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Art Meets Travel in Davao

August 22, 2013 by Davao Traveler Admin Leave a Comment

Art and Travel. They seldom go together. But here in Davao, they do.

So far, based on my mini-travels around the city, I’ve discovered two hotels that showcase the artistic side of the Davao. And when I say art, I don’t mean the usual paintings that you often see in a lobby or in every room in a hotel. Though it adds beauty to an otherwise boring room, that kind of art is easy to do – you just buy an artwork from a store and hang it on the wall, and boom… art!

The kind of art that you see in the two hotels featured in this article were made by local talents… hand-crafted and well-thought. Some would say inspired.

Now, I don’t know what inspired means, but I think know what a beautiful artwork is when I see one.

Do you share the same thoughts? If so, on your next travel down Davao, make sure that you pay a visit to our two featured hotels for this article, namely:

  • The Ponce Suites
  • Jade Dragon Suites

( See also: Search and compare 85+ hotels in Davao. )

According to one definition, art refers to “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

When you get a chance to visit any of these hotels, you’ll find out for yourself that there is a piece of artwork that truly resonates with the beauty that is already in you.

Yogi Bera once said, “You can observe a lot by just watching.” Try that one for yourself by visiting these hotels.

The Ponce Suites

Location: Dona Vicenta Village, Bajada (close to the Pryce Tower and the Landco Tower)

Perhaps this place is the traveler’s top-of-the-mind when we talk about artworks in a hotel in Davao.

Coming right at the hotel entrance, you’ll be greeted by gigantic eagle sculptures. First time you see it, you might think that this hotel is a mysterious place where magicians and witches hone their tricks. But once you are inside the lobby, you’ll see a couple more wonderful artworks of paintings and sculptures. Many of which are handy works of Kublai Millan. He is a very popular artist in Davao and you can see his works – they have similar patterns – everywhere in the city and in nearby provinces.

The management calls it the unconventional hotel. And their website puts this line: “A hotel is best felt by the guests themselves therefore things are better left unsaid.”

Hmm… What else can I say? 🙂 You have to visit the hotel and see what’s waiting for you there.

( See also: Davao Museum )

Jade Dragon Suites

Hotel Location: Aurora Street, between Jacinto Street and Roxas Ave.

“It’s a luxury you can afford,” claims the hotel’s brochure. And true enough when I visited the hotel at one point, it’s a lovely place to be.

  • Friendly staff (that’s requirement Number 1, I think)
  • Modern design
  • Very clean, from the tiles and all
  • And affordable, too.

But where’s the artwork?

Okay that’s next. But first, let me introduce you to the concepts of why the management wanted to showcase artworks in their hotel.

Unlike Kublai Millan, the owners of the Dragon Suites are not professional artists. But they do come from Chinese descendants who consider cultures and traditions to be very important.

It’s part of their mission to help preserve our local culture and encourage local artists to be even more creative with their works.

The Jade Dragon Suites’ Art Gallery is witness to that mission. Artists may use the Art gallery of the to display their masterpieces for everyone to see. If they have clients, they can simply go there, introduce the artworks, and if they client wants to buy, a deal can be made. If you are an artist of meagre resources, I think that’s better than having your own art gallery.

Looking at the gallery, I personally like this painting the most:

The Tree Painting by Davao local artist
Sexy and beautiful, isn’t she? The Tree is a painting by a Davao local artist.

Agree or not, beauty is really in the eyes of the beholder. You can find a lot of other beautiful painting by taking a virtual tour of their website’s gallery section.

Better yet, you can go there and see it for yourself.

Filed Under: Attractions, Davao Hotels, Davao Travel Reviews, Travel Guide Tagged With: Art and Travel, Davao Hotels, Jade Dragon Suites, Ponce Suites

Davao City Tour: A Do-It-Yourself Guide

August 10, 2011 by Davao Traveler Admin Leave a Comment

It’s the Kadayawan Season once again in Davao. And that means a lot of visitors will be coming over to Davao City to see the best of what the city can offer.

Frequent visitors are expecting some of the usual things they always see during the Kadayawan Festival:

  • Good Fruits (Durian, Lansones, etc) and Orchids
  • Good Deals (A lot of businesses are coming out with their gimmicks)
  • Good Vibes (Just have fun with friends)

For the first time visitors and travelers, it is also the best time to visit Davao! And by “best time”, I mean you really get to “feel” what the city is all about.

While it is generally safe to just stroll around the city from your hotel, having a sense of where you want to go would save you from encountering the unexpected – unless, getting lost in the city is your definition of an adventure. 🙂

To this end, we have prepared a list of spots where you can possibly go for a city tour and what you can expect to see if you go there.

