EXPLORING SAN REMIGIO, KAPUTIAN, SAMAL!

Presenting, the beautiful shoreline of San Remigio in Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal! 

I had the chance to explore this place last Friday, June 12 along with my college friends (the same group I was with on this trip and this). 

It was a homecoming celebration for our dear friend Pat (first row left most) who came home from Dubai (she's only staying for a month) and a mini reunion of sort as well (we weren't complete). It was lovely seeing each other and bond again together a year after graduation. Thankfully, it was a long holiday and everybody was off with work or school and we all had the chance to spend time at the beach. A year later, nothing's changed! We are still the crazy bunch!!!

San Remigio was suggested by our friend Melvin and it was even included in this 8 beautiful beaches in Davao City list from Rappler.

So first things first, how to get there:

Ride a passenger boat at Sta. Ana Wharf (near Magsaysay Park) that is heading to Kaputian Wharf (boat ride will take approximately 45 minutes to an hour and costs P80.00 per head as of writing). From Kaputian Wharf, ride a habal-habal going to San Remigio (warning: there are A LOT of habal-habal drivers available and get ready when they flock at you. Choose carefully who to entrust your life with.) We paid P60.00 each for the habal-habal ride.

To be honest, the habal-habal ride was far from smooth. Most of the roads weren't concrete and it was a bit of a physical challenge since our food and groceries were hand carried by us (not to mention our personal bags and things). It was a hilly and sloped ride, going up then down (cue in FloRida's song: IT'S GOING DOWN FOR REALLLL) #GDFR Hahaha

There was a point when me and Toni got a little scared of tripping over, good thing our driver was assuring us and later on we just laughed it off. BUT! One thing we learned was that, when going in groups, it is a MUST to wait for each other and really convoy on the way to your destination. We got worried when our friends Kim and Pau were still not at the beach considering that their habal-habal was the first to hit off from the wharf and ours stopped by for gasoline.

Turned out the motorcycle they were riding broke in the middle of the road and they had to change drivers. It made them really scared and us worried because we were in an unfamiliar place, with a complete stranger and cellphone signal was weak. Everything went okay but that was one big lesson we learned: Wait for each other and well, learn to just enjoy the rough ride. :)

San Remigio has a long stretch of white sand beach with a number of beach resorts lined up for your choosing. We opted for Alorro Beach what with it's no entrance fee and a decently fanned room with 3 bunk beds for only P600.00 (all eight of us fit in!). #cheapskatesforever :)))

In our humble observation, the sand were not that fine and it makes walking along the beach kind of a struggle since your feet or slippers gets easily buried. We even joked that it's not an ideal place for lovers to go HHWW (holding hands, while walking) kasi hassle. Hahaha.

But what we love about the place were the corral reefs and the rock formations. It was a perfect place to go snorkeling even for your friends who can only swim in shallow waters. Everyone had the fair chance to enjoy the beauty of the Earth (as we joke it) Haha. 

What I personally liked was that, even if there were lovely spots for snorkeling, there was also a perfect portion for swimming (no corral reefs and sea grass in sight). So no worries if you step on anything (I once stepped on a sea urchin on a beach trip so I'm cautious like that). Haha. You can just freely go swimming which I did and super enjoyed!

On a more personal note, I'm happy I got the confidence and courage to swim in deeper waters. I've done cliff diving a few times and if you jump directly, there's a little reassuring feeling because you know where you are getting at. You jump knowing the waters are already deep. 

But it's another story when you deliberately swim farther and deeper, coming from the shallow portion. There's always that fright (and a little panic) when you swim idly until your feet can't reach the sand bed anymore. But I'm just happy I'm slowly letting go of that inhibition and my swimming skills kind of improved (I'm thankful for all the beach trips lately!). 

Another fun thing we did while in San Remigio was to explore the rock formations located at the left side of the shoreline (if facing the beach).

SURVIVOR CASTAWAYS!!!  Hahaha

The rock formations were stellar, we couldn't resist taking photos! 

