Inasmuch as we want to spend the days lazing around Samal Island Huts, a speedboat in Babak port was already waiting to take us island hopping around Talicud island in the morning of December 1, 2012. Renting the speedboat for one day set us back P7,000 (whew!) so we really need to put on the sunscreen and see what Samal has to offer.
I didn't expect much from Samal Island, judging from most reviews in TripAdvisor calling the island "overrated" -- that the sands are not white and the beach far from fantastic. I've learned my lesson the hard way when we went to Puerto Galera. We visited Coron beforehand and the place set my standard for what a tourist spot should be. Coron was my first ever legit out-of-town trip and our visit was phenomenal. I have since compared every place I've been to with Coron and have been unconsciously setting myself up with some major disappointments. It was only later on that I realized how I've been sabotaging my own trips because of my high expectations.
Finding the perfect boat
This Davao trip was a bit difficult to organize as there are thousands of different opinions on where to go to and what to do. Planning the city tour alone took me hours and hours of reading and the island hopping tour was not a bit easier. Unlike in other beach destinations, there seemed to be no particular point person nor recommended tour guides for island hopping trips. Or maybe I just was not paying attention or was probably reading the wrong forums.
I was leaning towards Islands Banca Cruises just to lessen the headache as it seemed like they would arrange everything for guests. The pictures on their website promised a whole day of pampering and fun. But after inquiring through email and receiving their package quotations (as seen below), we immediately scrapped Islands Banca from our choices. What I got from the quotation: You rent our awesome, fully-equipped boat and crew but you pay for all entrance, dock and environmental fees and you do the registration. Their own words: "you would need to remit directly to the destination's representatives." Nu-uh. Totally beats the purpose of getting a tour operator's services, in my opinion.
Islands Banca Cruises | Package 1 | Package 2 | Package 3 | Package 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Around Talikud Island | Vanishing Island | Vanishing Island to Talikud Island | Vanishing Island to Around Talikud Island |
Sites | Babu Santa | Vanishing Island | Vanishing Island | Vanishing Island |
Isla Reta 1 | Angel's Cove | Babu Santa | ||
Isla Reta 2 | Babu Santa | Isla Reta 1 | ||
Coral Garden | Coral Garden | Isla Reta 2 | ||
Angel's Cove / Puting Bato / Dayang | Coral Garden | |||
Angel's Cove / Puting Bato / Dayang | ||||
Time | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
Boat | Butanding | Butanding | Butanding | Butanding |
Package Inclusions | Expanded sundeck | Expanded sundeck | Expanded sundeck | Expanded sundeck |
Bean Bags | Bean Bags | Bean Bags | Bean Bags | |
Music Dock | Music Dock | Music Dock | Music Dock | |
Wi-Fi Access (upon request) | Wi-Fi Access (upon request) | Wi-Fi Access (upon request) | Wi-Fi Access (upon request) | |
Bath Towels | Bath Towels | Bath Towels | Bath Towels | |
Cold Towels | Cold Towels | Cold Towels | Cold Towels | |
Life Jacksets | Life Jacksets | Life Jacksets | Life Jacksets | |
Uniformed, full service life guard | Uniformed, full service life guard | Uniformed, full service life guard | Uniformed, full service life guard | |
Trained crew | Trained crew | Trained crew | Trained crew | |
Package Exclusions | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
Package Rental | P6,950 | P4,450 | P6,950 | P7,250 |
Other expenses | Entrance fee at Isla Reta 1 - P75/pax | Docking Fee at Angel's Cove for P100/boat | Entrance fee at Isla Reta 1 - P75/pax | |
Entrance fee at Isla Reta 2 - P20/pax | Docking Fee at Babusanta for P300/boat + P5/head env. Fee | Entrance fee at Isla Reta 2 - P20/pax | ||
Docking Fee at Angel's Cove for P100/boat | Docking Fee at Angel's Cove for P100/boat | |||
Docking Fee at Babusanta for P300/boat + P5/head env. Fee | Docking Fee at Babusanta for P300/boat + P5/head env. Fee | |||
Docking Fee at Dayang for P300/boat + P5/head env. Fee | Docking Fee at Dayang for P300/boat + P5/head env. Fee | |||
Corkage fee | P500 for food + P500 for drinks | P500 for food + P500 for drinks | P500 for food + P500 for drinks | P500 for food + P500 for drinks |
