Davao Trip - Summary

Our 3D/2N trip in Davao last March 20-22, 2014 was an unforgettable experience although I'd say 3 days aren't enough to enjoy everything.

My original plan is to have a city tour on our first day since our arrival is at 9AM and the check-in time on our hotel is 2PM but some misfortunate things happened. First, our flight got delayed so we arrived in Davao at 10AM already. We're hungry so I decided to have our Brunch at Lyndon's World's Worst Ribs. It's the first restaurant I wanted to try since their ribs is really popular on the internet. We hired a cab to take us there but the driver said he doesn't know where it's at so we just asked to be dropped off at SM Lanang Premiere. Cab fare cost P120 form the airport. I googled the exact place of the restaurant but I can't find it online so we just asked some locales outside where it's at. After 5 minutes of walking, there are still no signs of Lyndon's. We stopped by a nearby bank and asked one of the guards if he heard of the place, and luckily, he did and he told us to just go straight. And finally, after 15 minutes of walking under the heat of the sun, we were able to reach the location of the restaurant.

View of Lyndon if you're coming from SM

Their menu

Lyndon's Delivery Number

Lyndon's Awful Chicken at P85

Lyndon's Worst Ribs 450g at P200

There are only a few customers when we arrived. I ordered the ribs and chicken, and though the ribs may seem small in the picture above, it's enough for all four of us. The ribs and chicken are good. The ribs are tender but nothing extraordinary about the taste. I also noticed that the food was not freshly prepared. 

After our early lunch, we went to the pasalubong stalls just right beside Lyndon's to buy some Durian candies.

Durian candies here cost P25 per pack

It rained while we're buying our pasalubong so we cancelled our city tour and just go to our hotel in Samal. We're supposed to ride a jeep to Sasa Wharf but the Sasa jeeps are full so we just hired a cab and paid P150 from Lanang to the wharf. At the wharf, we paid P10 per head to ride the barge. The trip from Sasa Wharf to Babak Wharf only lasted 10 minutes. Then at Babak Wharf, we already saw the entrance of Camp Holiday.

At the hotel, we just checked-in, rested for a few minutes then we went to the beach. At that time, the water was too shallow for swimming so we just enjoyed the infinity pool. And the beach wasn't nice but I was expecting that already since the hotel was just beside the wharf.

Camp Holiday's beach front during low tide

On the second day of our stay in Samal, we went to Paradise Island. I was thinking of having a day tour in Pearl Farm but one of my office mates said there's nothing special about the place except the exclusive beach. Apart from that, Paradise Island is the Number 1 Resort in Samal based on TripAdvisor and I read a lot of nice reviews about the place so we decided to just go there instead.

We went to the Habal-habal terminal just right outside Camp Holiday and asked the driver to take us to Paradise Island. Kuya Roger charged us P50/motor for one way. I tried to haggle but he said the P10 fare is only applicable to nearby resorts like Sunset Beach. So we didn't had any choice but to pay him that amount. He gave us his number so that he can pick us up and take us back to our hotel once we're done with our day tour.

At Paradise Island, we paid P200/head for a Day Tour that has a P50-consumable for food and water activities. We enjoyed the place so much since there are a lot of things to do. It's really recommended for families with small children.  They have a mini zoo, playground, billiards, large chess board, spa, water sports rental, and a restaurant that serves great food.

By 3PM we headed back to Camp Holiday and I had an allergy attack. Fortunately, there's a drugstore on the island. We went back to the Habal-habal terminal and this time, we're charged P60 going to and from Mercury Drug. And so, my day ended early because of my medicine.

On our last day in Camp Holiday, there are a few guests that arrived early but the hotel is still not crowded and again we're the only ones using the infinity pool. Sadly, we had to check-out early since we still need buy more pasalubongs in Aldevinco.

We checked-out at 10AM, paid the barge fare again, and hired a cab to take us to Aldevinco. I asked the barker outside Sasa Wharf if there's a jeep going directly to Aldevinco but he just answered me in Bisaya, which I can't understand so, we're forced to hire a cab again. We had a quick tour of the city since Aldevinco is so far from the wharf. We passed by SM Lanang, then Abreeza, then Victory Mall, then Seda, and Marco Polo. Before the cab driver dropped us off, he told us that we can ride a jeep with "Panacan-Ilustre" signage to get to the airport. By the way, the fare from Sasa Wharf to Aldevinco was P170.

