, Mountain Province (READ: Sagada, Mountain Province: A Traveler’s Haven).
But, little do we know that in Mindanao, people could also have the same experience that Baguio City could offer, and more. Located in the base of Mount Kitanglad, Barangay Dahilayan in the Municipality of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, is truly one of the best kept secrets of Mindanao, which is undoubtedly at par with Baguio City in terms of beauty. However, unlike the latter, Dahilayan is less crowded and the air quality is better, as there were less people living within the area.
As with most Filipinos, I never knew about this place until our trip to Bukidnon. Our Dahilayan trip was part of our 5-day Mindanao adventure, which started in Butuan City (READ: Delta Discovery Park in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte: A must try 1.3 km-long zip-line challenge!). Our friend made Dahilayan last in our itinerary because she wanted to ensure that we would be able to rest before we went back to Luzon.
The trek going to Dahilayan Gardens and Resort was not difficult at all, especially since the weather was really cold. We arrived at the venue around early afternoon, so, upon our arrival, the first thing we did was to order our lunch (and our dinner as well). After we’re done with our meal and settled our accounts, we went to the campsite and left our bags. We then spent the rest of our afternoon at Dahilayan Adventure Park, which was just beside Dahilayan Gardens and Resort. My friends tried some of their extreme activities, including their dropzone, which was really frightening even for spectators.
Then, before we went back to our campsite, we went outside of the adventure park to have a very short stroll. The view along the road was really nice. There were numerous log cabins, and even some old planes. You could also enjoy the sight of Dahilayan’s vast greenery.
We had our dinner at the Sun Room of the Dahilayan Gardens and Resort. Although I could say that the food was not that good, at least it was well compensated by the romantic ambiance of the place. After we had our dinner, we went straight to the campsite where we had a bonfire and enjoyed the rest of the night.
In the morning, we prepared all our things before we headed to Pine Grove Mountain Lodge Restaurant to have our breakfast. The restaurant was located inside Dahilayan Adventure Park. For me, I found this restaurant really great. It was clean and looked elegant, the food was delicious, their service crew was accommodating, and above all, the price of their food was not that expensive.
After we’re done with our breakfast, we went back to our campsite and did our last minute preparations. At around 10am, we were fetched by a car, which we rented in Cagayan de Oro. Although we spent less than 24 hours in Dahilayan, I could really say that I enjoyed our stay there and would definitely go back there if given the opportunity.
When we left, we took nothing but pictures, we left nothing but memories.
Additional notes:
- Magnum has one trip only daily going to Dahilayan at 9AM and one trip back to CDO at 4PM.
- Dahilayan Gardens and Resort is open from Tuesday to Sunday (and all Holidays) from 8am to 5pm.
- You may contact Dahilayan Gardens and Resort through:
- Mobile no. : +63 917 7147229
- E-mail : dahilayangardensandresort@yahoo.com
- Website: http://dahilayangardensandresort.com/contact-us/
- You may contact Dahilayan Adventure Park through:
- Mobile no. : 0922-880-1319
- E-mail : zipzoneinq@yahoo.com
- Website: http://www.dahilayanadventurepark.com/
- Always be reminded of a simple rule: garbage in, garbage out. Help in protecting and conserving our environment.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to send my sincerest gratitude to Ms. Carenne Amador-Jabay for providing me with the travel guide and as well as the estimated budget; also to her family for allowing us to stay at their home.
| Travel Guide | ||
| Route | Mode of Transportation | Estimated Travel Time |
| Laguindingan Airport to CDO (Lim Ket Kai Center) | Magnum van or coaster | 1 hour |
| CDO (Lim Ket Kai Center) to Dahilayan | Magnum van or coaster | 1.5 hours |
| Dahilayan crossing to Dahilayan Gardens Resort | Foot | 15 minutes |
| Estimated Budget (in Pesos) | |
| Transportation (one-way) | |
| Laguindingan Airport to CDO (Lim Ket Kai Center) | 199 |
| CDO (Lim Ket Kai Center) to Dahilayan | 249 |
| Entrance Fee (Dahilayan Gardens and Resort) | |
| Children | 40 |
| Adult | 60 |
| Accommodation (Dahilayan Gardens and Resort)* | |
| Hydrangea (2-bedroom cottage, good for 6 people) | 8,000 |
| Amaryllis (Good for 4 people) | 4,500 |
| Salvia (Good for 8 people) | 6,500 |
| Additional bed | 500 |
| Camping** | |
| Camping Fee per person (1st night) | 200 |
| Camping Fee per person (succeeding night) | 150 |
| Tent rental per person per night | 75 |
| Sleeping bag rental per person per night | 100 |
| Kitchen Use – Stove (10pax/day) | 200 |
| Bonfire setup | 300 |
| Glamping*** | |
| Glamping 1/OAK | 2,500 |
| Glamping 2/PINE | 3,800 |
| Glamping 3/CEDAR | 3,800 |
| Activities (Dahilayan Adventure Park) | |
| Zipall Package | 600 |
| Zipline (840m) | 500 |
| Zipline (320m;150m) | 250 |
| Dropzone Single | 500 |
| Dropzone Tandem | 750 |
| Sky Jump | 400 |
| Sky Jump (Add-0n | 300 |
| Python Rollern Zipride | 300 |
| Flying Lizard | 250 |
| Ropes Course | 200 |
| Photo with certificate | 100 |
| Food (Pine Grove Mountain Lodge) – Ave. Price/Meal | 200 |
| *Cancellation Policy: Down payment/Reservation fee is non refundable. Additional cancellation fee of 25% (of remaining balance) will be charged if cancelled 3 days before the event; 50% (of remaining balance) if 2 days before the event and 100% (of remaining balance) within 24 hours or on the day itself. | |
| *Check-in time: 2pm; Check-out time:12nn | |
| *Holy week rate: Additional 20 percent | |
| **Check-in time: 9am; check-out time: 12nn | |
| ***Glamping 2 and 3 have their own restrooms and can accommodate an additional bed; same check-in and check-out time as with the cottages |
Here are some photos during our trip in Dahilayan:
