We arrived there at 10am. We were excited to take a dip because the beach at Costa Marina was looking so promising and enticing. By the time we settled down, the sea was gone. It shied away from us. You have to walk what seemed to be hundred meters away from the shore to get your knees wet. You have to sit down or lie down to get your whole body wet.
The whole time we were at the beach, we were waiting for high tide to come back again.
We waited
and waited
and waited
and waited
and waited
and waited.
Then the clock hit 4pm-- the arrival time of the last boat to take us back to the city. Time to pack up. As we were leaving the whole sea came rushing in. Back to its glory, its depth, its clarity, its wholeness.
You might be asking why I went on scuba diving alone? I would be the first to say that I find contentment on being alone. I do spend most of my time in solitude and I find deep joy spending time by myself. I have the weirdest and funniest thoughts that I would just burst out in laughter in the room out of the blue. This is just another day in the house. Everyone who lives with me wouldn't be surprised at all, all though there are times that their curiosity would get the best of them and would ask what's the fuss was about. I would just smile widely, shrug and turn my head side to side. Not telling them that some wonderful memories of the past just came rushing down at me. Tickles down my spine. Butterflies in my stomach. Those were the times. That or some fantasy I would have thought would be lovely to do... and so another dream would be formed. So yes. I don't mind spending my time alone. I entertain myself in the silliest of ways.
But traveling, and doing things for the first time alone? Well that seemed to be a different ballgame. I've been a believer that doing things for the first time is best experienced with a friend, a family member or a partner. Nothing really beats being in the moment and having to talk about it with someone close to you. A solo traveler, for the best part would smile, nod to fellow travelers who traveled in groups, agree with them, and then after that brief interaction, you are back to your alone-ness... Just a sad, awful scene to behold. This brings me back to Perhentian. A number of tourists stepped out of the boat, and ended up chit chattering. For what seemed like a pack of friends, had gradually dissipated in 3's in 2's in 4's... until one guy was now alone. In the realization that they were off to their own destinations, he was now left alone and feeling the awkwardness of it, he then checked his map to see where he will be going. That left me feeling heart broken for him. In a paradise like Perhentian, who would want to be alone? It's like having to walk in a park full of lovers on a valentine's day. By then, I knew I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
So why travel solo?
Well I didn't realize that up until I realized that at one point in my life, I would have to walk his ways. There would come a time that my friends would be too busy with work, family and what nots in life, and you, a single free-spirited individual would have to be forced to do things by yourself.
That my friends explained why I had to do scuba diving alone.
Me finding Nemo... yet again. This hide and seek business is getting old.
I've been meaning to do it for the longest time, and I've been beating myself up every time I have to postpone it until I had enough of all the delays and took the matter in my own hands. I will do it, I didn't care if I had to do it alone. I will do it.
And I was more than happy that I did.
Here are the things that happened.
1. Snorkelled alone 10 meters away from the boat, on a 15meter deep water. Underneath me was a myriad of coral reefs in the most varied display I've ever seen, and in my mind a song of 'Little Mermaid', swimming on the surface feeling like a floating beautiful creature of the sea.
2. Free diving my friends. This one I had to get assistance from kuya. I couldn't get myself to go deeper into the water. So what kuya did was he dived deeper until he could grab the nearest and sturdiest coral reef he could find, anchored himself well, reached high up to grab my hand, like some clip of a movie, he reached out for me, and once our hands locked, he pulled me in deeper until I was able to grab hold of the coral reef beneath and was able to touch the soft sea anemones right beside it. I had to immediately swim back up to have a shot of oxygen back to my throbbing lungs. Exhausted but at least I kinda did it, thanks to kuya. Now that wasn't really free diving, I know, but that wasn't bad at all for a first timer like me.
3. Did a balancing acton top of a high rising coral reef to get some rest from swimming and to just have a good view of the marine life teeming below.
