We were rushing to get to our destination, as Eden Nature Park's last guided tour is 4PM. It's 3:45PM and we were still on the road. Our tour guide called the park and advised them to wait for us.

We arrived 5 minutes to 4 and we were accommodated. Good job Kuya driver! We immediately paid Php 320 each. Php 200 for the entrance fee which includes a light snack, and Php 120 for the guided shuttle tour. The park is so big and you can't really roam around on foot, unless trekking is your thing.

The guided shuttle tour is for 1 hour only and covers 3 stops. Our first stop was the Ampitheater. Photo ops for 10-15 minutes only. Going there we passed by the mountain trails and many nurseries and vegetable gardens.

The mountain resort is about 3,000 above sea level. 

The cute "Mickey Mouse" plant. It is not edible.

Lovely flowers

This one is my fave.

Of course we are not leaving without a photo sesh!

Next stop is the Tinubdan area, which caters to the cultural history of Davaoeños.

Goofing around with these statues.

Third and last stop, Lola's Garden, where there are a lot of crops growing. Such a lush greenery.

It's really like I was taken back to my great grand lola's home in Bacolod.

We really had fun exploring the area. If only we weren't pressed in time. This is the area where we could have stayed longer. It's so relaxing. 

There are other attractions like zip line, horseback riding, and the playground which we did not see, tried and explored since it past 5PM already. Until next.

 

You can also opt to stay in their cabins. They have overnight packages too.

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After we are done at Tamayong Prayer Mountain, it was another 20 minutes ride to Philippine Eagle Center.
We paid Php 105 each, entrance fee and water shed fee.

It was just unfortunate that there were no tour guides available so we were left to ourselves and just roamed the area.

We saw this mighty eagle named Binay, named after our Vice President, in an open area but on a leash. Felt bad for him. We were waiting and cheering for him to spread his wings.

The names of sponsors were carved in the pathwalk.

Binay and its leash

There were eagles confined in a bigger sanctuary as well, like this one. There were other birds too, plus a wild boar and monkeys.

There were insects flying and can get into your eyes, so we recommend wearing your eye/sunglasses.



I can't say we had fun, but visiting a conservatory like this is educational. Wish there were guides who can explain and let us know more about their advocacy.

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I chanced upon the idea of visiting the "Tamayong Prayer Mountain" when I was searching for places to visit in Davao via Trip Advisor. The beautiful and well manicured landscape hooked my interest. It is as if you are transported to a different place.

Tamayong Prayer Mountain is an eight-hectare of flawlessly landscaped compound located in Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City. Also called as the Garden of Eden Restored, this place is where the executive pastor Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, born and grew up.



Going There
Before planning a trip to and going directly toTamayong Prayer Mountain, please drop by the JMC School to secure your day tour permit. It is just a stone throne away from the airport you would not miss it.

In our case, we arrived at the Davao Airport around 9:30AM and secured our permit for a tour on the same day. There's a minmal fee of Php 125 per person, to be used for planting trees and maintenance of the garden.

The Tamayong Prayer Mountain is located in Calinan, Davao City. It's almost an hour away from the city and more than an hour from the Davao International Airport. It sits at the foot of Mount Apo, and you'll pass by scenic fruit plantations going there.

The place was built based on the belief that mountains have a significant role in God's dealing with mankind. In the old testament, God spoke the 10 commandments to Moses on a mountain.

The whole place is impressive. It's a perfect place to find serenity and a place where you appreciate God. Though a “religious and holy site” for the followers of the “Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name”, the place is open for visitors (reservations required, and a dress code is enforced), and they don’t seem to mind what religion or denomination their visitors come from. It is a place of prayer and worship so aside from proper clothing, a proper attitude must be exerted at all times in reverence to the significance of the place.



Upon arrival, we handed our authorization letter to the security guard. They already know that we were coming and a tour guide was already there waiting to usher us. We forgot to ask for his name. But he was so nice and always smiling.




We were led to a coffee house to watch a short video of what the place is all about and the guidelines we need to follow. We were also entertained by their youth members of a short song number.

The prayer mountain is not open for commercial shoot, prenups and the likes - thus a video camera and professional cameras are restricted.



The place is indeed a very beautiful and relaxing place. It's like Disneyland without the Disney characters and the rides.

The flowers are so beautiful. 60% of the plants and flowers in the entire vicinity were imported from around the world.



​A total of seven trucks of water are consumed everyday in maintaining its landscapes and gardens. Whoah! That's a lot.





Not only that! ​Leaves of pest-prone plants are soaped individually by the gardeners. Each 10-square meter of the sprawling complex has a personnel in-charge. What a spoiled bunch of flowers right there.

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