“Where are you going?” the bus conductor said. “We’re going to Hagimit falls,” I responded. He punched a couple of tickets and handed them to me. As I paid for our fare, I told him to kindly drop us off at the closest point to the falls.

“No problem,” he said. “It’s in Barangay Cawag, Penaplata. You wouldn’t miss it, anyway. There’s a big sign on the right side of the road.”

I sat back and opened the plastic of pancit which we bought from a road side carinderia on our way to the bus station from Kaputian beach earlier. We forgot to bring forks and there were no plastic forks available for sale at the carinderia. I put the plastic near my mouth and began eating the pancit inside, much like the way most people in Lucban, Quezon eat their famous pancit habhab. I saw a few passengers looking at us, possibly intrigued and amused by the primitive way two grown up men were eating pancit inside the bus. I pretended not to notice though. This is just one of the many things I never thought I would do before I started travelling. After a few gulps of water later, I turned to the window and admired the beautiful and refreshing rural scenery outside.

“Hagimit Falls na po!” the bus conductor announced after roughly 15 minutes, just as I saw the falls board sign. The bus stopped and we got off. There was no habal habal drivers around. At half an hour past 7 in the morning, we might have been too early. We decided to trek. From the main road, it took us about 15 minutes to get to the main entrance. After paying the P40 entrance fee, we went inside and found the concrete stairway leading down to the waterfalls.

Hagimit Falls is actually a small waterfall that flows over big rocks creating a series of cascades and natural pools in a beautiful natural setting. A nature park has been developed within the area and several huts and picnic tables have been made available for guests and visitors to rent. Despite these developments though, the owners were able to maintain the natural beauty of the place. Nature lovers could still enjoy its tropical rainforest scenery along with the cool and refreshing waters of Hagimit falls.

Since it was still early in the morning, we had the whole place to ourselves. My friend Jim wasted no time. As soon as we had put down our backpacks on one of the picnic tables in the area, he went into the water and swam towards the waterfall where he enjoyed a refreshing natural shower. I, on the other hand, struggled to take good pictures of the falls using a slow shutter speed to show the silky smooth flow of the waters. I kept on reprimanding myself quietly for my decision to not bring my tripod. Majority of the pictures I’ve taken turned out to be blurred.

We really enjoyed our time at Hagimit Falls and Nature Park. When I thought I’d taken a few decent shots, I put my camera aside, took a deep breath and dove into the cool waters. It felt so great to have my back and neck and shoulder massaged by the waters each time I stick my head under the falls.

After more than a couple of hours, other visitors started to arrive. One of the caretakers of the park approached us and asked if we were going to use the picnic table where we put our bags. “It’s for rent,” he said. I told him we were just about to leave. And just after he left, we got out of the water, took a rest for few minutes, then went back to the entrance, which was quite a challenge since we had to go up the stairs this time.

This may help: From Hagimit falls, you may ride a habal habal to take you to the different resorts and other destinations within the island. The picture below shows the fares to each destination. Please note that these are just one way fares and if you decide to hire a habal habal to tour you around the island, the charges would be different since the driver would have to wait for you in each destination. This however will give you an idea in haggling for a good package tour.

For first time readers, this post is the 4th of the series of destinations I visited during my trip Davao. You might also like to read, Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, of this series. Thanks!

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Kaputian was our point of entry to Samal Island from Talicud Island, which are both part of what is commonly knowns as IGACOS, short for the somewhat long Island Garden City of Samal in Davao Del Norte. Prior to the trip, we thought that the only way to go to Samal Island from Talicud Island is to go back to Sta. Ana wharf in Davao and then take another boat ride to Samal Island. The habal habal driver who took us to Babusanta and Dayang beach the previous day however said that there are available boats that we could charter to take us to Samal island for P300 only and offered to find a boat for us to rent. We would have taken his offer had we not spoken to one of the workers at Isla Reta later that same day and found out that there are actually passenger boats going to Kaputian from Sta. Cruz wharf. Fare? P20 each only. Sta. Cruz wharf is just 5 minutes walk away from Isla Reta.

