Sweet dreams are definitely made of this. I was so relieved to have a drone pilot who is also an OC photographer. At least I didn’t need to demonstrate the angles and frames I wanted to be covered in my shots. 📍Cogon Long Beach, Talikud Island
🇵🇭SAMAL ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈️🛳🚌 How to get to Samal, Davao del Norte:
⏺ Take a plane from Metro Manila to Davao City (e.g. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia).
⏺ Hail a taxi to Sasa Onse Wharf.
⏺ Ride the ferry en route to Babak Wharf, Samal (travel time: 15 – 20 minutes).
⏺ Hire a motorcycle for your tour.
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
⏺ Samal Island
Kaputian Beach
Alorro Beach
Uraya Beach Resort
Hagimit Falls
⏺ Talikud Island
Isla Reta Beach Resort
Dayang Beach Resort/Babu Santa Beach Resort
Cogon Long Beach
Giant Balete Tree
The Island Garden City of Samal or IGaCOS has been one of the go-to places of travelers whenever they’re visiting Davao City. Considering Samal is part of Metro Davao and it’s just a stone’s throw away from the city, this has become a mainstream tourist destination among Filipinos. 📍Cogon Long Beach, Talikud IslandAfter reading tons of blogs about Samal, I came up with the best itinerary to explore Samal and Talikud. We only got a whole day to visit both islands so instead on splurging just so we could visit the famous high-end resorts in Samal, I just picked the best options we got for a much cheaper trip. I also included in our list some of the far-flung and lesser known beaches in IGaCOS. 📍Talikud IslandIt was almost dusk when our bus from General Santos City reached Ecoland Terminal in Davao City. Amidst the rush hour gridlock, we were lucky to chance upon a cab that took us to our accommodation in downtown Davao. We slept right away after dinner since we would be getting up very early the next day to get to Samal. 📍Dayang Beach Resort, Talikud IslandBy dawn, we were already on our way to Sasa Onse Wharf. We boarded the barge en route to Babak Port. We waited for a few minutes before the ferry finally signaled its departure. 📍Alorro BeachSince my high school friends and I grew up in an island, we’ve been riding ferries our whole lives. So we were kind of surprised with our experience here in Samal. This was probably our shortest ferry ride ever. We were already at the port in Samal Island before 6:00 AM waiting for our motorcycle drivers who would tour us around. 📍Talikud IslandWe ate breakfast at a local eatery before heading to our first stop that day. It was a long bumpy ride to get to this public beach. Upon entering, I saw a number of tourists right away who seemed to camp out and spend the night inside the premises of the park. Sadly, we noticed some pieces of garbage floating by the shore. 📍Kaputian BeachWe waited for less than an hour before boarding the public boat bound for Talikud Island. These boats are docked just right beside Kaputian Beach. Our motorcycles were carefully lifted and securely held in place inside the boat. Our waiting continued as more passengers filled the vacant seats. The boat schedule is not fixed so we had no choice but to wait. Fortunately, the boat ride to Talikud only took roughly 30 minutes.It was again a rough motorcycle ride from the wharf to our second destination. My friend and I were like: We’re going to a beach, right? But why is this steep winding path a rocky trail as if we’re off to the mountains? 📍Dayang Beach Resort, Talikud IslandThe jagged trail of rocks seemed endless. I held on for dear life as our vehicles traversed the unpaved path to reach this place named Dayang Beach.We excitedly took photos the moment we arrived at Dayang Beach Resort facing Mt. Apo, the country’s highest and dubbed as the grandfather of Philippine mountains.This beach may not have the fine sand I am used to seeing in other parts of the country but at least its water is clean for swimming.The place was so peaceful and we were the only visitors that morning.Together with one of our guides, we crossed the fence to get to Dayang’s neighbor beach resort. Luckily, the staff didn’t ask us for an entrance fee. 📍Babu Santa Beach ResortWe stayed for a few minutes while enjoying the view here at Babu Santa. We then bid farewell to this side of Talikud Island after a few more minutes of capturing pictures and playing by the shore.
⏰⏳ SAMPLE DAY TOUR ITINERARY:
4:30 AM ETD for Sasa Onse Wharf
5:30 AM ETD for Babak Wharf
6:00 AM Breakfast
7:00 AM Kaputian Beach
8:00 AM ETD for Talikud Island
9:30 AM Dayang Beach Resort/Babu Santa Beach Resort
10:30 AM Giant Balete Tree
11:00 AM Cogon Long Beach
12:00 PM Isla Reta Beach Resort
1:00 PM Head back to Kaputian Beach
1:30 PM Lunch / ETD for Alorro Beach
2:30 PM Alorro Beach
3:30 PM ETD for Uraya Beach Resort
4:00 PM Uraya Beach Resort
5:00 PM Hagimit Falls
6:30 PM Wash up
7:30 PM ETD for Sasa Onse Wharf
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 2,000 – 2,500 (exclusive of airfare)
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the motorcycle tour rates.
