The challenge in making this trip is that I had to stick to my usual budget of 7k with pasalubong already. BUT, since we were only 3 who pushed through in this trip, our budget reached 8k... Oopppps.... I know you're thinking right now and saying, "Ang Mahal naman" or "It's too much to spend that much in a local destination". Well, yeah, I think this is the most expensive trip I've done but wait and see why it reached that much :)
We arrived in Davao Airport around 7am already so from the airport we walked a few mins to the highway and rode a bus going to Ecoland Bus terminal. Ecoland Bus terminal is around 30-45mins away from the airport. This is were all buses are situated where in their routes are going to different parts of Mindanao. We rode Bachelor Express since this is the only bus line that goes to Mangagoy, Surigao. Reading blogs, I was ready for a 6-hour ride to Surigao, but due to bad weather and "too many" bus stops, it took us more than 7 hours to reach Mangagoy Terminal. Fare cost 300. Before our trip here, I really wanted to search for someone who would bring us around Surigao since we don't know the place, And thank God I was able to find this blog (which I even forgot) wherein she included the number of the driver of the habal-habal they rode, his name is Kuya Loloy, so I contacted him and haggled for a cheap price to Enchanted Rive & Tinuy-an Falls. By the way, habal-habal is another name for motorcycle taxi which most provinces use. We were supposed to have our tinuy-an Falls tour on our first day but since we arrived late and weather is not good, we opt to move our tour for the next day. We checked-in at Paper Country Inn. I would recommend this because the staffs are very accomodating and their rates are very reasonable. We took a room for only 900php. Cheap right? :)
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| going up. |
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| going down. |
after staying for a while, bathing on its cool water and under its falls, we went back down to go on to our next destination- Enchanter River. Tinuy-an falls is far from Enchanted River, its like an estimate of 45mins to an hour of habal2x ride. But like what I always say, there are no shortcuts to any place worth going. :) Enchanted River is known for its majestic beauty of clear deep blue water. It is located Hinatuan, Surigao. People say that no one knows how deep this river is, even professional divers failed to answer it. What's exciting about this is that during 12:30pm and 4:00pm they let the swimmers out of the river because they will start feeding the fishes. It's really amazing because you would really enjoy staring at its charming beauty while fishes swim around. It would be better if you would go to these places on a weekday to avoid the crowd. They also offer island hopping for 160/hr. Just make sure that you'd be back after an hour and don't miss the fish feeding time.
Oh before I forget, when we arrived early morning, around 930-10am, water was like blue green, but after our island hopping, before 12pm, it became very clear blue water. Very Amazinggg!
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| Kuya Loloy & his Habal-habal |
At exactly 4pm, we had to leave for Davao, because bus schedules are from 2am-4pm only daily. But since we had a very long trip using the bus, we agreed to take the van instead since price is just the same. Van ride only took 4 and a half hours to Davao. Imagine the 3hrs difference. It only had 1 stop over so I would recommend that you ride a van back & forth. We arrived in Davao by 8:30pm, guess what, we had no van reservations for our day tour tomorrow. So we decided to just get a taxi from the terminal to our hotel then ask the driver if he does day tour. And yes, we've done that and tried to haggle from 3k to 2500php (that's cheaper than what was offered to me by a van company when I tried looking for one here in Manila). So that night, day tour tomorrow is set. We checked in at Royal House Travel Inn & Suites located in C.M Recto near food stores etc. The hotel was good, it had free breakfast, but nothing really special about the room for the price we paid. By the way, you can get discounts if you book 2 weeks before your arrival. :)
On our 3 day, we woke up 6am since breakfast starts at 6am and kuya Andres (taxi driver) would be picking us up by 7am. Our first tour for the day would be Eden Nature Park. This is located a hour away from the city. The highlight of this day is the Skycycle. Wherein after trying this, I felt that my Zipline experience in Bukidnon was really not that scary at all. haha!! :) We also went to Japanese Tunnel, Philippine Eagle Nature Center, Davao Crocodile Farm, & Jack's Ridge.
