Ambot ah! Travel Blog

Santa Cruz Island: Pink Sand Beach in Zamboanga

Is there really such a thing as a pink sand beach? and does the beaches of the Santa Cruz Islands in Zamboanga really have a characteristic pink sand as popularized?

These were a few questions I wanted to figure out for myself during my first trip to Zamboanga City.

The day before my planned trip to the Santa Cruz Islands, I went to the Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office located beside Lantaka Hotel (NS Valderosa Street). All tourist visiting the islands are required to coordinate with the DOT since they are the ones arranging transportation and coordinating with the military station in the island.

I checked to see if there were any bookings for the next day. Fortunately, there was one and the DOT Staff told me to be at Paseo del Mar (beside Fort Pilar) early morning the next day.

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Davao to Zamboanga Flight: Arrival in Zamboanga Airport

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It was my first time to fly out of Davao International Airport and I was looking forward to seeing the interiors / pre-departure area of the airport.

Since I was on a morning flight and did not have a lot of time to spare, I took the taxi from downtown Davao. All taxis charge by the meter and the drivers in Davao are honest so this option is not a problem. The Davao Airport is the third busiest airport in the Philippines next to Manila and Cebu … next in line would be Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro.

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Monfort Bat Colony, Night RORO Back to Davao, Dinner at Lachi’s

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The dimming light during our late afternoon arrival in Samal Island set the mood for one unique attraction. We were set to visit the Monfort Bat Colony, known for being home to the largest colony of the Geoffrey’s Rousette Fruit Bats.

Me and Ferdie dropped off at Babak (near the pier) and hailed a motorcycle to take us to the bat colony. The caves were located within a private compound, the owners of which charge an admission fee to see the nocturnal celebrities.

Not a single soul was around to greet us a welcome at the entrance. My head raced when I saw the sign “visiting hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm only.” Emphasis on the until 5:00 pm ONLY. It was already 5:15pm … bummer!

Eerie sight of millions of fruit bats at the Monfort Bat Colony in Babak, Samal Island, Davao del Norte

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Isla Reta Beach: Talicud to Kaputian, Mainland Samal

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Isla Reta is the most accessible beach in Talicud Island. It’s located right beside the Santa Cruz Pier, the main seaport at the northern tip of island. After visiting Babu Santa Beach, the habal-habal driver dropped me off at the entrance of Isla Reta Beach Resort (entrance fee: P75). I headed straight to the beachfront passing by the spacious overnight cottages.

Isla Reta had a lengthy white sand beach with a gorgeous view of mainland Samal. I was surprised when I finally saw the beach up close. The sand was remarkably white and fine. To me, it was comparable to Station 1, White Beach in Boracay in those aspects. I’ve always been in search of beaches in the Philippines that could trump Boracay’s White Beach. Isla Reta doesn’t have Boracay’s 4km end-to-end measurements but that can easily be overlooked since there aren’t any huge crowds hogging the beach at Isla Reta.

Far end of Isla Reta Beach Resort in Talicud Island, Island Garden City of Samal

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Photo Series: Tropical Tundra in the Last Frontier

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During an early morning flight to Palawan, I was looking out the window and saw a flat sheet of cloud covering most of the landscape and with the sunrise breaking out of the horizon. It seemed like we were flying above the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean … and so I thought of capturing this idea in a photo series called “Tropical Tundra.”

I and couple of friends went to El Nido, at the very tip of Palawan Island. It was already my second time to visit El Nido but she still looked just as beautiful as it was when I first laid eyes on her towering limestone mountains and alluring waters.

The idea behind this photo series was seeing things in a new light and achieving greater possibilities out of our circumstances.

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Ambot-ah Season 2011 Finale: a year of memories

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I’m filled with mixed emotions when I reminisce about my experiences during the last 12 months. Everyday I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to do the things that I loved: traveling, taking photos, and blogging. Okay, I haven’t been blogging as much as I should.

So what did happen to me in 2011? I’ve slowed down my travels … at least not as much as I did in 2010. Here’s a recap of my travels in 2011.

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Babu Santa Beach in Talikud Island, Samal by Habal-habal

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A pleasant afternoon greeted my arrival at the laid-back Santa Cruz Wharf in Talicud Island, Samal. My reception was exactly as I had hoped. At the wharf was a small village surrounded by all the elements of a tropical paradise: inviting waters, palm fringed white-sand beaches, perfect sunny weather, and no sight of large-scale developments. … just your typical low-key island ready to welcome any weary traveler.

After stepping off the boat, I got on the back of a habal-habal (single motorcycle) and was on my way to Babu Santa Beach located at the western coast of Talikud Island

Talicud Island in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS), Davao del Norte, Philippines

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Santa Ana Wharf Davao to Talikud Island Ferry: Samal DIY Day Trip

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An awesome thing about major cities in the Philippines is that excellent island getaways are just a short land/sea trip away. It was my last full day in Davao and I just couldn’t pass off the opportunity to visit Samal Island. The Pearl Farm Resort comes to mind with a mention of Samal but I wasn’t in any mood to splurge … so I fired up google maps and scoured for other potential (cheap) places to visit. I eventually saw an interesting islet located south of mainland Samal called “Talikud.” Saw photos of its beautiful white sand beaches and I inevitably got hooked!

Waiting for the “Talikud Island” ferry to depart from Santa Ana Wharf in Davao City.

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Putrajaya, Malaysia Sunset & Night Shots

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Our short visit to Putrajaya was one of the most memorable moments during our Singapore – Malaysia overland trip last year.

The first time I saw a photo of Putrajaya’s Seri Wawasan Bridge, I was instantly drawn at the asymmetric design and elegant lines of its cable stays.

Why was there such a magnificent structure “hidden” at an unfamiliar place in Malaysia? My curiosity and lack of awareness inadvertently led me to discover this city called Putrajaya.

First view of the Seri Wawasan Bridge on the taxi ride to Putrajaya

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Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge View

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The skybridge tour at the Petronas Twin Towers is actually offered for free. The problem was that a limited number of tickets was offered per day. To get these tickets, we’d have to be at the ticket booth really early in the morning. I’ve read that at 8am, the queue really starts to swell up and if we arrive later, there’s a high chance that we’d have to wait in line for hours just to have our 15-minute skybridge tour.

We set our alarm at 5AM. Really really early especially since we returned to the hotel past midnight leaving us barely 5 hours of sleep.

When I woke up, I was shocked to find out that it was already a quarter to 8am. Our attempt to get in line early was an epic fail. Much to our relief, our aunt sent us a message that she was already at the ticket booth waiting in line for us. Yay, we were still on track :) One person can reserve up to 5 tickets for the Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge tour.

Morning view of the Suria Mall and Petronas Twin Towers from across the fountain area