What happens when perceiving parents plan a travel?
There is no detailed itinerary. An ISTP Dad and INFP Mom left a bewildered ESFJ child asking every few minutes, "Where are we going next, Mama? What's the travel plan, Papa?"
All expectations were left and forgotten at the airport. My husband @iamyohann and I are drawn to spontaneity, armed with a list of places scribbled on a small notebook. The long journey to Mati didn't help. Rather, it fueled my daughter's curiosity and anticipation even more.
Where is it?
Dahican Beach is located in Mati City, Davao Oriental, south of the Philippines in Mindanao.
How to Get to Mati City click here
The Tuk-tuk Tour Guide
We hailed a tuk-tuk on the main road. Yes a tuk-tuk and not a tricycle. These three-wheelers thankfully dominated Mindanao roads. Something that I hope we'll find everywhere in the Philippines as they're more spacious and more comfortable.
One of the travel tips I acquired during past business trips was that the best tour guides for local authentic experiences are local taxis and/or tuk-tuk drivers. They're a great resource for information and they share great stories. Who else could provide insider expert tips than someone born and raised there?
Here's a sample of our usual travel itinerary. No dates, just a list of places to visit and do
I tried to hire the tuk-tuk and the driver for the day so that he could show us around the listed places above.
To my disappointment, he hesitated because he had to pick up a pre-booked passenger around noon. Too bad, he seemed like a genuinely kind man.
He was about to leave when he changed his mind at the last minute. Instead, he offered to drop us off at Dahican Beach first and later come back for us once he was done with his pre-booked appointment. That sounded like a good plan so we hopped in.
Dahican Beach
The sun was in hiding and we found ourselves surrounded by dense coconut trees in front of one of the resorts along Dahican Beach. Our tuk-tuk driver whom I'll call Kuya (this means older brother in Filipino) brought us to a resort with a good restaurant on the property.
None of us were hungry yet after a heavy brunch we had at The Colonel's Coffee so we requested for an open/free beach access instead. We intended to walk along the shore while we waited for him to return.
He turned around and drove back to where we came from until we reached a park. A reception hut stood along the pathway and we were told they do not accept random visitors.
Travel Tip: It's difficult to find free beach access in the area unless it's through a resort or a restaurant. However, there is one free access through a pathway next to Amihan Beach Resort.
Menzi Beach Park and Campsite
This beautifully landscaped park with nicely designed event halls covered by roofs typical of the region is reserved only for private and/or government guests and is not open to the public.
Kuya talked to the officials at the counter and convinced them that we wouldn't be long. I pleaded that we were merely passing through and would only like to take pictures of the beach and the property for a blog so they kindly conceded. We logged our names in their visitor records book and parted ways with our guide.
We weren't charged an entrance fee because the venue was temporarily closed.
Have you had one of those days when a day highlights the transitions?
Where everything blurs except for the pauses and the in-betweens?
Dahican Beach was exactly that.
The pristine turquoise waters and crescent-shaped shoreline of Dahican Beach stretched for 7-kilometers. The sound of powerful waves crashing on the shore greeted us as we walked barefoot on its soft powdery ivory sand.
Silence. Just us three.
We were all astonished and impressed by the unexpected beauty of Dahican Beach.
Our feet gently sunk into the sand with every step, it felt like stepping on plush cushions. The salty breeze caressed our skin. The sky was overcast when we arrived and the sun gently appeared between the clouds.
The shadows of towering pine and coconut trees drew shapes on the fine sand. It's not often we see tall trees lining the beach and it felt good to be comfortably shaded by them.
We caught a glimpse of surfers on the horizon.
Yohann and I sat on an abandoned wooden log in front of a bamboo fence and stayed there for an hour while Anais built a sand castle.
We noticed that the sea in front of Menzi was calmer. As we drifted further towards Lane's Kalapyahan Beach past Dahican Surf Resort, the waves grew larger thus these latter areas were busy with surfers and skimboarders. This part of the long coastline was packed with weekend vacationers and local families. Music played filtered through the trees in harmony with the sound of waves and laughter.
Since pictures paint a thousand words, I wish to indulge you with more photos taken during our time there.
Thank you for reaching this far. If you'd like to read more about activities in Mati, do check out my previous posts:
The Sleeping Dinosaur
The Colonel's Coffee : A Golf & Country Club Cafe
Note: Images and Texts Edited with Canva
"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both the tangible and the unseen."
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.