Getting there and getting around
Even without a reserved van, even
without booking a travel agent, it is so easy to get to this pineapple
paradise. But of course, Del Monte’s
pineapple plantation is only the gate to the main destination: Dahilayan Forest
Park. So here’s how we got there without
a car or a guide. You can do this, too.
- From CDO’ s Agora Terminal, you can take a jeepney to
Bukidnon, and it’s only worth Php50.
You can always ask which one goes there.
- By taking the jeepney, it means you will drop off at
Camp Phillips. Jeepneys won’t take
you to the Forest Park.
- From Camp Phillips drop-off point, there will be
motorcycles for hire waiting. The
round trip will cost you Php600.
The drivers will wait for you until you are done with the fun in
Dahilayan. If you are with a
companion, you can share the cost. You can even haggle it to Php500, like
we did. But we gave Php600 still,
the hundred as the driver’s tip for being so kind and for patiently
waiting.
- Dahilayan is not very near from Camp Phillips, so
prepare for the sun and for the chill during the motorcycle ride. But don’t worry, Del Monte’s scenery
will wow you along the way.
Ambience
It’s very countryside. The houses are kilometers away from each
other. It’s green scenery all
around. To be exact, its pineapple all
around you, with a bonus sight of other fruits and plants belonging to Del Monte. The place is filled with peace and quiet and
if you have your car, it’s a nice time for some road trip contemplation in
solitude. The air there has a chill as
Bukidnon is a mountain province, even known as the Baguio of Mindanao. Dahilayan, indeed, felt like Baguio City to
me with all the pines and the green landscape of a mountain forest. When we got there, there weren’t a lot of
tourists and the whole place was very peaceful. It’s a good place to get away from the hustle
and bustle of big cities. The adventures
offered do not necessarily spoil the stillness of the place. Amazing, huh?
Things to do
I believe there
are only two general things to do here, and they’re quite opposite: be still or
be in action. Of course, it’s such a
waste of time to be still if you’re here for a day only. So I suggest to try
their adventures and make the most of your short stay there (probably you will
stay for 3-6 hours only).
You can check
out their official site for the list of their amenities and activities: http://www.dahilayanforestpark.com/
Must try
For
me, the Zorbit was a must try. Got the
headaches because of the monthly hormonal activity, but they’re gone after the
zorbit shouts I did.
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| roll it! |
Something Unforgettable
Well, it’s the
one thing I forgot: something to keep me warm.
Forgetting this is unforgettable, coz I had to buy one. The good thing was there’s a cooperative
store at Camp Phillips. The bad thing
was I had to spend unnecessary amount of money.
The bonus part was I felt like I had Darna’s cape!
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| the super-hero "cape" |
