Waterfalls and Bats in Samal Island

After island-hopping the previous day, we spent our second full day in Samal Island exploring the island itself. My friend and I took a motorcyle or habal-habal outside the wharf and for PhP180 each which took us to the famous Monfort Bat Cave and Hagimit Falls.

As of September 2014, there's a PhP100 fee to enter the Monfort Bat Cave complex. 

I'm not exactly a fan of bats but I figured we didn't have much to do anyway and what a shame not to see the world's largest colony of fruit bats when it's already so close by.

Indeed there were so many of them! The bats were quite noisy too and the caves had a distinct smell (bat poo, perhaps?) but it wasn't so bad because the place wasn't dominated by the smell. (Tip: bring mosquito repellent! I acquired a number of mosquito bites from there.)

After seeing the bats, we went to Hagimit Falls. (As of September 2014, there is a PhP40 fee to enter Hagimit Falls.) The place was really big and it's very beautiful. It's really fun to explore and take photos. Lucky us, there were very few people when we went so we were able to take many photos.

There are huts in Hagimit Falls that people can rent to have a picnic or even stay overnight! There are also a lot of pools to swim in. Too bad we didn't bring our swimsuits but then even if I did bring mine, I doubt I can brave the very cold water. I simply enjoyed wading my feet and walking across the shallow pools.

It almost looks like it came straight from a fairy tale, don't you agree?

Hopping Around Samal Island

From Mati City, we took the bus back to Davao City and then went to Samal Island. We stayed at Camp Holiday Beach Resort, a nice resort located just beside the wharf. It's not exactly a budget-type accommodation but they had a 50% discount when we visited (since it was low season) so hurray!

The next morning, with the help of the resort's concierge, we hired an outrigger boat to take us island hopping.

We went to Talicud Island and its Coral Garden. It's a nice spot for snorkeling and the waters are very clear. However, there were trash around the coral gardens which according to the bangkeros were brought by floods from the cities upstream so it wasn't a good time for snorkeling.

The corals, photographed from the boat. See, the water is very clean.

The other islands, we only got to see from the boat. However, this island called Wishing Island, we were actually able to set foot on.

Look, it's Patrick Star! It's my first time to see this seastar species.

A wide tidal flat around Wishing Island

Finally, we went back to the resort at noon, wondering why Samal Island is not a very famous vacation spot when it's so beautiful!

I spotted this vinta on the way back. I remember reading about 'vintas' in my grade school textbooks.

Dahican Beach

This is Dahican Beach. It's a long stretch of white sand beach found in Mati City, Davao Oriental. It's also quite known as a surfing spot. To get here, we went through Davao City, took a bus at the Overland Terminal bound for Mati and then took a tricycle for Dahican Beach. Tip: I learned from my boss who's a Davao local that taking a van to Mati is much quicker and more convenient since the bus makes frequent stops to load and unload passengers.

It was low season and obviously not surfing season. I'd say the beach looked pretty much deserted but I honestly didn't mind. I mean, we practically had the beach to ourselves!

My friend and I stayed at Botona Beach Resort and I must say... it was horrible and quite expensive too. We paid PhP1800 for a double room that barely looked like anything in the photos. The room was obviously old and not very well-taken care of that I was not surprised to find a cockroach on top of my backpack the next morning. The only things I was thankful for were the clean-smelling sheets and the working air-conditioner because at least I was able to sleep well. Oh, did I say anything about horrible customer service? To be honest, I'm thankful we didn't have to stay more than one night there since there wasn't much to do and the resort was just terrible. Eventually, I learned from a habal-habal driver that Botona is a very old resort and that we should have opted for newer resorts.

Anyway, enough of that resort because Dahican Beach is actually wonderful and since it's facing the Pacific Ocean, I was able to see the sunrise. 

From Dahican to the Mati bus terminal, we just took the habal-habal (motorcycle) since no tricycles were passing by the road. It's my first motorcycle ride as I'm actually afraid of taking motorcycles since my younger brother had an accident before. Thankfully, though, there's a 40kph speed limit in Mati so it wasn't scary (even without a helmet on).

Yep, motorcycles/habal-habal is a common mode of transport in Davao.

Now, if you find yourself in Davao with time to kill, I think Dahican is a good place to visit. Even more so if you like surfing or if you just want a quiet place to relax. 

Sagada Small Town Charm

By the end of November, Christmas season in Manila was starting to make itself felt and by that, I mean the horrendous traffic and increased crime rates. That's why the trip to Sagada early in December was a very good respite from the city life. I was so occupied by the beautiful scenery, the fresh air, the cold weather, the good food, and the challenge of getting a decent internet connection [in order to get work done] to even think about other stressful things.

Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

A random coffee plant behind the church

To be honest, prior to this trip, going to Sagada didn't really cross my mind that much because I'm more of a beach person and maybe also because I knew that the journey is long and grueling. (There are no buses that go to Sagada directly from Manila.) However, I'm thankful that our company decided to go because the moment we got there, I realized why Sagada is such a hit among tourists, local or otherwise-- the small-town-in-the-mountains vibe was very charming.

