Looking Back: Davao 2015

This blog entry was supposed to be posted 2 years ago, but we don’t have our blog back then- so let’s take a look back.

Chariel and I flew to Davao last May 28, 2015 to attend the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers Convention and we stayed there for 3 days.  We have pre-booked our hotel via Agoda website and we chose North Zen Basic Spaces since it was cheap and near the convention area.

Day 1 

After an hour and 45-minute plane ride from Manila, we’ve finally reach Davao Airport. From there, we rode a taxi to our hotel which cost around P120. By the way, the taxi drivers of Davao City are one of the kindest drivers in the Philippines. Moving on, we’ve reached our hotel early; we took a quick rest then we left to register for the convention to be held on SM Lanang Premier. 

We’ve reached the venue just in time for the opening ceremonies. We got our freebies and food stub then we proceed to our seats. 

Introduction of different chapters

Enjoying our free lunch

There was a lot of talking and things got boring. Being the adventurous millenials we are, after having our lunch, we’ve decided to leave the area and explore Davao.

Riding another taxi, our first destination was the Deca Wake Park which is an hour away from SM Lanang. I remember the wakeboarding costs P400 per head for 2 hours including all the necessary equipment. But they  have a 50% off promo for first timers back then that is why we just paid P200 for each. A staff will orient you first about the tips and proper positions before you hop in. Wakeboarding is both fun and exhausting at the same time; you’ll experience muscle pains in your arms and shoulder.

Exhausted!

After wakeboarding for almost 2 hours, we felt hungry so we decided to have our dinner since it’s getting late. We rode another taxi for 30 mins to reach our dining place – Jack’s Ridge. 

History of Jack’s Ridge

Jack’s Ridge is located on a hillside which gives you an astounding view of Davao City. The food there was great! We’ve ordered a delicious dish which Davao is known for – Tuna. Everything is perfect: the ambiance, fresh air, the musicians, and the view of Davao City from above. 

While waiting for the food

D-A-V-A-O

After having our dinner, we went back to our hotel and called it a day.

Day 2

We woke up early the next day as we were about to explore the next tourist destination on Davao –Samal Island. If you’re asking about our convention, yes, we didn’t attend it anymore. Haha! 

We rode the jeepney going to Sasa Wharf wherein we board a ferry to Samal Island. The ferry costs P10 per head and the travel time takes 10-15 mins.

Ferry at Sasa Wharf

Ready to go!

Upon reaching the dock of Samal Island around 8 am, we rode a habal-habal (motorcycle) going to Hagimit Falls. The entrance fee is P40 and an environmental fee of P5 is required before you proceed.  Upon entering the vicinity, you’ll feel the fresh air and hear the sound of stream flow. We took the opportunity to swim in the fresh water coming from the falls. If you don’t know how to swim, no worries! They offer a rental on life vests. It was a great experience for us since the water is cool and clean. 

The hanging bridge

Wetlook

We didn’t stay long at Hagimit Falls since we’re already starving and there’s no decent food there. We rode another Habal-Habal going to our next destination –BlueJaz Beach Resort.

BlueJaz Beach Resort

The day tour entrance fee to BlueJaz Resort is P90 for adults. It includes unlimited use of swimming pool, but who needs a pool when you have the entire beach anyway. We’ve had pork barbeques, grilled tuna and fruit shakes for our lunch and I remember it only costs below P500 for the both of us. We also tried kayaking for P200 per hour, but we weren’t able to finish it because our arms got tired.

Lunch by the beach

The clear water of BlueJaz Beach Resort

Row ’til you drop

We have to leave Samal Island before sunset because there are no boat transfers available at night unless you’ll rent them for a high cost. Luckily, there’s already a boat transfer service on BlueJaz Resort that will transport us back to Davao City.

We’ve return to our hotel at around 5pm and had our dinner there. Fearing that we won’t have enough time, we rushed to the famous Lola Abon’s Durian Candy Factory Outlet to buy pasalubong (please click on the link to view the prices).  We almost ran out of stocks since it’s almost closing time, but we still got some. We recommend that you try their products especially for those with the sweet tooth.

Day 3 (Last Day)

We woke up early to pack our things since our flight back to Manila is around 12 noon. After breakfast, we went to Aldevinco Shopping Center to have a last minute shopping of another set of pasalubongs. The shopping center is just across Ateneo De Davao University and it contains a lot of souvenir items like: shirts, bags, jewelries and many more.

 

Image Source: Make It Davao

Image Source: Make It Davao

After we bought souvenirs and pasalubongs, we’ve had our lunch and checked-out at our hotel. We rode a taxi going back to the airport and that ends our Davao trip.