On our way to our next stop, we passed by this super cool (literally) spot covered with trees. The picturesque branches that seemed to form a dome caught my attention.I immediately exclaimed to our motorcycle drivers to pull over so we could take photos.I have never seen pictures of this place online so if you’re visiting Talikud and you will be passing by this area, don’t forget to take a breather here to get your shots.Honestly, we leisurely captured our pictures in this part of the island because we were really amazed that it’s just along the road.Since the weather was scorching hot, the cold breeze inside this natural tunnel of trees was without a doubt heaven-sent.I noticed that most of the roads in Talikud Island are not yet cemented. It seemed to rain the day before because the path we were driving through was dotted with huge puddles of muddy water. 📍Cogon Long Beach, Talikud IslandOur next destination in our list was someplace that our guides haven’t seen yet. I learned about the name of this beach from a friend of mine who lives in Samal. There were a few photos of it online but I couldn’t see any detailed blog about this beach. Its location could be pinned via GPS yet our data signal was intermittent so we missed where it was. 📍Cogon Long Beach, Talikud IslandWe reached the giant balete tree of Talikud Island and one of the locals told our drivers the exact trailhead where we would make a turn. We then went back to the direction where we came from.I squeaked in delight the exact moment I laid eyes on the long stretch of this public beach. The seemingly endless rough motorcycle ride to reach Cogon Long Beach under the heat of the sun was worth it. The place was deserted when we arrived. I actually didn’t wonder why we’re the only tourists at this beach during that time.After taking shots with our cameras, my friend started setting up his drone. We were so proud that we could share with the world these photographs of this place that has been under the radar of mainstream tourism in Samal.I may have gotten sunburnt while waiting and floating since it took my friend forever to recompose and frame the best angles but hey, at least we got another glimpse of how beautiful the Philippines is with these aerial shots.This beach is bare in the sense that it is not developed so don’t expect resorts with cottages and facilities for tourists. I wish we could stay much longer but completing the list in our itinerary was our top priority.We again passed by this giant tree on our way to Isla Reta. We alighted off our motorcycles to take a closer look.This ginormous balete tree actually reminded me of the huge balete trees which can be found in Aurora and Siquijor.I wasn’t really surprised to see loads of people upon reaching this beach. It’s a mainstream tourist attraction after all. 📍Isla Reta Beach Resort, Talikud IslandActually, if you do a Google search of Samal and Talikud for blogs online, Isla Reta is one of the most famous recommendations for visitors.What I love about the shoreline of this beach is how compact its sand is as if you’re stepping on concrete flooring.
📜✏ Tips/Reminders:
📌Samal is also known as Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCOS).
📌Talikud Island is a separate island that is geographically part of Samal City which is situated in Samal Island.
📌Please be reminded that you would need to ride another public boat from Kaputian Beach, Samal to get to Talikud Island (travel time: approximately 30 minutes). The boats plying this route are big enough to carry your rented motorcycle for an additional fee.
📌Doing a day tour of Samal and Talikud Islands is feasible if you start your tour very early. However, the boats bound for Talikud Island from Kaputian Beach do not operate on a fixed schedule. You would need to wait until the boat is full of passengers. If traveling with a group, it is much better to charter a smaller boat. It may be a much more expensive option but it will definitely save you time.
📌If you are planning to solely visit Talikud Island, there are boats that sail directly from Santa Ana Wharf near Magsaysay Park, Davao City to Talikud Island. One of these boats will take you to Isla Reta Beach Resort in Talikud Island. However, the first trip of boat leaves Santa Ana Wharf between 9:00 AM and 9:30 AM.
📌Prepare yourself for a bumpy motorcycle ride as some of the roads in Samal and Talikud are unpaved and not yet cemented.
📌This adventure primer does not cover some of the mainstream spots and high-end beach resorts in Samal.
📌The day tour Spartan itinerary included here is not advisable for those who want to have a posh and leisurely trip since you are pressed for time just so you could complete the list of destinations in this travel guide.
📌Expect rain, muddy roads and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
By lunch time, we boarded the public boat going back to Kaputian Beach. Thank the gods we didn’t have to wait for so long as the boat was already full of passengers. Fortunately, there were still enough space for us and our motorcycles and guides in front of the vessel. 📍Alorro BeachThe moment we arrived at Kaputian Beach, we had a quick snack of bread and soda in a nearby bakery. It served as our lunch because we were pressed for time and we couldn’t afford to find an eatery where we could have a decent meal. 📍Alorro BeachHonestly, based on our prior experiences on the road that day, it already crossed my mind that the motorcycle ride going to Alorro Beach would be bumpy as hell. I was right all along. I bet it was extremely hard for our guides to maneuver through the rough and winding road up in the mountains to reach this paradise. I noticed that a huge portion of the path was being flattened since construction of a concrete road was underway. 📍Alorro BeachThe instance we parked outside the resort, I hastily walked to the shore. Upon seeing how pristine the beach is, I somehow forgot the aching of my muscles caused by the never-ending uncomfortable jerking and bouncing on our rented service. Boy was I so amazed when I took a dip. One of Alorro’s best features is this wide swimming area without any rocks or seagrass.Our trip to this beautiful beach of Alorro was finally complete after flying our drone for bird’s-eye view photos. If my memory serves me correctly, we left Alorro Beach by 2:30 PM feeling blissful while carrying tons of memories in our photographs.We had a quick side trip to this newly opened resort before heading to our last stop. Dark clouds began to form and blocked the sunrays we needed for glowing beach photos so we decided to just spend the rest of the day before sundown at Hagimit Falls. 📍Uraya Beach ResortOne of the highlights of our stay in Hagimit Falls was when we were welcomed by two chubby puppies at the registration area. I played with them for a couple of minutes first before heading to where the waterfall is.Unfortunately, a sudden downpour in the mountains that day made the water source of Hagimit Falls muddy. It could have been a much more enjoyable bathing time in its turquoise water but its chocolatey color ruined it all.It was almost dark when we reached Babak Wharf. Boy was I so drained. Thank the gods the ferry ride was just a quick one.Upon reaching mainland Davao, we hailed a cab that took us to Ecoland Bus Terminal. It would be a much more exhausting feat because we would need to spend the night on a bus en route to Bukidnon. We’re hoping to get to the jump-off to Panimahawa Ridge by 4:00 in the morning.
***For other destinations in Davao del Norte and Davao Region, you may visit this link.
