Malagos Garden Resort

What to expect and how to make it work

Malagos Garden Resort is about 32 kilometers from central Davao City along the Calinan-Baguio-Cadalian Road, and the drive takes close to an hour in normal traffic. It's not accessible by regular public transport in any practical sense, so most visitors either rent a vehicle, hire a taxi or rideshare, or join a day tour. This is worth knowing before you plan an early start. The resort opens at 8 AM and you want to arrive not long after that because some activities have fixed show times.

Access and Practical Notes

The Bird Show runs at 10:30 AM and the Animal Encounter show is at 2 PM on weekends. Missing the bird show because you arrived late is a common regret in reviews. Weekday visits are less crowded and slightly cheaper. Entrance fees vary by day and package, so confirming current rates directly with the resort before going saves frustration.

Before You Go

The Chocolate Museum smells exactly like what it is and is the part of the resort that tends to surprise visitors most. It is more educational than expected, well laid out, and the bean to bar story connects directly to cacao farms you can see on the property. The chocolate making activity is a separate fee but is the highlight for children and genuinely interesting for adults. The butterfly sanctuary is small but carefully maintained and best visited before noon when the insects are most active. Bring comfortable walking shoes. The grounds are large enough that you'll cover real distance between attractions, and the terrain is uneven in places.

Show Times and Weekend Schedules

Timing is everything at Malagos. The Bird Show runs at 10:30 AM and the Animal Encounter at 2:00 PM. These shows are primarily scheduled for weekends and holidays. If you visit on a weekday, the resort is significantly quieter and slightly cheaper, but you will miss the choreographed performances. The weekend buffet package is the most popular choice, as it includes lunch and access to both major shows for approximately PHP 650 per person.

The Chocolate Museum and DIY Activities

The Malagos Chocolate Museum is the first of its kind in the Philippines and shows the path from cacao bean to finished bar in Davao's cacao industry. The museum itself is included in your entrance fee, but the Chocolate Making activity costs an additional PHP 299 to PHP 450 depending on the size of the bar you create.

This is a hands on process where you mold and decorate your own chocolate using Malagos cacao, which has won recognition at national and international competitions. The museum also connects to the surrounding farms where you can see the actual cacao trees behind Malagos chocolate. Malagos describes itself as an agri ecotourism destination that has welcomed travelers and families since 1994.

Butterfly Sanctuary and Bird Feeding

Beyond the shows, the resort features a Butterfly Sanctuary and a Bird Feeding dome. The butterfly sanctuary is best visited before noon when the insects are most active.

The bird feeding area lets you enter a large dome where small colorful birds will land on your hands if you buy a small packet of seeds for PHP 20. The grounds require a fair amount of walking on uneven terrain, so wear comfortable shoes.

Malagos describes its Interactive Bird Show as the longest running bird show in the Philippines. Educational tour material says the show is supported by the Malagos Wildlife Preservation Foundation and is built around environmental awareness and compassion toward animals.

For those with children, the Petting Zoo offers a chance to see goats, rabbits, and other farm animals in a clean, supervised setting. Malagos describes the Butterfly Sanctuary as a learning space for metamorphosis stages and biodiversity appreciation.

2026 Entrance Fees and Getting There

Weekday entrance for adults is approximately PHP 350 to PHP 450, which usually includes a plated lunch or snacks. The weekend rate is around PHP 650 and upgrades the meal to a full buffet including the bird show.

Getting there from downtown Davao: a Grab or taxi costs around PHP 250 to PHP 350 one way. If you want to keep costs lower, take a van from Bankerohan Terminal to Calinan for PHP 30 to PHP 40, then a tricycle from Calinan proper to the resort gate for another PHP 50 to PHP 80. Regular public jeepneys do not go directly to the resort entrance. That framing matters because the show is presented as education, not only entertainment.