Tips & Things to Remember:

• Plan your itinerary well to avoid wasting time and energy since it’s a huge province
• If you have the opportunity, stay longer. 3 days isn’t enough to explore its beauty
• Ask the locals for directions and mode of transportations. We rode the taxi most of the time and it costs a lot.
• Enjoy their tuna since it’s fresh and less expensive compared to Manila
• Some commercial establishments closes as early as 8pm, be there early
• Samal Island is a huge island with lot’s of beach resorts and even batcave, you may explore it for one whole day
• The Habal-Habal fare in Samal Island varies from P50 to P100 per head depending on your destination. Others will overcharge you, beware.

 

-The Street Rangers

 

 

The White Sands: Boracay 2017

After a year of preparation (thanks to Piso fare), the day has finally come. This will be the gang’s first ever out-of-town trip and also our first time going to Boracay.

My girlfriend, Chariel, and I were the first to arrive last March 15, 2017 in Kalibo, Aklan. Since it was already late, we have decided to stay there and travel to Caticlan the next day. We’ve checked-in at Zapa Inn which is just a few minutes from the airport and it costs P800 for a night. The room was clean especially the comfort room. Also, they have a great service. We requested them to deliver our breakfast at 8 o’clock and they have done their job pretty well. 

The next day came and we are ready to go to Caticlan. We’ve asked the caretaker of Zapa Inn for tips on how to get there quickly and she said it’s better to ride a van at the City Mall’s terminal for P100 since it leaves every 30 minutes instead of riding the bus on which the transportation is by schedule.

Image Source: Skyscrapercity Aklan

The trip from Kalibo to Caticlan Jetty Port lasted for 1hr 30min. Upon arrival at the port, you’ll have to pay for the Environmental Fee (P75), Terminal Fee (P100) and Ferry Ticket (P25). There are lots of boat transfers available from Caticlan to Boracay. Just choose the cheapest and the fastest boat that leaves every 5 minutes (we’ve made a wrong decision buying a ferry ticket for P75 and waited for an hour). The Jetty Port operates 24 hours so no need to worry for the transfer. But there will be a difference on the Ferry Ticket Fee, P30 at night instead of P25 on daytime.

After 5-10mins of boat ride, we’ve finally arrived at Boracay Island. There, you’ll have to choose to ride an ordinary tricycle or an e-trike. We chose the ordinary because we thought it was cheaper, but it’s not! Maybe because we looked like first timers, the trike driver overcharged us P120 from the port to our hotel (it should just be P30 for each person).

Our friends booked us in Boracay Box and Ladder (their roof deck is so cool!). It is a dorm type ideal for backpackers who would just sleep and go. They have their kitchen and you can cook and grill your food. They also have free breakfast which we think is more suitable for foreigners since it was unlimited bread and coffee (unlike us, Pinoys, we prefer silog meals. Haha!). The hostel has a good location which is just a few steps away from the famous D’Mall. Also, there is a Ministop across the street and McDonald’s nearby.

When the gang was complete, we’ve traversed the Station 1, 2 and 3 of Boracay to look for cheap packages. There are a lot of ‘agents’ offering you tour packages and you just have to look and bargain for the cheapest. We ended up with Kuya Jhong who offered us P1300 for island hopping w/ lunch buffet and paraw sailing on the first day and flying fish the next day. The prices seem to be expensive since we have a private tour and it is already peak season. He advised us that it’s cheap during September to November.

1st Day

We first had our breakfast at the hostel at 7am for us to have energy for the tour.

Breakfast at the Roof Deck (still waiting for our toasted bread)

The tour guide was supposed to pick us up at 9am at our hostel but we decided to just meet him at beachfront. It is advisable if you have a waterproof bag since the waves will splash inside your boat during the trip. If you haven’t brought one, you can just buy at the stalls near the beach. It costs P150 to P450 depending on the size. Before the tour, you need to bring bread that will serve as  fish food during snorkeling but since we are not informed, we just gave P21 to our tour guide for 3 packs of bread. The first stop was Puka Beach. Our tour guide let us stroll around the island before heading to the next activity. Then, in the middle of the sea, they let us snorkel and view the corals below, but everyone struggled since the life vests don’t fit properly and the snorkeling gears seem to have been used a hundred times (better if you have your own). Next, we had our lunch on another island. you are allowed to refill your plate but it will take long because of the queue. The last stop was the Magic Island where you can cliff dive at 7ft, 9ft and 10ft. You need to pay P200 for the entrance fee but if you don’t want, you can still take pictures outside. Not everyone on the gang tried this one since the waves are really big. But you are allowed to jump with a life vest on and asked for someone to assist you as you jump into the sea.

Boat Ride

Puka Beach

Snorkeling and struggling in the middle of nowhere

Magic Island

What we really enjoyed that day is the paraw sailing wherein you will just enjoy the ride on a sail boat and watch the beautiful sunset.

Paraw Sailing

After a tiring day of boat rides, and more boat rides,  we’ve washed ourselves, ate dinner and prepared for the next activity.. *drum roll*  The Boracay Pubcrawl!

