Wow Davao: Islands to Highlands

[monde8]

Transportation


Taxi - If you're a tourist and want to reach your destinations faster and more convenient, then taxis are your bestfriend. Majority of the taxis here are new models with cool aircons not unluke in Metro Manila where madami pading taxi na mga luma na at tipong lugi ka sa binayad mo dahil bukod sa luma na ay mabagal, maamoy, at mahina pa ang aircon. Dito karamihan puro bagong model na. Plug down is forty pesos din pero mas mababa ang patak ng metro and hindi uso dito ang kontrata sytem at pagpili ng pasahero. Pag pumara ka ng taxi hindi mo na kailangan itanong kung okay lang sa driver na pumunta sa destination mo. Di din uso ang paghingi ng dagdag sa metro and kapag may sukli, kahit mga barya binibigay padin ng drivers kaya kapag nagbayad ka ng kahit may pasobrang limang piso okay na sa kanila.

Jeepney / Multicab - Majority of the jeepneys here arent really jeepneys but rather multicabs. Meron din namang mga jeepneys na kagaya sa Maynila though majority talaga is multicab. Medyo masikip dahil siyempre maliit ang multicab kaya mas mahirap din kapag sumasakay at bumababa.

When you make abot your bayad sa jeep and no one helps you make abot it right away, you can say "palihog sa bayad". Palihog means please in bisaya and is used very often. Dito madalas din sabihin nila na "bayad daw" kahit na sa kanila naman mismo galing ang bayad. Sa Maynila kasi diba sinasabi mo lang na "daw" kapag inabot mo ang bayad ng iba.

When your bayad reaches manong driver, he may ask "asa manaog" which means saan baba and he may also ask "asa gikan" which means saan galing. So if you're proactive then you could say "bayad (daw)....palihog....(destination)...(saan sumakay) gikan. Sample if you're going to Quiapo and came from Espanya "bayad (daw)....palihog....Quiapo...Espanya gikan."

Kapag naman baba na, instead of saying "para" they say "lugar lang".




Tricyboat (tricybot) - Tricycle na parang jeep. It functions like a jeep too in the sense na may ruta siya. Siyete ang minimum na bayad as compared sa jeep na ocho. Tricyboat can accomodate ten passengers.




Trisikad similar to pedicab meron din.

Same goes with the regular tricycle na pwedeng special trip.

Habal habal is not like the old school habal habal anymore na parang may pakpak ang motor. Habal habal nowadays refer to single motorcycle na aangkas ka lang kapag sasakay ka. Mga standard motorcyles or underbones na mga ginagamit pampasada.

[xxxchoholic Rai ♥]

yun oh yun tricyboat yung mala jeep na ride

namiss ko yan ang cute sakyan niyan

[monde8]

ang dami talaga pwedeng punthan sa davao eh

di lang yan mga establishments na yan yun nature ang gusto ko jan 

Balik balik lang sa thread miss Rai at magpost din ako ng mga nature trippings.

i see.. dalawa na pala ang sm.. sayang di ko na sya napuntahan....

yun una lang napuntahan ko yun maliit lang.. parang sm manila sa liit hehe..

Medyo lumaki na din yung lumang SM kahit pano bro kasi nilagyan na ng annex.

[fayt]

Balik balik lang sa thread miss Rai at magpost din ako ng mga nature trippings.

Medyo lumaki na din yung lumang SM kahit pano bro kasi nilagyan na ng annex.

ganun... ang bilis naman.. kung sa bagay mejo matagal na rin siguro hindi nakakapunta dyan. muka marami na naipatayo.. malalaman ko naman yan sa mga susunod na post mo pre... ill keep watching this thread.

[xxxchoholic Rai ♥]

okay poh sir will do

share ka madami images din okay?

[monde8]

Ayt [user]fayt[/user].

Okay ray este [user]rai[/user].

Uy ngayon ko lang narealize andito pala ang labtim. Yihi.

 

[monde8]

At para hindi nakakainip ay umpisahan na natin ang mga magagandang puntahan dito. Lets start with beaches.

Pag pinagusapan ang beach, naparaming magaganda sa Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) or more popularly known as Samal Island. Samal Island is blessed with white sand and clear waters. Dito matatagpuan ang sikat na sikat na Pearl Farm but aside from Pearl Farm ay napakarami pang ibang beaches na pwedeng puntahan. I personally haven't been to Pearl Farm yet and parang hindi ko masikmura na pumunta dun kasi sobrang sakit sa bulsa dahil afaik ay 1.5k ang entrance fee ng day tour nila dun. But who knows diba?

For now share ko muna sa mga susunod na posts ko yung mga beaches na napuntahan ko na. Yung mga hindi ko pa napuntahan eh chaka ko na po ipopost ha kapag nagawi nako dun.

[xxxchoholic Rai ♥]

At para hindi nakakainip ay umpisahan na natin ang mga magagandang puntahan dito. Lets start with beaches.

