Saturday, November 30, 2013

Bukidnon and the Thrill We Found in this Pineapple Land (Commuting to Dahilayan Forest Park!)


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.

  1. 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.  
  2. By taking the jeepney, it means you will drop off at Camp Phillips.  Jeepneys won’t take you to the Forest Park.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 

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!

the super-hero "cape"