The Hidden Wonders of Kidapawan--Paniki Falls

It was April of 2008 when my friends and I decided to take a break from school. We thought of having an adventure since we were heaved by so many heaps of school works for the whole school year. All of us agreed to hike to Paniki Falls in Balabag, Kidapawan City and the place, which my dad suggested. One of my friends got an idea of bringing someone who is familiar and had been to the place.

From the city we rented three “sky-lab”(a single motorcycle with an extended seat at the back), four people each motorcycle and 70pesos back and forth for the fair. The road is pretty steep and you should expect a bumpy lumpy ride. 

Sitting in front of the driver’s seat was so much fun but you will experience body pains aftermath but all of the pain is worth it =)

So let me start on how we got to that bizarre falls of the city.

Going to the falls would take you an hour or more because there are no way you can enter the woods except for your feet. We passed by tiny rivers and bumped into those little-bitty leeches in the waters (it doesn’t hurt). What we did to get rid of those slimy creatures was to slosh them with alcohols. The course was really challenging, it made us cross the rivers and made us climb up then slide down. The hike was like a roller-coaster ride it was scary but fun. When we got there all we did was stare on the mind-boggling waterfalls and plunged tout de suite into the freezing waters.

Seeing the sky getting dusky made us start packing our things up and hopped back to the small town.The whole adventure was the best and unforgettable, it was indeed a great experience. 

Island Garden City of Samal--Davao's Finest Beach Resort

"The Urban Center In A Garden Setting"--as what people often say and I do agree with that. This is a three in one vacation land, an Island, a Garden and a City. It is indeed the place that you are looking for. Samal Island has 46 different resorts, i can't name all because there are tons of them. In Samal Island you can have different kinds of adventures namely; spelunking, rappelling, mountain climbing, snorkeling. You can also have camping and tour around the island.
Last October 16, 2009, after 5 months of being apart from my family, we had our family bonding and celebrated my mom's **th birthday(yes she will not let us tell it). So anyway, we traveled 30mins. by means of ferry boat that carries car (but the island have its own bus for the tourist) from the city proper until we reached Samal Island. It was dark and we don't have any idea where to stay in and which road to take. While driving in the middle of the pitch-black road, we saw a lighted signboard saying "Blue Jaz Beach Resort and

photo from bluejaz.net

Waterpark". It looked nice and i heard about the longest water slides in the Philippines are here. As we entered the resort, it was so peaceful and somebody from the resort warmly greeted us even if it was almost midnight. We rented one Fiji Style Cottage which costs us 3,500php + 10% service and one Jazmin Room which costs us 2,500php. More cheaper rooms are available too.



In our two-day stay in Blue Jaz, my sister and i who stayed in Manila for six months really had a skedaddle from the smoke and pollution in the city. My family also had a great escape from work and problems even if its not that long.

Let's Explore the Beauty of Mindanao--KIDAPAWAN

Kidapawan is known for Mount Apo and it's abundance of fruits and highland springs. In this city you can see gazillions of fruits, trees, falls, animals and beautiful places combined. It is called city but it is the most unpolluted metropolis in the local. I can say that Kidapawan can be one of the tourist destination that the Department of Tourism help hullabaloo and be known as one of the best in the country.

The best place to have family bonding, nature encounter, mountain trekking and swimming without getting eewie tan lines is Lake Agco, a resort that is just like your favorite coffee that you can choose whether to have it cold or hot. I have been here for like a million times and I have seen this resort change into a finest tourist trap.

Going up in the lake is not that hard especially when you have your own vehicle. But for those who don’t have their own car or for those who want to have an adventure before reaching the foot of Mount Apo, you can ride their transportation called “habal-habal” it is a single motorcycle with an extended seat at the back. It caused us before 50 pesos per person. Entrance fee is not a problem, it only cause 15 pesos per person, very affordable right?

If you wish to have an overnight in the resort, there are rooms available it depends on the room you rent, the last time we rented a room it caused us 500pesos and it is worth it, no need to have an air-conditioned room since the weather there is always cold. Nipa hut or a cottage costs around 100-300, you can also put up your own tent. The resort also allows the vacationers to cook and grill their own foods.

This is the photo outside the resort and the small nipa hut is where you pay your entrance fee for the Jacuzzi.

The Jacuzzi is located near the entrance and you only need five pesos to experience the hot steam and Jacuzzi. 


This photo on the left is the way going down to the Jacuzzi.

The main Lake is located outside the resort and it is open for everyone, no fees needed. To reach the main Lake you need to hike for i think ten minutes, but you will never feel the tiredness because of the trees you around you while walking.

Let's Explore the Beauty of Mindanao--DAVAO

Davao is very known for its festival called "Kadayawan". The term "Kadayawan" isderived from the Mandayaword “madayaw”, a warm and friendly greeting used to explain a thing that is valuable, superior, beautiful, good, or profitable. Dabaweno's usually celebrates their festival during the month of August.

You can reach Davao by land but it's much faster through plane. If you're in Manila, plane ticket normally ranges from 2,000 to 5000. It depends on the day you booked your ticket. I have been traveling to Davao from Manila for almost three years, my advice to people who are planning to visit Davao City is, it would be better if you'll book your ticket

ahead of time a month will be enough. For your hotel accommodations, of course i will give you an affordable but luxurious h

otel in the city. Since Marco Polo is supahh expensive, i think it would be more practical for a tourist to stay in a hotel like

Apo View Hotel l . I insure you that it's not a waste of cash to check-in this kind of hotel. :)