Davao Oriental: Any Way You Want It

Text and photos by Francis Rex Alger
GuestBlogger

I didn’t expect much when I was on my way to Davao Oriental. I thought I saw the best of eastern Mindanao after visiting the nearby provinces a few years earlier. I was dead wrong when I reached Mati, the provincial capital.

Not far from the city is Sleeping Dinosaur Island, one of the eye-catching sights in Pujada Bay. I kept on staring at the shape of the isle’s landscape, which looks like a reptile at rest (thus the moniker). So I wondered then and there what else this southern province has in store for visitors. Hans, my guide, showed me the way.

For the next two days, we passed by verdant mountains, lovely coastlines and white beaches that I lost count of. There would be a next time to explore them, he said, as we went to the province’s main attraction.

Not far from the town of Cateel is a rocky stairway where cool water cascades toward a crystal-clear river. Public buses from Compostella Valley slow down so that passengers could stare at this majestic falls.

Locals call it Aliwagwag. I don’t know the origin of the word, but I bet it means breathtaking. It may also be the most gorgeous waterfalls in the Philippines.

I submerged my feet into the knee-deep river. I was invigorated from its coolness. I was about to walk to the stony steps when Hans called my attention.

He reminded me that we have no place to spend the night in Cateel. We have to leave the falls, but he promised me a better place: a white-sanded islet between Pujada Bay and the Pacific Ocean. He claimed that it changes its shape according to the ocean current.

White beach. Islet of fine sands. Nothing but the sand and the sea. It was hard to resist.

HOW TO GET THERE:

1. Philippine Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com) and Cebu Pacific (www.cebupacificair.com) have daily flights to Davao City. Check their websites for their list of flight schedules.

2. Bachelor buses travel from Davao City to Mati on a daily basis. There are also vans in SM Davao that will take you to Mati on a shorter time. It’s advisable to depart at early morning, as commuting would be three hours (at the least).

3. Bachelor buses also travel from Mati to Cateel (and vice versa). It’s better to leave at early morning, as there are hardly any buses during late afternoons and evenings. You can visit the Provincial Tourism Office for more details.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 5:40 pm and is filed under Travel Destination. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.