Total for 3 pax | P7,965 without lunch | P4,450 without lunch | P7,365 without lunch | P8,265 without lunch |
Rate/pax | P2,655 without lunch | P1,483 without lunch | P2,455 without lunch | P2,755 without lunch |
So with Islands Banca Cruises out of the list and only a couple of weeks before our travel dates, we turned to Kimmy and Pieter Vererfven, owners ofSamal Island Huts where we 'd be staying for a couple of nights and inquired if they offer island hopping tours to their guests. We were happy to hear that they actually do! They gave us three options as seen below:
Package 1 | Package 2 | Package 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Boat | Native 25-seater banka (for sharing) | Speedboat (nearby islands) | Speedboat (around Talicud island) |
Sites | Depends on the group's request | Big Liguid Island | Angel's Cove |
Tagpopongan | Coral Garden | ||
Vanishing Island | Babu Santa | ||
Isla Reta | |||
Wishing Island and other small islands | |||
Time | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
Package Inclusions | Life vest | Life vest | Life vest |
Snorkeling gears | Snorkeling gears w/ 1 pair of fins | Snorkeling gears w/ 1 pair of fins | |
Crew members | 2 crew members | 2 crew members | |
Entrance, environmental and dock fees | Lunch | Lunch | |
Entrance, environmental and dock fees | Entrance, environmental and dock fees | ||
Package Exclusions | Cottage rental in Isla Reta | Cottage rental in Isla Reta | Cottage rental in Isla Reta |
Package Rental | starts at P5,500 | P6,500 | P7,000 |
Rate/pax (for a group of 3) | min. of P1,866 | P2,200 | P2,366 |
Package 1: Pro - cheapest package. Con - boat is too big for a group of 3 people.
Package 2: Pro - a chance to visit the majestic Vanishing Island. Con - too expensive for a tour around three nearby islands.
Package 3: Pro - visit all popular sites in Talicud island, which is a better option for snorkeling. Con - most expensive of the three packages.
We ultimately decided to go for package 3 as we felt that it offered the best value for our money. There are more sites included in this package and we'd have the speedboat all to ourselves. Read: no need to "socialize" with strangers! (I'm no fun :c) Besides, the difference between packages 2 and 3 is only P500.
Package 2: Pro - a chance to visit the majestic Vanishing Island. Con - too expensive for a tour around three nearby islands.
Package 3: Pro - visit all popular sites in Talicud island, which is a better option for snorkeling. Con - most expensive of the three packages.
We ultimately decided to go for package 3 as we felt that it offered the best value for our money. There are more sites included in this package and we'd have the speedboat all to ourselves. Read: no need to "socialize" with strangers! (I'm no fun :c) Besides, the difference between packages 2 and 3 is only P500.
An Adventure In Itself
Going around any island in a speedboat is pretty kick-ass, if you ask me. Tourists from huge outrigger boats were looking at us and checking if we were some Hollywood rock stars who visited this generally quiet side of the archipelago. We turned heads wherever we went and I thought to myself, 'this must be what Kris Aquino experiences every time she goes grocery shopping in SM Megamall!' We felt like celebrities for a day :D
Coral Garden
Our first stop was Coral Garden, which is ~25km from Babak Ferry Terminal (roughly 40 minutes travel time by speedboat). We arrived before 9 in the morning and the place was still deserted - a bit surprising for a weekend holiday. Oh the advantages of a speedboat! :3
Talicud's Coral Garden is stunning. We didn't bring an underwater camera so I can't really show you its beauty. The corals are healthy, varied and unique. And you know what adds to the charm of the place? It looks untouched - no signages and no people who charge miscellaneous fees. It's just there for everyone to see and appreciate.
Talicud's Coral Garden is stunning. We didn't bring an underwater camera so I can't really show you its beauty. The corals are healthy, varied and unique. And you know what adds to the charm of the place? It looks untouched - no signages and no people who charge miscellaneous fees. It's just there for everyone to see and appreciate.
Isla Cristina
You know I find it really funny when people say 'Talicud island hopping' because it's basically just one big island with several white beaches. So you don't hop from one island to another, more like from one side of the island to another!