By 11:30AM, we're done buying pasalubongs so we checked out some nearby buffet restaurants but they're beyond my budget. Chippen's is at P300 while Zab's at P349. Yes, they sounded cheap because in Manila, buffets are usually at P500 but we're in Davao and it's known for cheap buffet restaurants. So, my husband suggested that we'll just check-in at the airport early then we can eat after. So we rode a jeep going to the airport, but it's not Panacan. It had the "Landmark" signage. Anyway, it will pass by the airport too. So we paid P15 each for the ride from Aldevinco to the airport.

On our way to the airport, we happen to pass by Elyong's. It has a big sign that says P99 Carinderia Buffet so I quickly asked the driver to stop then we had our lunch there. After eating, we rode another jeep to the airport. This time, it had the "Panacan-Ilustre" signage. We paid P8 each. After 5 minutes, we're already at the airport.

Our flight was delayed again this time for 45 minutes but that's okay because we get to stay a few more minutes longer. Everyone was tired from our trip but we enjoyed every minute of it. Next time, we might try to stay in Paradise Island and visit Kaputian Beach.

So that's the summary of our 3-day stay in Davao. I wish I could go back there soon. :)

A Day in Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort

Last March 21, 2014, We had a day tour in Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort. We woke up early and had breakfast at Camp Holiday's Restaurant. We bought a loaf of Banana bread that costs P60 from a nearby bakery then, the kids ordered Corned Beef at P67/serving which is good for 2. Rice costs P20. After eating, we went off to the habal habal terminal just outside the hotel and hired two habal habals to take us to Paradise Island. One way fare is P25/person and one motorbike can ride 2 passengers so we paid P100 for two motorbikes. They also gave us their number so they could fetch us once we decided to go back to our hotel. While on  our way to Paradise, Kuya Roger, our habal habal driver, asked if we want to go around Samal. He said he can take us to Monfort Batcave for P100/motorbike one-way or we could hire the motorbike for a whole day tour around the island for just P700. I think it's a fair deal but unfortunately, we don't have time to go around Samal anymore.

Road to Paradise Island

By 7:30AM, We're already in front of the gates of Paradise Island. A guard escorted us to the cashier where we paid an entrance fee of P200/head that includes P50 consumable for food and water sports. On our way to the cashier, we passed by their mini zoo, their different cottages, and their playground.

Mini Zoo

I was so suprised to see how organized and well-maintained the beach is. I was expecting to see a chaotic beach resort based from the reviews I read online. You can get a decent shower without the eww feeling you get when you use a public shower room. They have a souvenir shop where you can buy keychains and other pasalubongs. No need to worry if you forgot to bring some of your stuffs because they also sell board shorts, swimsuits, beach dresses, goggles, beach inflatables, sunscreen lotions, and everything you need before heading off the beach. The souvenir shop also offers whole day locker rental for day tourists for P100 (plus P200 refundable deposit which is forfeited if you lost the key).

The Restaurant

We were supposed to get a locker for our valuables but since we didn't bring any food, the attendant advised us to just get a table in the restaurant and leave our stuffs there so that the waiters can look after them. And so, that's what we did. We ordered and asked for our food to be served by 9:30AM. Then we went back to the souvenir shop where we rented a kayak for 30 minutes for only P120. 

At exactly 9:30AM we're back to our table and the food was served immediately. The food was still hot and freshly prepared. I tried their Durian shake at P90 and it became my instant favorite. After our breakfast (yes, we had breakfast again.. LOL), we ordered food for lunch and requested to be served by 1PM.

Just before lunch, the kids noticed that fishes are swimming near the shoreline so we bought googles from the souvenir shop and swam underwater to take a closer look at them. Afterlunch, the water became shallow and the kids are able to swim farther. They saw some blue fishes and shrimps swimming.  But one thing noticeable are the big rocks in the deeper part of the beach.

There are so many things to do in Paradise Island. They are renting jetskis at P2500/30 minutes, banana boats at P1500/15 minutes for 5 persons, segways at P1200/hour, snorkeling gears at P250 from 8AM-4PM. Apart from watersports, they also offer billiards rental and they even have spas and massage area.

At 3PM, we're all tired of swimming and playing on the sand so we took a shower and rested for a bit while listening to their live acoustic bands playing. Then we all decided to go back to Camp Holiday and just continue swimming in their infinity pool. We texted Kuya Roger to fetch us.

In our hotel room, I noticed some bumps all over my body and unfortunately, I don't have any antihistamine with me. The convenience store outside the hotel don't sell meds but we're told that the island has a drugstore in Caliclic so we asked the habal habal driver to take us to nearest drugstore. The roundtrip fare only costed us P60. We saw Sunset Beach Park along the way but we weren't able to visit it since we don't have time anymore. Carinderias and takeout counters selling Roasted Chicken are also everywhere.

The whole day was very tiring but fun. We even forgot to have dinner and just rested early.


How to Get to Paradise Island:

Ride the ferry boat that goes directly to the resort. Fare is P15/person one way

-or-

Ride the Barge going to Babak Wharf for P10/person one way then hire a habal habal to take you to the resort at P25/person one way

Camp Holiday

It's my family's first time in Davao so I have to make sure that everyone would enjoy the place. I checked Agoda for a hotel we can stay that would suit our budget but won't compromise cleanliness and convenience and I ended up booking in Camp Holiday.

The hotel is well-maintained and the staffs are friendly. It is also conveniently located beside the port. Right outside the hotel is a 24/7 convenience store that has everything you need, toiletries, snacks, liquors, even paper plates and styrocups. There are also sari sari stores, fruit stands and some carinderias outside the hotel.

Camp Holiday - view from the outside

24/7 convenience store right outside Camp Holiday

The room has a homey feeling and my daughters said they were able to get a good sleep. The comfort room is well kept and I was happy that what I saw on the pictures are the same as what's on the actual room.

They have two pools, a kiddie pool and an infinity pool, which are exclusive for hotel guests. Both pools are well-maintained and since we arrived on Thursday, we're able to have the infinity pool to ourselves.

Camp Holiday's Infinity Pool exclusive for checked-in guests

In the evening, we ordered our Dinner from their restobar. They have a limited set of menu and it took 20 minutes before our orders were served and although it's not a big deal for us, I think they can still improve it. 

Restobar at night

View from the deck

The thing I least like about the place is their beach because it's rocky and shallow. The kids just enjoyed playing in the sand but apart from that, you can't really do much.

View of infinity pool and the beach

Overall, we enjoyed our stay in Camp Holiday because of the cleanliness and exclusivity.


Their Day Tour Fee as of March 2014 is P80/Adult and P50/Child and they have an ongoing promo of P2150/overnight stay with breakfast for 2

P1000-Budget Beach Getaway Challenge

I scoured the net these past few days to see where we can have our summer outing. One of our options was Punta de Fabian since it's very near the metro and the place is beautiful but when I checked the resort's rates, it's not within our budget. We're ten in our group and our target is P1000/head for the transportation + overnight stay so it's really challenging to get a place out of Manila that will suit our budget. I listed down suggestions from my team mates. Munting Buhangin in Nasugbu was suggested but I read some bad reviews about the place. It's not as clean now as it used to be. I googled "Cheap Batangas Beach" and so Burot Beach showed up on the Search Result. It's a beach in Calatagan, Batangas recently bought by Mr. Henry Sy. The pictures are very promising. When I checked the entrance fee, it's only P100 for an overnight stay. Pro's are there are no corkage fees for food, Table rental is just around P300, plus you can park your car near the beach. The only problem is there is no decent restroom or shower room. So, I searched again for an affordable beach in Calatagan, and so, Calatagan Peninsula Resort and Casa Astillero showed up. Both resorts have affordable accomodation.

For Calatagan Peninsula Resort, their airconditioned family room for 8-10pax with private shower and restroom is at P4000 plus the use of griller and other amenities are free. They also don't charge entrance fees.

For Casa Astillero, entrance fee is P100/pax for an overnight stay. And they allow tent pitching but the price depends on the size of the tent. For a tent that can accomodate 2-4pax, the charge is P200; for a tent that can accomodate 5-9pax it's at P400 and a tent that can accomodate 10-15pax, it's at P600. They have 4 public concrete shower rooms and restrooms for those who will not avail of rooms. And the good thing about Casa Astillero is they don't accept walk-ins so you can be sure that the resort will not get crowded.

I texted the contact person of Calatagan peninsula Resort and Casa Astillero and I got an immediate reply from Pam of Casa Astillero. She immediately sent me a quotation for our group but she said it can be adjusted depending on our budget. The next day, I messaged Jessie on FB, the contact person for Calatagan Peninsula Resort but he said that the resort is non-operational anymore. And so, we ended up reserving in Casa Astillero. I just sent Pam the list of amenities we'll be needing and she acknowledged through email. I find her very accomodating even if you're just inquiring.

So now, I'm glad I was able to get a resort that would fit in our limited budget.