I explored the edge part of the coast all by myself. It was a little scary but beautiful! I didn't have a camera with me and the trek was challenging, you have to use both of your hands to not lose balance, so no pictures were taken. But it was still alright. I enjoyed my little "expedition". I saw a little cave-like portion where I just sat and looked at the endless sea. Solitude is luxury. <3

And now, here are some photos for vanity's sake!

(taken by our ever talented photographer Toni) Hihihi

Going back to the city, we took another route. It was a way for us to see other parts of Samal Island. Alorro Beach had a shuttle van (P60.00 per head) that drove us to the bus stop. From there, we rode a City Express bus going to Peñaplata (P35.00). In Peñaplata, we transferred to another bus (there's a short barge trip included and you pay another P35.00) that took us back at Magsaysay.

And now, it begs the question

WHERE TO NEXT????? :)))

PEARL FARM PHOTO DIARY

I recall last year when my college friends and I were on a boat heading to Talicud Island, we could see from afar the famed Pearl Farm parola and the line of triangular shaped cottages. I was hoping that someday I could go and enjoy that place. After all, Pearl Farm is one of the best resorts here in Davao (not to mention the priciest too).

Turned out that someday was yesterday and what can make a cheapskate happier is that it was all for free! Who would've thought I will be employed in one of the affiliate companies of Pearl Farm and luckily our company summer outing (my first) was there. Actually, the company summer outings are mostly held there. To be perfectly honest, it's one of the company perks I've been looking forward to ever since I got hired. Now I'm actually looking forward to the feeling of "What Pearl Farm again???" Haha.

But anyway, everyone has their first time and mine was yesterday. The earlier part of the morning was spent for Treasure Hunting and group activities. I squeezed in a little time to wander on my own and took some photos. After lunch was free time for everyone. It was the perfect time to just laze around, relax and enjoy a weekday off from work.

I explored the place along with the CDO branch team who were first-timers as well. We explored both the main resort and Malipano Island. I suggest you go snorkeling since there are many sea creatures to check out! Either you want to relax or explore, Pearl Farm can provide that for you and yes, maybe I'm promoting a little. Haha.

It was a short and sweet stay but totally didn't disappoint.

Summer is coming to an end soon, I hope you are enjoying! :)

CEBU 2015 TRAVEL DIARY PART II

DAY 2 - Camotes Island

Day 2 was spent at Camotes Island with Sabb while Toni stayed in the city. Cebu is known not only for lechon and world-class furniture but also for amazing beaches and natural tourist spots. So Sabb and I really made sure to go to a beach as part of our four-day sojourn. We first planned to go to Bantayan (Joie even had a prepared itinerary for us) but it was way up north of Cebu and the travel duration would consume much of our precious time. 

We opted for Camotes Island instead, heeding Joie's recommendation since a week or two before, she was there with her office mates and the approximate time for travel was only 3 hours from where we were staying. And no regrets! Joie still had the contact number of the driver that toured them around. She contacted him, made arrangements and voila, Sabb and I are on our way to Camotes! 

 BUT FIRST: 

A LITTLE HOW TO GET TO CAMOTES ISLAND FROM DOWNTOWN CEBU GUIDE:
(for commuters)

• From Robe's Pension House we rode a taxi cab going to Cebu North Bus Terminal. It was a good thing that GrabTaxi is still on promo in Cebu! P50.00 off plus the P10.00 less on flag down. [as of writing]

• Look for the bus bound to Danao Port. Bus ride will take at least 45 minutes. (Tip: Danao Port is right in front of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church)

• When we arrived at Danao Port we were welcomed with two ticketing booths. Buy tickets at the ticketing booth second from the gate which was Jomallia Shipping (not the first one, just like what me and Sabb almost did haha). The ticketing guy at the first booth asked us where we were heading, we answered: "Camotes Island" and he replied with: "Day, dako kaayo ang Camotes Island, asa sa Camotes Island,? Sa Poro? sa San Francisco?" (Girl, Camotes Island is so big. Where in Camotes Island? In Poro? In San Francisco?) Turned out the magic word was "Consuelo Port". Needless to say, you board in Danao Port and you dock in Consuelo Port when going to Camotes Island (the tourist spot part) and vice versa. That was one little detail we forgot to research or ask our friend Joie. Lesson learned!