4. Scuba diving. As much as I don't want to disturb the environment below, our guide seem to want us to touch this, touch that, hold this hold that, which was really fine, but I couldn't help chipping away some coral reefs, so that's why I didn't bother really touching everything I see. It was really fascinating though to see and feel different textures and figures of corals, star fishes, sea anemones, sea cucumbers to name a few.
5. Learning how to socialize again. This part was the biggest breakthrough for me. At first, I tried my hardest to be ok being alone. Every time I tell people in the scuba center that I came in alone, they just naturally gleam at me as if I was this fascinating creature. Although I know that I am one, but it's really surreal that you see them reacting to the fineness that is me. OK enough with my narcissism there. I totally was feeling desperate to make friends because I refused to be that lonely traveler you see just sitting at the far side of boat, either looking far away in the sea, trapped in deep thoughts, or the one who was listening to every body else's discussion pretending to be interested. The treasure of every solo traveler is another solo traveler. If you see one, then that is a prospect friend. Fortunately, I was able to find one earlier on in the scuba diving center. A korean guy in his 30's. We had the most interesting discussion and I had a blast talking about random things with him. We were saved from that pitiful glances of other travelers, because we weren't the lonely loosers, we in fact, were the chattiest in the group. So there you go. I never thought I was a social freak. But there I was, ms. friendly in the boat. And I loved every second of it.
What I've learned from this?
God I never thought traveling solo would be really interesting. I was listening more, absorbing more, smiling more than I was traveling with a companion. Life couldn't get any better yeah?
This whole experience all summed up to what our scuba guide said... before plunging in the water he advised us to just relax and enjoy life. And that is something we usually forget. Good thing I'm blessed to have been reminded again.
While pondering on my experience, I realized that the fear of traveling alone doesn't always mean the fear of actual danger, instead it's the fear and anxiety you get when being strapped in the roller coaster just seconds before you go shooting up in the air. That palpitations means that you should emotionally prepare yourself because wherever you are heading to is going toblow your mind, expand your horizons, and open your consciousness to some awareness that you haven't even open your eyes to.
And that my friend, will change your life forever.
Alfalfa has risen ya'll.
Thank you kuya and thank God for solo travel adventures.
She's 78years old, white haired with a fluffy short hair cut. She does look like any old people her age. However, not that old compared to people who had hard lives. She on the other hand, had it good in her earlier years. She was, in fact, a daughter of an elite family. A daughter of an elite filipino and a mestiza, a term coined to women who have a foreign blood, and were most likely regarded as the good looking bunch among the locals. A turn of events highlighted at the point where their lawyer somehow stole her family's mana, or assets, meant to be passed on to the kids when the man of the house dies. This forced her to live like any ordinary kid.
Being old as she is, she would likely remember the things from the past as opposed to the recent. We knew that was normal. Another 'sickness' her old age gave her was osteoarthritis, causing pain from her left waist down to her calf, which brings her discomfort and this is what she usually complains about ever so often. We had gotten used to this. Osteoarthritis is incurable by the way, only treatment however is painkillers, which was something she takes on a regular basis. There's also stomach pains which she usually feel most days. She said it started when she underwent a major operation. Her doctor saw the need to do it because of the build up of cysts in her stomach. By then, she was shortly diagnosed to have cancer. She was 29years old. By some kind of miracle, the cancer was gone. We thought she was blessed to have lived this long.
Nana continues to spoil us with snacks, softdrinks, a loving care when we get sick, and usual full attention everyday.
That is lola Lydia that we know.
Most of the time, lola and I would be left in the house spending our time the way we wish to. She in her room reading some magazine or the in living room watching tv, and I? I was almost always locked in my room, drowning myself in a good book or surfing the net. A number of times, she would knock on the door and come in and tell me one of her tales of her past, all of which I've heard countless times but she always tells it like it's the first time.