Stopover #1: The San Pedro Cathedral — Where The Heart Is

san pedro church -- davao city tour

There’s really not much to see once you are there at the church.

Am I crazy to even suggest that this place should be the first stop? Well, not really. Consider this: Once you are there, you’ll be standing (or sitting – it’s really up to you) at the heart of the city. Hey, that’s the very center of Davao City!

On top of that, the San Pedro Church is a historical place. Wow!

But, don’t go around asking people to give you lecture about the Church’s place in history. They can’t recall anymore. And besides, who ever wants to remember High School History, huh?

Actually, if you are really into that kind of stuff, there’s the right kind of people to ask. Just across the street (or streets, if you may) is a place called Museo Dabawenyo. You know what that place is? It’s a museum! Oopps, sorry for the obvious answer! I know you know that.

And speaking about “across the street”, don’t you forget to drop by the following nearby places:

  • The City Hall of Davao
  • The Davao City Council
  • The Osmena Park

They are good places to take photos from; especially the Osmena Park where you get to see some magic tricks, live massage, palm reading, gospel preachers, etc.

Stopover #2: The Aldevinco Shopping Center — Where Native Crafts Abound

If I were to describe this place in a few words, it would be these:

  • Forex — the Aldevinco is a popular place to exchange a foreign currency to the Philippine Peso.
  • Native Crafts -– sometimes you can find antiques there, but mostly, you’ll see native crafts which are good for souvenirs.
  • Pomelo Stores – yes, those sweet, little balls you want to bring back to your place as pasalubong.

Stopover #3: The Magsaysay Park — In Search Of Excellent Durian?

This is perhaps the most popular destination for anyone in search of the Durian Fruits all year round. Just before you enter the park, there are small stalls that seem to never run out of durian fruits to sell — even during their off seasons. I’m still amazed to think where these vendors are sourcing their durian fruits from.

Now, Durian is not really for everyone; some just couldn’t take the smell. If you are that type, the Magsaysay Park is really a good place to stroll around — it’s a park, you know — and have a nice little talk with your companion about whatever topics you want to talk about. Maybe you can talk about your next destination? Well, you better print this article because it’s going to be your handy cheat-sheet for your city tour. Throw away that map, because the taxi drivers are all familiar with these places.

Next thing on the To-Do List: Eat, Pray, Love — or something like it.

Stopover #4: Jack’s Ridge Restaurant and The Shrine Hills

Have you read the book entitled “Eat Pray Love”?

Well, I haven’t, but I’ve seen the movie and yes Julie Roberts still looks cute — and Ketut was even more cute.

I’m not really a movie critic, but anyways… at these places, you can basically Eat, Pray, Do whatever it feels like doing.

dine in Davao at jacks ridge restaurantThe most popular place at the Shrine Hills is the meditation center and church known as the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague. It’s one of the best places to pray, meditate, relax or just feel the fresh air and have an overlooking view of the entire city.

If you started this city tour at 9 o’clock in the morning, by the time you reach the Shrine Hills should be the perfect time for lunch.

And you don’t have to go that far just to satisfy your gastronomic trip. The Jack’s Ridge Restaurant could just be the perfect place to Eat and have your version of “La Dolce Far Niente”.

The good thing about dining at Jack’s Ridge is that you get a good view of the city from high altitude (imagine if it’s night time) while you enjoy the good food being served. Plus, there are other amenities there too that you can enjoy.

Stopover #5: The Crocodile Park

To just say that this place is awesome would be a disservice. The Crocodile Park is like a mini-zoo and a little bit more. To describe the place would be to combine the following words: exotic, wild, fun, colorful and… well, I’d rather want to see you describe this place.

Go there and see these things:

  • Crocodile – they claim to have the largest croc in the country.
  • Large snakes, Ostrich, and other animals
  • Butterflies — your kids will love it.

Well, here’s a short video clip to show you what’s there at the Crocodile Park

You’ll definitely like it.

Stopover #6: The People’s Park — By The People and For the People

You should have been tried by now. If you want to relax in an open air and watch people go by, one of the best places to be is the People’s Park.

As it turns out, someone has made a video of the place. Here, get a virtual tour of the park before actually going there or deciding to skip the place for the next destination.

Stopover #7: The NCCC Mall – Davao’s Homegrown Mall

There are a lot of malls in Davao. There’s the ever popular SM, the old-timer Gaisano Mall, and just recently, the Ayala Group has a joint venture with Anflocor to put up the Abreeza Mall — positioned to be a high-end mall in Davao.

