When in Davao City, one of the places you must visit is Malagos Garden Resort, an inland resort in the uptown area called Baguio District. Malagos Garden Resort is close to the Philippine Eagle Center, the conservation site of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
Malagos Garden Resort is a 12-hectare property that sits in the city’s highlands, perfect for a mountain getaway. The resort is an accredited wildlife farm that is home to both foreign and endemic species of mammals, birds and insects, among others.
Malagos Garden Resort offers both day tour packages and overnight stays. Our trip to the resort was quite spontaneous; we just decided to go because the weather was nice. As it happened, it was a Sunday so we were able to experience the Interactive Bird Show. More on that on a different post.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Malagos Garden Resort, especially among nature lovers. The resort is a favorite spot for orchid lovers since it is home to a wide array of orchids like the waling-waling. The waling-waling (vanda sanderiana) is known as the queen of orchids and is also one of the symbols of Davao City.
We arrived just in time for the Interactive Bird Show, after which Adie and I experienced her very first carabao (water buffalo) cart ride. I remember I was right about her age when I first rode the carabao cart in the rice fields of my grandmother’s hometown in Rawis, Western Samar. Resort visitors can ride in the carabao or horse cart for P50 per person. I suggest the carabao, it’s more Pinoy.
Buffet lunch was part of the Sunday package. The restaurant is homey and the food was delicious. There was also live entertainment! You can read about it in a separate post.
Exploring Malagos Garden Resort on foot is kind of hard since it is a huge property. Nevertheless, we made the most of our visit.
Playground
Adie had a lot of fun running around their large playground. I found it refreshing to see that the slides are made of bamboo poles. There were also worn-out tires made into a makeshift obstacle course, quite unsafe for small kids but fun for teens and even adults. The seesaws and swings were made of wood and there was a very tall tree house which I climbed. The view from the top was breathtaking!
Bird Feeding Dome
We also visited their Bird Feeding Dome. I was hesitant to allow Adie to feed the birds but she was all for it. You can see how much she enjoyed the activity in the vlog. I recommend this activity for kids who are not afraid to try new things.
Other Interesting Spots
We hiked for a bit and passed by some interesting spots like the Garden Symphony. It is a small garden which I think is perfect for a very intimate wedding ceremony.
We passed by their paddock and some of the overnight cottages. Their accommodations are nipa-themed, much like those at Eden Nature Park and Resort. The houses are among trees, providing the perfect spot for being one with nature.
Malagos Garden Resort also has plenty of tree houses, some easy to climb for kids and some not so. Just make sure the kids are supervised by an adult to avoid accidents when climbing the tree houses.
We also passed by Koi Café, a nice airy café among trees. There were small ponds with koi fish surrounding the cafe. It would have been nice to grab a cup of coffee there but the counter was closed.
Malagos Garden Resort has a swimming pool. It’s not a large pool but just enough to keep kids occupied for a good couple of hours while you go around. I did not see a lifeguard near the pool so it’s best to have at least one adult supervising.
Overall, the day tour at Malagos Garden Resort was a great experience. Keep in mind though that the Interactive Bird Show is only during Sundays and that there are different day packages to choose from. I recommend visiting their website for updated rates and fees.
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