Crazy Patting
A beautiful spanish mestiza in a traditional filipino dress. Source
Beautiful and rich, a typical description of that who is born and bred from a Spanish family, a mestiza. Back in the days, daughters from those family were almost always kept away from people, and remained hidden in their own rooms, forced to be satisfied in the comforts of the living room area. My grandmother recalled playing with other kids and more often than not, Patting would be at her usual place -- leaning on her window pane of her room, looking at the other kids doing kidstuff from afar. Out of curiosity, she would try to ask plenty of questions, what are they playing, what is it they're eating, and the likes. Kids, including my lola, would feel sorry for her situation and would try to let her in somehow - throwing candies at her, some balls, just to let her feel part of them, somehow.
By the time she grew up, she turned into a lovely lady. That's when her wealthy family put her into the convent. Out of the prison she called home and into another prison which she would be spending the rest of her adulthood. Beautiful as she is, it wasn't long that a doctor asked her hand in marriage. Coming from a prominent family himself, her parents agreed.
They soon had 2 kids. At a relative's home, she and her sons went out to the back field trying to enjoy the place.
She saw a pool and so she got excited and had her kids bathe there. Several minutes later, one relative saw everything and came running towards them. It turned out, her 2 kids got drowned in a cow mud pool.
Many people who heard the news learned of her family's mistake- never again would they put their daughter in seclusion.
A Great Surprise
He was just the mayor dumo or the head of the helpers, but he did his job well serving a Spanish family for years. Time came when the remaining owner of the house passed away, the lawyer gathered the workers of the house in the huge living room area, secretary, executives, sitting up front while the gardeners, drivers, and the head helper, nana's uncle, were standing at the far back.
Everyone was quiet this time. When the lawyer reached to the part when he would announce who will get a portion of their master's asset, everybody was still and holding their breath. He loudly said that all belongings would be given to one person only, and that would be the head helper. At this point, everyone except the lawyer was laughing hard as if hearing the most absurd joke they've ever heard. When he clarified to everyone that it wasn't, their faces started became pale, more so the head helper standing at the back, he was so still like a bucket of cold ice water drenched him.
When he went to his wife who was waiting for him outside of the house. Her wife asked him when they could start packing to go back to their province and go home. He smiled and said,
This is a case of rich woman, poor man, who fell deeply in love with each other. Family opposed, so they secretly fled, or what was popularly known as tanan, and settle in somewhere where nobody knows them. Marriages before were arranged. This obviously was not. It's a story of my lola's aunt who fell for their driver, her first love. Her parents felt deeply ashamed of their daughter's decision to leave them to be with their driver, a lowly class. They were upset to the point that they were willing to disown her, even gave her a funeral so that townspeople would think she already died. Not technically, but she was, in their hearts, that was how deeply offended they were.
Years had passed, the couple had 4 children and lived simply among the locals. Every now and then, her parents, now old and gray, would dock from the port to go to town. The 4 kids, who knew about the entire story and their connection to the old couple, would welcome them. The two old folks always loved the warmth given to them by the children and had come to love them gradually. They knew there was something about the kids that really draw them. One day, the young couple have thought of a plan to finally mend all things. As the old folks stepped down unto the port, they saw that two familiar couple were trying to hurt the kids they had come to love. Up until then, they knew who the kids were and were quick to come to their defense. They decided to adopt the kids as their own. The plan worked. As years had dwindled away, so was the hatred, and happened what would naturally happen in time - forgiveness.
Yes. We just had our FIRST EVAH Zombie run. And have you seen many video clips of that in America on Youtube? I have seen a lot of them. Those vids made me want to join the zombie havoc run that was held in our city, Davao! For some reason, I have been seeing zombie run as ads in some random vids on Youtube.
Is this becoming a hype already? I don't know.
If you haven't seen any vids of it, then you better check this video out.
I know. Total rad..
The obstacle was just like that in the military.
The zombies? Scary.
