Isla Reta Resort - The Best Beach in Davao
Situated an hour away from the city, Isla Reta is a nice go-to place for beach lovers. Not only does it have the most wonderful beach it is also serene. The sand is reminiscent of Boracay. Well it is like the famous beach minus the crowd and nice facilities. What makes people really go here is the beach itself and the talisay trees that serve as shed for beach goers.
How to get there?
To reach Talicud Island you have to ride a boat from Sta. Ana Wharf. If you don't know where that is, it's just smacked right beside Magsaysay Park. All davaoenos know where that is, so you could just ask anyone. The boat doesn't really have regular timings for trips. It docks out only when the boat is full. Boarding time starts from 6am and the last trip is 4pm. Boat fee here is P85 per person, I'm not sure how much is the charge for kids. The boat trip will take just about 45mins- 1hour. It wouldn't be really boring because the scenery itself is entertaining. Last time we went to the island, we saw some dolphins swimming in the sea. This was the first boat ride for the day. So that was really a bonus treat for us.
By the time we reach the island we hurried off to find our spot. You could either pay as soon as you arrived or before you leave. Paying fees are done in the canteen. There is a girl named Joanne who is in charge of collecting fees. She's also the one managing the canteen.
The Beach
So the beach, I don't know where to start. There is really a lot of nice things to say about the beach. The sand is really fine and white, reminds me of polvoron. The ocean is clean. Although there are some wood and roots floating here and there, it's usually cleaned up by staff every morning. The debris are usually found near the docking area, but further away from it, it's clean and clear. So we got our spot farthest away from the docking area where sand is finer, and the water is cleaner. Too bad there were lots of guests who also found our spot but it's not really that bad to share. Besides the place wasn't really congested with people so at most times you would hardly see any people taking a dip in the water, which is for me, a bit weird considering how wonderful the beach is.
Nipa Seats
Anyways, lucky for me we headed on to a more secluded place in the island. The moment I saw that nook, I knew that it was my spot. So the moment we landed we hurried off to conquer it. Going there was really fun. The Adrenalin of just running to go to that place was exhilarating, added there were giggles and teases. I was with my "gay friend" so that made it all the more fun. To reach our place we had to go up the hill and go down the cliff, over a number of really huge boulders that were not only sharp but a bit slippery. So we really had to be extra careful. The moment we stepped on our nook, we were so glad we were alive. It was well worth it. The place was ours alone, it even felt like we were contestants in Survivors. Needless to say, we had fun. We laid on the sand under the shed of ipil-ipil trees. So that was like sun bathing without exactly getting ourselves sunburnt. Lunch time came, we ate the food that we brought. Even though the canteen had some chips and drinks, and we could order there, we figured we would save more if we just bring our own, and we did.
If you figured you wanted to stay over for the night. You could for P850 for concrete cottages and P750 for wooden ones. They also have tents that you could rent for P400 for a night. There is one guard who is roaming around the beach with the flashlight so you would feel safe. Oh yeah, the gate closes at around 9pm, so if you wish to buy food or what not from outside, you could do that before the closing time. We were able to go outside past 9 pm since I had to have my charger charged. I did bring the charger with me but I forgot the round socket that had to go with the charger. So smarty me, I had to ask some people in the beach for that. But I figured that there is more chances for me to borrow that from people from outside the resort. And I was right. The second store we visited had the exact thing that I was looking for. I asked the manang to have my charger plugged in using their electricity. I would just have to pay per hour and they agreed for P30/hr. I went back to get it after 2 hours. By then the gate was closed but I had the guard to accompany me outside. We just knocked on their closed store and they gave me back my charger. The sweetest part is that they only charged me P30 for 2 hours.
Food there is expected to be more expensive. We had our coffee there that costs P15 for a cup. Alcoholic beverages aren't found from stores outside but are sold in the resort's canteen. We bought our drink, a liter of The Bar, for P135. You could bring some food with you, or bring the raw ones and have it cooked in the resort for some additional charge. For some, they'll buy fishes in the wet market outside the resort and have it cooked themselves or send it to the resort staff and just pay P30-50 to have it cooked.
