Dream Destinations: Best Beaches in the World

Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles

One of the most photographed beaches in the world, the pale pink sands of Anse Source d’Argent unfurls across the island of La Digue, one of the 115 components of this archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The sands sparkle against a backdrop of towering granite boulders, worn by time and weather. The turquoise water is relatively shallow and protected from the ocean’s waves by a reef.

Maldives

Whether your dream beach trip consists of spending a few pampered nights in a four-star resort or swimming among tropical fish some 80 feet (24 meters) underwater, the Maldives are the sort of islands where either—or both—can come true. 

Bora Bora, Tahiti

This is one of the magical islands that make up French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Just 18 miles (29 kilometers) long, this lush little slip of land lies in a protected lagoon edged by white sandy shores, the best being at Matira Point. Bora Bora boasts the nickname the “Romantic Island,” a moniker easy to appreciate with its isolated beaches, intimate hotels, and quiet atmosphere.

St. Bart's

One of many islands in the Caribbean Sea, St. Bart’s stands out with its blend of French chic and island relaxation. With beautiful secluded beaches, fine French cuisine, and gracious hotels, this tropical playground is popular with the Jet Set. The 8-mile-long (13-kilometer-long) island is edged by 20 beaches and small coves for swimmers and sunbathers, with sparkling water and white sand.

Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands

Tiny Batbitim - part of a mostly uninhabited karst archipelago northwest of West Papua—is home to great schools of giant tuna and mobula rays hunting shimmering clouds of anchovies.

Misool Eco Resort

Dream Destinations: Amanpulo, Pamalican Island, Philippines

Pamalican Island is a small island of the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea, between Palawan and Panay, in the north part of the Palawan Province of the Philippines.

The island was originally exploited as a struggling family-owned plantation. It was then purchased by Andres Soriano Jr., a successful businessman. His children then decided to build a resort on the island and leased the management responsibility to establish an exclusive resort. The island is private property and belongs in totality to 7 Seas Resort (owned by the Sorianos). It is part of the high-end resort group, Aman Resorts, under the name Amanpulo.

The island is serviced by a Dornier 228-202K plane flying from Manila, which is used to ferry customers and to bring supplies to the resort. Each bungalow (casita) comes with a personal buggy for free circulation throughout the island. The atmosphere around the island is extremely tranquil and secluded.

Diving activities are available, allowing for nice coral viewing and encounters with large turtles and rays. Several windsurf boards and sails are provided at the "Windsurf hut" on the north shore. The shallow protected lagoon there allows for easy windsurfing on a flat surface, and is especially favourable during the northern monsoon season (November to May), when the wind blows onshore.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamalican

The resort has been nominated as one of the best island resorts in the world.

Sonrisa De V Beach Resort - Samal Island, Davao

 

LOCATION              SONRISA DE V BEACH RESORT
                             Caliclic, IGACOS (Island GArden City Of Samal), Davao
                             Mindanao

WHAT MAKES IT STANDOUT?     Its Quiet And Beautiful Beach Resort

HOW TO GET THERE?           
(Plane)    Ride from Davao City International Airport to the Jetty takes 10 to 15 minutes.     
(Bus)       From DCOTT (D.C. Overland Transport Terminal), it would take you 30 minutes ride to the Jetty.
(Ship)     It's about 15 to 20 minutes ride from DC Port to Pearl Farm Jetty.

The Jetty's location is at Lizada St. Lanang Davao City, this is jetty is owned by Pearl Farm Beach Resort but is not exclussive. In fact various boats are anchored here bound to different resorts in Samal Island. The boat ride takes less than 10 minutes. Boat fee is Php10/head.

Another alternative route, specially if wanted to bring your car along, would be to take the barge  from Sasa. Davao to Babak, Samal; which is roughly 15 to 20 minutes away from Pearl farm Jetty. The barge's location is at Km. 11, Sasa Davao City, this is just a few meters away from Sasa Public Market. The barge ride would only take 5 minutes but you'll have to travel for another 5 to 10 minutes from Babak To Sonrisa De V. This is the long and winding way of getting there, so i suggest you take the jetty. Dont worry about your car, as the area is very secure and well guarded 24/7.

BASIC AMENITIES        
Beach Resort
Open/Closed Cottages

Operating Hours
Monday - Sunday    :  Open 24/7

INCIDENTAL EXPENSES FOR THE LAKWATSA
Boat Fee             :  Php10 (per head, one way)
Entrance Fee
kids                    :  Php 60 (day tour) / Php 90 (overnight)
adults                 :  Php 70 (day tour) / Php 100 (overnight)       
Rental Fees
open cottage      :  Php 400 (day tour)
                            Php 500 (overnight)   
closed cottage    :  Php 1,500 (good for 4 persons)
                            Php 3,000 (good for 10 persons)
corkages            :  Lechon and beverages are charged with a corkage fee, other cook foods are free of charge!
          

