Southern Mindanao – 4 Days and 3 nights

Here’s our Itinerary and Breakdown of expenses.

(4 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS)
Day 1 (We decide to go to Mati City first)
How to Get To Mati City?
From the Airport, Walk to your left side until you see the big golden durian then walk towards to the highway and take the underpass then ride a multicab/jeep that will passby the GMALL and ride a Van from Mati City. (3-4 hours) Php 200- 220 pesos only (no stop-overs)
Don’t ride a Mati Van outside the airport don’t do this don’t do what we did (It took us 4-5 hours) After transferring 3 different Vans haha) still Php 220 though.
ETA: 2:00 PM supposedly earlier if we didn’t transfer a lot of vans haha!
We passed by the Sleeping Dinasour then after arriving to the van/bus terminal.
We had our lunch beside the terminal The First Carinderia on the Left side at the entrance of the bus terminal (serving is super ok for the viand worth Php 30 + Php 10 rice)
Subangan Museum (Php 50 entrance fee for filipino non resident) a must visit place One high-tech beautiful interactive museum 🙂

Then Dahican beach..
PS: It is a must to bought your dinner around the terminal (so you can save a habal-habal ride just to get a dinner) as there’s no restaurant/carinderia on Dahican Beach. (Just Water, Softdrinks and other refreshments)
Dahican Beach is truly untouched beach and the waves are so strong..perfect for surfing! 🙂
– Subangan Museum (Php 50 entrance fee)
– Dahican Beach
(Perfect Place for Surfing/Skim boarding not really for swimming)
Surfing is at Php 500 per hour and Skim boarding is at Php 200 per hour
– Menzi Beach Resort ( The I ❤ Mati ) Sign.
– Amihan sa Dahican ⛺ (We camp here, Rent a Tent for Php 300)
and here you will meet the Amihan Boys! 😀
– Mindanao Flying Saga Club (The Next Day) ✈
For the open ultralight experience price at Php1600 for 15 minutes. (Best 15 minutes of my life so far!!! )

Photos for Mati City (Davao Oriental)
https://www.facebook.com/iam.trishaaguilar/media_set?set=a.10153610605528437.623338436&type=3

Day 2 (Cateel)

Woke up around 5:15am to watch the sunrise (at dahican beach) then departed to dahican beach to abandoned airport (the habal habal driver waited us then after our fly we stopover to jollibee for breakfast then he drop us off to the van terminal
(We paid Php 200 to the habal habal driver and bought him breakfast)
Mati to Cateel Front of Oar Inn.
– Aliwagwag Falls Eco Park (Php 50 Entrance Fee)
– Monkey Bridge (Php 50)
– 680-meter suspension cable zipline (Php 200 pesos)
Package is (Php 225 pesos only)
– Stay at Edar’s Place near the bus terminal (old bus terminal) if you check GOOGLE Map it is not listed there so better ride a tric (5 mins) Php 10 pesos per pax.. the new bus terminal is near in edar’s place though around 10 min walk just ask the staff on how to get there.
(Php 1,000 per night for aircon room)
Travel Tips:
– Habal Habal ride to get around to Mati and Cateel Price depends on destination.
– Carinderia in Mati and Cateel ranges from 30 to 50 per meal.. Viand at 25 to 30 pesos then rice at 10 pesos only.
They have a generous serving! Carinderia Beside the Entrance of Mati Terminal and Edwards Grill in Cateel
– Edwards Grill near city hall ng Cateel just walk around in the evening
(Try there Liempo at Php 120 good for 2 add Banana for 5 pesos)
– Stay at Dahican Beach (Amihan sa Dahican) and catch for the Sunrise
– Don’t forget to buy your food for dinner before going to dahican beach as there’s no restaurant or carinderia nearby.
– Make sure to arrive early at the mati abandoned airport early so you can fly early best time to fly 5:30am to 8am

Photos for Cateel (Davao Oriental)
https://www.facebook.com/iam.trishaaguilar/media_set?set=a.10153610605528437.623338436&type=3

Day 3
Be sure to be there before 5:00 am …4:00 am (just to be sure) to Cateel Terminal going to mangagoy terminal..
There’s only 1 trip everyday! If you missed it you will take a habal habal which will be costly if you are solo or pair.
– Hinatuan Enchanted River
(Entrance Fee is Php 30 pesos)
– Sibadan Fish Cage
(At the right side part of the enchanted river)
Island hopping cost Php 150 per hour
– Tinuy-An Falls
(Entrance Fee is Php 50 pesos)
– I love Bislig Signage (Free)

Mangagoy to Davao took us (Php 5 hours) Because the driver is very slow driver which is fine this is the only van ride that we did that we feel safe 😀

PS: Do not fret if you stop for military checkpoint bring your bags and just go through it and get back to the van.

We arrived at victoria plaza mall at 9pm then we just walk for about 20 to 30 minutes to the d’morvie suites (what an exercise haha! We can took a multicab but we just opted to take a semi city night tour of davao and try some street food)
Try Jenny’s Chicken it seems to be popular in davao 😀 for only Php 22.

When we arrived at D’morvie Suites there’s a lot of waiting guest outside we are so tired and don’t want to wait anymore so good thing in front of it the Megiko dormitel still have rooms no more 12 hours… just 9 hours for Php450 we took it .. It’s ok as we just need a quick nap, wash-up for suppose tour of samal island the next morning.
Travel Tip
– From Mangagoy Terminal (Haggle To A Habal Habal Rider) Acceptable rate is around
Php 1,000 to Php 1500 (Hinatuan-Bislig-Mangagoy) Included the Tribal fee.
– Prepare your but for a 45 minutes one way ROUGH rode to Tinuy-An Falls
– Don’t hire a newbie driver to Tinuy-an falls it’s very dangerous
– Make sure to get back to the terminal of mangagoy before 4pm. If you plan to go back to davao city within the day.

