Leisurely Explore Davao in Two Days

Leisurely Explore Davao in Two Days

This is a leisurely itinerary for exploring Davao in two days so the pace is slower. The sightseeing is confined to Davao City. The itinerary allows rest and relaxation but still includes experiencing a little bit of Davao culture and tasting the must-eat local food. This is not a hectic and action-packed two days that attempts to include everything that Davao has to offer. This itinerary attempts to balance the leisurely place with important things that the tourist must experience.

DAY 1. Magsaysay Fruit Market, Davao Museum, T’boli Weaving Center, Marina Tuna Restaurant

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 A   Magsaysay Fruit Market

 B   Davao Museum

 C   T'boli Weaving Center

 D   Marina Tuna Restaurant

10:00 AM  - 12:00 PM:

Magsaysay fruit market / Magsaysay fruit vendor’s association market

Why visit the Magsaysay fruit market? Davao is famous for its durian and suha (pomelo). This is where you should buy durian and suha.

12:00 PM  - 1:00 PM:

Lunch

1:00 PM  - 2:00 PM:

Take a taxi to Davao Museum
Distance from Magsaysay Fruit Market to the Davao Museum is 5km.

2:00 PM  - 5:00 PM:

DAVAO MUSEUM (this is different from Museo Dabawenyo)

Address: Zonta Building, 113 Agusan Circle, Insular Village Phase I,  Lanang, Davao (near the Waterfront Insular Hotel) 

Hours: Mondays to Saturdays: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sundays: by appointment 

Entrance fee: P100

Contact no. :(082) 233-1734 (082) 233-1734 

T'BOLI WEAVING CENTER

Address: Lizarda Drive,  Insular Village Phase I,  Lanang, Davao  (across the Davao Museum)

5:30 PM  - 6:00 PM:

Take a taxi to the Marina Tuna Restaurant

Distance from the Davao Museum to Marian Tuna Restaurant: 1.5 km

6:00 PM

Dinner at Marina Tuna Restaurant

Marina Tuna Restaurant: Home of the Best Tuna and Seafoods
Km. 8, Bo. Pampanga, Sasa, Davao City
Tel: (63 82) 233-2666

Open: 10am-930pm, no break

Better reserve because it’s always full

Highly recommended!! 

Seafood is guaranteed fresh, especially the yellowfin tuna. 

For the superb quality of fresh tuna and seafood, price is cheap.

It's easy to order because the menu is shown in pictures on the wall of the restaurant. 

What to order: tuna sashimi, crispy buntot ng tuna, kilawing tuna, fish eye soup

DAY 2. Infant Jesus of Prague Shrine, Jack’s Ridge, Lola Abon’s Durian Candy Factory, People’s Park, San Pedro Cathedral, Harana Restaurant

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 A   Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague

 B   Jack's Ridge

 C   Lola Abon's Durian Candy Factory

 D   People's Park

 E   San Pedro Cathedral

 F   Harana Restaurant


Note:

The Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague, Jack’s Ridge and Lola Abon are in the same area of Matina.

People’s Park, San Pedro Cathedral and Harana Restaurant are in downtown Davao and near each other

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM:

Ride the taxi to Holy infant Jesus of Prague Shrine

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:

My tip: If you’re taking a taxi, try to ask the taxi driver to wait for you as you explore this shrine. It’s hard to get another  taxi to go to Jack’s Ridge, although Jack’s Ridge is walkable at half a kilometer.

Why see the SHRINE OF THE INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE?

You get a good view of the city.

It's a favorite retreat center. You can pray before replicas of the Infant Jesus of Prague and Our Lady of Fatima 

Why see JACK’S RIDGE?

It's a resort that used to be the headquarters of the Japanese Army during World War II 

It has the best view of Davao City because it overlooks the whole Davao City and Davao Gulf.

It has Japanese war crash sites and prehistoric clam shells.

It's a dining destination because of the view. 

11:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Lunch at Taklobo Restaurant, Jack’s Ridge

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Take a taxi from Shrine Hills to Lola Abon’s. Lola Abon’s is also in Matina and near Shrine Hills

Distance from Jack's Ridge to Lola Abon's Candy Factory: 2.5 km

2:00PM – 3:00 PM

LOLA ABON’S Durian Candy Factory

Address:
23 San Miguel Village
Matina
Davao City, Davao Del Sur,
Philippines

(082) 297-2391

My tip:

1. Buy Lola Abon's durian yema (it has a strong durian flavor and durian bits) and durian pastillas (it has a mild durian flavor)

2. Make sure to taste Lola Abon's homemade durian ice cream. It’s the best that we've tasted.

In case you're unable to try Lola Abon's homemade durian ice cream, check out D' Madayaw durian ice cream at the supermarket. It’s also good.

