by Maya Flaminda Vandenbroeck
WAS ambivalent about whether to go or not. But I did. The escapade last weekend had me tagging along with the crew of Sports Unlimited taking pictures, jotting notes and chatting up everyone. Dyan Castillejo Garcia and Marc Nelson were exactly how I expected them to be; rippling muscles and cool as a cucumber. She had brought along her husband and son and he had brought along his mom. Gene, the assistant producer, Jake, the head writer, and Joseph, Dong, and Bernard, the videographers, were already walking towards Maryknoll’s jetty and lugging along their video cameras, boom microphones, batteries, wires, and luggage.
I didn’t know the itinerary but was mighty glad to be cruising on a rib (i.e. a rigid inflatable boat) as our host, Sonny Dizon, showed the way on his jetski to the first stop: Maxima. It’s a beach house standing on heavy stilts smack in the sea beside one of the jetties along the coastline of the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), or simply Samal Island. Perfect for beach bums who want some exclusivity. And perfect for scuba divers who can rent scuba tanks at P150 and explore San Jose Wall Cave further up.
Sonny Dizon explained Maxima’s named after the pearl oyster, Pinctada Maxima. Formerly a family vacation house, Maxima has been renovated to accommodate 10 guests at a time who can make use of its four bedrooms, three bathrooms, showers, toilets, and kitchen for an overnight stay at P10,500 during weekdays and P12,500 during weekends. Additional guests pay P300 each and can stay at the cozy dorm attic along the coast with a kitchen and toilet bath that are still being constructed. Definitely the most relaxing nooks in Maxima are the lounge chairs on the deck overlooking Davao Gulf and Mt. Apo. [Bookings can be made through contact numbers (082) 271-2626 / 0921-8520251 / 0922-8569792.] Passers by who can’t spend the night can enjoy Maxima’s aqua-fun things to do like kayaking, zipline-to-the-sea, and the ingenious slide-to-the-abyss. All will be fully functional on May 1. A canopy walk is also in the works.
The second stop: Kalinawan. As soon as the Sports Unlimited crew finished securing their bags in Maxima’s rooms, Sonny Dizon made us jump aboard the rib again and head towards Penaplata wharf where vehicles were lined up to take us over rough winding roads to the opposite end of Samal facing Compostela Valley (Maco and Pantukan) and Davao Oriental (Banaybanay and Lupon). After the umpteenth uphill stretch that dangerously swerved our vehicle, there lay Kalinawan, one of the most charmingly rustic beach resorts I’ve ever been to. The bamboo, wood, nipa, rocks, stones, shells that decorate the toilets, chairs and huts on the two-hectare property have been designed to blend with the contours of the land to keep the place as au naturelle as possible.
Kalinawan’s owners, Vip and Mylene, worked in America for 20 years when they decided to pack up and come home. Visiting Philippine beaches was the first thing they did. Kalinawan, the couple tells me, is their beach paradise dream where people can either relax by the beach or do extreme sports like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, zip lining, and the biggest hit: rock climbing. Kalinawan’s 80 ft high and 100 ft wide natural limestone rock formation by the seaside is a favorite of adrenaline junkies who want to have a go at the real thing.
According to Vip, the best way to get to Kalinawan is to mountainbike from Penaplata. Another option is to take the two-hour boat cruise from Sta. Ana wharf. Since renovation is still ongoing, Kalinawan is open only for day tours of up to a minimum of 20 persons at a time at the price of P1,950 per person. [Reservations can be made through contact numbers (082) 298-5298 or 0918-6420082 and through the website kalinawan.multiply.com.]
While Dyan and Marc hammed it up for the cameras, I had a quick chat with Rey Sumagaysay, the owner of EDGE outdoor shop along Bajada, Davao City. Rey and his team of extreme sports professionals set up Kalinawan’s zip lining and rock climbing and now assist the resort’s guests who want to conquer the rocks or speed down the ropes. I learned that over the years, individuals, schools and companies like Nestea, Coca Cola, and San Miguel, have tapped EDGE to organize outdoor events, guide them on climbs up Mt. Apo or rent EDGE’s mobile wall climbing contraption. [Avail of EDGE’s services through contact numbers (802) 300-0384 / 0919-8172298 or email edge.outdoors@yahoo.com.ph.]
The third stop: Blue Jaz beach resort. To get there, we drove back to the opposite end of Samal facing Davao City. Our vehicle entered a compound with a huge blue slide – the longest swimming pool slide in for miles around and it’s conveniently located on the beach so visitors have a choice of sea or pool. Blue Jaz is beside Paradise Island Resort and can be reached through taking the boat from Maryknoll jetty.