Not to be left out is Davao’s very own NCCC Mall – known as Davao’s Homegrown Mall. I don’t know what it is with the NCCC Mall, but the people of Davao just love to buy their grocery items there. But of course, there’s more to be found at this little mall than just the grocery shop. They have a bakeshop, a number of restaurants and dinning centers, cinemas, specialty shops, old books, pawnshops, and much, much more.

You could be there shopping at night, which is perfect just before you go back to your hotel. Wouldn’t it be nice to be shopping for the things to bring back to the hotel? You can do just that at the NCCC Mall.

~~~

“Davao City Tour: A Do-It-Yourself Guide” is written by Carlos Velasco.

Filed Under: About Davao, Attractions, Dining, Hangouts, Tourism News Tidbits, Travel Guide Tagged With: Aldevinco, Crocodile Park, Davao Hotels, Hotels, Jack's Ridge Restaurant, NCCC Mall, People's Park

Website Is Moving To A New Server, Plus More Planned Features

March 6, 2011 by Davao Traveler Admin

Hi Davao Traveler,

The month of March has always been super busy in Davao. A lot of people are coming in from all over the place:

  • from the nearby towns and cities
  • from the different parts of the Philippines
  • and of course, there are the tourists and foreigners

They all want to have fun here in Davao. They all know that March is a special month in Davao.

March 16 is Araw Ng Dabaw, but the fun seems to span the whole month of March.

This particular event attracts a lot of people into the city. And this implies that:

  • 🙂 Businesses will wearing their smiley faces
  • 🙁 Security forces of the government will be even more watchful
  • 😉 You and me – we’ll have some stuff to enjoy

And as expected DavaoTraveler.com will see a lot of web traffic coming in. Actually, we already saw a spike in the number of website visitors since the beginning of March.

If you have been here for a number of times, you may have noticed that in the past months or so, we experienced reaching our bandwidth limit. Now, Exceeding A Bandwidth Limit is a technical term which means we have so much visitors than we expected. It’s a little frustrating on the part of the website visitors, but let us assure you that it’s doubly frustrating on our part.

Starting March 2011, we promise it’s not going to happen anymore. We’re moving to a new server with no bandwidth limit.

Announcement

To this end, we would like to inform our website visitors to please bear with us as we make a few tweaks between the two different servers, transferring our files and databases.

It’s like we’re moving to a new house. But think about how Superman will do it. It’s going to be very quick! You may not even notice it. But if you do, please understand that we are in maintenance mode. Count with your fingers and your toes… and we’ll be up again before you finish counting to twenty.

Planned Updates

On a more serious note, we are also announcing a few changes to the website. Here are some we have in mind.

Web Design – What you are seeing here was the original design since 2007. We want to show you something different and better looking.

More Hotels and Resorts – We have been contacted by small hotel and resort owners to have their hotels listed on this website. Yes, there are newer ones popping up all over the city. We want to include them all, of course.

Events In Davao – A lot of visitors have requested that we include the events happening in Davao. We agree, it’s a relevant topic.

So, that’s it for now.

And remember: We’re moving to a new server very, very soon. Please bear with us.

Have fun in Davao,

Team DavaoTraveler.com

Filed Under: About Davao, Travel Guide Tagged With: Davao, Davao Hotels

Looking For An Accomodation and On A Tight Budget? Go For St.Camillus Dormitel!

August 21, 2010 by Davao Traveler Admin

Being in Davao City on a limited budget does not mean crappy lodging. St. Camillus Dormitel definitely gives the weary traveler a pleasant and affordable place to stay.

It is the Davao Dorm made better.

More often than not, as transients in the city, we would like to spend our time and money exploring the place or attending to what is necessary. At the end of the day, when resting and recharging is what we need, a cool and clean dormitel gets the job done.

St. Camillus Dormitel is located within the clean, green, and spacious grounds of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Bajada, Davao City. (SPMC is formerly known as the Davao Medical Center (DMC). But expansion and upgrades have made this state medical facility worthy of its new, more encompassing name.) The SPMC Cooperative Building houses the St. Camillus Dormitel, along with a foodcourt, a Chowking outlet, an internet café, and a beauty salon and spa. The necessities of a busy and stressful life all in one building give guests of St. Camillus an easy and comfortable residence. Moreover, trees and greenery in the parks beside and near the dormitel give refreshing air to balance living in a bustling city. One can choose to study, or hold small meetings, or just chill in the parks. A Holy Mass is celebrated daily at the chapel in the main SPMC building just a few meters away from the dormitel, for those of us who want to honor the Lord’s supreme sacrifice and seek spiritual strength and refreshment.

The region’s best doctors and medical professionals work in the SPMC (several of them live at St. Camillus) and are accessible from the dormitel, if ever need for medical attention arises. It is thus that your stay in Davao City is made more wonderful with lodging at St. Camillus.

Photos of St. Camillus Dormitel

Dormitel Capacity

St. Camillus Dormitel can accommodate 120 people in its 15 fully air-conditioned rooms equipped with double-deck beds, dresser, and cabinet.

Who Should Stay at St Camillus Dormitel And Why

This place is perfect for interns, reviewees, seminar and convention participants, and other transients. There is a lounging area with study tables, TV, and a snack bar highlighting Apo Natural Spring Water and Provida Sugarcane Juice for the enjoyment of the guests. Local and national newspapers are also provided daily to keep one abreast of current events.

Run by a kindly couple and friendly and efficient staff, St. Camillus Dormitel is a warm haven that previous visitors always return to. Sometimes, valuable relationships and friendships form in the hospitable atmosphere of the dormitel.

Ideas and information are freely exchanged by people who were previously strangers to each other. Students, artists, interns, lawyers, doctors, nurses, sales people, tourists, seminar participants, and many other transients have all found their way to St. Camillus and many of them have returned. They rave about the nice and clean accommodations, the very affordable rate, the friendliness of the management, and the convenience of the location. There are also others who have established temporary residence at the dormitel and pay monthly rates, apparently recognizing great value for money.

Affordable Rate

At the very friendly rate of PhP 180 / person / day, St. Camillus Dormitel can be a very pleasant home for you in Davao City.

Contact St Camillus Dormitel

For reservations and inquiries on your next accommodation in Davao, please contact St. Camillus Dormitel at:

St. Camillus Dormitel
Southern Philippines Medical Center Cooperative Building
Bajada, Davao City

Contact Person : Cherie S. Valverde
Phone : (082)301-9997/ 09179049032

