Playa de Paraiso

I was invited by the Provincial engineers of provincial capitol Iloilo over the weekend at Playa de Paraiso at Guimaras. It was my free time and i did not miss the opportunity because i've never been to that place.

It was Saturday at 7:00am in the morning that the group met up at parola. Parola is the station of the pump boats going to Guimaras. The Guimaras has two ports the Buenavista and Jordan. Going to our destination, we need to dock at the Buenavista port. The trip will take about 15 minutes. The fare is so affordable it cost 15php. The sea is calm during our trip.

Parola station in Iloilo

 When we got there at the Buenavista port, we rented a jeepney for a 30 minutes drive to Playa de Paraiso at Brgy San Enrique, San Lorenzo. Guimaras is a small island that composed of five municipalities and ninety eight barangays. Jordan is their capital town. Guimarasnon's languange is Hiligaynon. Guimaras is known to produce the sweetest Mango in asia.

We arrived at Playa de paraiso and looking at the facade, you will be awed. This place is owned by McDougall, a German who married a beautiful lady from Negros. I just can't wait to get in and see what's inside the big mansion. The moment you enter, you will be welcomed by the beautiful and elegant native sala set. The living room is a perfect place to take a rest while waiting. The receptionist who happened to be the sister of the owner entertained us. Playa de Paraiso is an almost 3-hectares land area with the beach at the back of the mansion. The mansion has 7 rooms. The two rooms in the second floor are suite rooms. We planned to take the two rooms on the first floor. It costs 2,800 php good for 8 persons and an additional 150php for the excess person.

facade of playa de paraiso

backside view of playa de paraiso

living room

the second floor

room at first floor

Since the check in time is 2:00pm, the group decided to stay first at the cottage. The place has a lot of "kawayan" cottages fronting the beach. The ambiance is so cool and the cascade of the water is relaxing. You can bring your own food and cook it there. They have available pugon (a local stove) and grilling stations for cooking. This is a time of bonding for us. For our lunch, we have shrimps, kinilaw nga tabagak, gusaw and kalampay(baby crabs). The tabagak, gusaw and kalampay were sold to us by the fishermen from the place. Just using our bear hands(kinamot) we had a very sumptous lunch with the group.

cottages

shrimp (pasayan)

grilled gusaw

kalampay

lunch time

The rest of the afternoon is spent playing Majhong, a Chinese game. The place has also a 4ft-7 ft swimming pool and I decided to jump in! Night is fast approaching and the group organized games. The games were held in the balcony of the mansion. After the dinner, we enjoyed the videoke,drinks, and disco lights. We never get tired of singing and dancing till 3:00am. The night was ours because we felt at home with their accommodating and caring staffs.

swimming pool area

Sun is up! And I decided to walk on the beach with my camera thinking I might capture some intresting scenes. And yes, I did capture moments. Fishing is a major hanapbuhay(livelihood) in this place because of the sea. As early as 7:00 am, there are already boats that have arrived. I saw these couple of people watching if they have a catch. Some may have but unluckily some doesn't have any. It's a big risk going to the sea not minding the changing weather we have today. The waves might be strong in any moment. But these fishermen would be willing to risk their lives just to have a food on the table.

calm beach

fishing boats

fishing boat on guimaras island

 

fresh fish

I was really moved when I saw this liitle kid of about 10 years old pushing his boat to the sea. This boy will surely go fishing alone. At this early stage, how sad it is to see this little boy who must be in school at this moment. But who knows, I did not ask the kid if he is studying or not. But it's also an amazing thing to know that a young boy knows already how to catch fish.

fishing alone

 ready to sail

 Our breakfast was served at the balcony of the second floor. It was well prepared. Their is a free breakfast for two for each room. They also serve foods for an affordable price. But again we decided to cook. We have the ampalaya(bitter melon) with egg, sinabawan(soup) nga gumasa and fried tabagak. We then again enjoyed laughters and good conversations together.

breakfast at 2nd floor balcony

fried tabagak (salted sundried fish)

Ginisang Ampalaya

We planned to leave at 2:00 in the afternoon. So we still took our lunch there with sugba(grilled) pork and kinilaw(made of raw ingredients) nga tabagak in our menu.

grilled pork

Playa de Paraiso is worth going especially if you are with a big group. Because the place is exclusive and you will really enjoy without any whereabouts in your mind. This is a good escapade from the city life. A place where you can take a break even just for the weekend. Simple moments with this beautiful scenery will always be remembered. When you will leave the place, you will surely say that "I will come back!". 