Boracay Pubcrawl is an organized barhopping wherein you’ll have to socialize, drink and party all night! Here you’ll be able to meet new friends with different nationalities. It was a blast! But honestly, most of us are not into this type of activity and we’re all tired so we’ve decided to go back to the hostel and sleep. It is advisable if you pre-booked your Pubcrawl Tickets at Eventbrite to have a P200 discount.

2nd Day

Most of us woke up late since we’re all tired from yesterday’s activities. We’ve had our breakfast of unlimited bread, spreads and coffee at the roof deck.

My friends having their breakfast. Courtesy of Box&Ladder Instagram Account

We’ve met Kuya Jhong to pay the balance of our package and proceed with the last activity, the fly fish. Some of us paid another P1200 for parasailing. We rode a speedboat for us to reach the dock in the middle of the sea where the fun starts.

Fly Fish

Pardon our faces. Haha!

The fly fish will really test your grip. The speedboat will drag you quickly against the waves. If you fall, you’ll have to wait before they pick you up. Luckily, we didn’t fall. We also tried parasailing. It was a great experience! We just enjoyed the ride, the fresh air, and of course, the view of Boracay.

Before we went to Boracay, we’ve research that there is a famous restaurant known for its bizarre ambiance. Behold, the Boracay Toilet Restaurant!

The food was nice. Everything around you reminds you of a typical toilet room. The food bowls are shaped like a toilet, the drinking glass looks like a urinal. Even your seats are toilet bowls. A meal ranges from P200-P400. It’s a must try!

Most of us decided to rest in the hostel after lunch, but we took the opportunity to fully appreciate the Boracay Beach (though it’s full of algae as you can see). We enjoyed the beach, the sun, and the sand.

Before the sun sets, we washed ourselves and bought some pasalubongs. There are low quality shirts which are only 2 for P180 inside the D’Mall, but we chose the expensive ones near the Bamboo Market for its quality. There are also lots of keychains which you can even bargain for P100 for 10pcs.

Since this is our last night in Boracay, we’ve decided to eat together near the shore. We’ve chosen to eat at Hoy Panga! which serves beer, pulutan, and seafoods. The food was great though you’ll have to wait a little longer.

After dinner, we went back to Box and Ladder to chill on the roof deck. We played games and have fun ’til midnight.

We’ve got different flight schedules going back to Manila. All of them have their flights at Caticlan Airport except Chariel and I, who needs to go back to Kalibo Airport that’s why we have to wake up early to reach our 12 noon flight.

We woke up at 5:30am, packed our things and had our breakfast in the nearest convenience store. We rode a tricycle to the port, this time paying only P60. From Boracay Port to Caticlan Port, we paid P25 for the boat and P100 for the terminal fee. No more environmental fee since you’re leaving the place. There are vans travelling to Kalibo for P100. They also offer airport transfer but for a higher price. It’s up to you if you will accept it.

Upon arrival at Kalibo, we had our early lunch at McDonald’s since it’s the nearest fastfood chain. We asked the locals where we could find cheap pasalubong and they directed us to the Kalibo Public Market which is just near Mcdo. There, we bought butterscotch  which costs P100 for 3 packs (in the airport, it is P70 each).

As advised by the crew from Mcdo, we have to ride a tricycle from market to Polytechnic College for P10 each person. There you’ll see a queue of tricycles and the regular fare is just P10 per head to the airport. But if you’re in a hurry, just take the special trip to the airport for P60.

We’ve reach the airport on time and as expected, the flight was delayed.

To sum it up, this trip was great! I hope we’ll have more adventures like this.

As reference for future travelers, here’s the summary of our trip. (Note: You can compress the number of days of your stay, we just want a longer vacation that’s why we spent 5 days and 4 nights)

Here’s a video edited by our friend.

Here are some of the things to remember:

• It is better to book your flight at Caticlan Airport
• Pretend it’s not your first time so they won’t overcharge you
• Bring a refillable drinking bottle. Mineral water will cost you P20-P40 per bottle
• Have a waterproof bag and waterproof cellphone cases
• When buying souvenirs, avoid D’mall and crowded places. Remember the law of supply and demand.
• When looking for a tour and activity package, try to bargain as much as possible
• Bring something to protect you from the cold winds at night
• Most of the restaurants are expensive, look for an alternative
• Take advantage of the happy hour in the bars
• Station 3 has the least algae content compared to Station 1 and 2
• Bring your own beach mat and find a spot. It’s free! Beach chairs are for rent at P200/hr (cheapest among others)

The moment we left Boracay Island, I knew deep in my heart that we’ll come back. This is such a lovely and peaceful place. A place where you can have freedom and do anything you want. See you again Bora, someday soon.

‘Til our next trip guys!

-The Street Rangers