The one I went to was not as difficult and as varied as that shown in the vid clip. It was held in a parking lot with mazes and obstacles which we had to pass through. And in some random areas, there were zombies lurking and waiting for us. Good thing though they were only limited in certain designated posts.
Yehey for us!
So, call time was 5:30am.
I came in earlier than my friend, walking down an eerie pathway knowing well that in less than an hour, I'll be scared as hell by some zombies who will chase the living daylights out of me.
Excited? Of course! Scared? A bit. But I was more excited and grateful really.
I expected to get scared that morning. What's new?! I'm a known scaredy cat, but a "strong" one because even if I was scared, I was prepared to face them head on. Yeah right! I was prepared to run away, run far far away from them. HAHAHAHA
So we got ourselves prepared.
I had my game face on.
Cute yeah? Thank you.
Running shoes all tied up tightly, already prepared for "heavy" sprinting.
Shoes laces tied down like a PRO! yeah! :P
So right before we started our race, I thought I made this huge huge mistake to assign my friend who just came to witness the run, to be our photographer. I paid for her pass so she could follow us wherever.
You see the many flaws of my decision, and it is enumerated as follows.
First. She couldn't run as fast as us. The first marathon we joined, me and bel were sprinting ahead of her, and when we noticed that we couldn't see her behind us anymore, we decided to walk and talk. She was able to catch up with us after what seemed like forever. Second. I knew well that she's as much of a scaredy cat as I am, well actually worse. Much worse. Alright. Worst. Third. Base on my past experience, she somehow couldn't take a decent shot of me. Whenever she clicks on the cam, her hand shakes. For some reason.
So I knew then, it was a big mistake... WHYYY??!!
We went in with parking lot, "the zombies lair", with the zombies awaiting for us. Pleasantly surprised, my friend Ivy was already there outside the parking lot taking this SOLE picture of us running.
I am tempted to frame this. (sacrcasm)
Why??!!!
When Bel and I were running, we couldn't see her anymore. Surprise surprise. So we were not expecting anymore pictures of us in action which would've been cool.
We didn't know that she did take some pics afterall. Not of us but of the zombies.
A couple of zombies that is.
Yeah cosplayer zombie ready to grab you and eat your bones.
And this...
Wonderwoman zombie also in her sprinting shoes. A pink one. How cute.
They may appear harmless but seriously, I was scared with some of them. Some of them would come out screaming at you and race you down. Some were huge clowns and I hated them. Clowns in general. Props to the young organizers really and the young zombies too. Yeah they're all young, which makes me feel quite old. Ouch!
I was really happy it was over because the maze seemed endless. When I thought it was over and I could already see the mouth of the exit, the maze would direct us away from it.
You know the feeling that you're so close, yet sooo far. Yep that was it.
So I got out of it having 2 flags left with me! YEEEEYYY. I SURVIVED!
We had outwitted and outplayed the zombies. Woohhhooo...
I must say, it was tiring like I expected it to be. I was scared. All I wanted was the experience, before getting there. But when I was there, all I wanted was to survive. And I did! So proud moment!
After walking away with our price, I checked on my camera only to see the 2 zombie shots Ivy tooked. I knew very well that it took a lot of courage out of her just to take those shots. Moreso when she told me that the wonderwoman zombie was trying to scare her, making hand gestures asking her to come over. In response, she flashed her her Guest pass violently. An act screaming, "see this?? I'm a goddamn visitor so don't scare me.... PLEASE! for the love of GOD!" (sobs sobs). I knew she was scared, and I was actually proud of her overcoming her fears slowly.
I've been writing much about Isla Reta Beach Resort more than any other beaches I've been to. Needless to say, it's my favorite... for now at least!
My brother went there one weekend with his office mates and brought home a leaflet and a business card that you might deem necessary if/when you plan to go there.
So here goes, straight from the flyer baby (since it's to dirty for me to post, and virtually unreadable)!
