The Island Explorer

I have been open about my love relationship with Samal, and again, she impressed me with this place. Around 30 minutes drive from the roro port of Samal from Davao City, we arrived at a dark night at Maxima by the Sea, a house that literally is built on water.

When we talk of white sand beaches in Davao, we are actually referring to the beaches of the Island Garden City of Samal. We always thought the quintessential Pearl Farm Resort is situated in Davao, since it is posted in most pictures of Davao, when in fact, it is just one of the many resorts that dot the pristine shorelines of Samal. Pearl Farm Beach Resort has been one of the pioneers of luxury resorts in the Philippines. With the burgeoning of high end resorts in different parts of the country, Pearl Farm still maintains its exclusive image. From its private wharf in Lanang in Davao City, you board an outrigger that takes you to the resort in Samal Island. If you get there before the scheduled departure times, you can get to relax in their wharf lounge, or even take a dip in a swimming pool. As you arrive in the resort's pavilion, a guest relations officer will brief the entire group about the activities one can engage in. They also show you a map of the entire resort. The pavil...

If you wish to spend a day trip in Samal, I recommend Sonrisa de V Resort. Upon entering the resort for the first time, I was immediately reminded of my favorite resort in Samal, Chema's by the Sea. The design was natural, unlike the other resorts that seem to have an excess of cement in the making. Sonrisa de V is a sprawling resort. It has a huge lawn area, that's actually perfect for events such as weddings. I was surprised that the resort was really huge, and seemed like it was three resort lots combined . It has only 5 spartan cottages, one of which is good enough for an entire family. Don't expect luxury though. Think your basic bahay kubo. The resort has a bar in the beach front, so I really think it was made for day trips. There are two beach areas separated by their jetty. There is no pool. The beach is typical Samal, white fine sand (not so powdery). However, you can get one of the largest beach fronts here, next to Paradise Island. There are huts that you can ren...

Probably one of the best beach destinations in the country, Isla Reta is a modest beach resort facing Kaputian Beach in Samal. It is actually located beside the pier where the ferries from Davao dock, but a wall divides it and transforms it to a beach paradise. When we first went to Isla Reta two years ago, we were overjoyed with the talisay trees that line the powder white sand beach. Yes, that's powder, meaning, similar to Boracay. It was unfortunate that we couldn't stay overnight there, since their accommodations were very spartan and we weren't prepared to rough it out. No restaurants, no bed sheets, no towels, shared baths. So we had to move on to find another resort. Since then, we yearned to come back to Isla Reta for a day trip. The last time I was there was last December. I found myself back again at the end of April. Isla Reta is privately owned, and in the two years, nothing has changed. The beach was clean, and the back area was landscaped with green flat gras...

I've realized that I still haven't posted some destinations in this blog. One is Boracay. I was surprised I haven't written about Boracay! Well, I hope I can visit one of my favorite islands soon. But for now, let me take you to another favorite of mine: the island of Talicud beside Samal. Talicud Island is near the Southern tip of Samal, hence the name, Talicud. The island can be reached via ferries that dock at Sta. Ana pier in Davao City. The ride takes an hour, and the boat leaves every hour and a half. Make sure you check the schedules though. The first time we went to Talicud, we took the 12:30PM ferry. So I have been to Talicud Island three times now, and one of its famous destinations is Babusanta Beach, which you can see int he pictures below. Babusanta Beach is usually a stopover for lunch for tour groups, especially divers. The white sand coral beach has crystal clear waters, especially at high noon. I call this beach one of the most photogenic beaches, since it ...

From Mati, we went back to Davao City, straight to the jetty at the Waterfront Insular Hotel to board our boat to Chema's by the Sea, my favorite resort in the country. I admire the resort's design and peaceful setting. Only 10 minutes away by boat from Davao City, this wonderfully designed resort blends well with nature. It's luxurious as well, and in all the times that I have been there, never has it been full (and I've been here 5 times already in just two years). That's because the Kincho, the owner and also the designer of the resort, made sure to keep up to its image of an upscale resort. There are only less than 8 rooms, totaling to about 25 people in capacity for the entire resort. There is an infinity saltwater pool that looks over to the sea. The beachfront may be small in comparison to nearby Paradise Island Resort, but is sufficient enough for beach bumming and swimming. There's no house reef though, but fishes can still be seen from their waters. I ...

I previously mentioned my worst beach experience last year. I have now found the photos of our trip to that beach for me to share to you. But before that, some background. We love Samal, and whenever we're in Davao, we make it a point to explore new places in that lovely island. So, we searched for other beaches in the Internet, and we found Canibad. A lot of bloggers swore that the beauty of the place, and the pictures were amazing. In no time, we were on the dirt road to Canibad, leaping in excitement and anticipation. Canibad is located on the northeastern part of Samal. From the row of beach resorts fronting Davao City, you can hire a multicab to take you there. But we didn't know that, since we heard the road was bumpy and all. After all, it was a "secret paradise". So, we were offered a habal-habal, riding at the back of a motorbike. We were four, so we got two bikes, at P1,000 per bike. Pretty expensive, but we were so excited, so we said, what the heck. The j...

A trip to Davao is also a trip to the Island Garden City of Samal for me. The neighboring island province makes a Davao trip just complete and more worthwhile since I am a beach lover. When people think of Davao, people think of Pearl Farm, when it is actually in Samal. I have been to Paradise Island Resort twice, being the most accessible beach from Davao City. It's so near, you could have lunch there and go back afterwards. This time, we had the time to explore more of Samal. We didn't make any plans, so after staying at Paradise, we went back to the city to catch a ferry to Talicud Island off Samal as our ultimate destination. It was described as a rustic island paradise, with white sandy beaches and fantastic coral life. We took a ferry to Talicud Island from Sta. Ana Port in Davao City. The boat left at 12 noon, and arrived in Talicud an hour and a half later. We were supposed to stay at Isla Reta so we took a stupid 2 minute boat ride from the port to Isla Reta, which tur...