The Island Garden City of Samal is composed of several islands, with Samal as the biggest among them all. You can’t go to other islands unless you go first to Samal, which is home to some of the most beautiful beach resorts in the country, including the Pearl Farm.
Aside from Samal, I had been to other islands, particularly Talikud (which has been touted as the next Boracay), and Malipano. Another island I really want to go is the Vanishing Island, which emerges only during low tide.
Recently, I had the opportunity of visiting Little Ligid Island (the adjacent island is called the Big Ligid). I wasn’t alone, though. I was together with other journalists and bloggers based from Davao City.
The 4-hectare island is a perfect place to go for some island adventure. It has a beautiful view, especially the one that is facing the Pacific Ocean. It’s no wonder why the owners, the Ayalas, named it as The Island Buenavista (the latter comes from two Spanish words, buena for “good” and vista for “view”).
If one of your dreams is to swim in a white-sand beach with crystal-clear waters and far from the madding crowd, then The Island Buenavista is a dream come true. As you loiter around the island, you can take refuge under the shade of coconut trees (they don’t bear nuts, so you are safe wherever you go), and feel the sun-kissed cottony sands. The nonchalant breeze from the sea cools your warm body.
Not far from the beach, you can enjoy watching the ecologically fragile coral reefs. The waters are teemed with marine life, which makes the island a remarkable haven for those who love diving.
On a clear day, you can go at the gazebo and stay there while having a communion with nature. Watch the adjacent island while sipping a cold pineapple juice or eating some Filipino delicacies.
As the day is set to end, take a glimpse of the pastel sunset. You can sit there and relax while gazing up to a velvet canopy of brilliant stars and silvery moon.
Prof. Armando A. Mortejo, a professor from the Holy Cross of Davao City, visited the place for the first time and said, “I fell in love with the island. [It is] very relaxing.”
Gigie R. Arcilla, a journalist who works abroad and recently returned to Davao, considered the visit as “stress reliever.” She explained, Hindi alas-tres ang ang oras ko ngayon. [My schedule today is not tied up at 3 p.m.]
Admittedly, I had been wanting to visit this island since fellow travelogue writer Jojie Alcantara described the place as sort of “Amanpulo.” Yes, that luxury beach hotel in Palawan where you can enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling on a private island.
The Island Buenavista is the Davao region’s counterpart. With a fixed rate for a night’s stay (a maximum of 10 persons), you can have the whole island. They say that the island gives a new dimension to the word “privacy” and “exclusivity,” since guests may “own” the island for a certain period. It can happen that there’s nobody else on the island, except you and the Buenavista staff.
Going to The Island Buenavista from Davao City takes about almost an hour. Ferry from Sasa whart to Babak in Samal takes about 15 minutes. Land transport from Babak to Anamarina, the exclusive jump-off, is 20 minutes. It takes another 15 minutes or so from Anamarina to the island.