Table of Contents
Introduction
Hello there! Welcome to my blog. Today I’ll walk you through my adventure in Mindanao. Read on to find out more about this majestic place!
Get To Know Mindanao
Three main islands make up the Philippines. Luzon is the largest island group, Visayas is the smallest, and Mindanao is the second largest. Mindanao is a fascinating area to explore thanks to its cheerful citizens, vibrant culture, and beautiful natural surroundings.
Requirements to Enter Mindanao
Since the country has slowly been opening up once again to the tourists– thanks to the effective implementation of vaccination programs, the island of Mindanao has been slowly opening up again. In general, there are no strict requirements and no compliance process after landing. Just make sure you bring your vaccination card because there are other establishments that want to make sure that you’re doing your part in staying safe amidst the pandemic.
How To Get To Mindanao
If traveling from Manila, to get to Mindanao, you must fly from the Metro Manila Airport. Be sure to keep your eyes open for airline seat sales which are money savers, especially for travelers like me! Here are a few airline websites you can look into:
- Philippine Airlines
- Cebu Pacific
- AirAsia
If you don’t want the hassle of looking for cheap flights or flight reservations, you can always visit Filo Online Ticketing to help you with that!
Day 1: The Adventure Begins
Before going to Mindanao, we planned our itinerary. Thankfully, we were able to stick with it! We even went to all the places in order. However, we decided to skip MonteFrio and Dhen Yos because the whole family wasn’t keen on swimming.
We ate lunch at Jardin De Seniorita, which felt like a mini Netherlands in the Philippines! The picturesque scenery was topnotch and every spot in the area was instagrammable. Plantitos and plantitas will also surely love this place because of its wide array of beautiful flora.
For our first day, we also went to Camp Sabros and they offer various activities that friends, families, or partners shall surely love. You may choose to enjoy the sunset while horseback riding, or feel the adrenaline rush by zip lining!
Itinerary for Kapatagan Day Tour
PICK UP TIME 5AM
✍️9 Destinations✍️
✅ Sky Garden – 7am – 8am (Php 50)
✅ Angels camp Sea of clouds – 9:30-10:30 (Php 55)
✅ MonteFrio – 10:30 – 11:30 (Php 110)
✅ Jardin De Señorita – 11:30-12:30 (Php 110)
✅ Dhen Yhos – 1pm – 3pm (Php100)
✅ Camp Sabros – 3pm – 4pm (Php 1,100)
Side Trips
✅ Holy Land (No entrance fee)
✅ Land of Peace (No entrance fee)
✅ Mer’s Pasalubog (No entrance fee)
Day 2: The Exploration Continues
Quick disclaimer before we begin: The land trip was super tiring. If you’re going with kids or the elderly, this is something that you should keep in mind.
This was the day we enjoyed the most because of the breathtaking scenery we witnessed. We travelled for almost 4-5 hours from Davao City to Surigao Del Sur to get to the famous Enchanted River. Upon arriving at Surigao Del Sur, our first destination was the Britania Group of Islets. We also went to a couple of sand bars which were all clean and beautiful. If you’re a fan of water sports and water rides like the jet ski, banana boat, bandwagon, flyish fish– then Buslon Island would be perfect for you.
The staff at Arena Blanca were all accommodating and kind. I even got the chance to go on a jet ski ride for free! They really treat their guests with utmost respect and the highest degree of service. I wholeheartedly vouch for them and if ever you would like to visit Surigao Del Sur in the future, don’t hesitate to contact them on Facebook Arena Blanca Resort for your reservations.
After swimming, sightseeing, and taking pictures at Britania, we headed to the Enchanted River next. We arrived at lunch time so we decided to eat there and what’s awesome is that they sell fresh seafood. We spent roughly Php 1,600.00 for a group of 5 people. Not bad at all considering that you’ll be getting good quality seafood for that price!
After eating lunch, we waited for a couple of minutes for a shuttle to transport us to the Enchanted River itself. It really only took a couple of minutes and we were able to witness the majesty of the highlight of our Surigao del Sur tour. The river was really enchanted because it was so clean and clear. There are also unique species of fish that reside in the river which makes it even more fascinating and lovely to look at. We also went to the famous two spots at the river meant for picture taking.
There’s also an area for the guests to swim. At first you would think that it’s still water but once you dip yourself into it, there’s an underlying stream/current that can pull or tug at you. It feels relaxing but for safety reasons, the area is normally blocked. I would’ve wanted to fly my drone there but since it’s a strict area, I chose not to anymore.
For our second day, our last destination was the Tinuy-an Falls. It has been said that this is the biggest and highest falls in Surigao del Sur. It took us almost an hour to reach the falls from the Hinatuan River. There’s an option to pay a guide to help you trek up to the peak of the falls. You can also navigate it via kayak.
You may also watch my two-part vlogs below 🙂 If you could kindly subscribe to my channel as well 🙂
Surigao Day Tour Itinerary (Davao-based)
👉 Britania Islands (Naked, Hagonoy, Hiroy-Hiroyan, Buslon *sports rides)
👉 Enchanted River
👉 I ❤️ Bislig Baywalk
👉 Tinuy-an Falls
Day 3: Celebrating My Birthday
This was our last day and I decided to celebrate my birthday on Mati Island. It was a long ride from Davao City. We also rented a private boat to tour us around the island. The van rental cost 7,000.00php and the boat fee was 4,000.00php for a round trip.
Mati Island is not yet well known but give it a few years and I’m pretty sure it can be a famous destination like Palawan or Boracay. It was very promising! If only the local tourism can help it grow, I’m sure it will be a lively and successful place. I’m hoping that through my blog posts and vlogs on my Youtube channel, I can help in a small way in letting people know the beauty of these places in the Philippines.
After island hopping, we opted to visit the Sleeping Dinosaur. We decided to skip Museum ng Mati because we lacked time.
Mati Day Tour Itinerary
Pick up time 5am
Destinations/Entrance fees
✍️ Mati Island hopping – 8am – 12noon
✔️ Pujada Island – (Php 30)
✔️ Waniban Island – No entrance fee
✔️ Oak Island – No entrance fee
✍️ Subangan Museum – 1pm-2pm (Php 50)
✍️ Sleeping Dinosaur view deck – 3pm – 4pm (No entrance fee)
Going Home
I’m sure these words and photos will not do justice to the beauty of Mindanao. It’s still best to see and experience everything up close and personal! I truly hope that through reading my blog, you’ll also be inspired and motivated to explore and discover more of the hidden paradises in the Philippines. These are just some of the wonders that can be found in Mindanao. I can’t wait to go back for more! Surely, it really deserves its moniker, “Land of the Promise.”
I hope you found my Mindanao travel guide fun and helpful! If you have any questions feel free to comment here or reach me through my social media for questions and clarifications! I’d be more than happy to help!