Island Garden City of Samal

A trip to Davao is not complete without a visit to the beach. Why? Because the beach is 10 minutes away. And it’s damn nice! Plus, it’s a 100% typhoon free city so you can visit the beach anytime of the year.

The DFAT 2010 Team took advantage of this. And with ETours, enjoyed the beach and all it had to offer. We availed of the Davao island hopping tour package which included a tour guide, a boat ride around the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), and use of snorkelling sets.

Maxima Aquafun

The first stop of the tour was Maxima Aquafun where the group enjoyed the giant waterslide, the water trampouline, and the diving board. After enjoying the resort and its amenities, the group headed back to the boat for lunch in the middle of the sea.

While having lunch, the group enjoyed a scenic view of Davao Gulf, Mindanao Island and Samal.

A view of an islet in Davao Gulf

The next stop was Wishing Island where the tourists got to say a wish by throwing a coin. Don’t worry, it’s a shallow area where the local children go to get the coins. So we didn’t pollute the water.

The group enjoyed the view and the trivia that Jojo, our Davao islands tour guide shared with us. Did you know that the “garden” in IGaCoS doesn’t refer to a flower garden but the abundance of coral gardens and reefs around the island. And yes, there’s even a coral garden as big as a house. HUUUGE!

Davao Gulf and Samal Island

The participants enjoyed docking on different parts of the island to snorkel and swim. The wealth of sea creatures also amazed the tourists: different fish, starfish, corals, and other creatures we didn’t know the names of. The group took stops at Angel Cove, Coral Garden, and Babu Santa.

Enjoying the Pristine Waters of Davao Gulf

By the end of the island hopping adventure, everybody was tired but very much happy with the fun tour of the island. It was definitely an enjoyable and memorable Davao tour.

DFAT 2010 Team with the ETours Team

Information:

Photos courtesy of Andrew dela Serna.