If you are in Davao City and a little pressed for time to go sight-seeing elsewhere, then Samal Island may be your best bet. A couple of months ago, I was in Davao City for a weekend hosting gig. I arrived on a Friday night, and spent Saturday running some errands for the event and getting just enough rest because I had an 11pm call time on Saturday night. The event lasted the entire Sunday morning and my flight back to Manila was around 7pm. I really wanted to do more tourist-y stuff so my friend, who is based in Davao, offered to take me to Samal Island.

We went to Costa Marina Beach Resort on Samal Island, which is a nice and quiet resort, just ten minutes away from the port. The beach isn't the best but it is clean enough and well taken cared of. There are cottages available for overnight guests. The resort also has a restaurant that serves delicious and reasonably priced food.

Although we only spent half of the day at Costa Marina, it was still an enjoyable experience. I had fun catching up with my friend and I got to relax after a weekend's worth of hard work. We left Costa Marina around 4pm and because of its proximity to Davao City, I had more than enough time to make my way to the airport and catch my flight back to Manila.

Travel Notes:

How to get there:
  • From anywhere in Davao City, you can take a cab that will bring you to Sasa Port. From the port, charter a boat going to Costa Marina Beach Resort. 

Expenses:
  • Cab going to Sasa Port - Php130
  • Round trip boat ride - Php40
  • Entrance fee - Php200
  • Food - meals range from Php200 to Php500


There are several other beach resorts in the area but we chose Costa Marina because it was the least crowded one. If you have limited time in Davao City, then I highly recommend doing this just so you can maximize your trip. That and you get to tick off two provinces just by going to Davao City and Samal Island: Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur.