Spending
time with kith and kin is fast becoming a once-in-a-blue-moon affair for many
people these days. Most often than not, the busy lives that many of us lead make
it difficult to be with those who mean the most to us.
Life
on the fast lane keeps us occupied with myriad things to do, both at home or at
work. There are so many tasks to fulfill every week that literally fill up
every second of our days. Time was when I’d spend almost all of my weekends in
the company of family and friends. Nowadays, the get-togethers have become a
rarity given our hectic work schedule. Also, many of my relatives and friends have
joined the global diaspora to other parts of the world.
 |
A glimpse of Samal Island
|
In
recent years, there’s hardly any time for get-togethers, at least in my circle,
except perhaps during Christmas, holidays, and other special occasions (which
are quite few and far between). Finding some spare time for the finer things in
life, however, is easier said than done; it’s becoming something as rare as
hen’s teeth! These days, I have yet to meet someone who believes he has so much
time to spare—have you?
 |
A barge headed for the island
|
Everyone
seems so busy as bees 24/7, forsaking the chance to bond with loved ones. Ours
has become a restless society where the drive to work beyond the usual hours is
the new normal, as longer hours, in most cases, mean more money for the whims
and caprices of our modern, consumerist culture.
 |
Davao as seen from a hilly portion of Samal
|
Someone
said that time flies, but you are the pilot. So when you can’t have your cake
and eat it, too, then you better rob the baker! Simply put, you got to create some
quality time with your family and friends. You got to run away from your high-tech
quotidian life once in a while and hie off to some surreal destination where
you let your hair down and throw away caution to the wind.
Good
thing, I live near an island, a garden and a city—all rolled into one—that’s just
a few minutes away by boat from my place: the Island Garden City of Samal, or
simply IGaCos. the tadpole-shaped island that’s made up of one mainland (Samal),
a smaller one (Talikud) and several islets (Big and Small Ligid; Arboles Shoal,
a.k.a. Sanipaan; Big and Small Malipano; Dela Paz; and Wishing Islet).
Popularly
called Samal by locals, the city has everything you’d hope to find in a dream
destination. Good thing, I got a break from the rat race for a few days. Good thing,
I got to spend not just one but two weekends with both kith and kin in some of
the island’s wonderful hideaways!
For those raring to get a healthy dose of sun, sea and sand in Samal, here are a few of the most interesting resorts, all in the city’s main island, where you can seek solace and spend some quality time with your loved ones:
Surrounded
by lush greenery, the one-hectare beachfront property in the village of
Catagman offers guests with various types of accommodations found in its chic
villas and suites designed with Japanese, Thai, Balinese, Oriental, Mediterranean
and Filipiniana-inspired motifs. Aside from these, Bali-Bali also boasts of a
two-storey hotel that’s quite cozy and capacious to give you the ultimate
holiday experience.
Rates
for the villas and suites (good for two persons) near the infinity pool range
from Php6,000 to Php7,000 while those for the two-bedroom rester suites (good
for four people) range from Ph10,000 to Php12,000 per night. For the hotel, the
price is pegged at Php6,500 per night for a deluxe room (good for two persons)
and Php7,000 per night for a superior room (good for two persons). You have to
pay extra for any excess in the number of persons per room/accommodation type.
 |
Camp Holiday's two-storey hotel
|
Camp Holiday. Located right beside
Samal Ferry Wharf in Babak, Camp Holiday offers the ideal hideaway especially
for families and groups of friends. The resort boasts of a sprawling ground where
kids can safely play around and camp out, a white sand beach, a large outdoor
swimming pool, an open veranda, and several casitas. It’s your perfect venue for
business events, meetings, conferences, conventions, seminars, and social
functions and gatherings such as parties, reunions, and the like.
If
you opt to stay overnight, Camp Holiday has a two -storey hotel with 57 rooms, 3
suites (with 2 bedrooms), and 12 cottages and 8 dormitory-type dwellings. Each
of the resort’s guest rooms and cottage are air-conditioned, complete with
amenities for a relaxing and restful vacay.
 |
Mt. Apo as seen from Camp Holiday
|
 |
Camp Holiday aircon cottages
|
The
rooms are furnished with cable TV, desks, hot and cold showers, and wi-fi
connections. Camping tents are also available for rent. Deluxe rooms and
cottages are priced at Php1,800 (good for two to three persons); suite rooms at
Php3,500 (good for four to six people); dormitory rooms at Php2,100 (good for a
maximum of six people).