It was a smooth and comfortable 15-minute boat ride all the way to Kaputian. After getting of the boat, we followed the other passengers and found ourselves at the main road a few minutes later. We were about to ask where Kaputian Beach Park Resort is when I saw the park’s signboard not far from where we were. We walked towards the gate and were welcomed by the guard who showed us where to pay the entrance fee. I hurriedly went to the beach afterwards.

Having been recommended by a friend who used to live and work in Davao, I was excited to see the beach. It had been said to be a place where one could experience beautiful white sand and clean crystal clear seawater and a great spot to go for those who want to break away from the stressful life of the city. When I reached the beach and got to see it for myself, I got confused though, and wondered whether or not I was on the right spot. I wanted to make sure so I approached one of the women who were busy sweeping some trashes around the open concrete cottages and inquired if there was any other public beach nearby. She said none. So I asked, even after I had already read their signboard, “ Eto na po ba yung Kaputian Beach Resort?” ( Is this Kaputian Beach Resort) She nodded . I thanked her and looked at the surroundings one more time. The sand was indeed white, but what I did not expect was that it is mixed with broken dead corals, stones, dried leaves and twigs along with several decomposing banana trunks. It looked like a typhoon hit the beach just recently. Perhaps it was because it had been raining for the past few weeks. I just hoped that the beach is in better condition during the dry season.

The view of Talicud Island from the beach park was ordinary. To describe it as breathtaking was an exaggeration. On the left side, facing the sea, was the wharf. The right side seemed to be a squatters’ area. Except for a few floating leaves, the water was surprisingly clear though, and was great for swimming. With a regular clean up, the beach would surely be much nicer and more inviting. If the beach had been tidier and the leaves and twigs and those banana trunks had been removed from the shore, the resort would have looked better. The beach should be easy to maintain since it is small at approximately no more than 200 meters long and 15 meters wide.

The resort is just walking distance to the bus terminal, and to the public market where a number of sari-sari stores and carinderias (eateries) to eat and buy supplies can be found. They don’t charge a corkage fee. For those who wish to stay overnight, they have aircon rooms and non-aircon rooms available at very affordable prices. For more information on rates and their facilities, please check this LINK.

We only spent an hour in the resort. After walking along the beach for a while and taking a few photos , we moved along to get to our next destination, but not until we had a picture with the well-preserved dugong (sea cow,) which was displayed near the beach entrance. The sea cow was found lifeless in the resort’s shore. Quite sad and a big loss especially since they could live up to 70 years, and given their slow rate of reproduction, the dugong is especially vulnerable to extinction.

How to get there:

By boat: From Sta. Ana Wharf, there are passenger boats going to Kaputian Wharf: Fare is approximately P80. Travel time: Almost an hour

By bus. Go to Magsaysay Park or the IGACOS Ferry Terminal in JP Laurel Street and board the “Island City Express,” a non-aircon bus going to Samal. Just tell the driver or bus conductor you’re going to Kaputian.

For first time readers, this post is the 3rd of the series of destinations I visited during my trip Davao. You might also like to read, Part 1,Part 2, of this series. Thanks!

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Aside from Isla Reta where we opted to stay for the night, there are two other popular beaches in Talicud island- the Babusanta and Dayang Beach. These two resorts are located just beside each other and are about 20-minute habal habal ride away from Isla Reta.

