Fire Show at Riverwalk Exotic Resto Grill - Davao Crocodile Park
I've always wanted to go to Mindanao since my first time visiting the Philippines as an adult in 2014. One of the main reasons for me was to hike the highest peak, which is Mount Apo.
First time in the Philippines in 2014 - Banaue Rice Terraces
Fast forward to 2019, five years later, I now have a small home in Cavite about an hour away from Manila. I started a family, and guess what, I still haven't been able to pursue my goal of hiking Mount Apo.
And then came an opportunity to film an event in Davao City on August 25, 2019. I booked my tickets right away from Manila, and took my family with me. The only thing was, I would not be able to hike up Mount Apo with an infant, so the only option was to just take a tour to Mount Apo Natural Park and get a view of the highest peak. I know it isn't the same as trekking up, but we decided that we would wait until Penelope got a little older, and the view point would just be a taste of what would come at a later date.
One day I will hike Mount Apo, but having a family now, the decision making process is a little more tricky =) At any rate, I think that it would be much more fun to do it with the family, what a great adventure that would be! I don't think Mount Apo is going anywhere, so when we are ready, we will conquer it together!
Dhen Yhos Place - Mount Apo View Point
When we finally arrived to Davao City, I had to first film an event called the Dayaw OCR. What was cool about this is that the Dayaw OCR was the first obstacle course race in Mindanao, so that in itself was pretty cool to be a part of. The event was a success, the people were awesome, and I again helped the sport grow in a different place, so mission accomplished! =) If you want to watch the video that I created for Dayaw OCR, you can watch it here:
Dayaw OCR - Davao City, Philippines
The next day was dedicated to family, so I booked a private tour with a gentlemen by the name of Kuya Joey Davao with Davao Tour Package with Kuya Joey Davao. Now, I'm pretty sure that his last name isn't really Davao, but it makes for a catchy business name. We chose him first because he was almost 50% less expensive than the other tour companies. Traveling solo for many years, I really never went on tours because it was always better, and cheaper to do it on your own. But now having in infant, for me it's just much easier to have a professional tour guide to take us to some places so that we can focus on whatever baby Penelope needed, and not worry about getting lost. It definitely was a wise decision to hire a local to take us around.
With Kuya Joey Davao - Dhen Yhos Place
With Kuya Joey Davao, it was just us and no one else, and that is what I preferred. The day was totally customizable, and he made us feel like we were just like friends hanging out versus some corny tour with random people. We also wanted to go on our own versus with a group because if we needed to stop or rest, we could do that anytime, and not worry about holding the group up and getting off track with time. With Kuya Joey Davao, our schedule was on us, no time limits, we could take our own time and really soak in the sights without any pressure. It was such a great time.
Entrance of Tawsuvan Falls
Tawsuvan Falls
I also wanted to point out that it was Arlene and Penelope's first time flying on a plane, so it was cool to see them experience something new. We flew via Cebu Pacific.
Of course we did not see everything that we wanted to see in Mindanao, but what we did see was enough to say that we'll be back for more.
Here is a quick video of our trip to Mindanao, and if you ever visit, give Kuya Joey Davao a call, he will take care of you and I promise you, it won't break the bank! =)
First Trip to Mindanao #LagalagMafia
*Arnel is a Independent Filmmaker with OCRTUBE.com, Adventure Traveler, Crypto Enthusiast, Online Fitness Influencer, and devoted Family Man. Connect with me here!
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