My family and I recently went to Davao, and one of the first places we went to is Eden Nature Park. It is an 80 hectares man-made mountain resort full of plants and trees with a breath-taking view of Davao City.
Many tourists and families, including us, enjoyed the sceneries and activities that Eden offers. They have a shuttle tour where they’ll show you to their beautiful gardens and forests, recreational activities like ziplining, sky biking, hiking, and eating delicious food in their restaurants. You may also stay for a night or two in their lovely accommodations.
Also read: How I Travelled 4 Days in Davao City Under PHP 7,000
If you’re planning to go there soon with your family, here are some nifty details and tips for your adventure!
Getting there
Eden is located in Toril District, 45 minutes drive away from downtown Davao.
Since we availed of a taxi service for one whole day (c/o Kuya Joey) for our Davao tour, we didn’t get to try to commute from the city to Eden. Fortunately, Eden’s website has instructions on how to get there. Click here.
Admission
- Entrance fee is included with your choice of meals.
- Buffet lunch is ₱550 for adults and ₱350 for children 4 to 10 years old.
- Plated snacks is ₱220 for adults and ₱190 for children 4 to 10 years old.
- Check out more details of their packages here.
Fun filled activities for everyone
We arrived at Eden at around 9:00 AM, and Kuya Joey immediately asked the receptionist about the time of the shuttle tour. The receptionist told us that it starts at 9:45 AM so in order to not waste time, we went ahead to the other side of Eden park to try some of their thrilling activities.
We chose to avail the Skyrider (zipline) and skycycle (biking on a wire) combo for ₱300. Before trying these activities, we signed a waiver first then wore safety gears.
Skycycle
First on the list is the Skycycle. You will ride a bike on top of a cable wire high above the verdant forest of Eden park. How high is it? You can take a look at these pictures:
I’m not really afraid of heights, but to tell you the truth, I got scared too at first. But once you get the hang of it, fear will turn into joy! You also get to appreciate the view below and beyond Eden park. I even took a video while biking.
Just note that you still have to pedal your way through as the bike won’t move automatically. Mom learned it the hard way as she closed her eyes and stopped pedaling! Good thing the staff went to her aid and told her to keep pedaling.
Skyrider
Skyrider is a zipline that uses the same platform with the skycycle. This one is fast and pumped up some adrenaline in me. You’ll feel the wind against your face, and it will leave you wanting more of that rush. I would love to do it 10 more times that day. Here’s my short video of it.
And this is me just going nuts
Besides those two activities, they also have the Skyswing, which seems the most extreme yet exhilarating thing to do there. You are strapped on a safety harness then they’ll take you up around 80 feet above the ground. Upon clear signal, they’ll drop you from the top and have the ride of your life. Sad I didn’t try it, but as they always say, there’s always a next time. Fee is ₱300 for solo, ₱400 for tandem.
My family and I were ecstatic of the experience. My mom, though hesitant at first, definitely conquered her fears and was so glad she did it. First day in Davao and it was already the highlight!
Shuttle Tour
After the activities, it’s time to go back for the Shuttle tour. Eden Park is so huge that to explore it by walking would entail lots of time and effort. Hence, the guided shuttle tour is offered for ₱120. Together with an expert tour guide, you will explore the vast forests, see their organic vegetable gardens, smell and appreciate beautiful flowers in their gardens and even watch a cultural show by the Lumads, a group of indigenous people in the Southern Philippines.
The mountain where Eden is located was once a victim of illegal logging. Yes, 95% of Eden Park is actually man-made. The Ayalas of Davao reforested it and made this beautiful nature park for people to enjoy.
The cool breeze from the pine trees in Eden added a feeling that we were in Baguio, my parents’ favourite summer destination.
They call this the ‘Rainbow pass’.
We also watched a fantastic cultural show by the Lumad children. They sang and danced while some play the drums, and it was great. While I was glad to see them this happy, I cannot help but think of the problems they are facing. I hope peace comes to their lands and may they settle there with no fear for their lives.
The last stop of the tour is Lola’s Garden where there is a wishing well full of flowers (called Mayumi’s wishing well), the view of Davao gulf and other beautiful spots great for picture taking like the carabao statue below.
You’ll be amazed with the view and how pleasant to the eyes Eden Park is with all the green grass, trees and plants in the area. It’s so green here!
After the tour, we went to eat our plated snacks at Café Vista where you can choose from a spaghetti meal or bread. We actually didn’t expect the food to be good. It’s delicious! I wanted more spaghetti, but we need to eat Lunch at Penong’s BBQ after.
Also read: 9 Things to Do in Davao City for First Time Visitors
Go visit Eden Nature Park!
What I’m most happy about is that my family enjoyed our visit to Eden. They were all smiles from beginning to end, and that brought joy to me to see them so happy. Eden was definitely the highlight of our Davao trip, and I would suggest to anyone going to Davao not to miss this place. Five thumbs up for Eden Nature Park!
