Samal Excursion

Travel Period: March 11, 2012
Destination: Monfort Bat Colony and Vanishing Island

Davao: From Islands To Highlands
Indeed, Davao City is strategically located in southern part of the country that cater the needs for adventure and vacation of individuals. It's blessed with places to explore, people to interact, and one can experience an island to highland adventure just within a reach from the city. Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) is the nearest place to experience beach bumming and water adventures. Aside from wide array of beaches and resorts, the island has also natural tourist spots like bat caves and a vanishing island.

Monfort Bat Colony
Monfort Bat Colony is located at Brgy. Tambo, Babak District in Samal and its a Guinness World Record holder for the largest colony of Geoffroy's Rousette fruit bats. The site can be reached from Davao City downtown proper by riding a Samal Express bus and dropped-off at Babak, then you can hire a habal-habal going to Brgy. Tambo. Before entering at the conservation park, you need to pay for an entrance fee for the park maintenance. Seeing those fruit bats hanging on the ceiling or even on the side of cave side by side was somehow astounding. We toured the area, listened to the tour guide about some interesting facts and of course, photo ops.

Vanishing Island
After the tour inside the bat colony park, we decided to take some rest at the hut near the shore and later on, a local approached us and to cut the story short, he offered his boat service for us to reach the Vanishing Island. I guess, this is one of the seven (I'm not sure though) islands that vanishes during high tide out of 7,107 islands of the archipelago. When we reached the island, there were few mangroves planted in the area. We spend our time dipping unto the blue clear sea water. And when late afternoon came, the entire island was completely submerged by the water. We then waited at the dock for our boat service to came and finally headed back to our home.

Summary
Another great places I have discovered and explored, natural wonders never fail to impress me. Life is indeed really beautiful so does the Mother Earth. We just have to conserve these wonders for the next generation to witness and also experienced.

Thank you and God bless us all!