Pag pinagusapan ang beach, naparaming magaganda sa Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) or more popularly known as Samal Island. Samal Island is blessed with white sand and clear waters. Dito matatagpuan ang sikat na sikat na Pearl Farm but aside from Pearl Farm ay napakarami pang ibang beaches na pwedeng puntahan. I personally haven't been to Pearl Farm yet and parang hindi ko masikmura na pumunta dun kasi sobrang sakit sa bulsa dahil afaik ay 1.5k ang entrance fee ng day tour nila dun. But who knows diba?

For now share ko muna sa mga susunod na posts ko yung mga beaches na napuntahan ko na. Yung mga hindi ko pa napuntahan eh chaka ko na po ipopost ha kapag nagawi nako dun.

yang ang isa talaga sa gusto kong puntahan jan

didn't get the chance lang dati 2day trip lang ako dati jan

[monde8]

Bluejaz Beach Resort and Waterpark

This is the very first beach that I visited here in Davao. Going there is very convenient because they have their own boat that docks directly on their resort. If you're going to ride a cab, simply tell the driver to bring you to the wharf for Bluejaz. If you plan to ride a jeep, ride a jeep bound to Sasa. You can ride jeepneys with signboards going to Sasa, Panacan, and Tibungco. Tell the driver to drop you off at Mary Knoll. Landmark for Mary Knoll is that its sandwiched between Jolibee and Petron.  After mo mag "lugar lang" kay manong driver, its about five minutes walk for you to reach the boats going to Bluejaz.

Once you reach the the facility of Bluejaz where you'll ride the boat, dun na din magbabayad ng entrance fee which already includes the round trip boat fare. Kung tama alala ko its only 120 pesos for day trip. As early as 6am may boat na papunta ng Blujaz and last trip going back to Davao City is 5pm. The boat ride more or less takes 5-7 minutes only. If you're lucky, pwedeng machempuhan mo ang boat nila na parang galleon.



Upon reaching Bluejaz, someone there might collect 5 pesos environmental fee for Samal Island. First na punta ko walang siningil na ganun but when I went there the second time ay meron.

You can bring your own food but they also have a restaurant and bar where you could order food. Iba ang area ng food bringers and non food bringers. Non food bringers have a cozier place near the restaurant.

If its weekend, expect a lot of crowd in Bluejaz. Last time we went there parang Korean invasion ang naganap. Sobrang daming bakasyonistang Koreano na ang kinalabasn eh para kaming naging dayuhan sa sariling bansa. LOL

Famous ang Bluejaz because aside from the beach ay meron din silang infinity pool. The beach is awful if low tide kaya plus factor talaga ang swimming pool.






Meron din siang giant slides although may extra fee kapag gagamit ka nito.



The bar.



Ito naman mga accomodations in case you want to stay there overnight.




They also offer ski-ing, kayaking, wakeboarding and diving.

Highly recommended ang Bluejaz for everyone. All walks of like okay dito. Kung kulang sa budget you can bring your own food. If vacation mode naman madami choice of quality food and excellent service. This is one of the most visited beach resort in Samal Island.


For more info you can check them out:
http://bluejaz.net/

[monde8]

Bluewaters Beach Resort

If you're looking for a resort that's not too crowdy, this is the nearest one that you could go to. Just like Bluejaz, they also have their own boat that docks directly to their resort. If riding a cab tell the driver to drop you off sa Marina Wharf . If you plan to ride a jeep, ride a jeep bound to Sasa. You can ride jeepneys with signboards going to Sasa, Panacan, and Tibungco. Tell the driver to drop you off at Marina Wharf. After mo mag "lugar lang" kay manong driver, there are trisikads/pedicabs there na pwede maghatid sa wharf which would only cost 5-10 pesos per person. By the way Marina Wharf is also the dock and reception area for Pearl Farm.

They don't allow walk ins so better reserve a day or two before your planned visit there. Reservation can be done through text so no sweat.

First time we went there we stayed overnight. The room good for 4 persons costed us I think around 1.5k something pesos. They have a restaurant there but you may also bring food but I think they charge corkage. Masarap din naman food from their restaurant. Bringing of drinks of any sort is not permitted. Upon riding the boat palang may mag iinspect na. Hindi nakalusot mga baon naming Emparaning pati ang mga chaser na Jungle Juice.

Entrance fee kung tama alala ko is 150 pesos. They have two swimming pools, one for adult and one kiddie pool. The water on the pool does not have chlorine. No chlorine because its salt water na pinump lang galing sa beach.

