Start Summer with Hiking
Summer season has just begun and we surely wont just let summer season pass without going somewhere worth going. This is my first ever hike and I'm glad I did it with my sister and my boyfriend. Once again I made this blog for everyone to see how far we could go just by spending a reasonable amount of money. Staying as frugal as possible so we did the hike to the ''Puting Bato''(White Stone) and walked down to the beach of Canibad in the Island Garden City of Samal.
So in this blog will be the breakdown of how much I spent on this travel and how we got there. There are so many things that can be done in a day when you are in Samal Island but we chose to do hiking under the heat of the sun.
Off to Samal
From Davao City we need to go to Sasa Wharf which cost me $0.35(around Php20) and from the Wharf we need to ride a Barge which cost $0.20(around Php10) one way ride. It will just take less than 30mins to travel from Davao to Samal so just enjoy the ride.
From Samal Wharf to Tayapok Trail
So we need to ride motorcycle from Samal wharf up to Tayapok trail where we should start walking. It costs around $2(Php100 per head). It is a bit bumpy ride so hold on tight.
Its Time to Walk
We already reached the Tayapok trail and from there on we need to walk/hike for about 30mins to reach to the top of the mountain. This is my first time hiking and you can't blame me if I get exhausted real quick and need to have water breaks often times. And of course do remind yourselves the basic reminder when hiking. Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but Footprints, Kill Nothing but Time.
The Peak of Samal Island Puting Bato
At last! We made it to the top. We reached the highest peak of Samal Island Puting Bato which is 1755ft. above sea level. I don't accurately know how high it is but I'm pretty sure it is quite high. We paid $0.35(Php20) to enter the area and the care taker said that the payments they receive will be used for the maintenance of the area which is fair enough because they keep the area worth going.
Enjoying the Moment
We spent some time up there. The view was really awesome and we could stay in any of the cottages there for free. We even took a nap while up there. We took some photos while we were up there. ''If only my eyes could take photos'' those were my thoughts that very moment staring at the open area from the top.
Down We Go
Its about time we should get going. Next stop Canibad. We need to walk back a little bit from where we walked since the path to Canibad is just along the way to the peak. We need to walk for more than 30mins, I can't really tell since we had a lot of stop overs since I get tired easily. Seriously, I need to work on my cardio. Took some photos along the way down.
Beach Time!
We made it on the vast open sea! All the exhaustion, tiresome walks, and searing heat paid off. That summer breeze welcomes us to the beach really replenished our tired bodies. Everything was really worth it. We went in to one of the resorts in Canibad which is the Madyaw Beach Resort. It only costs $1(Php50) for the entrance fee and we highly advice to bring your own tent for better experience.
Making the Best Out of the Moment
Spending some time to relax and listen to nothing but the relaxing sound of the waves. Nothing beats a relaxing afternoon by the beach. Truly everything is worth going and doing when you reach your desired destination.
Its Time to Go Home
So we decided to go home before it gets dark since transportation is quite difficult to have when its already night time. So from the beach back to Samal wharf costs $2(Php100) and spent $0.20(Php10) for the barge back to Davao and another $0.35(Php20) for my fare back home. All in all I just spent $6.45(thats roughly Php330) for this travel. I advice to those who want to travel to this place is that bring your own food and bring a lot of water for you will be needing it when you are hiking.
We did it again. A new certain kind of travel I wanted to experience just happened and I am definitely doing it again. This is just only the start of the travel series we are going to have. Our hunger for discovering new places never dies and will head on to our next trip.
Thats it for today fellas. I hope you liked what we did on our travels. I would like to know your thoughts towards where we went and what we did through the comment section. Will be posting more travel blogs as promised.
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-CJ and the Gang