Kapatagan Mt. Apo: Dream Destination Finally Reached!

In the first few years of my life here in Davao City, I've already heard about Kapatagan in Digos, Davao del Sur. I've learned about its beautiful location and scenery through the features I've read in the local newspaper. That got me curious but I never had the chance to go there until recently. The long wait (yes almost 20 long years) is finally over.

Not many people are aware that Kapatagan is actually a barangay of Digos in Davao del Sur. It is located on a higher elevation at the foot of Mt. Apo the reason for the cold weather there. The place is also a main producer of Davao's vegetables (sayote, carrots, potatoes, eggplants, cabbage, squash among many others) and one of the two trails used in climbing the Philippines' highest peak (Kidapawan is the other trail).

We went on our road trip to Kapatagan a day after my daughter's grade school graduation and my hubby's birthday which took place last April 1st. I've long been waiting for this adventure to happen and when it was finally time to go, I couldn't contain my excitement.

It took a little more than two hours to get there from Davao City. Our trip was comfortable as the roads are well paved but drivers just need to be very careful as there are zigzag roads with sharp curves along the way.

It was indeed an adventure as we were not very familiar of the place and the directions of the tourist spots we wanted to visit. I just relied on the information I gathered from the internet which I found were not very accurate.  But nevertheless, we found them and enjoyed staying there for several hours. The views are so breathtaking that they made me stand there and marvel at God's creation for some time when we got to the highest point (where you could see the vast expanse of valleys and mountain ranges at the foot of the majestic Mt. Apo).

Being the highlands, the weather in Kapatagan is much cooler (hint: another Little Baguio destination). But according to one vegetable vendor we talked to, the cold weather these days is a far cry from what it used to be back then. He said during noontime in the past, one would still shiver from the cold even if wearing a sweater. Nowadays, visitors can just wear a shirt and not be bothered by the cold.

Lake Mirror 

Lake Mirror is part of the Mt. Apo Highland Resort owned by the Dizons of Davao City and is situated after the main Kapatagan market. But it is a separate area from the main resort which is located on a still higher elevation before the barangay proper.

The lake is called as such because it reflects the peak of Mt. Apo when the waters are clear.

Dhen Yho's Place 

This frequently-visited place is just along the highway. It has a restaurant overlooking the valleys on the foot of Mt. Apo, a swimming pool and some cottages for people who wish to stay the night.

The management allows guests to bring food but they can only stay at the open area whereas the restaurant is only for people who wish to order food prepared and cooked there.

Kublai Art Garden

The art garden of Mindanaoan artist Kublai Milan is just adjacent to Dhen Yho's Place. It is a must-visit area because of its giant-size sculptures and art installations placed  in the different sections of a wide garden on a hilly area. Art lovers would surely be amazed at Kublai's creations which feature indigenous people and abstract figures as well. The other snapshots I took of his giant sculptures I will share in a separate blog post.

Here's a short video I also created featuring a compilation of the photos I snapped during our Kapatagan Mt. Apo adventure. Some of Kublai's sculptures are included here.