YOLO.
You’ll never get a grip of the profundity of this milllennial mantra unless
you’ve escaped from the tension, toxicity, and tedium of your quotidian lives
and spent an extraordinarily fantastic weekend wandering tucked away in a slice
of paradise with, well, who else but, weekend warriors who belong to Gen Y a.k.a. the millennials!
 |
Tuka 3's pristine beach
|
Some
days you just have to place your bets on YOLO moments over anything else fancy,
frilly and frivolous—the most logical option to take when you’re an
incorrigible adventure junkie belonging to Gen X— not only because you only
live once but you can’t also bargain to live again and die another day.
Worse,
you can never be a millennial. But what the heck, you can join them, eat with
them, drink with them, laugh with them, joke with them! Take it from this
extroverted introvert of a Gen X bum. I’ve been doing this one sojourn too many.
No regrets so far. The blogposts I’ve written about my adventures with some
millennials attest to that.
And
this recent one holds the record of one of my most long-drawn-out plan for a
sojourn (that’s two years on the back burner!)—spending a post-summer night
under the stars in some haven by the sea at the western side of Sarangani Province, tucked away in one of the four
spectacular coves (ordinally named Tuka 1, 2, 3 and 4)—collectively known as Tuka Marine Park in the quaint town
of Kiamba. Mind you, that part of province is gradually carving out a name for itself in the tourism circuit of
southern Philippines.
I've
been wanting to go to Tuka for the longest time the moment I stepped into
Kiamba about two years ago. It was my second time to be in the town after so many
years. Bad weather, however, kept me from going to the marine park. There was a
weather disturbance in those parts so the staff at the town's tourism office
advised me not to push through with my trek, warning that the waves coming all the way from the Celebes Sea could get treacherous.
I've had several brushes with big waves in the past—I, along with my companions, almost figured in some near-mishaps at sea years ago!—so I took the tourism staff's advise very seriously. One of the misadventures I've encountered is elaborated in a two-part post I wrote four years ago (http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2014/04/pumped-up-by-pujada-island-part-1.html and http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2014/04/pumped-up-by-pujada-island-part-2.html).
As
dusk fell, the "wenkies" and I headed for Kiamba Baywalk, settled in one of the eateries there,
and had dinner by the sea—sans the seafood—by partaking grilled chicken and
liempo (pork belly). It was a hearty meal spiced up with blab and banter. After eating, we
lingered for some time at nearby Lourdes Park before walking our way back to
the pension house, retiring early that night as we wanted to reserve our
energies for the excursion to Tuka.
 |
Fountain inside Lourdes Park
|
Morning
came. We rose early and had coffee and bread for brekkie at a nearby bakery. For the next
hour, we went to Kiamba's public market to buy fish and
other items that we needed during our overnight stay in Tuka. From
there, we went back to the pension house and waited for Jiu's other companions
who were joining us.
By
9 AM, everyone's ready to depart for the marine sanctuary. From the pension
house, we rented two tricycle cabs and headed for Kiamba's tourism office. After
registering and paying the necessary fees, the "wenkies" and I boarded a pump boat and embarked
on a 20-minute cruise to reach our destination, Tuka 3.
Tucked
into Kiamba's pristine coastline, Tuka 3 (the lone cove that's open to the
public) can only be accessed through the sea as there are no roads that lead to
it. This is probably one of the local government's strategies to regulate
visitors going to the cove so that Tuka can retain its immaculate state.
 |
A glimpse of Tuka 1's shoreline
|
En
route to the marine park, we had fun sailing over the smooth waters of that
part of the Celebes Sea (yes, they were calm that time) while taking groupfies
and snapshots of the seascapes we passed by. I was able to take some shots of
the three coves (Tuka 1, Tuka 2 and Tuka 3).
 |
| The deserted beach of Tuka 2 |
 |
Our destination...Tuka 3
|
Approaching the shores of the cove, our eyes were greeted by an idyllic, laid-back atmosphere of nipa huts, white-sand, palm-fringed beach, and verdant surroundings. Probably one of the most idyllic places I've ever seen in Sarangani, the marine park had me at hello.
A
wide range of emotions swept me the moment my beach-hungry feet touched the
pristine shore for the first time. I was so caught up with the moment in Tuka,
brimming with eagerness at first, then bristling with excitement the next,
before finally bursting with euphoria!
Nestled
at the foot of a verdant hill covered with tall coconut trees, trees, shrubs
and grasses, Tuka 3's shoreline stretches to about 600 meters. At the opposite
ends of the cove are rocky promontories that separate it from Tuka 2 and 4. I
explored the whole stretch of Tuka 3, strolling from one end to the other while
taking some snaps.
