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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Day 2: Danao Adventure Park

We wanted to include in our itinerary Danao  Adventure  Park because of the latest adventure ride – The Plunge. Our problem is we didn't know how to get there from Panglao. Renting a car is not in our option because rental ranges from Php3000-5000 and we are on a budget trip. There has to be some way I said. Armed with my research skills, I checked online if there were directions how to get to Danao  Adventure Park via commute. I found bits and pieces of information from E.A.T Danao website and some travel forums. So I was confident that we will be able to make it to Danao on our second day.

But you can’t expect that everything will go smoothly as planned. That’s what happened to us. The bus trips to Danao are limited and the last trip in the morning is 8AM. Guess what? We missed the 8AM bus by a few minutes. Boo.

When we learned that the bus has left already, I thought okay maybe we could have other plans like beach bumming at Bohol Beach Club. But Erick, the insistent one, convinced me that we proceed with our Danao plan by other means.

How to get there

If you’re coming from Panglao, hail the jeepney in Alona with the signboard Tagbilaran. Fares costs Php25. Tell the driver that you will be getting off at Dao Integrated Bus Terminal.

Tagbilaran to Danao
1)       Catch the bus with the route Tagbilaran-Danao at Dao Bus Terminal. I got the information below from E.A.T. Danao website.
Trips per day from Tagbilaran to Danao:

Morning: 5:00 am, 6:00am, 8:00am
Afternoon: 12:00 noon, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:30 pm, and 6:30 pm last trip

Trips per day from Danao to Tagbilaran:

Morning:  4:00am, 5:30am, 6:00am, 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 11:30am,
Afternoon: 1:30pm, 4:00pm, 5:00 pm last trip

* Bus fare is P75.00
* Buses are at Integrated Bus Terminal – Dao – Dampas, Tagbilaran City
* Bus will only be at Poblacion, Danao. Motor for hire (habal-habal) are available to transport guests going to the Adventure Park at P30.00/person. We encourage guests to look for drivers wearing patch with Danao Adventure Park logo

Make sure that you are in the bus terminal before 8am. We were late so we missed the bus. If by chance, you missed the bus, don’t fret. You can still go to Danao by another option.

2)       Take the bus with the signboard Tagbilaran-Tubigon in the same bus terminal. Fare costs Php50. The trip will take approximately 1 hr and 30 minutes. If you took the 8am trip, you will be in Tubigon before 10am. Hire a tricycle that can take you to Danao Adventure Park. The tryke will wait for you while you are in the park. Renting the tryke whole day costs around Php700-800, depends on your haggling skills. But after seeing the conditions of the roads on the way to Danao, I’m not sure if you can still have the nerve to haggle with the tryke driver.

Danao, finally

Suislide

To the Suislide
I wasn’t feeling gutsy so I settled for Suislide. Suislide is a combination of the word “suis” which is the sound of the cable and “slide”. It could also mean suicide if you’re afraid of heights.

Suislide is basically the same as the zipline where a pulley is suspended on a cable mounted on an inclined cliff. The ride consists of two lines, back and forth.


Prepping up
When I was getting ready for my Suislide, I felt nervous. I tried zipline before it was in a sitting position; this one’s in flying angle. Whew!  As the crew shouted “bombs away”, I braced myself for the exhilarating ride. The Suislide takes around less than a minute from one mountain cliff to another. While there, I just enjoyed the view of the river running between the mountains.


Bombs away!

Find meeeee

For Php350 and two rides, it was worth it.

The Plunge

Whenever, I hear the word “Plunge” what comes into my mind is the Nestea commercial where the model took a plunge in a picnic mat and fell freely into a pool. Sounds familiar? That is if you are a 90s kid..

It says it all
The Plunge somehow works in the same way. Danao Adventure Park boasts “The Plunge” as the best fear factor experience among other adventure activities it offers.  One has to literally plunge to an open air where about two seconds, the plunger will all be defenseless, feel nothing and left all alone.

The Plunge is a canyon swing adventure attraction mounted over a 200 meter high and 300 meter wide gorge. A person would have to do a 45 meters free fall before being launched on a pendulum swing measuring to a hundred meter diameter. The ride costs Php700.

Erick took the Plunge and I saw him literally swinging like a pendulum. But I bet it was one memorable ride for him.