•  The Ro-Ro Vessel has a Tourist Class (P200.00) and Economy Class (P180.00). We opted for the Tourist Class what with its only P20 peso difference. It's air conditioned and has comfy reclining chairs and it was such as smooth sailing trip! (Will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours)

• Going back to the city, instead of riding the bus, we rode a jeepney. It will stop at SM City Cebu and from there we took a cab going back to Robe's.

Once we stepped out of the vessel and walked at the arrival area of the port, we were greeted by Kuya Juanito, the habal-habal driver. We knew it was him because he was holding a placard with our names! He drove us at Santiago Bay, a public beach with (obviously) no entrance fee and we had our lunch over there. 

After lunch, our Camotes Island adventure began!

THE AWESOME PLACES WE VISITED WERE:

• Paraiso Cave - It's an underground cave with a small pool at the end of it where you can swim at the pristine water. The vibe was kind of divine (in a good way). I couldn't resist swimming and floating because the water was so clear!
• Timubo Cave - This was the second stop but we didn't take that much photos or the quality was not that good anyway. It was more crowded there and the way down was longer and I gotta say that it kind of stink of pee underground what with the number of tourists and the cold temperature. But the rock formation was stellar and the part where you can swim is bigger compared to Paraiso Cave. I was right with the divine vibe because at this particular cave, there was a Mother Mary Statue.

 Baywalk in San Francisco, California - Kuya Juanito dropped us here for a quick photo op.

Buho Rock, Poro -This was my favorite part since I got to cliff dive twice! But only with the 10 feet plank not the 40 feet. Once you reach one goal, you'd find out there's another better! Anyway, the trek down the steep stairs was tiring. Sabb and I even thought that it's not a good idea to bring our Moms if ever there's a next time. Hahaha. But we enjoyed it! There were also a bunch of Korean tourists and we were cheering scaring whoever it was brave enough to jump. 

Lake Danao - Such a vast lake with an amazing view! Activities offered at Lake Danao are boating and kayaking. Sabb and I were kind of tired from the long habal habal ride (our butts hurt) and I was kind of tired too since cliff diving and swimming took most of my energy. Baka pag nag-kayaking kami di na kami makabalik! Hahaha. So we enjoyed instead eating the P10.00 salbaro and P5.00 buko gulaman. There's a pool too nearby so after the kayaking, everyone can enjoy and opt for swimming.

We capped the day off back at the public beach and witnessed the sunset.You'll be amazed how low tide it is at Camotes Island. It's like a one big soccer field by afternoon down to night time and yet by morning it will be filled with ocean water. You really can't help but marvel at God's amazing creations.

As for our accommodation that night, tourists were flocking and it was peak season so tents for rent were scarce. We were lucky enough that a middle aged couple showed a little concern towards us and allowed us to sleep at their residence for the night but with pay of course (P500.00). A bit more pricey from our first option which was to rent a tent for only P350.00 but the bright side was that we were able to charge our phones and it was safer to deposit our things that's why we had enough time to stroll at the beach after dinner without worrying over our belongings. Fresh sheets and well-ventilated room too! But when going, it's better to make your reservations a week prior especially when peak season. Wag niyo kaming gayahin! Hahaha.

If you ever find yourself going to Camotes, fire me an email and I'll give you Kuya Juanito's number! We paid him P1,000.00 for the whole afternoon drive around Camotes (not to mention, him guarding our belongings) and the additional P200.00 fee was for the picking up back and forth Consuelo Port.

