Monday, April 22, 2013

Dahilayan: Fair Bukidnon Baguio in Memoriam


Dahilayan: Fair Bukidnon
Baguio in Memoriam
Stay, Stray, Play and Feast
(CDO & Bukidnon Series 4)

Dahilayan in Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon
  was the Baguio in my distant memory before the city 
was ruined by the terrible chaos of  urbanization



Cold and balmy summer weather-



Pine tree forests wherever you look.









Breathtaking mountain peaks... 







Peace and quiet at night.





Sipping hot chocolate and roasting
marshmallows by the bonfire.


A vacation of a lifetime  and a wonderful
memory that we would never forget forever.


This is the beautiful and pristine  Dahilayan-
the summer paradise in Bukidnon.
 
Located 4,500 feet above the sea level 
at the Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range,
the second highest mountain in the Philippines.




This little piece of heaven is just an hour and a half 
drive from the progressive Cagayan de Oro City.

A visit to the province of  Misamis Oriental 
is never complete  without visiting  this scenic
 mountain resort  in the nearby Bukidnon province




Stay

Aside from several small private houses  and inns for lease, 
there are three major hotel accommodations in Dahilayan

First is the The Cowboy Ridge Hotel- a western inspired inn,
which some of the locals would joke that this is the hotel
 where guests can have a Brokeback Mountain experience-
referring to the controversial cowboy movie in the past/.


It is a nice and comfy hotel that offers
simple and fuss- free accomodation. 



Second is the Pine Grove Mountain Lodge,
a classy log house inspired hotel located
 at  the nearby Dahilayan Adventure Park.


This is a perfect honeymoon hotel that reminds me
 as a smaller version of Club John Hay's Manor Hotel.


We initially intended to stay in this fabulous  hotel,
but the rides and the attractions here are geared 
more for extreme adventure suited for adult guests.


So we were booked at the third- the Forest Park where
 the features and attractions are more child friendly,




Stray and Play

These three hotels are walking distance
from one another.

One can go on horseback riding
at the Cowboy Ridge Hotel.



At the Forest Park, where the attractions
are more kid friendly, one can try the
Zorbit, where you are strapped inside
an air filled plastic bubble rolling downhill.


 Get to experience a long lasting vertigo
so extreme you’ll never forget the ride.


Older kids may also try the Tree Top Adventure,
where they could test their skills on a obstacle course
hanging more than 20 feet on a pine forest.




Spend the lazy afternoon
playing  at the Mini Golf Course,

 

Ride an ATV around the resort.

ATV & Buggy Trail Adventure

Wander and get lost on the pine forest...


Have a family bonding
at the  picnic grove..


Flare up the children’s imaginations
and wanderlust on the resort playground.




Ride the fastest, steepiest and
the most  scenic  Luge in South East Asia.



At the nearby Dahilyan Adventure Park
one can try Asia’s longest double zipline-



Where one gets a certificate of survival with an
official resort photo taken during the zip line ride.




They also have a  picturesque and shorter 
Dual 320  + 150 M  Beginers Zipline




And you are brave enough-
defy zero gravity the Drop Zone 
 and Crawling Lizard

 

Soon there would be a mountain top
 Roller Coaster ride that would be added
 to these extreme attractions.


Feast.

Forest Café at the Forest Park is a great  restaurant
and bar  that serves good food at affordable prices.


I would personally recommend a piping hot, non greasy Bulalo 
which is perfect  for the very cold Dahilayan summer evenings.


After dinner and before going to bed, we walked
 downhill to the Cowboy Ridge Hotel-







...for an exciting Bonfire Barbecue Buffet.

A smorgasbord of delicious pre- cooked Chicken and
 Pork Barbecue are laid on a table and could be eaten 
as it is or can still be cooked to perfection by the bonfire.




One may also sip hot chocolate and roast 
marshmallows on the bonfire while enjoying  
a quality bonding time with your family and friends.



This Bonfire Barbcue Buffet at  the Cowboy Inn's
Saddle Ridge Camp is so far  one of the best 
experiences we had In the Dahilayan mountains.



Also a must try are the boiled sweet corn,


...and fresh strawberries being peddled
 at the roadside by the natives.


One should not also miss the oh- so good  
Raisin Cinnamon Bread
at the Pine Grove Mountain Lodge.


If Pike's Peak in Denver has it's famous Donuts 
available only the the mountain summit cafe, this yummy
 treat is CDO and Bukidnon's local version.



The lost glory and  vanished splendor
of the old Baguio were revived  and kept alive
in mountains of Dahilayan.


Is there a chance that  the peace and serenity
in Dahilayan could go astray just like
what happened in good old Baguio?


The chances of over development and environmental 
degradation  are nil as this piece of paradise 
in the sky is privately owned.


I believe and I hope that development in Dahilayan
 would be controlled to sustain the present tranquility.



Watch out for my Blogs on
Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon Series

Seda Hotel Centrio 
Cagayan de Oro

(CDO and Bukidnon Series 1)
 
CDO to Dahilayan Bukidnon.
(CDO and Bukidnon Series 2)
 
(CDO and Bukidnon Series 3)

Baguio in Memoriam
(CDO and Bukidnon Series 4)
 
(CDO and Bukidnon Series 5)

Extreme Adventure  of a Lifetime
(CDO and Bukidnon Series 6)
 
(CDO and Bukidnon Series 7)

(CDO and Bukidnon Series 8)


(CDO and Bukidnon Series 9)


3 comments:

  1. Jacinto Patricio YanezOctober 4, 2013 at 2:47 AM

    Mon, that is our place in Cagayan de Oro city. You havent been to our place in Malitbog, Bukidnon n Del monte. I m only being lucky because i got the place (from my dad) where Highrise condo will be developed by Ayala n Pagcor casino will b in place near OPOL beach, eventually naming it as Miami beach of Cagayan de Oro. REGARDS to everybody. PAT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Pat. I believe Ayala is investing heavily in Cagayan de Oro, we stayed in an Ayala owned hotel when we went there last Holy Week. Here's my blog about it.

      http://camsurstaystray.blogspot.com/2013/04/seda-hotel-centrio.html

      Delete
  2. One of the most adventurous activity in Dahilayan is Zip-line. It was truly a heart-breaking and unforgettable moment experience doing that. I suggest if you to Dahilayan don't ever miss that tremendous activity. Moreover, Bohol also have a zip-line.

    Click Here....

    ReplyDelete