Review: Danasan Eco Adventure Park - Danao, Cebu

Not to be mistaken by its namesake in Bohol, Danao in Cebu also has something for adrenaline junkies and outdoor enthusiasts. Featuring the province's first cable wake park, this 130-ish hectare property is poised to be the region's ultimate adventure destination. A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to visit the place with some friends.

Although only a fraction of the property has been developed at present, there's no such thing as idle time for Danao Eco Adventure Park's visitors.

Registration

A P50 entrance fee is collected at the gate. This gives you access to the park's common areas.

To sign up for a tour/activity, you'll need an adventure pass (P350 each). These are sold at the registration desk beside the park clubhouse. Some activities require more than 1 adventure pass, so if you want to get busy, get the Adventure Package (4 adventure passes for P1200) to save P200.

Here are some things to do around the park:

On the trails

Choose your adrenaline ride: ATV, horseback, tractor or 8x8 vehicle and hit the hillside trails. Maneuver over rocky slopes against the background of Tañon strait and Mt. Kanlaon range beyond. You can't get lost out there because a dedicated guide is assigned to every tour group.

Standing from the park clubhouse, everything in your line of sight is an adventure waiting to be uncovered (it's all park property). This translates to exciting trail discoveries for trail runners, hikers and bikers.

Just in time for this post, I learned that the Columbia Eco Trail Run Cebu (Leg 8) will be held here on June 30, 2013 (Sunday). It's a great opportunity to explore untrampled areas of the park. Here the info I got from their FB page: 

Registration fee: Php 700.00 (12K)
Php 900.00 (18K)
Registration Areas: Columbia SM Cebu, R.O.X. Ayala Cebu, Columbia Abreeza Davao, Columbia Lim Ket Kai, Columbia Centrio.
Deadline of Registration: June 15, 2013.
*All registrants are entitled to 10% discount on park accommodation.*
*Shuttle service - TBA*
*All participants are required to bring their own hydration equipment/bottle (at least 1 liter capacity).*

Adrenaline overload

A zipline that spans the clubhouse all the way to the wakepark area is a good way to get your Danasan experience started. The wall climbing facility was closed when I visited, but it's not too bad since artificial walls can be found elsewhere anyway.

The park's main attraction is its wakeboarding facility. You can choose between a beginner lake and an advanced lake. No need to elaborate what those meant. A single adventure pass allows for 2-hour use, including gears.

After wakeboarding, you can take a dip in the newly constructed infinity pool (it wasn't completely done when I was there, but we got to use it). Kids would enjoy the shallow children's pool, too!

A separate venue is dedicated for the rope course which is great for team building activities. There's also a canopy-walk type of thing - the Tyrolean course.

Nature trip

Some weekend warriors want to take a break from the fast-paced life in the city and come to Danasan Eco Adventure Park to experience nature. I'm not into muscle rides, too, so taking a leisurely hike around the park is good enough for me.

Camping out for the night is also one way to commune with nature. In the morning, you can take a guided tour to the nearby waterfalls and caves.

If you don't feel like wandering too far, you can visit the grotto or the way of the cross (calvary) just a few meters from the clubhouse.

Accommodation

After a long day, it's good to know that you're not too far away from a comfortable stay. I mean, compared to other adventures like mountaineering and such, this trip would't require you to carry a heavy backpack or endure rainforest weather.

There's the option of camping out (cheapest), staying in one of the huts aptly named after the wood used to build it (Kawayan, Acacia, Mahogany, Gemelina) or checking into one of the airconditioned Caida rooms.

Here is the park's accommodation rate sheet.

We stayed at the Caida 8pax room. It was airconditioned with a well-ventilated veranda. We had 4 queen beds with hotel-type sheets and pillows! The bathroom had a shower but there were times during the day when water pressure was low so I had to fill a pail of water to take a bath. Towels, soap and shampoo are provided. And oh, there was cable TV and a personal ref (which we didn't use anyway).

The park is secure but I don't suggest leaving your room open even if you're just going to the canteen because there's a high foot traffic near the Caida room complex.

Food

The canteen serves food all day until 8:30PM. Meal times are busy and you may have to wait for your order for quite a bit. Their standard meal price is P150 (including a drink). Group meals may be arranged, too. I saw a big group being served lunch buffet-style.

A small sari-sari store beside the canteen sells snacks and drinks. To save money, you can get canned sardines or noodles from there and have it cooked in the kitchen for a minimal fee.

Cooking is allowed in designated areas of the park, but you should notify the management when you will be bringing your own food.

How to get there

The Danasan Eco Adventure Park is located in the highlands of Danao. From Cebu City, you can take the park's shuttle service (P300 per person). Or take a bus to Danao (P35 ordinary; 1 hour) and take the shuttle service from there (P200 per person, minimum 10 pax). Unfortunately, there are no commute options to the park from Danao City.

The best way to get there is by private, preferably 4x4, vehicle. But we managed to get there in a van, so it's doable. Directional signages are scattered along the road to keep you on the right track. There's also a way coming from Asturias (by private vehicle).

Approx travel time: Cebu City to Danao proper, 1 hour. Danao proper to Danasan Eco Adventure Park, 1 hour.

*This is not a sponsored post.