The Highway With A View | BuDa, Philippines

Bukidnon is one of the 81 provinces in the Philippines. It is 183 kilometers north of my hometown, Davao City. I have never been there although I've been hearing about the beauty of the region since I was a kid. It is said that the sweetest pineapples in the Philippines could be found there, and it's all thanks to Bukidnon's cool climate.

Because the Philippines is a tropical country, the heat can get overbearing. I'm guessing this is the reason why places with cooler climate are popular tourist destinations among the locals. These are sought after when summer hits its peak at around 36 °C. Even during the rainy season, the sun can still burn on days when it is out, and the crispy chill air from the mountains is always a welcomed break.

Just a few days ago, my family in Davao went to visit BuDa or the BUkidnon-DAvao Highway, that has become a popular attraction because of the breath-taking view of the mountains that it offers. Two of my sisters, now based abroad, are in the country for a short vacation and they decided to spend some quality time in one of the many resorts along the highway that snake through the valleys among the hills in Marilog District.

Sonnen Berg Mountain View Resort

My sister tells me they left our residence in Davao City at around 4:30 in the morning. Their first stop was Sonnen Berg Mountain View Resort. They say the owner is a Filipina working in Germany, which may be the reason for the resort's name. When I checked, I found out there is a municipality called Sonnenberg in Brandenburg Germany, and the word Sonnenberg came from the German words Sonne, which means sun, and Berg, which means mountain or hill. From the resort, they had a spectacular view of the mountains. The place is known for the sea of clouds that usually appear in between the hills right in front of the resort's pool area.

Seagull Mountain Resort

After spending an hour or so admiring the magnificent views, and breathing in the beautiful sunrise from the viewing deck of Sonnen Berg Resort, the gang moved on to Seagull Mountain Resort. The resort's towering pine trees gave me the impression that they were in Baguio. It is no wonder that Buda is fondly called the Baguio of the South.

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The resort is quite big and there is even a waterfalls within its grounds. There's also a pool, for people who could brave the cold temperature.

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BEMWA Farm

This farm is popular mostly because of their strawberries, which are more commonly attributed to Baguio. The climate in this area of Mindanao permits all types of lettuce to thrive. My siblings and their kids had a great time exploring the farm. They especially loved looking at the beautiful flowers that were abundant in the surroundings.

I got so envious when my sister told me there were lots of sunflowers too. They are my absolute favorite.

Buda Vista

They made it a point to go to these tourist spots before checking in to their accommodation. Due to the high demand, most resorts have strict policies about their check-in times.

They stayed at a place called Buda Vista. It's a quaint two-story rest house, which was big enough to house all 18 of them. I love the simple design of the house, and my sister took a lot of pictures hoping to design her future home after it.

They had a beautiful view of the hillside at the veranda. My sister says it was where they spent most of their time catching up.

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I almost cried when my sisters sent me all the pictures of their trip. If I'd be completely honest, I'd say that I'm sorry I wasn't there. Although there are quite a few family issues that have yet to be resolved, I do miss my siblings very much and would have thoroughly enjoyed a trip to this beautiful place with them. Maybe in time.

All photos were taken by my sisters Qai, Ianlech, and Emily, using their own iphones. These were used one my blog with their consent.