How
I love the sands of Tuka 3! They have a somewhat beige, off-whitish color akin
to Glan's Gumasa Beach on the province's eastern side. That of Tuka is coarser
in texture compared to the one in Glan, so they say. Well, it doesn't really
matter for this beach bum just as long as he can walk around barefoot with no
cares!
As
a protected sanctuary, Kiamba's local government discourages commercial
establishments like restaurants, eateries, retail shops and the like in Tuka
that could endanger its pristine state. Given this, you need to bring your own
food, drinks and other essentials if you wish to stay there overnight or for a
few days. There's a mini sari-sari store though where you can buy coffee,
bread, soap, shampoo, and other similar stuff.
|
|
Striking a pose with the "wenkies" in Tuka 3
|
Drinking
water is scarce so it's a must that you bring your own. We bought about five gallons of mineral water at the tourist office for our consumption. There's some freshwater emanating from a spring at the cove that we used for bathing, cleaning, and hand washing but I
have doubts as to its potability. Mind you, the local government is serious in
its efforts to protect the environment, thus, you'll be made to deposit Php200
pesos that you can only claim once you bring back your non-biodegradable
wastes such as water bottles, grocery bags, wrappers, etc.
 |
Congressman Manny Pacquiao's rest house
|
Mind you, we pitched
our tents near Congressman Manny Pacquiao’s rest thouse. The fourteen–bedroom
"mansion" squats on a property fronting the beach and is only made
available for Pacquia's family, their guests and relatives. The tourism staff
told me that the government had the land leased to the congressman for 25
years.
 |
Crib for a night
|
If
you're spending the night in Tuka, you can rent a nipa hut (Php500 per night), an airconditioned cottage (Php2,500 per night, good for 4-6 people) or a non-airconditioned one (Php1,500, good for 6-8 people). Or you can bring along a tent and pitch it near
the beach, just like what we did. I've been yearning to sleep under the stars again for the longest time and Tuka 3 offered me that rare chance. Incidentally, there are other fees that you need to pay. Registration fee is Php75 per person (overnight stay) and Php50 per person (day tour). Boat fares are Php100 (adult) and Php50 (children 12 years old and below).
The
cove also has grilling areas where you can cook your meals. For convenience, we rented a rice
cooker for Php200 from the tourism office that we used in cooking our staple
food. Good thing, that part was actually the least of my worries as the "wenkies" took charge of our food all throughout our stay in Tuka.
 |
Pastil!
|
For
lunch, we feasted on grilled fish we bought at Kiamba's public market and that
popular Maguindaoan delicacy called pastil
(steamed rice topped with chicken adobo flakes and wrapped in banana
leaves) which Jiu's friends brought with them. Later that night, we had pancit canton, fried sardines with eggs,
and hotdogs! For breakfast the following
day, it was corned beef with eggs and salted eggs with tomatoes and onions!
Thumbs up to the gang for the superb feeding program!
 |
Sunset at Tuka
|
Dusk descended upon the cove that day and it was one of the best moments I've had there. As the sun began to go down the horizon, some of my young companions also started to prepare our dinner. One of "wenkies" scrambled to get his gadget to capture the phenomenon taking place over the vastness of the Celebes Sea. I followed suit, managing to catch it in a time-lapse video (which I'm sharing here).
How I loved that part of our stay in the cove—hanging out at the concrete benches under the tall coconut nuts, watching people swim and have fun in the water, listening to the crashing of the waves as they rushed ashore, drinking my beer while staring at the sunset, and waiting for the night to swallow everything in sight. It was pure bliss!
 |
The cove at night
|
As
night fell over Tuka, many of the visitors who opted to stay overnight had
their dinner at the open-air cottages and benches by the beach just like us. Again, the partaking of our feeding program was spiced up with so much
laughter. After eating, my young companions took charge of cleaning the dishes.
I went back to my tent and brought out my inflatable sofa bed, positioning it
under one of the coconut trees. Slumping into my couch, I continued sipping my
brew, thinking about my day, wondering what's going to happen next, while
taking in the intoxicating rhythm of the wind and waves.
Done
with their chores, the millennials gathered nearby, getting ready for a
drinking spree and an all-night-long chatter (that ended up a cathartic
disclosure of their heartaches and pains, I found out the morning after).
Leaving them to their own devices, I enjoyed my "me time" in that
part of the beach.
Four
cans of beer later, I started to feel drowsy. I felt my adrenaline levels
hitting rock bottom. It was 10:30 PM, way past my bed time. I bade the
"wenkies" good night and hit the sack. The gang, I learned, dispersed
at a little past one in the morning.