WHAT'S MORE?

Sonrisa De V (formerly named Palm Hill Beach Resort) is our family's favourite resort in Samal, not only because it's affordable but because it is not crowded. This is what separate's it from all other resorts in Samal, particularly its neighbours - Paradise Island & Blue Jazz Resort. Sonrisa De V is not fancy like the majority of resorts in Samal. It does not have a restaurant, only a simple bar selling basic beverages like soda, beer, a few spirits and cigarettes. Just the basic stuffs that a simple guest would ask. 

The beach is of course superb - equally the same with that of Blue Jazz, Paradise, Costa Marina, Chemas & etc.. theirs is even better because it's not congested with people. We fondly even call Sonrisa De V as "our exclussive resort", b'coz everytime we go there we're the only guests - solong-solo mo talaga ang beach! 

CONTACT DETAILS   

SONRISA DE V BEACH RESORT

Contact Person    : Chubby Palma Hill

Telephone           :  (+63) (082) 303-0709

Cellphone            : 0932 861 1961 (updated 7/15/2014)

Email                  :  

Facebook Page    :  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonrisa/129448173815632

Miss Lakwatsera’s Rate:   

Majestic Islands of Mati Davao Oriental

Last friday, me and the entire management team of WIHD had a chance to explore a few (of the several) magical islands of Mati (Davao Oriental).
There is not much i can say about the whole trip...about Mati's majestic islands and beaches...
it's just but PERFECT. I love the place sOoo much!

Mati City is located on the eastern part of the island of Mindanao. It is one hundred sixty-five(165) kilometers away from Davao City,a one and a half hours drive from Tagum City. Mati boasts of being the coconut capital of Mindanao if not the whole country. Mati has a long stretch of shoreline and one can find beaches of pure,powder-like white sand. It is now considered as one of the hottest tourist spots in the Philippines. Dahican is one of the most popular destinations in Mati bragging with its clear waters and 17-km pure and fine white sand shore: There is also : Camp Jericho; Tourism Complex; Waniban Island; the Sleeping Dinosaur; Vanishing Oak Island; and the ever popular Pujada Bay (in Pujada Island) which is considered as among the richest bays in the South East Asia. There are 15,700 species of sea creatures that can be found in the Pujada Bay. Indeed, Mati is the best-kept secret of Davao Region.

The Sleeping Dinosaur welcomes guests going to Mati. Promising you of great adventures ahead!

Cinco Masau Beach Resort is one of the premier destinations in Mati and Davao Oriental. Its location affords a breathtaking view of neighboring islands like Waniban Island, Pujada Island and the vanishing Oak Island. Motor bancas are stationed all day ready to take you island hopping to get a more close encounter with the majestic wanders of the islands.
Travel Time: 20-30 minutes from Mati Poblacion
Accommodation: 20 cottages, 4 airconditioned rooms, 10 lodging rooms, a function hall with 8
rooms in the attic.
Rates: P350 - P500 for non-aircon cottages
P2000 for the airconditioned rooms.

Waniban Island covers an area of 4 hectares in Barangay Tamisan, approximately 20 kms from Mati Poblacion.
Travel Time: 30-minute boat ride from Mati Wharf
15 to 20 minutes banca ride from Cinco Masao Beach Resort
Accommodation: Open cottages (nipa hut)
Fees: P20 entrance fee
P50 overnight (you can bring tents, no charge)
Transportation: Motor Banca ( P1000 back & forth; with maximum of 15 passengers)

Pujada Island is located in Pujada Bay in the Eastern part of Mindanao facing the PACIFIC RIM where the inhabitants are prevalently Peaceful Christians. The island is 156 hectares in area and rises to height of 558 feet, dividing the entrance to Pujada Bay into two channels.
Travel Time: 1-hour boat ride from Cinco Masao Beach Resort
Accommodation: none
Fees: none
Transportation: Motor Banca ( P2000 back & forth; with maximum of 15 passengers)

Vanishing Oak Island is very similar to Camiguin's White Island. It is actually a white sandbar which disappears during high tides. It boast of its pure white sand and a single oak (talisay) tree from which it got its name.

Dolphin Island @ Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP)

A Holy Week get-away.

I was very much excited last Holy Week because of the very long holiday…... (I took the opportunity to file a leave for 2 days so I could be free for the entire week). My destination was the much talked about Dolphin Island | Misamis Occ. Aquamarine Park (MOAP).