Last Saturday I went to the beach to accomplish #43 on my dream list. What is that? I can't tell you, but yeah, it's a bit crazy for some people, but I did it! :) Wooohoooo!
Although #43 doesn't exactly need a lot of practice and preparation, I just needed to be in a certain emotional crazy state to be able to do that. And I did it! Mind you, alcohol-free baby! :)
And no it's not in any way sexual if you guys might be assuming to be so. Puh-leaazz! @_@
Anyways they said that the road leading to your dreams is tough and bumpy, well I could say that it really was. Up from the time that we got in the boat, I've been seesawed incessantly. There happened to be a storm up north but wasn't really aware that it would affect us down here. The land environment had rendered it unnoticeable. Needless to say, it's a different story on water.
How to get to Eden Nature Park using Public Transportation
Jeepney
From Davao city, you would need to ride a Jeep going to Toril. Just watch out for the Toril signage on jeepneys. These jeepneys are found passing along Aldevinco, and Boulevard among others. Fare from downtown going to Toril is P20. Once reaching Toril, you would want to watch out for the Mercury drug store found at the right side of the street. Right across it is Chow King. That's where you would need to be dropped off.
On our way to Camp Sambros, Kapatagan, Davao del Sur to experience the longest zip line adventure in the Philippines.
We had a friend in town and we were eager to let him experience the ULTIMATE Davao outdoor experience. That is to do the 820-m zipline. It is located in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur and is by far the longest zipline in the Philippines Ever!
Another habal habal driver we passed along the way. Now imagine 4 adults riding that thing...
How to get to Camp Sabros
Using Private Car
The road going there is cemented, what is treacherous though is the 2hours of sitting. However the rural scenery could somehow ease the tension on your butt. It is advised that you use a private car since there aren't any buses or jeeps that will take you there. It is relatively easy to make your way to the camp since there are road signs to Kapatagan. Initially if you're coming from Davao City, you have to head your way down south until you reach the Welcome Sign of Digos. There are two road sandwiching the Sign, so you take the one on the right, which will lead you to Kidapawan. From there watch out for the road signs going to Kapatagan, which is found on the right side of the road. Head your way to Sitio Barras checkpoint, where you may need to park your car and start with your treck up the camp. If you somehow loose your way, asking locals for direction is always wise. Using Public Transportation
In our case, we commuted. We took the bus from Davao City to Digos Terminal. From there we rode a tricycle going to the "old terminal". The ride could be exciting but the smoke coming out from the engine screws up the experience. There was a time that we needed to stop and let the tricycle rest due to overheat. It wasn't able to take the uphill roads and basically our weights. Upon reaching the old terminal, you would see habal habal drivers all calling out and already making deals with you as soon as you step your foot on the ground. They're quite accustomed to tourists going there. You would be offered around P1000 just to take you to the camp and back. At first you would feel ripped off, but believe me, it's a looong way up going there so it was just worth the price. So, we choose our habal habal driver, made the deal and forcefully fit ourselves in one long motorbike. All 4 of us, the driver included. And we did so for 2hours.
Our habal-habal ride ended at the Sitio Barras checkpoint and we had to do some trekking uphill for 2kilometers. You could opt to ride a horse, which what our visitor/friend did. We just walked our way up. When reaching the area, you would see Camp Sabros all filled up with few cottages and verandas and benches here and there.
My friend Anne.
Packages
There are several packages offered. We got ourselves the Ultimate package that costs P750 each. It already involves tree rapelling, 350m and 820m ziplining. (Please refer below for the complete package/tour list)
Tree rapelling. Giddy Much!