After enjoying the sand and the waters of Isla Reta for two hours, my friend and I decided to make a quick visit to these two beach resorts. We went out of Isla Reta and walked for 5 minutes to Sta Cruz, the main barangay of Talicud island and were immediately approached by several habal habal drivers at the wharf. “Papunta kami Babusanta (we’re going to Babusanta,)” I said. One of them was quick to say “Singkwenta pesos lang po, papunta dun.” (Fare is P50, going there)”. “Para sa dalawa? (P50 for two?)” I asked. “Hindi po. P50 pesos bawat isa (P50 each,)” he replied. “Balikan na ba yun? (round trip?)” I again asked. “Hindi po. P100, bawat isa, balikan (P100 each round trip)” he shot back. We agreed and from the look and smiles of the other drivers, I knew that was a generous amount.

The road was mostly rough and there were times when we had to get off the habal habal (motorcycle) and walk past several dangerous parts to make sure we avoid accident. Our driver later parked the car at the entrance of Dayang beach.

Dayang Beach Resort. We told the lady caretaker we only wanted to see the beach and won’t stay longer than 15 minutes but she still charged us with the entrance fee (P50 each.) The resort has nipa hut cottages at very affordable prices. They have rooms that can accommodate 5 persons at P500.

I wasn’t impressed with the beach though. It was rocky and was mostly consist of broken dead corals and during our visit it was littered with piles of dried leaves and twigs.

Babusanta Beach Resort. Although Dayang and Babusanta share the same shoreline, the beach fronting Babusanta was well-maintained with less dead corals and and it looked cleaner and better.

As we entered Babusanta from Dayang Beach, we were welcomed with a big smile by Mang Bebot (pronounced as bee-bot 🙂 ,) the resort’s caretaker, and asked us if we wanted to buy coconuts, which we did for P35 each.The scenery at Babusanta was very relaxing and Mang Bebot was very accommodating and so nice to speak with.

They only have open cottages as accommodation though which is more suited for a day tour. Those who wish to stay overnight may choose to stay in these open cottages, or rent a tent from Mang Bebot for P75 only, or stay in one of the nipa hut cottages at Dayang beach. There was no entrance fee at Babusanta.

I really liked the laid back mellow atmosphere at Babusanta. The scenery was very refreshing. I could imagine myself just sitting under the shades of the trees and being lulled to sleep on one of the papags (makeshift bamboo beds) by the gentle sound of the waves and the wind softly rustling through the leaves.

Our visit to Babusanta maybe short, but it sure was sweet, and I know that each time I would look at the few pictures I’ve taken of the beach, I would always feel the urge to go back.

For rates you may contact the following numbers:

Babusanta Beach Resort: Mang Bebot 0919-239-8308
Dayang Beach Resort: 0999-459-1318/0918-3868793

How to get there:

From Sta. Ana Wharf, there are boats going to Babusanta and Dayang beach at 1:30PM. Monday to Saturday only. The boat leaves the beach at 7AM the following day. Another option is to take a boat going to Sta.Cruz wharf, just beside Isla Reta and then take a habal-habal to Babusanta or Dayang beach. The earliest boat going to Isla Reta or Sta.Cruz wharf leaves at 9AM. Last trip is at 3PM.

For first time readers, this post is the 4th of the series of destinations I visited during my trip Davao. You might also like to read, Part 1,Part 3, of this series. Thanks!

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We wanted to sleep in a beach resort for at least one night during our trip to Davao but with so many to choose from, it was not easy for us to decide where to go. In the end, we opted to stay at Isla Reta mainly because of its promise of a pristine and powdery white sand beach and a relaxing scenery.

From Manila, we arrived in Davao International Airport late in the evening the previous day due to Zest Air’s sudden change of flight schedules along with an hour flight delay. We didn’t really have a chance to get around the city on what was supposed to be our first day. After we checked in to our hotel, we only got to eat dinner and meet a friend and a former officemate who now works in Davao. It was almost midnight when we went back to the hotel to sleep.