We stayed three nights in Sagada but because we were working, I didn't get a chance to visit the waterfalls or the caves but at least I was able to see the hanging coffins. I was also glad to try the local restaurants like Bana's Cafe, Yogurt House, Masferre and Sagada Brew. (All of which were amazing and highly-recommended, by the way.)

Echo Valley

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada

One of the interesting things about Sagada is the number of social enterprises and I think that's really good for the community.

Raw coffee for roasting at Bana's Cafe

I'm definitely going back to Sagada. I still need to see the caves and waterfalls and to try more local food!

Banaue: A Sudden Trip Up North

Monday evening, I suddenly found myself on a trip to Banaue-Sagada with my co-workers. It was very sudden and I only had 20 minutes to pack. I even left my towel and my jeans (haha) but I managed without them and I'm proud of myself that I can pack a week's worth that quickly because I'm usually a slowpoke at packing.

It was Tuesday noon when we got to Banaue and it was raining. We brought our work there (since we work remotely) and therefore barely had time for sight-seeing. 

The view from our inn.

The next morning, however, the sky cleared up for a while and we were lucky to see the rice terraces from the different view points.

In school, we hear A LOT about the rice terraces and I've seen countless pictures already but seeing it for real is totally different-- it's breathtakingly amazing! I cannot imagine how our ancestors created this 2000 years ago with just their primitive tools.

Wild sunflowers were growing everywhere.

The two photos above were taken on the way from Banaue to Sagada. We may not have gone sightseeing much but the drive across the mountains was already a treat in itself. The views look just like paintings!

And Then Baler Happened

A few days after I came back from South Korea, we went to Baler for our semi-annual company outing. Our first day was rainy but it didn't stop my co-workers from trying out surfing. 

The next day was sunny, luckily, so we went to Ditumabo Mother Falls, Ermita Hill and Dicasalarin Cove. 

Going to Ditumabo Mother Falls required a 30-minute trek which included crossing the streamwith fast currents multiple times and crossing a couple of roughly-assembled albeit seemingly-sturdy bridges made of bamboo. It wasn't very tiring though... the trail was not steep and I guess my body got tempered after all the hiking and climbing I did in South Korea. Plus, the trek was full of lovely views so it was actually enjoyable.

Walking above the penstock of the hydropower plant was the easiest part lol

When we arrived at the falls, there were lots of people taking selfies by the edge of the water so we had to battle a little to be able to get into the water and swim. It was super cold but I enjoyed a lot because the water is so clean!

After Ditumabo Falls, we had lunch and then went to Ermita Hill.

a view of Baler from Ermita Hill

Later that afternoon, we went Dicasalarin Cove. It was a scary winding ride up and down the mountains before reaching the cove but the views were breathtaking. It's quite unique too because while Sabang beach is filled with black (volcanic ash) sand, Dicasalarin on the other hand has white sand.

It's not a beach for swimming because the waves are big, the water was low and beneath the water are rocks. However, the sandy area of the beach was really big and it was just perfect for chilling, making sand structures and collecting seashells.

Baler was amazing. Even the ride was very scenic. It's a small town where food, including seafood, is cheap. (It was my first time to eat lobster!) It was a very beautiful experience and sharing it with my co-workers was fun! And right now, I am very glad that I'm able to explore the Philippines more and more. This is actually the eighth local municipality/city I visited this year! As they say, "Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan." (Don't be a stranger in your own homeland.)

Cheers to more travels!

Backpacking in Davao Region

Last April, when Cebu Pacific went on sale, I decided that I wanted to go to Davao because I haven't been to Mindanao and I figured that I needed to stop being a "dayuhan sa sariling bayan" (a foreigner in his/her homeland). I booked a flight for September. Yes, September is typhoon season in the Philippines but Davao doesn't get typhoons because of its location so I knew it was going to be alright.

Finally, last week, I went backpacking in Davao Region with my friend Airis. We flew from Manila to Davao City, took the bus to Mati City, Davao Oriental to visit Dahican Beach, went to Samal Island and then went back to Davao City.

Here are a few photos from the trip:

Dahican Beach at sunrise

Samal's Talicud Island Coral Garden as seen from the boat (yep, super clear waters!)

Fruit bats in Samal Island's Monfort Bat Cave. There are millions of them!

Going to Davao in September turned out to be a great idea because the fruits are in season! I ate around half a kilo of mangosteen, one kilo of rambutan, one whole pomelo, and one whole (albeit small) durian during the trip lol. Did I mention how much I love fruit?

Durian!

My dad goes to Davao a lot for field work and each time he'd bring home durian if it was in season. I remember when my brothers and I were young, we'd complain a lot about the smell. Eventually, we got used to it, started to love the smell and then started to love eating durian.

A magnificent Philippine Eagle at the Philippine Eagle Center

It was quite tiring but it was really fun too. Expect a few detailed posts soon!