Remembering my First Zipline Experience in Camp Sambros
It was really an exhilarating experience. I remembered doing it the first time. I was with my friend, Ivy. Both of us first timers. I was giddy, she was scared. When our office mate asked for our pictures taken, I was smiling, she was crying. The first moment of take off was more interesting. We were shouting at the same time. I was delighted, she was mortified. She was screaming to the point that she was already ruining my experience. So I shouted: "Ivy!!! Shut the Fck up!", now we don't usually say the F word. But in this case, I felt that it was highly needed. Then she went quiet. Moments later, she screamed. "Waaaaaaahhhh, waaaahhh... I love itt!" and so I smiled and just tried to take everything in: the surge of wind massaging my face, the glorious image of Mt. Apo on my left side, the grueling sight of height in front of us, the feeling of being suspended on air, the speed, the bird flying parallel to me. The bird that seems as if we were flying together. I wanted to touch it. But of course I can't. That was how high we were up in the air. It was just a wonderful experience.
Scene from above.
Being Swallowed by Clouds
When I did the 820m zipline, I already did a number just before it so experiencing it shouldn't be much of a difference. Yet, it was. It was longer of course. But now we had to fly through clouds. Yes. There were a lot of clouds blocking the other end of the rope. There was zero visibility. The rope then was just swallowed by clouds. Flying through clouds was another big experience for me. I shall never forget it. Ride Package Rates/person P150 - Roundtrip Cable lift P200 - Roundtrip Cable lift + Tandem ride on 380 meters zipline P280 - Tandem ride on 380 meters + solo ride on 400 meters zipline P350 - Tree top rappel + Roundtrip Cable lift P350 - Tandem ride on 380 meters zipline + Roundtrip Cable lift P400 - Tandem ride on 380 meters zipline + solo ride on 820 meters zipline or
Horse back riding + solo ride on 820 meters zipline P550 - Tandem ride on 380 meters + solo ride on 400 meters ziplines + Tree top rappel + cable lift P550 - Tandem ride on 380 meters + solo ride on 400 meters ziplines + cable lift + solo ride on 820 meters zipline P600 -solo ride on 820 meters zipline + Tree rappel P750 - Tandem ride on 380 meters + 400 meters zipline + cable lift + solo ride on 820 meters zipline + Tree rappel
Day Tour Packages Day Tour Package A - P300 - Tandem ride on 380m zipline + cable lift + breakfast or lunch Day Tour Package B - P670 - Tandem ride on 380m zipline + solo ride on 400m zipline + tree top rappel + cable lift + breakfast or lunch Day Tour Package C - P670 - Tandem ride on 380m zipline + solo ride on 400m zipline + cable lift + 820m zipline + breakfast or lunch Day Tour Package D - P870 - Tandem ride on 380m zipline + solo ride on 400m zipline + cable lift + tree top rappel + 820m zipline + breakfast or lunch
Note: If you wish to make reservations in their cottage or to schedule a tour there you may contact them through:
Email: campsabros@yahoo.com Contact No.: 0922-8789751 or (082)303-6091
I used to hate beaches. It's hot. It makes my skin 3 shades darker, and I always feel awfully tired every time I go home. Things have change ever since I met Reta.
It was love at first sight. I knew in my heart that I belong. As soon as I stepped in, that was it. I found home.
1. That you need to go home by 2am after partying along Torres.
2. There's manong dancer who's usually seen dancing with the music played over at a Music shop right across the street along Claveria.
3. You're not allowed to smoke anywhere you want.
4. The only happening place are along Torres, and Rizal promenade.
5. If we want to get cheap veggies and fruits, we head on to BangkerohanbMarket.
6. For cheap groceries, we go to NCCC, and we know that more likely than not, the line for the cash register is looong unless you go there early.
7. That currently, Boulevard street is under construction so expect traffic on that area.
8. Our mayor knows how to throw a punch and our vice mayor knows how to shoot people.
9. We got honest and usually friendly taxi drivers.
10. You could already have a decent meal with your 10pesos.
11. We know some have died from eating durian and drinking cola at the same time.
12. That David has a small penis. Small but golden.
13. If a guy tells you something romantically out of this world, the girl would say... "estoryaheee"
14. At top of Jacks Ridge amidst the picturesque scenery of Davao, you'll get to see the Memorial Park right below, which almost always gives you an anti climatic mood. A feeling of amazement for the wide beautiful City that is Davao, but you feel sorry for the departed.