First time we went there we didn't check how the bill was itemized, we just looked at the final bill and paid. So the second time we went there for day trip, dun kami medyo na bad trip kasi yung isang kasama namin chineck yung pagka itemize ng bill. We found out that the boat ride costs around 350 pesos. Sa Bluejaz lumalabas na 30 per person lang ang roundtrip. But sa Bluewaters pala parang nirent niyo na din yung boat na kahit kaunti lang kayo ay 350 persos padin ang roundtrip boat trip niyo. Then sa restaurant even if we ordered food and drinks from them, may extra bayad pa pala for the use of tables. Kung hindi sana kami umorder sa kanila okay lang if they charge us eh. So with that, namahalan kami sa Bluewaters kaya hindi na kami babalik dun kahit kelan. Service nila medyo mabagal din. In fairness though ay magaganda ang accomodation nila. But if you plan to stay overnight, better order from the restaurant before 8pm because they close at 8.

Overall I would only recommend this kung gusto niyo na medyo private ang setting. If not kasi, baka madismaya din kaya at mapamahal ng very light.

And ofcourse it wouldn't be complete without the pictures:








www.ebluwaters.com

[monde8]

Marex Villarica Beach Resort

If you're looking for a beach with a laid back ambience then Marex Villarica Beach Resort is for you. Unlike Bluejaz and Bluewaters, Marex doesn't have their own boat that docks directly to their resort. Going there is a bit of an adventure.

Most locals going to Samal Island rides the Island City Bus over at Magsaysay Park.



The bus will go to Sasa Wharf and board a RORO in order to reach Samal Island. It takes more or less 10 minutes to reach Samal via RORO.



Marex is in Babak, Samal and the fare going there is only 30 pesos. Upon reaching Babak, there are a lot of single motorcyles or habal habal that you can contract to bring you to Marex. Simply tell them to bring you to Marex beach. Fare is only 20 pesos per person.

When I go there, I put in a little twist on the beginning of the adventure. Instead of riding a bus in Magsaysay Park, I ride a jeep going to Sasa Wharf. Almost anywhere in the down town area you could find jeeps with signboard Sasa, Pancan, and Tibungco that will pass by Sasa Wharf. Then on Sasa Wharf I board the RORO and go to the upper deck for a more serene experience as compared to being inside a bus. On the upper deck I get to enjoy the cool breeze. If you're on the bus, better ready your pamaypay if you don't want to drown in sweat.



When the RORO reaches Samal Island, thats the time that I wait for a bus to pass by and ride up to Babak proper where I'll then ride a motorcyle in order to reach Marex.

Day tour entrance fee at Marex is only 30 pesos and overnight is 60 pesos. They have affordable accommodations but you can also bring your own tent then just pay a minimal fee (60-100 pesos) for beach camping. Extra 100 peso fee for renting a table and 300-350 for open cottages.

When you go to Marex, what you're after is the laid back ambiance of the resort. There's no restaurant there so better bring your own food. They have a small sari sari store where you could buy hard liquor, some junk foods for pulutan, and they also have cup noodles. Service, what's that? Don't expect excellent service at Marex. Kumbaga eh andun lang ang mga ate at kuya na nagttrabaho dun to help you in case you need assistance. Its more like the kind of setting in backyard beaches in Cavite or Batangas.

In the many times that I've been there, the most crowded that it got was when there where two other families aside from mine. Most of the time, kami lang talaga tao dun.

I would say that Marex isn't for everybody. If you're a pasosyal type you might get disappointed. When I go there, I bring cooked food, snacks, and drinks. I don't expect anything from the staff there. Its just like I went there and asked them a favor and paid them a little money in order to crash at their place for a while.

Here you go with the pictures:

[monde8]

Vanishing Island of Samal Island

I learned about this attraction when it was featured in a Yahoo! article about unexplored attractions in the country. Its called Vanishing Island because it vanishes during high tide.

Vanishing Island can be seen from Marex Villarica Beach Resort. The reason I found Marex is because of Vanishing Island. I was researching how to get to Vanishing Island and I read that Marex is a good starting point in order to reach the island. At Marex, you can tell the staff there that you want to go to Vanishing Island and they'll be the one to look for a boat that you could rent to bring you there. For a pump boat that could accommodate a maximum of 10 persons, they usually charge 500 pesos.











Here's how it is if high tide

[monde8]

Over the weekend and the rest of the week next week I'll be in Manila for vacation so most likely I won't be able to give updates while I'm there. Watch out for more updates next next week when I get back here in Davao. Almost six months ako nawala sa Manila so hectic ang sked while on vacation there.

Next update I have three more beaches that I already visited, two of which are considered as my favorites.

Please feel free to post any questions whatsoever. If you have anything to contribute that will showcase the beauty of Davao, don't hesitate to post them here as well.

[fayt]

wow tol... ang ganda naman dyan sa vanishing island.. underated na beach pero may ibubuga...

+k for you

[xxxchoholic Rai ♥]

iba talaga ang ganda ng isla ng samal eh

nakita ko dati sa yahoo ito kaya gusto kong makapunta jan kahit 3 to 5 days

vaction lang