Anyway, enough of political correctness and more of Talicud's awesomeness (hey, it ryhmes! :)) Our next stop was Isla Cristina, which isn't really an island so I don't know why they call it an 'isla.' It's somewhere in the southwestern part of Talicud and wasn't part of our original itinerary but we were glad that we stopped by this place. It has the clearest, bluest waters I have ever seen in my life - no joke! And if you love Patrick Starr, Isla Cristina is perfect for you as it's home to countless of big starfish.
This spot is not really good for snorkeling because what you will only see are big starfish and the white seabed. But the calm and clear water more than makes up for it! <3
Anyway, enough of political correctness and more of Talicud's awesomeness (hey, it ryhmes! :)) Our next stop was Isla Cristina, which isn't really an island so I don't know why they call it an 'isla.' It's somewhere in the southwestern part of Talicud and wasn't part of our original itinerary but we were glad that we stopped by this place. It has the clearest, bluest waters I have ever seen in my life - no joke! And if you love Patrick Starr, Isla Cristina is perfect for you as it's home to countless of big starfish.
This spot is not really good for snorkeling because what you will only see are big starfish and the white seabed. But the calm and clear water more than makes up for it! <3
Isla Reta 2
Isla Reta 2 (again not in another island) was the third spot that we visited. It was also where we had lunch. Its sand is not as pearly white as Boracay's and it's not as picturesque as Coron but I find its raw beauty appealing. For someone like me who battles the pollution, traffic jams and hellish train rides that plague Metro Manila every single day, this was as close to heaven as I could get.
Lunch was fairly simple. We had grilled pork, rice, watermelon and soda. I don't think we were in any position to complain though because lunch was just a complimentary meal given by Pieter when I was asking for a discount for the speedboat rental. His reply: "no discount because 7k for a whole day trip is already a bargain. Other resorts charge twice as much." True enough, when I checked Maxima Resort's website, one of Samal's more popular resorts, whole day speedboat rental is P14,000!
A few hundred meters from the beach are acres of coconut trees. I think there's a small barangay nearby because I saw several nipa huts within the area. Then there's a cave by the beach which I didn't really find special or anything because I'm not a cave person (if there's such a thing). It's good for photo op, though.
Wishing Island
We decided to head to Wishing Island before 1:00pm as there was nothing else to do in Isla Reta 2. The crew told us that we wouldn't be able to go to Babu Santa and Angel's Cove anymore because of the strong current or something, which was a shame because the two seem to be the most popular spots in Talicud island.
Wishing Island is an islet near Malipano Island and Pearl Farm. I don't think that this place is good for snorkeling because there are a lot, and I mean a LOT, of sea urchins surrounding the island. I think Wishing Island used to be a popular tourist spot because there's a broken man-made slide but I don't know what happened. The crew members were as clueless as we were. My verdict: if you value your life too much and don't want to be stung my sea urchins living in a relatively lackluster underwater area, you can skip Wishing Island.
Wishing Island is an islet near Malipano Island and Pearl Farm. I don't think that this place is good for snorkeling because there are a lot, and I mean a LOT, of sea urchins surrounding the island. I think Wishing Island used to be a popular tourist spot because there's a broken man-made slide but I don't know what happened. The crew members were as clueless as we were. My verdict: if you value your life too much and don't want to be stung my sea urchins living in a relatively lackluster underwater area, you can skip Wishing Island.
Going Home Early and Happy
Renting the speedboat significantly cut our time on the sea so at 1:45 in the afternoon, we were bound for Babak. We stopped by a snorkeling area (I forgot the name!) but there's pretty much nothing to see there but dead corals. What made the area extra special though was the strong current. It made me feel a bit bold. Am I weird or what? I avoided the sea urchins in Wishing Island but braved the strong currents in this unnamed place..huh. So anyway, we passed by a few of the more popular resorts in Samal on the way home. The sand looked fake and the beach was crowded. This is probably the part of Samal Island that some TripAdvisor reviewers say is overrated.
Sometimes my being anti-social pays off - like this time when instead of choosing to stay in a well-known resort, I went with gut feel and booked a room for a couple of nights in Samal Island Huts, and chose to forego being kuripot for once and rented a speedboat to see the beauty of Talikud island! :)