Another famous durian candy factory is Linda’s but Linda’s is sweeter. We prefer Lola Abon’s.

3:00PM – 3:30 PM

Take a taxi to People’s Park.

Distance from Lola Abon's to People's Park: 4.7 km

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM:

People’s Park
Address: Palma Gil Street

4:30 PM  - 5:30 PM:

You can walk from People’s Park to San Pedro Cathedral area. It’s just 800m away.

You can explore other sites as well such as the City Hall, University of Mindanao, or Museo Dabawenyo

5:30 PM  - 6:30 PM:

Saturday anticipated Mass at San Pedro Cathedral (in Cebuano)

Check out San Pedro Cathedral mass schedules here

Why see the San Pedro Cathedral? It's the oldest church in Davao.

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM:

Ride the taxi to Harana restaurant

7:00 PM:

Dinner at  Harana Restaurant

Address: F Torres Street

Tel no: (082)227-3937, (082)227-3937

Hours: 11:00 AM - 2: 00 PM,  5:00 PM -10:00 PM

Note: They close from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Why dine at Harana Restaurant? It's one of the oldest restaurants in Davao serving great Filipino food.

List of Wineries and Other Participants to Wine Depot's 2012 Food and Wine Festival

List of Wineries and Other Participants 

to Wine Depot's 2012 Wine and Food Festival

For more details as to ticket price, discounts and where to buy, see here

Where to buy Dum Biryani and Murtabak at Tekka Market in Little India, Singapore

Where to buy Dum Biryani and Murtabak 

at Tekka Market in Little India, Singapore

If you're in Singapore and would like to eat Indian food, the best place to go to are the hawker stalls at Tekka Market. I love biryani and murtabak so obviously this is what we bought at Tekka Market. The stalls we recommend for you to visit for biryani and murtabak are Hanifa Briyani Specialist and Prata Man of Prata Saga Sambal Berlada. They are beside each other so they will not be hard to find. 

WHERE TO BUY DUM BIRYANI

Hanifa's Briyani Specialist

(Stall No. 01-256)

Open: 10am-10pm

Hanifa's Briyani Specialist has been awarded
the Presidential award for Fine Culinary Skill

We ordered Chicken dum briyani at SGD 4.50

What's the difference between biryani and dum biryani? In simple terms, biryani is rice cooked with spices. Dum biryani is rice cooked with spices and meat, which may be chicken or mutton.



WHERE TO BUY MURTABAK

Prata Saga Sambal Berlada

(Stall No. 01-256)

The Prata Man who cooked the murtabak
is seen at the lower right portion of the photo

The Prata Man of Prata Saga Sambal Berlada makes such a fantastic roti prata
that the Culinary Institute of America flew him to the US to show their chefs
how to cook roti prata. 

The Prata Man showing us how he cooked the
chicken murtabak we ordered

The Chicken Murtabak at SGD 5

The refurbished Tekka Market

Checkout the video below of 
the Prata Man cooking our Chicken Murtabak

Wine Depot's 2012 Wine and Food Festival

Wine Depot's 2012 Wine and Food Festival 

Wine Depot is once again holding it's wine and food festival this year. Check out the announcement below:

Details are as follows:

Date: October 13, 2012, Saturday

Time: 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Venue: Main Ballroom of New World Hotel

Entrance fee: 
Regular Price: P1,500
Early bird price till September 15: P1,200
Group price (10 persons): P1,200

• The rate is more expensive for non-members (I think, around 1800 pesos) so I suggest that you just register for free and become a member to avail of the member's rate.
• Promo rate: Buy 8 tickets and get 2 tickets free (so you pay only 1200 per ticket or an equivalent of 20% discount for a group of 10)

Inclusions: all food and wine served at the venue

• Note: I have no details yet as to the wineries and restaurants joining this year but if it's the same as the previous years, the rate of 1500 pesos is worth it. In the previous years, they have over 200 wines served from different regions like France, Italy, Australia, California, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, etc. And the food served came from fine dining restaurants and hotel restaurants. 
• I will update this post when I have more information on the participants. Right now, this is the email alert Wine Depot sent to Toast Club members to give their members advance notice and encourage them to buy tickets already for the wine festival. The venue can accommodate only a limited number of people so it is best to buy tickets as soon as possible.

Update: for List of Wineries and other participants, see here

Where to buy:

You can buy the tickets at their stores located in Greenhills, Makati and Alabang. See location and contact information here

Kennedy Space Center: Where to buy discounted tickets

Kennedy Space Center, Florida: 
Where to buy discounted tickets

For a family of 6 like us, any discount, however small, matters because the discount I get is always multiplied by six. When added together the total amount amount of discount is substantial in the end.

The Kennedy Space Center website shows that admission tickets are $50. Check out the ticket prices here. However, I found that ticket prices are only $40.95 at Undercover Tourist. That's a hefty $9 discount. Check out the Undercover Tourist ticket prices here.