We woke up early morning the following day feeling rested and sharp. After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel, took a taxi and reached the Sta. Ana Wharf by 8AM, where we found Isla Reta’s boat that would take us to Isla Reta in Talicud Island. There are other boats going to the island, but the Isla Reta’s boat is the earliest to leave at 9AM. Since we arrived at the wharf an hour earlier, we still had a chance to buy cooked food for our lunch in some of the carinderia’s (food stalls often at roadsides or markets) nearby. Based on the information that we found online, the food in the resort could be a little pricey especialy for the budget consious tourists like us.

The boat did not leave at 9AM as scheduled. According to our boatman, the owner of the resort was with us during that time and he was waiting for his friend to join us. We finally left Sta Ana wharf by 10AM and arrived at the resort at almost 11AM. We were blessed with a very good weather that day. The sea was very calm, we enjoyed a smooth and relaxing ride all the way to Isla Resta.

Isla Reta was unlike any of the previous beach resorts I have seen before. The sand was indeed white and soft and powdery.

But it’s most distinguishing feature which made me fall instantly in love with it is the presence of Talisay trees near the beach, providing a wealth of shade against the scorching heat of the sun. It sure is a great spot where one would most likely want to lie down and read a great book or even take a relaxing nap.

A few meters away from the shore, behind the talisay and under the tall coconut trees, all the way to where the room accomodations are, the ground is beautifully carpeted with well-maintained wild grass.

Accommodation at Isla Reta is very basic. They don’t have air-conditioned rooms. Electric fan however is available in each of their concrete rooms which is good for two and has a king-sized bed, a cabinet, a table, and its own rest room.

They also have native room accommodation at a cheaper price but these rooms have no electric fans and guests who would stay in these rooms have to use a common restroom.

We chose to stay in one of their concrete rooms and after putting our bags inside, we took our packed lunch, went to the beach and ate under the trees.

We went swimming for a while, and later took a walk at the beach from end to end. The beach is small though at approximately 200 meters long and 10-15 meters wide.

By 2PM, we decided to visit the other two popular resorts in Talicud Island: The Babusanta and Dayang Beach, which were about 20-minute habal habal-ride away from Isla Reta. (more on this in my next post) We were back at Isla Reta by 4PM.

On our way back to the resort, we dropped by the community market( more or less 10-minute walk away from Isla Reta) to buy fish which we cooked for dinner in one of the many available grills around the resort. Cooked rice was available from Isla Reta’s canteen.

It was past 8PM when we finished dinner at the beach. We walked back to our room, took a shower, and then went to Isla Reta’s canteen, where a TV was available, to watch the ending of my friend’s favorite Filipino tele-novela “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin.” To our surprise, almost all the guests of Isla Reta, including the owner, were in the canteen to watch the show. It was amazing how all the guests who were complete strangers to one another started sharing and reacting to every scene, talking to each other as if they’ve been watching the show physically together since the beginning. When it was over, it has started to rain and all of us ran to our respective rooms to rest. I slept soundly that night and was awakened the next day with a renewed energy.

Getting to Isla Reta and Back:

From Sta. Ana wharf (near Magsasay Park,) there are regular boat trips going to Isla Reta. Earliest trip is 9AM, latest is at 3PM. In going back to Davao, the earliest boat leaves at 6:15AM, latest is at 3PM.

This may help:

    There are also available passenger boats early in the morning going to Kaputian Beach in the main island of Samal. Fare is P20. A big group may rent a a boat at P200-P300, depending on the boat’s size.

    The picture below shows the latest boat schedules, room accommodation rates, fares, day tour entrance and other fees at Isla Reta. Have fun!

    For first time readers, this post is the 1st of the series of destinations I visited during my trip Davao. You might also like to read, Part 2, Part 3, of this series. Thanks!

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Carabao island, also known as Hambil island , is actually the entire island-municipality of San Jose, Romblon. There are two main beaches in the island. Lanas beach which is situated on the western side has coarse and brown sand. The images of a beach with soft powdery white sand that are posted in the internet, and are often referred to as the Carabao island beach, are actually pictures of the beach in Sitio Inobahan, which is located on the eastern side of the island.

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