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| Mickey Mouse Tomato |
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| Now I love Sunflowers :) |
So here is the reason why our travel became expensive. On our last day in Davao, we can't leave this place without going to Samal Island. Samal is the beach city of Davao. There are lots of resorts like Maxima Aqua Fun where you can experience the longest tarpaulin slide, or enjoy the white sand and crystal clear blue water of Kaputian Beach Park Resort at an affordable price. But what really caught my eye was Pearl Farm Resort. It took me days to decide whether to go to this resort or not cos its quite expensive. But looking on the photos and positive feedback it has received, I know it was worth the expense! We booked for their day tour package which includes boat transfer to and from Marina Wharf which is 30mins away from the city, Buffet lunch, welcome drinks upon arrival and complimentary use of recreational facilities. We arrived in Marina wharf at around 7:30am and at 8am grabbed the first trip so we can enjoy our day tour from 8am-4pm to the max. Upon arrival in Pearl Farm Resort we were mesmerized by the beauty of the place. I love their infinity pool, their cottages, in fact I loved everything about it. They also have a shuttle available wherein you can tour around the resort. There is also another island where they can transfer you anytime you just have to coordinate with any of their staffs. They say that this is where their most expensive cottages are located since it's like you own the island for yourself. Their buffet lunch was good, but of course, it wont compare to the food Vikings have. hahaha. A turn off to me here was their fruits, like Star Apple & Buko Juice, obviously, it was not fresh. But it's okay, overall I loved the place :)
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| a nice view from where I am seating while having lunch |
We ended our tour by 4pm and reached Marina Wharf before 5pm. So kuya Andres, our driver picked us up again and brought us to a place where we can buy pasalubong and dropped us off the airport.
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| Kuya Andres and his taxi :) |
Overall, our trip here was very "SULIT". Though we spent more than our usual budget, we can say it's worth it! :D
Expense Breakdown: (3pax)
DAY 1: Davao Airport- Surigao
P217 - Taxi (To NAIA3)
P293 - Breakfast
P45 - Bus fare ( Davao Airport- Ecoland Terminal
P900 - Bus fare (Mangagoy)
P190 - Lunch
P528 - Dinner
P2173
DAY 2: Tinuy-an Falls & Enchanted River
P150 - Entrance Fee Tinuy-an Falls
P150 - Tip
P90 - Entrance Fee Enchanted River
P45 - life vest
P15 - White Sand
P30 - Fish Cage
P160 - Banka
P560 - Food
P1300 - Habal-Habal
P25 - Trike (PCI-Terminal)
P900 - Van (Surigao-Davao)
P900 - Paper Country Inn
P75 - Taxi (Terminal- Royal House)
P471 - Dinner
P3150 - Royal House Travel Inn and Suites
P8021
DAY 3: Davao City Tour
P2500 - Taxi City Tour
P600 - Eden Nature Park Ent Fee & Snack
P360 - Shuttle
P600 - Skycycle
P150 - Phil Eagle
P150 - Japanese Tunnel
P60 - Jack's Ridge
*P200 - Davao Crocodile Park
P4420
Day 4: Pearl Farm Beach Resort
P7500 - Day Tour
P135 - Taxi to Marina Wharf
P225 - Buko Juice
P250 - Taxi (to Airport + Tip)
P600 - Terminal Fee
P8710
Total = P23,324/ 3 = P7,775
the remaining budget is for pasalubong
Contact Numbers:
Paper Country Inn: (086) 853-3079
Kuya Loloy (Habal-habal): (0948) 5750496/ (0936) 6638329
Royal House Travel Inn & Suites: (082) 2273630
Kuya Andres (Taxi/Van): (0930) 2948760
Tip: Pearl Farm is optional. You can find cheaper resorts in Samal Island where in the rate of our Pearl Farm day tour can be good for an overnight stay in other resorts. If you're in a budget, try eating on cheaper restos or even in carinderias, just like we did on our 3rd and 4th day, since our budget is getting smaller and smaller. Bring some cup noodles too, it'll help you save for breakfast or snacks. For me, there's nothing wrong spending a little for your trip, because you worked for what you spend and it's not bad to give your self a treat once, twice or even thrice a year. :) Like what I always, "Traveling need not be expensive, all you have to do is budget your trip, spend and plan wisely." :)
HAPPY TRAVELING, UNSTOPPABLEWANDERERS!!! :D
