Lemlunay

One of the places I enjoy going to when I am in Sarangani, is Lemlunay Dive Resort. It has a full view of Sarangani Bay and it is a perfect spot for complete relaxation. Nestled on a cliff facing the bay, it is also a protected marine sanctuary.  Although I do not dive and am completely terrified at the thought of it, I have had lots of friends and family go down and explore the waters and they have had only great stories to tell. They are PADI certified and have dive instructors and dive masters available at all times. I’m still thinking if I will get certified. Maybe one day.

Did I mention the food? They have delish food available and nice cold drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic.

Sarangani is my 2nd home away from home and I try and fly down every chance I get. I love taking friends to see that Sarangani is an amazing and peaceful place. The people warm, the food… amazing and there are so many things to do. I have been here for about 11 days and  I am fully charged. All my “tanks” are full and I’m ready to tackle Manila madness once again.

SOURES:purposedrivenchef

Gumasa

Imagine you’re on the beach idly sitting in a lazy chair sipping a chilled watermelon shake while listening to your favourite Café Del Mar music on your iPod. The sun is up scorching but you couldn’t care less. You are just there on the beach sitting at that chair disconnecting yourself from the fast-paced urban life and letting yourself drown to the unhurried pleasures of island time.

This is the kind of state that the pristine beach paradise called Gumasa takes you. Christened as the “Boracay of the SoCCSKSargen Region”, Gumasa offers a variety of fine white sand beaches where you can escape into a world surrounded by lush foliage and tranquil emerald waters bathed by golden sunsets at dusk.

Gumasa is the priced beach jewel of Glan, Sarangani Province. It is nestled amidst the turquoise waters of the Sarangani Bay with long stretch of powdery white sands beaches and coves favourite among locals and foreign tourists.

Gumasa boasts of beaches that are not only perfect for swimming but also for diving and snorkelling. Beach sports and activities are popular here – beach volleyball, beach Frisbee, kayaking, jet skiing and other water sports. What’s even better is that beach resorts and public beaches are located just a couple of minutes away from the town proper Poblacion.

In Gumasa, accommodation is not a problem. You can camp out by the shore or rent a room in one of the many resorts dotting the waterfront. There are many good beach houses and resorts to choose from – from the cheapest to more poshy ones. One of the best places to stay is Isla Jardin Del Mar, the newest addition to the must visit resorts in Gumasa.

After engaging yourself all day beach bumming or suntanning, you can settle down and lounge by the seashore and gaze at the glorious sunset setting at waters of Sarangani Bay. It is the perfect thing to do to end the day in Gumasa.

Gumasa Beach is fast becoming a popular beach destination in Mindanao. In fact, the famed Sarangani Bay Festival, the biggest beach festival in Mindanao is held every summer at this once-a-quaint-beach. This year, Sarangani Bay Festival will be staged on the same shores on May 24 and 25 and expected to draw thousands of beach enthusiasts around the region. If you are just in the area, never miss this chance to be part of this annual beach event.

SNAPSHOTS FROM GUMASA

SO WHY CHOOSE GUMASA?  It’s a place you’d like to call home during summer!

HOW TO GET THERE: Glan, Sarangani Province is just 45 minute away from General Santos City, the Tuna Capital of the Philippines. From General Santos City, take a VAN that will bring you to Glan’s Poblacion. From there take a habal-habal to bring you to Barangay Gumasa where these finest beaches await for you. Enjoy!

SOURES:thetravelteller

Lake Sebu

 Lake Sebu

By the name of the municipality itself, this municipality showcases a beautiful natural huge lake. You can enjoy boating in the lake, or ziplining through the seven waterfalls.

Mindanao island has so much beautiful spots to boast.  If you are a tourist trying to explore the Philippines, then your visit would definitely be incomplete without exploring this beautiful island with many hidden secrets!

SOURES;Wikipedia

Untouched Beauty of Tuka Beach

My first time in Tuka Marine Park, I was wowed by its pristine waters and natural beauty both in the island and the colorful life under the sea. It is located in Kiamba, Sarangani Province about an hour and a half drive from Gen. Santos City.

The Tuka Marine Park as I learned is a protected marine sanctuary divided into four coves but the most accessible and usually the one perfect for tourists like us is Tuka 3. So that’s where we were headed after all of us (our family of three with my hubby’s small clan) were hoarded in a big motor boat provided for us by hubby’s friend Mr. Allan de Lima.

The view of Tuka from the boat was splendid, with the natural foliage of coconut trees and other greens  that seem to cover the entire island. They weren’t kidding when they said that this is a protected area. The whole island was untouched.. and so we were told that what we take here, our garbage and all, we have to bring back home. What we were allowed to take along with us in abundance though were pictures. 🙂

This is Tuka2, on the other side of the island is Tuka3 (Taken last summer, sorry wasn’t a blogger then, would’ve blogged about this sooner 🙂

Another photo of the island as we approach the beach. Love the way that lone tree stands proud and tall on top of the hill here.

The Tuka Marine Cove 3 is about 600 meters stretch of yellowish white sand. Kids can readily wade in the shallow part of the beach as the sand is smooth even for bare feet. But then again, its still best to have your kids wear their swimming shoes just in case. Life vests and snorkeling gear are also a must here so you get to enjoy the beautiful corals and  rich underwater sea life.

As you can see, the water is crystal clear, like in a swimming pool “only salty” according to the kids who had a wonderful time since they can see the small fish swimming alongside them even without their goggles 🙂

I remember while snorkeling here, I got so awed by the corals and the variety of fish I saw that I forgot that I was already far from the beach. And then I noticed I was having a difficult time going back because of the underwater current, pulling me away from the beach..and lo and behold as I peeked in my goggles

again, a number of jellyfish were going my way! It gave me the scare of my life..not so much as the current
but the jellyfish! Luckily, one of the divers that came with us saw me and towed me back to the beach. I survived with a few scratches from the jellyfish.. I didn’t realize I was on their turf 🙂 The divers informed me that sometimes when the water is a bit warm enough, jellyfish are present in the deeper part of the water. But don’t worry though, there weren’t a lot of them near the shallow parts 🙂 Maybe its just me, very attractive for jellyfish attack! hehe.

We had a nice time at Tuka beach all thanks to Mr. Allan de Lima who brought us there. For more info on Tuka Marine Park, you can also check out Mr Bariles’ blog about it here.

To go there, you can take a van going to Kiamba from the terminal at North Osmeña St, the fare would be around P90-P120. Ask to be dropped at the Kiamba wharf, from there you can find fishing boats you can rent and haggle your way  to take you to Tuka Beach..ask the locals which cove is best for swimming at the time. For our case though, we were taken to beach/cove3. But its always best to take along a local who knows Tuka Marine Park well so you get to enjoy the whole day here. There are no accommodations or cottages there so you’re going to have to rough it  out there and leave as soon as the sun goes down. (Unless you want to sleep under the light of the stars and the shelter of the coconut tree ala survivor style).

SOURES:pinaytravelogue