Do not be daunted with the habal habal fee! The entrance fee for Paraiso Cave, Timubo Cave, Lake Danao and Buho Rock will only range from P10.00 to P25.00 (as of writing). I suggest you take a handy sling bag with you and prepare coins so as to prevent you from the hassle of fishing money from your bag. The public beach has no entrance fee and you can rent tents for as low as P300.00 - P350.00 and the food available will cost you around P80.00 per viand but serving is good for sharing already (at least for two).

I enjoyed most was actually the habal-habal ride! Rain or shine, 4 in the afternoon or 4 in the morning, the awesome feeling of being on speed was just exhilarating! I felt so free! Naks. The roads are paved so it was really perfect to go cruisin' and just put your hands up and feel infinite. Though as I mentioned above, our butts hurt later on. Hahaha.

No regrets we deviated from our original plan and opted for Camotes Island instead. (But the dream to go to Bantayan is still very much in the pipeline!) I mean with the limited amount of time we had, we were able to tour around caves, beaches, cliffs and a giant lake! And we were back in the city the next day just in time!

Day 3 of #CebuPak Chronicles next!

MATI NA MATI BAI!

WARNING: Gets niyo yung pun ng blog post title ko? MATI NA, MATI BAI as in derived from Matira Matibay...Hahahahaha! Ang #punny at witty ko, grabe! #aynagexplain (Joke! Korny ko na..huhuhu)

ANYWAY (I'm so annoying) ....talk about spontaneous!

It was "Araw ng Dabaw" last Monday and there I was lying in my bed and enjoying the non-working holiday when my friend Wesly messaged me that she and his boyfriend Melton decided to go to Mati that day. Shameless me, I volunteered to tag along! Hahaha. It's been long time no beach and I've always been curios about Mati. Fantastically the day after, March 17 was declared a non-working holiday too! It was for "Araw ng Pasasalamat". Haaaay, pasalamat talaga! :)

In no time, they were outside my house and off to the road we go! I must say the road to Mati was dizzying what with its winding roads. I got a little car sick. But it was bearable because the view is amazing! We even stopped by the road and had our pictures taken at the "Sleeping Dinosaur" (see photo no. 3)

Our main goal was to reach Dahican (thank heavens for Waze!). It's a known surfing spot and summer destination here in Davao. Expectedly, the first thing we did when we arrived at the beach was to take pictures! It reminded me very much of Gumasa what with its long strip of shore and the way it is shaped. Although the sand in Gumasa is much whiter and the waves are calmer. Or maybe my choice of comparison is just too limited since honestly, I've only been to few beaches. (To go to more beaches, is always on the bucket list!)

Since I was third-wheeling, I gave the lovebirds ample time together and went for a solitary long walk along the shore and had my own muni-muni moments and was thinking what to put here in my blog about this trip. Haha. There were random cartwheel-ing too along the way! :)

Anyway, we didn't try surfing since the waves' current is too strong and it's not the surfing season. (Hanggang pose lang kami with the surf boards, feeling TEEN'S CHOICE AWARDS. Hehehe).

The locals said that the ideal season for surfing (or they call it long board) is on Octobers. I tried to Skim instead and charmed the local to let me try at least twice. *wink* Surfing lessons rate is Php 300.00 while Skim Board lessons rate is Php 150.00.

Highlight of our trip was when we witnessed the sunrise and tried our best to swim and braved the waves. Ang lakas talaga ng alon, I almost drowned twice. Pero almost lang. There's something with the soft sand na pag-apak mo ng isang hakbang, malalim na pala. But we all tried to enjoy it, later on we learned to "ride" with the waves and just laughed at ourselves with all our struggles.

As for cheapskate matters, there's no entrance fee! We set up our own tent and we just paid for the table and parking space for a total of P 150.00! Cheapskate approved! (Thank you lovebirds!)

I love how spontaneous trips like this can nourish the soul. :) It can make you appreciate the simple things in life like sleeping with the stars literally above your head, or how the locals were so friendly or how the waves serenely lull you to sleep and calmly wake you up in the morning. Haay, beach life. My inner beachy-care-free-spirit was awakened. Naks.

I'm daydreaming of Siargao next!