The Hillside phase of Mt. Apo Highland Resort has rustic cabins overlooking Mt. Apo Natural Park.
With scenic views of Mount Apo – the tallest peak in the Philippines – the cool-weathered plateau of Barangay Kapatagan in Digos City, Davao del Sur sure makes an amazing day trip from Davao City. It’s a great way to see and enjoy Mt. Apo Natural Park for casual travelers, or a starting point for serious multi-day trekking to the summit of Mt. Apo.
But there’s nothing like spending more time here to really immerse in the place, especially when you check-in at the Mt. Apo Highland Resort, a laid-back mountain retreat with both hillside and lakeside cottages for your restless soul to settle in.
Relax in rustic cottages overlooking the natural park.
The Hillside area of the resort has cozy cabins built on stilts along a slope. This is the more convenient place to stay (compared to the lakeside area) because of the adjacent restaurant that serves affordable Filipino combo meals (PHP 130) and short orders (PHP 200 to 300). We loved their lechon kawali! There’s no need for AC here with the cool mountain air at 1,160 meters above sea level. Relax in your private cottage with double bed or dormitory-style accommodation and sweeping views of the misty highlands of Mt. Apo Natural Park outside your balcony.
The resort’s hillside cabins are PHP 2,000 per night (plus 10% service charge), good for two to four persons. Find discounted room rates here!
Take the resort’s 4X4 on a spin around Kapatagan’s top attractions.
Among the great places to visit is Virgin Falls, which can reached by a 30-minute hike.
Conveniently tour the sights in a 4X4 jeep.
Hiring a habal-habal (motorbike) is the transport of choice for budget travelers exploring Kapatagan for a day. For the convenience of their guests, Mt. Apo Highland Resort has a 4X4 jeep that can negotiate the rough unpaved roads to Kapatagan’s attractions. Tours starts at only PHP 400 per pax for group of three to six persons (You’ll still have to pay PHP 1,500 if you’re touring solo or with a buddy, but it’s still great value).
Among the great places we visited by 4X4 were the popular Camp Sabros (with its scenic zipline), Kublai Art Garden, Lake Santo Rosario, Marawer Hot Spring, Tibolo Bagobo Village and Virgin Falls – reached via a 30-minute hike through farmland and down a lush river valley.
It’s feeding time at the resort’s civet coffee farm!
Expensive civet coffee is made from beans excreted by this native animal.
Watch the afternoon feeding at the civet coffee farm.
Owned by the same proprietors of Dizon Farms, the resort also produces one of the most expensive coffees made from beans excreted by native civet cats. Watch the daily afternoon feeding of 75 civets. Most of them can be really feisty so never stick your fingers into their kennels. Look for the pretty white civet cat as you browse the farm! You can buy locally grown coffee and premium civet coffee at the restaurant.
Get the Baguio feels at the strawberry plantation.
Take that mandatory selfie at the strawberry garden.
Get the Baguio feels at the resort’s strawberry garden. The cool climate of Kapatagan creates the ideal conditions to grow these succulent fruits. If it’s fruiting season, ask the resort staff if you can pick-and-pay for a small harvest.
Nothing like cozying next to a bonfire on cold mountain nights.
Warm up around a bonfire at night.
Temperatures drop by nightfall and thick fog often blankets the place – the perfect time to warm up around a bonfire. Ask the resort staff to build one for you and your friends at the designated open area next to the restaurant. It’s a great venue for storytelling and bonding with your friends and family.
Watching the sunrise over Mt. Apo at Lake Mirror was a spectacular sight!
Marvel at the Mt. Apo sunrise at Lake Mirror.
The lakeside area of the resort can be visited before dawn to marvel the sunrise painting crimson hues on Mt. Apo with its reflection on Lake Mirror. When the weather cooperates, this is one of the country’s most spectacular sceneries, one that you’ll surely never forget.
How to Get There
From Davao City, take a two-hours bus to Digos City where you take a tricycle (PHP 10) to the habal-habal (motorbike) terminal near the Old Llanos Clinic. Habal-habal trips to Kapatagan are PHP 100 per person and take roughly 45 minutes. Ask the driver to drop you off at Mt. Apo Highland Resort
Hillside.
Contact Details
Mt. Apo Highland Resort – Lake Mirror & Hillside
Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City, Davao del Sur, Philippines
Contact Numbers: +63 82 2757955, +63 9236593722 or +63 9488908051
Nice Place, Thanks for sharing..
Thanks for dropping by!
It’s informative but for people like me traveling on a budget, I want to see how much are the charges and fees going to these places will cost.
Google.
How much would ge the cost?
Thanks
Please click on the links, or contact the resort. =)
A 4×4 is a must in this area, along with the many other mountainous areas near Mt Apo. The entire area as well as Bukidnon is absolutely stunning. Buda is also a real gem found not too far from Mt Apo
Yeah, Buda is scenic drive!