October 27, 2015

DAVAO TRAVEL DIARY: Green Coffee at Marfori Heights

Life is full of many first times and we have to be open for these new experiences and events in our lives. On the third week of August 2015, I was able to experience another “first time” in my life – be a solo traveler! I was scared and excited at the same to be honest, but a lot of women have been doing it for years and they have been successful at it. Well, for my first time to be a solo traveler, I went to one of the world’s safest city in the world: Davao City.




I was blessed to be able to fly for free because of the flight voucher I received from Cebu Pacific when our flight from Manila to Cebu was cancelled and we were transferred to another flight. I had only 6 months to use it so I booked it on the third week of August; little did I know those dates were the dates for the Kidayawan Festival in Davao City which I learned only a week before my flight. I got excited with the thought of actually attending a well-known local festival, but unfortunately I was not able to see it up close and personal and only from the hotel’s TV feed. It was very hot that weekend in Davao City, a lot of people were in the place where the street dance was being held and it was kind of traffic around that part of town. So I ended up skipping watching the Kidayawan street dances. But you know that there are festivities going on because my flight was full and there are also many tourists in Davao.




I’m baffled every time people learn that I am alone on that trip when many other tourists have been roaming around the world alone, and Davao City is a major Philippine destination and for sure many solo travelers had gone that route as well. I learned quite a bit from being a first time solo traveler. For one, it’s much more expensive since you need to shoulder all the bills and have no one to split it up with. It was ok though; I’ve prepared and saved up for this trip and have a set budget already. You have lesser photos of yourself in all the places you've visited. I didn't bring a selfie stick with me (I was kinda shy to bring one actually) and I'm not good at taking selfies. Thank God for nice random strangers, hotel and restaurant staff and guards who willingly took photos of me. But it was ok, I was able to appreciate more of the places I visited and focused less on taking photos of myself which I have had so much in my previous trips. This made me appreciate more the places I’ve been to, the food I ate (which was a lot!) and the people I met. I also was carefree with time; I would leave and go back to the hotel whenever I want to. I don't have to wait for other people and waste time and bargain in deciding where to go and where to eat.




I learned a couple of words from the local dialect too! Travelling solo wasn’t so scary or lonely after all, like others think it would be. I also got to practice independence and courage; I didn’t worry if my itinerary wasn’t followed or if I got lost. But of course to be on the safe side, I always message my family as to where I am currently located or tell the hotel staff where I am going. I would love to do it again actually and go to more unfamiliar places. Well maybe, who knows…





Green Coffee at Marfori Heights
There are times when getting lost can be frustrating and scary. And then there are times that you appreciate being lost in an unknown place because you end up discovering a place that would live you in awe. That is what I actually felt when I found myself in front of Green Coffee in Marfori heights in Davao. 


After going to Bankerohan Market and buying pomelo and marang to take home with me, I hailed a cab and told the driver to bring me to Marfori Heights and bring me to Lachi’s. The driver was unfamiliar with the place and we actually got lost, my internet connection was unreliable and I couldn’t load Google maps. But we eventually found it. Unfortunately it was still closed and would not be open until after an hour. I didn’t know where to stay to wait, until I saw this beautiful structure just across the road.



I’ve been seeing some Green Coffee branches in downtown Davao City but their Marfori Heights branch is something I haven’t seen ever in my life. It was an old house turned into a coffee shop. The walls are made of blocks of compact stones, just like how they did back in the day.


The interiors give out a cozy atmosphere with its mixture of vintage and industrial furniture imbibes a hipster-ish feel. And ooohhhh the big wide windows were the most beautiful part of the place. I really felt like I was transported back in time. I really felt nostalgic while sitting down on one of the corner chairs and just staring at how the light falls travels inside and was filtered through those big windows.



Green Coffee was established by Phil, the youngest among the five children of Davao’s Panadero Bakeshop Chain. When their coffee plantation in Davao Oriental flourished, Phil didn't want the opportunity of having his dream business slip away. Instead of selling the green beans from their plantation, he decided to might as well open a coffee shop and make use of it. As a coffee enthusiast, he was certain that freshly roasted coffee beans are the best. Phil also incorporated his baking background to serve bread and pastries that perfectly match with coffee.



Green Coffee’s original branch was at Prime Square, F. Torres, Davao City. A second branch was opened in metro Manila, specifically at Tomas Morato, Quezon City (which I am looking forward to visit). And the most recent branch is the one I visited in Marfori Heights. It is an old house converted into a café and like the other branches it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.




Since the owner came from a family of bakers, one will surely be delighted and drawn to their baked offerings. Their breads, pastries and cakes are not your normal serving. I’ve noticed that they are not the regular sizes you see in other bake shops or cafes. I was not able to check out the prices nor try any of them because I ordered only coffee. Good thing they have a branch in Manila and one of these days, I’ll go there and try some of those. I am very very curious of their cheesy floss!


I ordered an Iced Mocha, which I later learned was one of their best sellers.  Their coffee menu is in constant development, adding new flavors and new varieties of drinks every now then – something that Green Coffee patrons are always excited about.



I sat on one corners of the café, the one near the big windows, just sipping on my iced mocha, browsing through my phone and sharing photos of the café on my Instagram account using their free Wi-Fi, watching other people as they come and go, until it was time for me to leave. I can’t forget how relaxing the place was, the calmness of the place on that quiet Monday morning is one of the experiences I had in Davao that I will cherish.
Green Coffee
Ruby St., corner Turquoise St.,
Marfori Heights, Davao City
Other branches:
-Prime Square, F. Torres, Davao City
-Bajada corner Palm Drive, Davao City
-Center Stage, Timog Corner Tomas Morato Avenue, Sacred Heart, Quezon City
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegreencoffee
Instagram: instagram.com/thegreencoffee/
Read more of my Davao 2015 trip: 
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Be-ing Resort House
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Luz Kinilaw
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Aldevinco Shopping Center 
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Karlo's Gourmet and Coffee at Jack's Ridge
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Pearl Farm Beach Resort - Marina and Parola
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Pearl Farm Beach Resort
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Pearl Farm Beach Resort - The Infinity Pool
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Pearl Farm Beach Resort - Malipano Island
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Pearl Farm Beach Resort - Maranao Restaurant 
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Pearl Farm Beach Resort - Butik and Mandaya Weaving
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Lyndon's Worst Ribs and Awful Chicken
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Bankerohan Public Market
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Roxas Boulevard Night Market
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Green Coffee at Marfori Heights
- DAVAO 2015 TRAVEL DIARY: Lachi's Sans Rival


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4 comments:

  1. Cool trip and experience, nice photos!

    Gemma
    TaipeiStyle

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope that you also put in the prices for the things u order.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear anonymous, I rarely include menu or prices in my blog post reviews of restaurants or cafes. Thanks for the comment and visiting my blog anyway. Have a great day!

      Delete

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