Why choose Undercover Tourist:

1. Undercover Tourist is a reliable and legitimate ticket broker.

We purchased tickets at Undercover Tourist and didn't encounter any problem.

If you wish to check out other reviews, see the tripadvisor forum reviews here.

2. Undercover Tourist ships your tickets for free.

If you choose regular shipping, they ship it for free. Regular shipping guarantees that you receive your ticket within 10 business days from your order.

If you can't wait 10 business days to receive it, you can choose to pick it up at The UPS Store (located near Universal Studios) at 4630 Kirkman Rd, Orlando, Florida. 

3. Undercover Tourist provides discounted tickets to other Orlando attractions.

Contact information:
Website: www.undercovertourist.com
Email: info@undercovertourist.com
Business Address: 642 Carswell Avenue, Holly Hill, Fl
Telephone Number:

• USA Toll Free: 1 800 846 1302
  Mon-Fri, 9am - 4pm E.S.T
• UK Freephone: 0800 081 1702
  Mon-Fri, 2pm - 9pm G.M.T
• Worldwide: +1 386 239 8624
• Fax: 386 252 3469

Explore El Nido by Motorbike (Part III: How to go to Nacpan Beach)

Explore El Nido by Motorbike

Part 3: How to go to Nacpan Beach

Map showing how to go to Nacpan Beach
Encircled site is Nacpan Beach

DIRECTIONS: 
1. Take the road from El Nido town going to El Nido airport

This is the road from El Nido town to the airport
The sign at the right points to the road leading to the entrance of El Nido airport.
Don't turn left on that road.
Go straight ahead.

A close up of the sign shown in the photo above

A look at the road leading to the entrance of El Nido airport

2. Go straight ahead till you reach the road shown below, with a sign on the left. The sign says that the road to your left goes to Pasadena-Bucana. Take that road.

Take the road to your left leading to Pasadena-Bucana

View of the road to Pasadena-Bucana

More views of the road

3. Take the Pasadena-Bucana road till you reach the sign showing the direction to Calitang Elementary School. Turn left.

Turn left to the road leading the Calitang Elementary School

A close-up of the sign you need to watch out for

Another view of the road

4. Enter the road going to the direction of Calitang Elementary School. 

Pass this small bridge

Be careful. The road you'll be passing is rough road.

Pass this second bridge

5. Go straight ahead till you reach a small village. Turn right when you see this road. The only marker we can see is the waiting shed shown below.

More views of the road leading to Nacpan Beach

You will pass this house along the road to Nacpan Beach.

There's nothing distinctive about this house except the 

satellite dish on its roof, an unusual thing to see in such a remote village.

5. You know you have reached Nacpan Beach when you see these structures.

The right structure is the beach house of a Swiss national.
The left structure is the caretaker's house.

A closer view of the structures shown above

We parked our motorbike beside the caretaker's house.

If you want cold drinks after a long drive,
you can buy the drinks from the caretaker.

NACPAN BEACH!!

See Explore El Nido by Motorbike (Part 1. Where to rent a motorbike)

See Explore El Nido by Motorbike (Part 2. Where to go: Nacpan beach)

How to book Skyjet Airlines to Batanes

How to Book Skyjet Airlines to Batanes

At present, there are three (3) airlines flying the route Manila to Batanes. The current status of these airlines are as follows:

Southeast Asian Airlines: They have seasonal flights to Batanes, which means they have flights only during peak season travel, and they suspend flights during low  season travel. As of the time of this writing, they have no flights to Batanes. The reservation officer I spoke with said they may begin flights in October 2012. 

Skypasada Airlines: They have early morning flights twice a week from Manila to Batanes (Wednesdays and Fridays), and afternoon flights twice a week from Batanes to Manila (Thursdays and Sundays). You can book flights online here.

Skyjet Airlines: They have weekly early morning Saturday flights from Manila to Batanes. At present, it cannot be booked online.

How to book Skyjet Airlines:

1. Call (+632) 635-48-10 or email joanna@batanestravel.com
2. Reserve the preferred date of flight by phone or by email.
3. They will inform you Philippine bank account number where you can deposit your payment.
4. After payment, email to them the bank details of payment or the photo of the deposit slip.
5. Upon receipt of payment, they will email to you your e-ticket.

Note: As of this writing, they only have Aug 18, 2012 and Aug 25, 2012 flights. They are still waiting for their permit for September flights.

Right now, the only advantage I see in booking Skyjet airlines, is the availability of Saturday flights during low season travel. The fares are almost the same as Skypasada airlines.

Update on Manila to Batanes flights of Skyjet as of February 2013!! Check out the link below:

Manila to Batanes flights (Airlines, Schedule, Fares)