Here's the list of what we availed in Casa Astillero:
(This is for 10pax)
10 Entrance Fee - 1000
2 Tent Placing for 2-4pax - 400
1 Tent Placing for 5-9pax - 400
1 Bonfire - 200
1 Grill Station (with Mini Kitchen) - 400
1 Open Cottage under the tree - 800

TOTAL: 3200

So, for P10,000 budget, here's my plan:
Gas + Toll fee - 3000
Beach Accomodation - 3200
Food (Day 1 Meryenda/Dinner; Day 2 Brunch)- 3800

and here is our actual experience in Casa Astillero

Puerto Princesa (Part 2) - Honda Bay Tour

Puerto Princesa (Part 1) - DIY City Tour 

After we had our breakfast, our Tour Guide, Kuya Rodel arrived to take us to Sta. Lourdes Wharf, the pick-up and drop-off point for Honda Bay Island Hopping. He agreed to take us there and back to Tres for P500.

Japanese-style Breakfast at Tres

On our way to the port, we dropped by a shop to rent some snorkeling gears (P150/set) and a waterproof camera case (P350). It's a bit pricey compared to those shops on the pier itself but it was explained to us that the gears are being sterilized before they are rented out so I guess it won't harm to shed a few extra bucks for hygiene.

At the wharf, Kuya Rodel assisted us in getting a boat. He gave us a list of what we need to pay. It includes the rental for a small boat (P1300) and Environmental fee (P80/pax)

This is an outdated rate. The entrance fees already increased.Pandan P125, Starfish P50, Pambato Reef P50, LuLi P60

We head off to Pandan Island first. It's my favorite among the other islands we visited. It's called Pandan Island because the Pandan Trees are abundant here.

Pandan Island

Underwater View

I enjoyed this place very much because you can see fishes swimming even in the shallow part of the beach. Fish feeding is also allowed so we brought some bread crumbs while snorkeling.

We didn't brought any packed meal so we spent our lunch here. It's pricey but we don't have any choice. Other islands don't have restos or stores where you can buy food.

Our lunch: BBQ (P20/stick), Steamed Talaba (P300/order), Rice (P20/cup)
Table rental is at P300

Fresh Buko at P25

At 1PM, we head off to Starfish Island. There's not much to see there but it has some cottages where you can take a nap. But who wants to nap on an Island Hopping Tour?

Starfish Island

Next destination is Pambato Reef. This is where the snorkeling gears are needed because you will not see the view underwater without them. I was too afraid to snorkel here since the water they said is about 40m deep but our boatman guided us. He had us hold on to a rope while pulling us around.

Floating cottages in Pambato Reef

Our fourth and final destination was the LuLi Island. It's called LuLi which is short for Lulubog-Lilitaw since the island is not visible during high tide. We're so tired already after arriving on that island so we just rested and waited for the boatman to take us back to the wharf.

The overall experience was great. It's something that is really worth-trying in Palawan

Puerto Princesa (Part 1) - DIY City Tour

My husband and I went to Puerto Princesa last January 2013. We didn't really know what to expect since it's both our first time to visit the city. 

A few weeks before our "three-day Palawan getaway", I booked a room for two nights at Tres Pension House for P2500 via Agoda.com. It's much cheaper if you will book with them directly since the room only costs P1100. The price includes complementary breakfast for two and airport transfer.

So, after arriving at the airport, their van is already waiting for us outside.

We arrived at 9AM and they don't allow early check-in, so we have to wait until 1PM.

The receptionist asked us if we have any itinerary for the day. We said we'll just have a DIY city tour so she immediately called Kuya Rodel, an accredited tour guide to take us around. The usual charge for a half day city tour usually costs P600/head if arranged by a travel agency, but with Kuya Rodel, we only paid P600 for a whole day tour.

Tres Pension House - Reception Area

Shoes are off limits here

My husband with Kuya Rodel

If you plan to have a city tour in Palawan, You may contact Kuya Rodel directly on his cellphone 09092128096

Here are the places we visited:

On our way to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (Prison without walls)

Entrance to Iwahig Prison

It's called Prison without walls because the prisoners can freely roam the farm.

This used to be the Souvenir Shop

Balsahan Pool inside Iwahig Prison

Crocodile Farm

Mitra's Ranch

Baker's Hill

We had our lunch at Baker's Hill. Price ranges from P200-300

Butterfly Sanctuary

Palawan Museum

Immaculate Conception Church

Plaza Cuartel

Baywalk

Some of our destinations have entrance fees from P10-150 but I think they're all worth visiting.

At 5PM, we're done with the tour so we were brought back to Tres.