Photos for Surigao Del Sur
https://www.facebook.com/iam.trishaaguilar/media_set?set=a.10153612496143437.623338436&type=3

Day 4 (Samal Island)
I woke up early and feel really freaking tired from that habal-habal ride so i convinced the bf that instead we go tour samal-island can we just chill and relax before we go home?

I saw one post in DIY Travel Philippines regarding Secdea Beach Resort that we can do day tour so yes as surprise it is really a very a nice place ….but the beach? not so, needs improvement, though 🙂
– Day Tour at Secdea Beach Resort
(Chill, Swim, Eat and Relax) (Php 1,000 per person plus yummy buffet Lunch)
As early as 7am you can start day tour but until 5pm only.

We did side-trip to Monfort Bat Cave before we go to the resort just a 15 minute stop for Php100 entrance fee is not so worth it (Can’t stand the smell of this place haha) We just take photos and the creepy bats haha.
Based on our experience Tips:
– Bring a lot of water as DAVAO city is scorching HOT!!! As in!!!
– Habal Habal and multicab are the only option to tour here if you don’t own a car or if you don’t join group tour
(Price ranges from 50-100 per person) depending on your destination
– Samal Island is literally 10 mins away from Sasa wharf. (Php 10 pesos boat ride)
– From Samal Barge to Airport will cost you Php93 pesos via Taxi
– Sasa wharf to Samal Island is 24 hours 🙂
We don’t have much time to explore Davao City and Samal Island due to limited time. Flight back is at 6pm.

Photos for Davao Del Norte
https://www.facebook.com/iam.trishaaguilar/media_set?set=a.10153610343308437.623338436&type=3

——-

Breakdown of Expenses (Per Pax)
Airfare – Php 222 rountrip each (Airasia piso fare last year!) woot woot!
Day 1
Bought Snacks (Front of Airport – Mercury Drug) – Php 63
Airport to Mati City – Php 220
Lunch – Php 50
Mati Terminal to (Stopover to buy bread and Lechon Manok to Subangan Museum to dahican beach – Php 100
Subangan Museum (Entrance Fee) – Php 50
Amihan sa Dahican (Tent) – Php 150

Day 2
Ultra light plane — Php 1600 (15 minutes)
Habal Habal (Dahican Beach – Abandon Airport (included waiting time) – Jollibee – Mati Terminal) — Php 100
Breakfast at Jollibee – Php 95
Mati Van Terminal to Cateel Stop (FRONT of Oar Inn) — Php 250
EDT: 9:00 AM ETA : 12 PM
Multicab in Edars Place -Php 10
Edars place- Php 500.
Heavy Lunch at aliwagwag falls eco park — Php 138
Aliwagwag entrance fees – Php 50
Monkey bar and zipline– Php 225
Habal Habal roundtrip per pax – Php 350 (At first i feel na tourist trap kami but then i realize ang laki ng motor good for 4 person included na din yung waiting time ni kuya which is almost 3 hours din)

Day 3
Breakfast at Cateel Terminal – Php 40
Cateel Bust Terminal to Mangangoy Terminal (Babaan) via BUS = Php 120
TD 5:30am ETA 8:00 AM
Kuya July habal habal -600 per pax Tribal Fee (50) Kuya july negotiate instead of 100 each we gave them a 100 instead.
Enchanted River Entrance Fee – Php 30
Island Hopping rate is Php 160 per hour.
Sibadan Fish cage Entrance fee — Php 10
For a 1 hour tour at sibadan fish cage – Php 80
Lunch at Carinderia (Includes our driver meal) — Php 102.50
Tinuy-an Fall Entrance Fee – Php 50
Mangagoy Van Terminal to Davao City — Php 300
Snack biko at first and last stopover — Php 15
Snack Jenny’s Chicken. – Php 22
Check-in Megiko dormitel (Front of D’morvie suites we suppose to check-in here but dami waiting) — Php 225 for 9 hours
Dinner (Minute Burger) – Php 65

Day 4
Calvaleria st to sasa wharf — Php 15 (25 mins) ETA: 6:05am
Ferry to the Samal port — Php 20 (d) ETD: 6:30 ETA 6 45
Breakfast (Angel’s Burger) — Php 46 (t)
Environmental fee — Php 5
Port to Manfort Bat Cave — Php 50
Manfort Bat Cave entrance — Php 100
Manfort Bat Cave to Secdea Beach Resort — Php 75
Day Trip at Secdea Beach Resort — Php 1,000 (t)
(includes entrance fees, use of facilities and buffet lunch yuuuuummmmmmy!)
PS: i think not always buffet lunch? maybe plated meal if not weekend? not sure though.
Secdea Beach Resort to Samal Port = Php 75 (10 tip #walangbaryaSoBigayNalang 😉
Ice cream (You need this trust me it’s super hot in davao haha!) — Php 20
Port to Davao — Php 10
Samal Barge to Davao Airport via Taxi – Php 50

Allotted Budget: Php 7,000
Actual Expenses All In: Php 6,971

For us this is the most successful DIY that we have ever done so far as in no reservations 😀
If you opted not to do a day trip to secdea beach resort perhaps a tour of samal island
(Price starts at Php 700) which you can do for a whole day you can do it less than Php 5K-6k! 🙂

#ChoosePhilippines #PinasMuna #Mindanao #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines #TravelLocal #Gopro #Gopro #BudgetTravel #SouthernMindanao #MatiCity #Mati #Cateel #Surigao #DavaoOriental #DavaoDelSur