Before leaving the place, make sure you have brought everything with you. Last time we went there, my friend left her cellphone on the bed. When we called the person in charge, she said that the staff didn't see any phone in our room, which was really impossible since my friend remembered to have last use it there. Anyways, just a heads up for everyone. Although, other than that, our clothes left hanging near our cottage weren't stolen.
But all in all, it was still a good experience.
Isla Reta Beach Resort
Ships docked along Sta. Ana Wharf
Scenery from the boat
View from our Nook
View from our Nook: Samal Island
Finding "my spot"
Anyways, lucky for me we headed on to a more secluded place in the island. The moment I saw that nook, I knew that it was my spot. So the moment we landed we hurried off to conquer it. Going there was really fun. The Adrenalin of just running to go to that place was exhilarating, added there were giggles and teases. I was with my "gay friend" so that made it all the more fun. To reach our place we had to go up the hill and go down the cliff, over a number of really huge boulders that were not only sharp but a bit slippery. So we really had to be extra careful. The moment we stepped on our nook, we were so glad we were alive. It was well worth it. The place was ours alone, it even felt like we were contestants in Survivors. Needless to say, we had fun. We laid on the sand under the shed of ipil-ipil trees. So that was like sun bathing without exactly getting ourselves sunburnt. Lunch time came, we ate the food that we brought. Even though the canteen had some chips and drinks, and we could order there, we figured we would save more if we just bring our own, and we did.
Snorkelling
Boats there are available if you wish to go snorkelling in snorkelling spots. You just need to ask the guard there. It would range from P1200-1500, that is good for 1hour boat ride. Ours only cost P500 since I negotiated with the guard. Everything could be negotiated and we managed to do it. However we only had it for 30mins. which was totally fine for us since we didn't bring any snorkelling gears, and even if we did, we wouldn't have the guts to do that in deep waters [we don't know how to swim, ehem!].Overnight Stay
If you figured you wanted to stay over for the night. You could for P850 for concrete cottages and P750 for wooden ones. They also have tents that you could rent for P400 for a night. There is one guard who is roaming around the beach with the flashlight so you would feel safe. Oh yeah, the gate closes at around 9pm, so if you wish to buy food or what not from outside, you could do that before the closing time. We were able to go outside past 9 pm since I had to have my charger charged. I did bring the charger with me but I forgot the round socket that had to go with the charger. So smarty me, I had to ask some people in the beach for that. But I figured that there is more chances for me to borrow that from people from outside the resort. And I was right. The second store we visited had the exact thing that I was looking for. I asked the manang to have my charger plugged in using their electricity. I would just have to pay per hour and they agreed for P30/hr. I went back to get it after 2 hours. By then the gate was closed but I had the guard to accompany me outside. We just knocked on their closed store and they gave me back my charger. The sweetest part is that they only charged me P30 for 2 hours.
Food
Food there is expected to be more expensive. We had our coffee there that costs P15 for a cup. Alcoholic beverages aren't found from stores outside but are sold in the resort's canteen. We bought our drink, a liter of The Bar, for P135. You could bring some food with you, or bring the raw ones and have it cooked in the resort for some additional charge. For some, they'll buy fishes in the wet market outside the resort and have it cooked themselves or send it to the resort staff and just pay P30-50 to have it cooked.
A word of caution
Before leaving the place, make sure you have brought everything with you. Last time we went there, my friend left her cellphone on the bed. When we called the person in charge, she said that the staff didn't see any phone in our room, which was really impossible since my friend remembered to have last use it there. Anyways, just a heads up for everyone. Although, other than that, our clothes left hanging near our cottage weren't stolen.
But all in all, it was still a good experience.
The best beach I ever went to so far near Davao.
If you wish to have reservations, you could contact Joanne at 09282141487.
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