15. About the shortcut narrow pathway from Magallanes street going to San Pedro.
16. If you want to buy puppies with breed(halfbreed) there are a lot sold near JS Gaisano.
17. We can dial 911, and know that it will ring and there will be an operator assisting you.
18. We have a relatively safe New Year. We scream and shout once clock strikes 12:01. After a few minutes, every thing is silent again.
19. You would use these in your sentences: jud, ba, gud, naga, gani, uy
20. That if we want to go to nature parks, rivers, beaches, and zoos, we'll have to spend an hour or more to get there.
If you're from Davao and you want to add something in my list, please share it with us in the comment box. :)
10. Take a boat ride going to Isla Reta. Go there earlier and you might get lucky to see dolphins swimming.
9. Drive in an hour ride down south to visit a number of our nature parks namely Malagos, and Eden.
8. Eat fried or adobong hito (catfish) in Mintal.
7. Enjoy eating durian in stalls in front of Magsaysay Park and take a walk inside the Park after, to burn off some calories.
6. Dine, drink a cup of coffee and party in restos, coffee shops, and bars all lined up along Torres Street.
There are 3 major means of transportation in Davao:
Taxi in Davao City*
Taxi
Our taxi drivers are known to be honest, a value which most taxi drivers in major cities don't have. Drivers returning valuables to forgetful/clumsy clients has been featured on local news. However, I noticed that they sometimes don't have change for your money. Either they do it intentionally or unintentionally, I suggest you ready yourself with lots of change so you could give them the exact amount of money. Some nice drivers though sometimes let you off even when you're 1 or 2 pesos short of fare. They're kind like that.
The taxi fare starts at P40 and goes up as you go far. They sometimes ask for P10 more when it's wee hours in the morning, from 1am to 5am.
One taxi company already improved by putting small TV monitors at the back seat for people to enjoy while riding. It only shows one show which is Just for Gag, which is really funny. Though, I try not to watch so much because I easily get road sick.
Jeep
It's the major means of transportation, which will take you everywhere in the city and some parts outside. Selecting which one to ride is easy, but it could get a bit confusing for first-timers. One easy way is to look at the label outside. It will show you places which it will pass by. It gives you idea of the route. Jeeps are following a certain route so be mindful of this. If you're still confused, try asking people. People here can understand and speak English, but the fluency will change from person to person.
In the jeepney, you will be sharing seats with other people. If you notice, we Asians don't usually stare at any stranger's eye. We do that only when we want to start a conversation.
Fare costs P7-P8, depending on the city. In Iloilo it's P7, but in Davao it's P8 but it could go high if your destination is far. So better ask the driver how much the fare would cost from point A to point B. When you wish to get off the jeepney, you'll just say 'para' (tagalog) or 'lugar lang' (bisaya). Traffic policy is strict here so you could only get off on loading areas.
Bus/Van
These are our only transportation if we wish to go to provinces outside Davao. Terminals for buses is in Ecoland Subdivision and for vans are in Gmall, SM and Victoria.
Here are my top 10 dream destinations in the Philippines.
These are my top 10 places in the Philippines I would recommend anyone to travel. Most of them I've already been to. What makes them my top 10 is that each one has something different to offer.
Top 10: Boracay
If you want to enjoy the beautiful beach, beach activities, great sunset, a lot of parties, fun people, drinks, great music and nice spa resorts then this beach is for you. The pros are written above but the con is it's too touristy. There are some beaches (Tambisaan beach, Puka beach) in the island though that have really few people so you might want to go there instead. So I guess there's nothing much bad to say about Boracay.
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.
Isla Reta Beach Resort
Ships docked along Sta. Ana Wharf
Scenery from the boat
View from our Nook
View from our Nook: Samal Island
Nipa Seats
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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