~~~

This article is written and shared by Vida Valverde.

Filed Under: Davao Hotels, Travel Services Tagged With: Budget Hotel, Davao Hotel, Davao Hotels, Davao Medical Center, DMC Davao, Hotel, Hotels, Souther Philippines Medical Center, SPMC Davao, St. Camillus Dormitel

Red Knight Gardens: A Home Away from Your Own

June 16, 2010 by Davao Traveler Admin

Do you want to stay in a place where you can completely feel at home while visiting Davao City? Well, Red Knight Gardens may just be the place that you are looking for.

As an accommodation establishment that has served local and foreign guests in Davao City for more than a decade, Red Knight Gardens boasts of expertise in providing ideal accommodation services to its guests. Its experience in the accommodation business is enough for it to be considered as one of the most efficient accommodation establishments in the city. It is conveniently located in Guadalupe Village, Lanang, Davao City; only a few minutes from the downtown area. The place is also accessible to the most celebrated beaches in the city as well as top establishments there is. Its location is perfect for those who prefer for a serenely comfortable stay in the city but near enough to the heart of it.

Far from traditional hotels, inns and suites; Red Knight Gardens is designed to provide a home environment for its guests. The area is very quiet and is perfect for a relaxing accommodation. Looking around, you will see that the place is well kept to resemble a garden house with all the greens and flowers. The staff and personnel are very friendly and ready, at any time of the day, to cater to your needs. Your security is also guaranteed twenty four hours a day.

(See also: Red Knight Gardens Online Booking and Guests Reviews. )

Rooms and Amenities at Red Knight Gardens

Red Knight Gardens has 23 fully furnished rooms and apartments with sizes that vary from studios to three bedroom rooms. All apartments are well cleaned to provide a very comfortable stay for guests. These are complete with modern amenities that spells utmost convenience and coziness. Room amenities include air-conditioner, bathtub, cable television, safe, telephone and a private bathroom. The rates are all inclusive of local telephone calls, daily maid service and tax, among basic inclusions.

Red Knight Gardens has a swimming pool which is best for cooling-off especially in the hot summer weather. There is also a bar and lounge that is great for few drinks and chitchat with friends and family members. Also, the establishment offers access to wireless internet facilities which is perfect for visitor’s business needs. The Red Knight Garden boasts of “home-cooked” meals prepared at their very own restaurant. The meals suit local and foreign tastes. Food available ranges from Western cuisine of pies and pizzas to local dishes like kinilaw and lechon kawali. Guests can also have a sip of the resto’s local and imported drinks, wine and spirits.