Graphical information about this beautiful place:

 

Plan /Land Area

for more inquiries

Eden Nature Park and Resort

   A one hour drive from the Philippine Eagle Center, next stop is the Eden Nature Park and Resort.

day tour center

     We were already tired and sleepy not until we were on Eden. The temperature excites us because it's a little bit cold knowing we are already on a mountain. 

    We availed the guided shuttle tour for 120 php each. As we were waiting, we took a look on the map of Eden Nature Park and found out how big the place is.

here we are

Eden Nature and Resort Map

    According to the tour guide, the 80-hectare area is man-made. It is owned by the Ayala but not connected to the Ayala who owns big businesses. The place is used to be an open area full of wild grass. They started planting pine trees until other kinds of trees and flowers were also planted. They developed and took over the place because it is overlooking Davao City and Davao Gulf. 

Overlooking of Davao City and the Gulf of Davao

    The shuttle tour started and we passed by the area where they planted lettuce and tomatoes without using soil. The way of planting is called HYDROPONICS. According to How Stuff Works, the nutrients that the plants normally derive from the soil are simply dissolved into water instead, and depending on the type of hydroponic system used, the plant's roots are suspended in, flooded with or misted with the nutrient solution so that the plant can derive the elements it needs for growth. (http://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/alternative-methods/hydroponics.htm) 

lettuces grown in hydroponics

growing plants in nutrient-enriched water instead of soil

The tour includes 3 stop overs to have time to take a picture. First stop is at the Flower Garden. We were impress by the different variety of flowers. The tour guide gave us 5 minutes to look over the place and take a shot. 

Statue of St. Francis of Assisi at the Garden of Eden

blooming wild flower

wild flowers that lighten up the landscape

The 7 colored rainbow is used during weddings or pre-nuptial pictorials. 

a tunnel of vines with a rainbow at the end 

The second stop over is at the "Tinubdan". Tinubdan comes from the root word "tubod" which means origin of water or natural spring. The park is a glimpse of the tradition, culture and belief of the indigenous people of Mindanao. We are then entertained by a tribal dance of the elementary students.

tinubdan which means natural spring

tribal dance of indigenous people 

Tribal Dance Video

A Bagani or protector guards the entrance of the village

 Bebalay-Baylan (Shaman's House)

     The third stop is at the Lola's Garden. The garden is rich in leafy vegetables. We were given samples by the tour guide such as basil and cinnamon.

Lola's Garden (GrandMas Garden)

Medicinal Plant

view of organic garden

carabao sculpture with nipa hut  at Lola's Garden

mayumi's wishing well which is full of gumamela (hibiscus)

Cottages are also available for families or group of friends who wish to stay overnight. 

Eden Nature Park and Resort can be called a heavenly place. For it is rich in nature that could captivate every people's heart. The place is a hideout for those who live in the city. Even if you are a nature lover or not, you will be impress by it's beauty. I can say, it is a step closer to the definition of the Garden of Eden in the Bible. Try to visit it and you'll appreciate to start taking care of you own environment even just at home. 

The Philippine Eagle Center

    "Haribon" (Philippine "monkey-eating eagle) is the Philippine's national bird. When you are in Davao City, you should not miss going at The Philippine Eagle Center. It is located at Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City a 45 minutes drive from the airport. An affordable entrance fee is being charged to the guests, 50php for adults and 30php for ages below 18 years old. 

Welcomed by Albino Burmese Python

    It is a center owned by the government where the endangered eagles are taken cared of. The place is really suitable for the eagles because of the natural surroundings. You can see big trees and different variety of plants. As i have remembered, we saw 4 Philippine Eagles caged separately and inside the cage is a big tree where they can settle in peacefully. A lot of species of eagles where also there.

Alex on his place

Alex the Brahminy Kite

DAKILA- The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga Jefferyi)

White Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

  

    This center is perfect for education for all ages. There is an available tour guide that will give you knowledge about the eagles. When we went there, we did not joined the tour guide. Instead, we explored the place on our own. You will also gain knowledge without the tour guide because there are complete details in front of the cage of eagles and other animals. While we were walking, we noticed a lot of names engraved on the path walk. Those names were said to be the people who had helped maintain the beauty of the Philippine Eagle Center. 

Information

    I truly recommend this place to visit especially for us Filipinos so that we will not be a stranger to our own national bird. Even just a simple knowledge about their way of life is somehow enough for us to be proud that we have the "Haribon" only in our country. Those eagles are struggling for survival of their species and may we be an instrument of hope for them. 

purple flower welcome us

call it Yellow

wild fruits

    "Malagos" is named after the Tagalog term "agos" which means running water(malakas na agos). The place is rich in natural running water especially in the Philippine Eagle Center. The sound of the running water is so magical that you will be tamed instantly and get the stress out of your mind.