The
sun was starting to rise when I woke up the following day. I thought the
millennials were still fast asleep but to my surprise, they were already up and
about! From my tent, I saw Jiu and the other "wenkies" playing,
laughing and shrieking in the water. Later, they started heading for the deeper
part of the sea. Up until that time we were in Tuka, I didn't realize that I
was in the company of people from Atlantis! LOL! Swimming like fishes, they all
had a grand time plumbing the depths of the Celebes Sea the whole time we were
at the cove.
 |
| Getting ready to dive |
There's
this floating raft where they congregated before going underwater. Joining the "wenkies" was a local guide who knew where the marine
inhabitants flocked. They also brought with them pieces of bread that they fed
to the creatures they came into contact with.
 |
Tuka's underwater world
|
 |
Feeding the fishes
|
|
|
The "wenkies" exploring the fish sanctuary
|
If
you're fond of swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving just like the
"wenkies", Tuka is the perfect destination for you. The hidden life
of the sea unfolds before your captivated eyes as you plunge into the depths of
the marine park. And what awaits you in the underwater world? "Between
10-50 feet from the surface, you'll see myriads of corals of different colors
and sizes", Jiu told me, his face brimming with excitement. "And lots
of fishes, of course" he added.
Well,
it didn't come as a surprise to me. Tuka wouldn't be a fish sanctuary for
nothing. Obviously, it's one humongous aquarium with large populations of fish
and other sea creatures you can imagine. Jiu went on to say that he swam
alongside the denizens of the deep blue sea—
angelfish, clownfish, bat fish, parrot fish, jacks, snappers, trouts, and
groupers! "And the best part, sir? They'd gather around you and you get to
feed them!" he exclaimed. So, how's that for a face-to-face encounter with
Nemo and his beshies!
All
these undersea excitement in a secluded marine park with a white-sand beach and
lush, unpolluted surroundings I was lucky to experience, albeit vicariously,
during a weekend wandering, through the eyes of the "wenkies" who
joined me in the escapade. Thanks to the videos they took using my GoPro, I got
to enjoy the vicarious thrill of such a one-of-a-kind marine adventure in the
deep waters of the Celebes Sea.
For
this non-swimming and non-diving drifter, nothing beats the exhilaration of
watching the marvels of the life aquatic in an underwater kingdom and its
league of fascinating creatures all captured in the photo gallery of his gizmo
while sipping his ice-cold beer neatly tucked in the safety of his inflatable
couch in the immaculate shores of Tuka! LOL!
All told, to say that I had some of the best YOLO moments in Tuka would be an understatement. It was one epic adventure! I guess the pics help explain why. Lastly, to all Gen X-ers who are weekend warriors, it's time to unleash the millennial in you. Time to turn your dream YOLO moment into reality. Make it real whenever you can...while you still can. Who knows, it could turn out to be the big difference between your living and existing. Take my lead and head for Tuka Marine Park soonest! 🤣🤣🤣
Some
days you just have to place your bets on YOLO moments over anything else fancy,
frilly and frivolous—the most logical option to take when you’re an
incorrigible adventure junkie belonging to Gen X— not only because you only
live once but you can’t also bargain to live again and die another day.
Worse,
you can never be a millennial. But what the heck, you can join them, eat with
them, drink with them, laugh with them, joke with them! Take it from this
extroverted introvert of a Gen X bum. I’ve been doing this one sojourn too many.
No regrets so far. The blogposts I’ve written about my adventures with some
millennials attest to that.
And
this recent one holds the record of one of my most long-drawn-out plan for a
sojourn (that’s two years on the back burner!)—spending a post-summer night
under the stars in some haven by the sea at the western side of Sarangani Province, tucked away in one of the four
spectacular coves (ordinally named Tuka 1, 2, 3 and 4)—collectively known as Tuka Marine Park in the quaint town
of Kiamba. Mind you, that part of province is gradually carving out a name for itself in the tourism circuit of
southern Philippines.
I've
been wanting to go to Tuka for the longest time the moment I stepped into
Kiamba about two years ago. It was my second time to be in the town after so many
years. Bad weather, however, kept me from going to the marine park. There was a
weather disturbance in those parts so the staff at the town's tourism office
advised me not to push through with my trek, warning that the waves coming all the way from the Celebes Sea could get treacherous.
I've had several brushes with big waves in the past—I, along with my companions, almost figured in some near-mishaps at sea years ago!—so I took the tourism staff's advise very seriously. One of the misadventures I've encountered is elaborated in a two-part post I wrote four years ago (http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2014/04/pumped-up-by-pujada-island-part-1.html and http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2014/04/pumped-up-by-pujada-island-part-2.html).
Now back to Kiamba. It
was a long weekend in August when I embarked on another trip there. Joining me was a
boisterous bunch of Gen Y-ers (led by Jiu, one of my staff, and his
friends who I fondly call the "wenkies" because of the funny faces they make while taking selfies!). 
