Creating an itinerary and traveling to Balut Island wasn’t easy because of its geographical location. Also known as Malulong, this volcanic island situated in Southern Mindanao is definitely the top tourist destination in Davao Occidental because of its fine white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and gorgeous landscape. Not only that, the people here are friendly and approachable. There’s a bit of a language barrier, nonetheless, locals can understand English, Tagalog, Bisaya, and I’ve heard some locals that speak Indonesian.
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The Introduction: History, Location, Description, and Other Things You Need to Know.
I chose a flight from Manila to Davao to save so my itinerary started upon deplaning. Had a taxi to Davao Overland terminal. Breakfast at the carinderia by the terminal. Rode in a non-stop bus to General Santos City and alighted at Bulaong Bus Terminal. Travel time was about 2.5 hours. Had lunch at the carinderia by the terminal. Rode in a trike to the City Hall. Picture Picture. Then, walked to City Escape Inn (on Google Maps) to rest. I don’t usually eat heavy meals in the evening so I only had bread and fruit for dinner. Rest. City Escape Inn Review: 1000 pesos is expensive for me (solo). The room is spacious with queen size bed. The toilet is clean but the shower heater doesn’t work.
The next day, after checking out at 3PM, I walked again to my second lodging - Limelily Pension House 2 (on Google Maps). Had dinner at SM Gensan. You may have noticed, I spent 2 nights in Gensan with no special happening and that’s because I was trying to establish the route via public vehicle to Balanganon Port but, there was none. It was only on the second night when I received the contact number of the van driver. PM me on FB for contact details.
Early Saturday morning, the driver pick me up at Limelily. Together with the other passengers, we headed to Balangonan. Travel time was about 2-3 hours. Most of the roads are concrete but the last 15-20 minutes to the port was a rough road, as in rough and muddy road. The port of Balangonan is not established, it’s very simple and has no large structures. I’ve placed it on Google Maps for your reference.
As expected, the waves are larger than normal but for the locals, that’s normal. The boat passed on Sarangani Straight with open water to Celebes Sea and after an hour, we reached Mabila Port. Met GM, my guide and event coordinator in Balut Island. Rested. Had lunch. The weather wasn’t good, there were raindrops falling, yet the waves are not gigantic so we continued our island hopping.
Bubu Beach has a fine white sand shoreline surrounded by coconuts and other trees. I only saw two simple houses by the beach so the area is still untouched. This beach is privately owned and has no resort, cottages, and stores. The visitors only have the natural shade from the trees and the spectacular view. By the way, there are locals living by the beach who take care of the area.
Bolaye Blue Lagoon - as we entered this virgin lagoon, I was astounded by the clear waters surrounded by the trees. Everything is calm because it’s a hidden narrow body of water connected to the sea so no waves that can destroy its natural wonders. The melody of the birds singing and the sound of the wind are a perfect combination to launch a nature orchestra. Furthermore, this place serves as a sanctuary of flora and fauna. If you know how to swim, wear your swimsuit, jump into the water, and enjoy the rich diversity below. You can also do lato picking.
Tuke Nunsol Cove - this is the perfect place for a lunch break. Not just a cove, it is also a cave by the water. There are towering limestone cliffs with a beauty that can only be found in nature. This place is a proof that the wave really has a natural talent to curve art on the boulders because of its artistic rock formations.
Isla Pabrosis Beach/Paras Beach - we were greeted by a sun-drenched paradise with a white sand shoreline; fine on one side and with pebbles on the other side. There are no cottages or commercial establishments so you will enjoy the pristine beauty of this place. Wait, let me correct “sun-drenched,” the rain was still falling during our visit.
This travel was made possible by GM, the owner of Balut Island Tour Package. Even though the other participants rebooked and I was the only one remaining, we continued and I love that!
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BUDGET SUMMARY: THINGS TO REMEMBER
