Day 2– From Damosa, we took a cab to Sta. Ana Wharf to ride a ferry to Santa Cruz Wharf, Talicud Island.
Davao’s taxi drivers never cease to amaze us with their kindness and professionalism. They never reject passengers (as long as you are a company of 4 people). Our cab fare was Php 90. I was not paying attention to the time so you can do the math. Transportation in Davao is such a breeze compared to Manila.
We arrived early in the morning, and since it was a weekday, the inflow of riders was slower than usual. The capacity of the boat was 90 persons and we had to wait for most of the seats to be occupied.
Don’t worry the “sisid barya” (coin diver) boys would be there. The boys would ask you to throw some coins in the water. And like little mermen, they would dive and swim the deep waters to catch the coins. I’m not sure if the government knows about this but I fear for the safety of the children. Then again, the children definitely know how to swim.
The fare to Sta. Cruz Wharf costed Php 60 per head. The boat left around 10AM, with the ride taking about one and a half hour. Below is a screenshot from Google Maps to help you imagine the journey.
From Santa Cruz Wharf, we walked past a small rural village to Isla Reta Beach Resort. Isla Reta was just awesome. It’s like Davao’s very own Boracay or even better. Our friend told us that the resort was not as developed years before. I hope management won’t “overly commercialize” the place as its rawness was its appeal.
The resort also campaigns to save Dugongs (sea cows) in their area. According to the owner, Dugongs frequent the resort because of the fish they eat. As a matter of fact, while we were swimming in the waters, we saw a Dugong. The experience was just so surreal. I’ve always wanted to see one and I did see one from only a few meters away. Too bad, we did not get a chance to take a photo as I was so caught up in the moment.
Since we would be camping, we paid an overnight stay fee of Php 150 per head. We brought our own tent so we needed to pay a tent corkage fee of Php 100. Grills were available all over the beach area so all you had to bring were your coal and food for cooking. The shower and restrooms were also a few steps from the beach.
We were the only ones camping for the night and it got really interesting when the rain started pouring and the waves became bigger and bigger. It was my first time to sleep in a tent and this was an adventure because of the weather. Imagine sleeping while holding the sides of the tent because of the strong howling wind.
Nevertheless, we survived the night and saw Isla Reta transform in the break of day.
If you’re looking for a laid-back time, sleeping on the sand, and feeling the bubbly waters on your feet, Isla Reta is the perfect place for you. I’m sure they have other activities that we have not explored. They also offer other types of lodging (cottages, dormitory, etc.) if you do not want to camp out. However I definitely recommend experiencing camping outdoors and being one with nature.
We will be definitely returning to Isla Reta soon.