Uno
Dos
Tres


There ya go
Woohoo
Ultimate ride approved!
Danao Adventure Park also offers other activities such as ziplet, river trekking and tubing, kayaking, wall climbing, village tour, camping, rapelling, root climbing, and caving. If you’re the adventurous-type, you can’t miss Danao.
They also provide accommodations from Php600-1000 per night depending on your budget. Renting a tent is a lot cheaper at Php200. Hehe
Adventure packages are also offered. Details are found in the E.A.T. Danao website. 

It was a long, tiring, and adventure-filled day for us. If you are looking for something aside from the usual Bohol sights like Chocolate Hills and dolphin watching, then E.A.T. Danao Adventure Park is for you.

One last note. The provincial government of Bohol should pave the roads leading to Danao so it can be more accessible. Traveling on a rough road was annoying. I kept saying Danao must be worth it; good thing it was. Also, a reliable and inexpensive transport system must be set-up to attract more tourists especially travelers who are on a budget.

contact information:
E.A.T. Danao
+63.38.415.0777/510.0033

19 comments:

  1. hi! gano katagal byahe from tubigon to danao? anong oras kayo nakarating thru tryke?

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  2. hi! it will take around 1 hour so thru tryke. mostly rough road dadaanan.

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  3. hello... how long is the travel from Panglao to Alona via jeepney? we will be staying at Amorita Resort in Panglao...

    yung tickets naman going to Danao, di na kelangan magpareserve? pwedeng dun na mismo sa bus terminal bumili? :D

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  4. hi there! alona is in panglao already. but if you take the jeepney from tagbilaran, it would take 40 minutes or more to alona because of the jeepney stops.

    regarding danao, you don't need to reserve but i suggest you arrive in the bus station early around 6-7am. they only have one bus trip to danao in the morning and that leaves around 7am :)

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  5. Hi, this is really helpful... we have plans of going to Danao aswell and we're on a budget. Basing it from your experience, would it be alright if we rent a motorcycle going to Danao (we're coming from Panglao)?

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  6. Hi! Personally, I wouldn't recommend a motorcycle although it is cheaper. It's a long drive plus you're not familiar with the road (although there is a map provided). The roads also are not 100% paved going to Danao :) And just to be safe because I know someone who met an accident while touring Bohol on a motorcyle. Just my advice :)

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  7. how long will it take to go to Danao from Tagbilaran? thank you!

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  8. hi, it will take around 1.5-2 hours by bus.

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  9. hi smartgirl, can we explore bohol by not taking the day tour. Meaning, by just going thru public transpo, transferring from one place to the other, like chocolate hills, tarsier, baclayon church, loboc river cruise, and cave from panglao beach? It seems if taking a day package tour is an expensive one.

    Thanks.

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  10. hi! i think you can but i haven't tried that. the sights are quite far from each other and sometimes public transpo isn't available since they are not in the same areas of Bohol. You may have to research on the bus routes and all.

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  11. Hi! I'd like to ask if the buses going to danao from tagbilaran are air conditioned? Do you also have an idea on the vans and their schedule? thanks a lot!

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  12. Hi, the buses going to Danao are all non-airconditioned. I suggest you take the first bus trip to Danao at 630am-7am. If you miss the bus, you will have to wait until noon.

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  13. I though there is an 8am bus from tagbilaran to danao? Is the 7am the last trip? Thanks!

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  14. Hi, how long would the travel be going to danao adventure park if we'll be coming from panglao island?

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  15. Hi, do you happened to know if there is bus available from Tubigon - Danao? Coz me and my friends are planning to commute via tubigon instead of tagbilaran.. do u know as to where they usually park?

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  16. I am from Inabanga Bohol and I always say that Danao Adventure park is very nice place. You will really enjoy there.. And you will miss half of you life if you will not try to visit there…

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  17. Hi, do you have to book for the plunge in advance or can you just decide when you want to do it when you get to Danao? Thanks

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  18. Hello. Where can we particularly wait for the bus going to danao from panglao?

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  19. Hi. This has been very helpful. One last question. I will be staying in panglao. Anong oras po first trip ng jeep sa alona beach bayun papuntang dao integrated bus terminal. ?

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