I have prepared so much for this trip, because the place is very much far from where I reside – Davao City. Okay relax, let me first give you a li’l good reason why I exhausted my very self to travel this far just to see the place…

MOAP, as it is popularly called, lies in a 60-hectare coastal area abundant in mangrove trees. They also have several clusters of hatchery for different aquamarine life. It has a string of cottages, a floating restaurant and function halls uniquely built to compliment its serene environment – all these are connected by wooden bridges!

How to get there?
If you’re from outside the Philippines:
Take a plane going to Manila. From Manila, take another plane to Dipolog City, which is about 3 hours away from Sinacaban going south by bus. An alternate route is by barge from Manila to Ozamiz City. Ozamiz City is the capital of Misamis Occidental and is about 30 minutes away from Sinacaban by bus. Get off the bus when you get to Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP). You can always ask the driver to get you to MOAP as it’s a famous place around the area and plus most bus drivers are nice and accommodating so don’t hesitate to ask for directions!

If you’re from Davao (like me!), you can either take a plane or exhaust yourself a li’l bit by taking the bus to Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City. Bus ride would take about 6 hours, which you will surely enjoy because of the awesome views. Then ride a bus to Ozamis City, which would take about 4 hours.

The Trip.

We arrived at MOAP around 11am, just in time for lunch! Upon entrance I already knew it was going to be a very interesting day. MOAP boastfully welcomes you with her vast area of fishing hatcheries, mangroves and mini zoo. Overwhelmed as we are, we kept our cool and decided to explore the place later before going home. So we rushed to the floating restaurant, which to my surprise is still about 300 meters far from mainland and can only be accessed thru the wooden/bamboo bridge...(cool huh!? Yeah, I admit my knees were shaking…hehe!)

So we had our lunch! The delicious Chicken Adobo, Fish Sinigang & Grilled Pork. Food was delicious and very affordable!

Shortly after, we were at the jetty waiting for the pump boat that would take us to The Dolphin Island. We paid 1,500.00 (boat fare & entrance fee) for an exclusive trip. It only cost 220/head (back & forth). It took us about 15mins. to reach Dolphin Island.

You can do a lot of activities here: dine (they have a resto!) snorkeling, kayaking, or just simply bask in the blue waters and white sand bar. As the name suggests, the island, nestles a number of dolphins enclosed in a network of pens totally surrounding the entire area. The dolphins here were said to have been rescued by fishermen, and the entire belt itself, according to caretakers, has become a dolphin/fish sanctuary. If you don’t believe the story, well you can try asking the dolphins themselves! You are free to go swimming with them or have the pleasure of feeding them.

We left the island around 5pm and headed back to MOAP where we explored their 60-hectare coastal mangrove. Within the mangrove is a mini zoo with lots of monkeys…. crocodiles, sawa (snake), several species of birds and 1 tarsier (which was deeply asleep that time..)

Canibad Island, one’s secret paradise

It has been my practice to check on some blogs for information whenever I feel like spending the weekend some place else. Blogs are very helpful you know ;)… That time I wanted my weekend to be different, I wanted it to be quite, relaxed and somewhat isolated.

And then I saw these…

 

Now, isn’t that lovely?

And so, off I go… Very early the next day, around 4:30 am, I was already up. I have prepared my stuffs the night before, so after dressing up and a few hairbrushes, I was on my way. The trip took about 1&1/2 to 2 hours from Davao City to Canibad. Yes, it’s quiet long and tiresome, but once you get there, it’s all worth it…

Here is the summary of our trip.

Trip Summary - Canibad Beach, Aundanao Peñaplata

* travel time :
15 minutes - Sasa, Davao to Babak, Samal
45 minutes - Babak to Canibad (on motorcycle ride)

* fare budget:
20.00 /head - motor-bangka (Davao-Babak) ONE WAY only.
100.00 /head - habal2x (motorcycle) ride from Babak to Canibad. ONE WAY only.

When you take the habal2x, make sure to have an agreement with the driver to fetch you at a specific time. The place is quiet remote and there won’t be transportation available, unless you have your own car. Be cautious!, get the driver’s mobile # & plate #, just in case, and most of all be friendly. Some driver’s bill you extra charge for the fetch, on our case, we paid him 200.00 (100/head) upon arrival and we added an additional 100.00 as tip ;-D.

250.00/car - if you bring your own car/transpo(ONE WAY) (depending on how big is your vehicle)

* other fees 10.00 /head - entrance fee to the beach 100.00 - 350.00 - cottage rates

* must bring:

1) CAMERA - the place is awesome, you'll have plenty of sights to take pictures and pose with. believe me, you will sure;y ran out of poses, hehehe.
2) Hamok - i brought one for myself... The place is quiet, you could not hear somebody screaming their lungs out in the karaoke, or anything annoying. Just the whispers of birds & trees and the sound of the waves gently kissing the shore.:D
3) Books - if you love books, the place would be perfect for reading!

more pics...