It’s no surprise that Mindanao has plenty of unexplored wonders just waiting to be discovered and that includes the eastern side of Mindanao. It was about time I do an exploration trip in these parts. I, along with my fellow photographer enthusiast friends ventured in the regions of Agusan del Norte, Surgigao del Sur and Davao City with a lot more staying time in Bislig. Throughout, we visited the Balangay in Butuan, the Enchanted River at Hinatuan, the Philippine’s Widest Waterfalls Tinuy-an and the relaxing island of Hagonoy, and finally setting my foot for the first time in Davao. Here is the summary of that exciting trip.
Itinerary
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
- Surigao del Sur: Early Morning Sail from Bislig City to Hagonoy Island
- Surigao del Sur: Serendipity Strikes in Hagonoy Island
Day 4
- Surigao del Sur: Tinuy-an, Philippine’s Widest Waterfalls in Bislig
- Surigao del Sur: A Side Trip to Hinatuan Enchanted River and the Sibadan Fish Cages
Day 5
Day 6
- Fly back to Manila
Budget: The total money I spent for the whole trip is P8106. Not totally cheap since we’re not really backpacking and we came here as Travel Photographers. Large chunk of the budget came from transportation which we usually hire for our disposal. Next of course is the food as we made sure we enjoy the local specialties of the places. The minor chunk includes some presents for home and some souvenirs.
For more photos from this trip, check out my SmugMug Gallery.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
