Tags: Adventure Races, Extreme Sports, Outdoor Sports
By Alexander Villafania
DANAO, BOHOL PROVINCE – There are a variety of adventure tours in the Philippines, such as white water rafting, rappelling and mountain climbing. But few places in the country can boast to have about every kind of extreme adventure. A hilly spot in the countryside of Danao, Bohol is one of those places.
The Danao Adventure Park is the latest adventure tourism spot in the Philippines, situated in the northern side of Bohol Island, two hours from the capital city of Tagbilaran. Often it is called E.A.T. Danao, which stands for Extreme/Eco/Educational Adventure Tour.
E.A.T. Danao features quite a number of activities, many of which require some physical and mental endurance. These include a kilometer-long trek up and down a mountainside, climbing up a tree root 30 feet high, kayaking, and caving. There are also some jungle training activities such as building a tent and starting a fire with a pair of dried bamboo sticks.
Blogger Ivan Henares wrote about his visit to Danao’s Kamira Cave. Another blogger Joeppette also took pictures of his trip to the same cave
But their most popular activities are those you do above the mountains. The Sky Ride and Suislide are two extreme activities that are the most frequently visited even by local tourists. These are actually ziplines stretched nearly a kilometer over a gorge.
The Sky Ride is basically a hanging cable car that takes in up to six riders. For about 8 minutes, riders will get to view the deep gorge 700 feet above the ground. The suislide is also essentially zipline but the riders are placed in carriages, suspended Superman-style over the gorge, and pushed off the platform. The suislide could travel at around 30 kilometers per hour.
Perhaps the most extreme activity is the Plunge – essentially a modified free fall jump that ends with a pendulum swing across the gorge. Those who take the plunge are strapped in harnesses attached to two ropes so safety is not an issue. They are then slowly pushed out of a hanging platform where they are suspended either in a in a sitting position or head first.
When ready, the guide will let go of the line holding the person near the platform and he or she will go on a free fall. Those who want to take it must be sure to have a strong stomach. The free fall is only 150 feet and is only two seconds long. But those two seconds could be the scariest moment for many people. Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet also wrote about his experience taking the Plunge.
More than just being a tourist attraction, E.A.T. Danao is also a major project attended to by no other than the residents of Danao. It was started three years ago by Danao Mayor Tomas Luis Gonzaga, who sought to utilize the height of Danao’s mountains and its rough terrain for extreme adventure seekers.
In an interview, E.A.T. Danao Marketing Officer Jerome Labra says the park was created to give jobs to mostly poor folk of Danao. Instead of them having to exploit the natural resources of the Danao, they were given a chance to become the manpower of the adventure tours.
Some of the residents work as handlers of the tours, from the rappelling ropes, to the cables of the Suislide and Sky Ride, to the caving equipment. Some of them also maintain the areas where guests go to ensure their safety. Others become part of the guest house for incoming visitors. Others also become logistics officers who take supplies from other towns.
“It’s good that something like this can change the lives of people in Danao. They won’t have trouble looking for work somewhere else or become vagrants,” Labra says, adding the place is constantly being upgraded to accommodate more guests. Their people are also constantly trained on equipment.
Incidentally, I was part of a short incident during our visit to Danao. For 30 minutes, I was suspended over the gorge after taking the Plunge, apparently due to a malfunction with the winch that pulled my ropes. Good thing the handlers were able to get a third rope to me that they used to pull me back up to the platform.
Later in the afternoon, (and then in the evening) Labra personally apologized to me and to our media sponsor Acer for the equipment failure. He did promise to take note of all our suggestions so as to ensure maximum safety and convenience to other guests.
But even with that ordeal, I would still recommend E.A.T. Danao to those who are looking for some extreme adventure. There’s a lot to look forward to, like the 1.5 kilometer zip line, which is set to be activated in the coming weeks, as well as the finishing touches in some of the their guest houses for stay-in visitors.
For those interested about E.A.T. Danao promo rates and other activities, you may call Weina Saguid 0921-7594403 / 0917-3021700 or check their website at www.eatdanao.com.
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