While
you may opt to bring in your own food, the resort has its own restaurant
serving surprisingly affordable dishes. For parties, food may be served
buffet-style.
 |
Camp Holiday resto at night
|
Kaputian Beach Park. Owned by the local
government, this public beach resort is found at the southern coast of the
island, specifically in the village of Kaputian. If you’re on a shoestring
budget, then the resort is the best place to be. As the name implies, the beach
park boasts of a powdery white sand beach and crystal clear blue waters.
 |
Kaputian Beach Park
|
 |
The port of Kaputian
|
For
a pittance of an entrance fee, you gain access to a liberating swim in the inviting
waters and a leisurely stroll along the powdery white sand beach. Rates are Php5
for kids and Php10 for adults on day tour and Php25 for kids and Php75 for
adults for an overnight stay at the beach. Picnic sheds are available at Php75
for day tourists and Php100 for overnighters. Tents good for two are available
at Php250 per day.
One of the most popular destinations in Samal, the
resort has modest accommodations, mostly nipa cottages, with the following
rates: Php300 (small cottage with fan but no comfort room good for a maximum of
two persons); Php400 (small, aircon cottage with toilet and bathroom good for a
maximum of two persons); and Php800 (big, aircon cottage with toilet and
bathroom good for a maximum of four people). It also has a family room with fan
and double-deck beds at Php200 per person.
All cottages are built facing west, giving
guests a beachfront view of nearby Talikud Island.
Punta del Sol Beach Resort. Located on the
southwestern side of the island in the village of Catagman, this charming beach
resort provides an unforgettable tropical island experience for those raring for
a beach life. Be it a corporate team building event, a weekend wandering with
friends, a family reunion with loved ones, a honeymoon with your better half or
even a solo sojourn, Punta Del Sol is the place to be in Samal.
 |
A marina at Punta del Sol
|
 |
Sunrise at Punta del Sol
|
Accommodations
include overnight cottages with rates ranging from as low as Php1,500 (good for
two persons) to as much as Php4,800 (good for two persons), all inclusive of
free brekkie. There are, however, cottages that are good for four people. The
resort also has aircon and non-aircon dormitory-type dwellings good for 10 to
20 people, with rates varying from Php2,500 to Php7,200 per night.
 |
Relax in Punta del Sol's refreshing huts!
|
Punta
del Sol is perfect for those who want to go snorkeling and/or scuba diving.
Visitors get a chance to experience the life aquatic while swimming and
scouring the underwater world, equipped with diving mask, snorkel and swim
fins. The resort offers diving lessons with rates hovering between Php1,050 to
Php2,500.
It
also has its own resto where you can savor the freshest catch from the sea. If
you’re craving for tuna (jaw, belly, tail and what have you), it’s the perfect
place for lunches and dinners, all at reasonable prices. The beach resort also
offers island hopping package tours and caters to birthdays, weddings,
reunions, seminars, conferences and the like.
 |
Bali huts are perfect for massages
|
Having
written about some of the most exciting destinations in Samal, let me close
this post with these popular lines from Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken:
Two roads diverged in a
wood, and I—
I took the one less
traveled by,
And that has made all
the difference.
The
poet may have other things in mind when he wrote them but for me, they seem to
prod us to ditch whatever it is we’re doing; to take the road not taken, the
one we often take for granted in our quest for fame and fortune. It’s the road
that leads us to true happiness, the one that brings us back to the people who
make life worth living—our families and friends.
Frost’s
words stir us to set sail, seek solace and soak in on all the fun and frolic
that are to be experienced in some exciting destination of our own choice. NOW.
For now is the time to make the choice. Now is the time to pack your bags and
embark on a sojourn to Samal with your loved ones!
:-D
Life
on the fast lane keeps us occupied with myriad things to do, both at home or at
work. There are so many tasks to fulfill every week that literally fill up
every second of our days. Time was when I’d spend almost all of my weekends in
the company of family and friends. Nowadays, the get-togethers have become a
rarity given our hectic work schedule. Also, many of my relatives and friends have
joined the global diaspora to other parts of the world. 
Everyone
seems so busy as bees 24/7, forsaking the chance to bond with loved ones. Ours
has become a restless society where the drive to work beyond the usual hours is
the new normal, as longer hours, in most cases, mean more money for the whims
and caprices of our modern, consumerist culture. 
Someone
said that time flies, but you are the pilot. So when you can’t have your cake
and eat it, too, then you better rob the baker! Simply put, you got to create some
quality time with your family and friends. You got to run away from your high-tech
quotidian life once in a while and hie off to some surreal destination where
you let your hair down and throw away caution to the wind. 