Driving
from Davao City, we reached the town a little past noontime. Instead of heading directly to Tuka, we
deemed it wise to go there early in the morning. So, right after having our
lunch at a small karinderia, the
millennials and I went around town scouting for a place to stay and settled in
one of the pension houses there.
To
pass the time, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Nalus Falls,
probably the town's most accessible waterfall. Found less than a kilometer from
the highway connecting the western towns of Sarangani, Nalus Falls boasts of
having humongous boulders of granite that give rise to a number of drops where
you can enjoy swimming, bouldering, rappelling and what have you. Later, upon
our return from Tuka, we also trekked into the highlands to see Bocay-il Falls
and stumbled upon Klayab (I hope I got the name right) Falls. I'm still working on my post about these cascades and will share them soon. 
As
dusk fell, the "wenkies" and I headed for Kiamba Baywalk, settled in one of the eateries there,
and had dinner by the sea—sans the seafood—by partaking grilled chicken and
liempo (pork belly). It was a hearty meal spiced up with blab and banter. After eating, we
lingered for some time at nearby Lourdes Park before walking our way back to
the pension house, retiring early that night as we wanted to reserve our
energies for the excursion to Tuka. 
Morning
came. We rose early and had coffee and bread for brekkie at a nearby bakery. For the next
hour, we went to Kiamba's public market to buy fish and
other items that we needed during our overnight stay in Tuka. From
there, we went back to the pension house and waited for Jiu's other companions
who were joining us.
By
9 AM, everyone's ready to depart for the marine sanctuary. From the pension
house, we rented two tricycle cabs and headed for Kiamba's tourism office. After
registering and paying the necessary fees, the "wenkies" and I boarded a pump boat and embarked
on a 20-minute cruise to reach our destination, Tuka 3. 
Tucked
into Kiamba's pristine coastline, Tuka 3 (the lone cove that's open to the
public) can only be accessed through the sea as there are no roads that lead to
it. This is probably one of the local government's strategies to regulate
visitors going to the cove so that Tuka can retain its immaculate state. 
Mind you, we pitched
our tents near Congressman Manny Pacquiao’s rest thouse. The fourteen–bedroom
"mansion" squats on a property fronting the beach and is only made
available for Pacquia's family, their guests and relatives. The tourism staff
told me that the government had the land leased to the congressman for 25
years.
If
you're spending the night in Tuka, you can rent a nipa hut (Php500 per night), an airconditioned cottage (Php2,500 per night, good for 4-6 people) or a non-airconditioned one (Php1,500, good for 6-8 people). Or you can bring along a tent and pitch it near
the beach, just like what we did. I've been yearning to sleep under the stars again for the longest time and Tuka 3 offered me that rare chance. Incidentally, there are other fees that you need to pay. Registration fee is Php75 per person (overnight stay) and Php50 per person (day tour). Boat fares are Php100 (adult) and Php50 (children 12 years old and below). 
The
cove also has grilling areas where you can cook your meals. For convenience, we rented a rice
cooker for Php200 from the tourism office that we used in cooking our staple
food. Good thing, that part was actually the least of my worries as the "wenkies" took charge of our food all throughout our stay in Tuka. 
Four
cans of beer later, I started to feel drowsy. I felt my adrenaline levels
hitting rock bottom. It was 10:30 PM, way past my bed time. I bade the
"wenkies" good night and hit the sack. The gang, I learned, dispersed
at a little past one in the morning.
There's
this floating raft where they congregated before going underwater. Joining the "wenkies" was a local guide who knew where the marine
inhabitants flocked. They also brought with them pieces of bread that they fed
to the creatures they came into contact with.
Well,
it didn't come as a surprise to me. Tuka wouldn't be a fish sanctuary for
nothing. Obviously, it's one humongous aquarium with large populations of fish
and other sea creatures you can imagine. Jiu went on to say that he swam
alongside the denizens of the deep blue sea—
angelfish, clownfish, bat fish, parrot fish, jacks, snappers, trouts, and
groupers! "And the best part, sir? They'd gather around you and you get to
feed them!" he exclaimed. So, how's that for a face-to-face encounter with
Nemo and his beshies!
All told, to say that I had some of the best YOLO moments in Tuka would be an understatement. It was one epic adventure! I guess the pics help explain why. Lastly, to all Gen X-ers who are weekend warriors, it's time to unleash the millennial in you. Time to turn your dream YOLO moment into reality. Make it real whenever you can...while you still can. Who knows, it could turn out to be the big difference between your living and existing. Take my lead and head for Tuka Marine Park soonest! 🤣🤣🤣
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