Room Rates:

Studio Suite = PHP 1,500.00

  • Small kitchen
  • Refrigerator
  • Hotel Room type

One Bedroom Suite = PHP 2,100.00

  • Large Living Room
  • Large Dining room
  • Separate Bedroom
  • Kitchen

Two Bedroom Suite = PHP 2,600.00

  • Large Dining Room
  • Large Living Room
  • Two Bedrooms
  • Kitchen

Three Bedroom Suite = PHP 3,000.00

  • Large Living Room
  • Large Dining Room
  • Large Kitchen
  • Three (3) Bedrooms
  • Master with en-suite bathroom

Truly, Red Knight Gardens offers guests with a feeling of being in a home away from them home.

Contact Red Knight Gardens

Red Knight Gardens
88, 8th Street, Guadalupe Village,
Lanang, Davao City

Telefax : 234-3408
Telephone : 234-8899, 233-0618, 300-1020

Online Booking: Click here to book online and to see reviews from other guests of the hotel.

Check out these other hotel articles:

  • Charming Small Hotels in Davao
  • Small Hotels Rates in Davao

~~~

This article is written by Matias Regis.

Filed Under: Davao Hotels Tagged With: Accommodation, Davao Hotels, Red Knigt Gardens

Toril Homestay Inn: Comfort and Convenience Away From the City

January 28, 2010 by Davao Traveler Admin

For visitors who opt to stay away from the usual city sight and sounds or for those whose business in the city is far south from downtown area, there is an accessible place where you can experience the convenience offered by city hotels and inns. Toril Homestay Inn is one of the smallest hotels in the city, yet it offers first-class service and amenities that will make you have a relaxing and memorable stay. In very low affordable prices, it guarantees total satisfaction and comfort to customers.

Hotel Location : Toril, Davao

Away from the fast-paced and competition-packed industrial realm of the city, Toril Homestay Inn is located in a strategic location near off-the-city travel destinations here in Davao. The hotel offers their customers with easy access to good places like the relaxing Talomo Beach, the abaca booming industry of Furukawa plantation in Toril and the Gap Farming Orchard Resort located at Maa Diversion Road. The hotel is also near close-to-nature outdoor getaways like the Malagos Garden Resort where the world-famous Monkey-eating Eagle can be seen, the captivating Eden Mountain Resort with its cold fresh atmosphere, the historical Davao Society Museum and one of the most visited places in Davao City today — the Crocodile Park.

Despite its distance, the glamor of city commercial centers, restaurants, entertainment and recreational establishments is still very accessible. It is only a few minutes away from the top shopping malls and commercial centers in the city. It is just a single ride to SM City Davao in Quimpo Blvd., and the NCCC Mall in Mc Arthur Highway in Matina. Other accessible malls are the Victoria Plaza and the Gaisano Mall of Davao which are both two rides away. Hotel guests can also visit dining restaurants like Cynthias’ Lechon House and Restaurant, Gorio’s Cafe and Cocoboo Ihaw-Ihaw.

For Catholic guests and for those who love modern Church architectures, the hotel is very near to the newly blessed Sto. Rosario Parish Church. The church is considered to be the largest and the most expensive in the city.

Meanwhile, for sports and outdoor enthusiasts, the hotel is closest to the whitewater tubing location in the Sibulan River in Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. It is often visited by local and foreign tourists who love water sports.

Convenient Facilities

In its commitment to give satisfaction that is convenient, comfortable and affordable, Toril Homestay Inn is equipped with the standard facilities that are also found in other bigger competitors. Among these amenities include:

  • Hot and cold shower
  • Cable TV sets
  • Air-conditioning units
  • Twenty-four hour security system
  • Hospitable home service
  • Laundry service
  • Comfortable beds and room furnitures

Affordable Room Rates

Toril Homestay Inn has nine fully furnished,clean and comfortable rooms that are easy on the budget for every guests. For only 400 pesos, a single person can avail of all the amenities and a room of his own. Couples, on the other hand, have a choice of double-bed rooms which are priced for only 600 pesos which of course include all amenities and services. For extra guests, additional beds are also available through the reception desk.

With all these reasons, Toril Homestay Inn remains a choice for many guests and has kept up with the tight competition among city hotels and inns.

Toril Homestay Inn Contact Details

Toril Homestay
J. Dela Cruz, Toril,
Davao City
(082) 291-0297

~~~

A number of visitors of DavaoTraveler.com has requested to feature hotels in Toril area. Here is one written by Matt Regis.

Filed Under: Davao Hotels Tagged With: Davao Hotels, Hotel In Toril

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