Popularly
called Samal by locals, the city has everything you’d hope to find in a dream
destination. Good thing, I got a break from the rat race for a few days. Good thing,
I got to spend not just one but two weekends with both kith and kin in some of
the island’s wonderful hideaways! 
Surrounded
by lush greenery, the one-hectare beachfront property in the village of
Catagman offers guests with various types of accommodations found in its chic
villas and suites designed with Japanese, Thai, Balinese, Oriental, Mediterranean
and Filipiniana-inspired motifs. Aside from these, Bali-Bali also boasts of a
two-storey hotel that’s quite cozy and capacious to give you the ultimate
holiday experience. 
Rates
for the villas and suites (good for two persons) near the infinity pool range
from Php6,000 to Php7,000 while those for the two-bedroom rester suites (good
for four people) range from Ph10,000 to Php12,000 per night. For the hotel, the
price is pegged at Php6,500 per night for a deluxe room (good for two persons)
and Php7,000 per night for a superior room (good for two persons). You have to
pay extra for any excess in the number of persons per room/accommodation type.
Camp Holiday. Located right beside
Samal Ferry Wharf in Babak, Camp Holiday offers the ideal hideaway especially
for families and groups of friends. The resort boasts of a sprawling ground where
kids can safely play around and camp out, a white sand beach, a large outdoor
swimming pool, an open veranda, and several casitas. It’s your perfect venue for
business events, meetings, conferences, conventions, seminars, and social
functions and gatherings such as parties, reunions, and the like. 
If
you opt to stay overnight, Camp Holiday has a two -storey hotel with 57 rooms, 3
suites (with 2 bedrooms), and 12 cottages and 8 dormitory-type dwellings. Each
of the resort’s guest rooms and cottage are air-conditioned, complete with
amenities for a relaxing and restful vacay.
The
rooms are furnished with cable TV, desks, hot and cold showers, and wi-fi
connections. Camping tents are also available for rent. Deluxe rooms and
cottages are priced at Php1,800 (good for two to three persons); suite rooms at
Php3,500 (good for four to six people); dormitory rooms at Php2,100 (good for a
maximum of six people). 
For
a pittance of an entrance fee, you gain access to a liberating swim in the inviting
waters and a leisurely stroll along the powdery white sand beach. Rates are Php5
for kids and Php10 for adults on day tour and Php25 for kids and Php75 for
adults for an overnight stay at the beach. Picnic sheds are available at Php75
for day tourists and Php100 for overnighters. Tents good for two are available
at Php250 per day. 
One of the most popular destinations in Samal, the
resort has modest accommodations, mostly nipa cottages, with the following
rates: Php300 (small cottage with fan but no comfort room good for a maximum of
two persons); Php400 (small, aircon cottage with toilet and bathroom good for a
maximum of two persons); and Php800 (big, aircon cottage with toilet and
bathroom good for a maximum of four people). It also has a family room with fan
and double-deck beds at Php200 per person. 
Punta del Sol Beach Resort. Located on the
southwestern side of the island in the village of Catagman, this charming beach
resort provides an unforgettable tropical island experience for those raring for
a beach life. Be it a corporate team building event, a weekend wandering with
friends, a family reunion with loved ones, a honeymoon with your better half or
even a solo sojourn, Punta Del Sol is the place to be in Samal.
Accommodations
include overnight cottages with rates ranging from as low as Php1,500 (good for
two persons) to as much as Php4,800 (good for two persons), all inclusive of
free brekkie. There are, however, cottages that are good for four people. The
resort also has aircon and non-aircon dormitory-type dwellings good for 10 to
20 people, with rates varying from Php2,500 to Php7,200 per night. 
Punta
del Sol is perfect for those who want to go snorkeling and/or scuba diving.
Visitors get a chance to experience the life aquatic while swimming and
scouring the underwater world, equipped with diving mask, snorkel and swim
fins. The resort offers diving lessons with rates hovering between Php1,050 to
Php2,500.
It
also has its own resto where you can savor the freshest catch from the sea. If
you’re craving for tuna (jaw, belly, tail and what have you), it’s the perfect
place for lunches and dinners, all at reasonable prices. The beach resort also
offers island hopping package tours and caters to birthdays, weddings,
reunions, seminars, conferences and the like.
Having
written about some of the most exciting destinations in Samal, let me close
this post with these popular lines from Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken:
Frost’s
words stir us to set sail, seek solace and soak in on all the fun and frolic
that are to be experienced in some exciting destination of our own choice. NOW.
For now is the time to make the choice. Now is the time to pack your bags and
embark on a sojourn to Samal with your loved ones! 