Aliwagwag Falls in Cateel will take your breath away
located in full coral triangle –Known as the heart of the Ocean for being the most biodiverse place on the planet–, ** The Philippines ** has one of the most incredible land and sea landscapes in the world.
they call it the paradise of the 7000 thousand islands. However, could you tell us a place other than El Nido (Palawan)? –and it is not worth Manila–.
In a world dominated by hashtags and likes, paradisiacal beaches are in serious danger. In fact, last June, the Thai beach of Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Island, closed until further notice.
palm trees in paradise
The place became famous by becoming the setting for the movie The Beach, starring Leonardo Dicaprio, and tourists began to visit it en masse causing a worrying deterioration of the area.
In April of this same year, the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, closed the island of Boracay for six months calling it a "sewer".
But let us tell you something that should not be new to anyone: in the world there are hundreds of millions of paradises, and space for everyone in them.
When you land in the Philippines, don't look at Instagram to make sure of the exact spot where the influencer on duty is taking the photo, look at what time the next bus leaves for East Davao and be the first to capture it on your camera.
Dahican Beach
DAVAO ORIENTAL, THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC
With its more than 5,000 square kilometers of surface, Davao Oriental is the largest province in the Philippine region of Davao, which in turn belongs to the island of Mindanao.
On its shores they break the waves of the Pacific, the Gulf of Davao and the Celebes Sea that, together with its mountains and mountain ranges, make the place the most authentic meaning of the word contrast.
Here, the crystal clear waters of the ocean return us a reflection of mountain ranges, endless forests and wild nature that conveys a unique sense of freedom.
How do you say dear adventurer? Haven't you crossed half the planet to dedicate yourself to contemplation? Don't worry, as his most famous slogan says, "Everything is more fun in the Philippines." We show it to you.
Aliwagwag Falls are the highest in the country and are a protected area
FIRST STOP: MATI
To get to Mati, capital of Davao Oriental province, we must fly to Davao City and from there take a bus or a van.
The most popular accommodations are in Dahican Beach, like the villas of **Tropical Kanakbai** or Dahican Surf Resort, ideal for lovers of waves.
Tropical Kanakbai, the villas that will make you feel at home
Dahican Beach has 17 kilometers of white sand and a wide range of water sports (surfing, paddle surfing, water skiing, body boarding...) .
The bravest can not stop approaching the Mindanao Saga Flying Club, where they can live the experience of admiring the beach from an ultralight aircraft.
Do you dare to admire the landscape from the air?
Another place you cannot miss in Mati is the one known as 'sleeping dinosaur', a set of hills that, seen from the winding road that leads to the city, look like a large dinosaur taking a little nap.
Also, the 'animal' changes color, being brown in summer and reaching a bright green color with the rainy season.
The 'Sleeping Dinosaur', the most sought after photo
WHAT TO EAT IN MATI
More than eat, drink. And we are not talking about any tropical juice, but about coffee! the rice coffee is very famous in the mountainous regions of the country and they have the most interesting properties, because It does not have as much caffeine as regular coffee and helps treat stomach pain.
If you combine it with one of the delicious homemade desserts that they serve in the local cafeterias, you will have discovered the typical Filipino snack.
Another delicacy of the region is the mango (which tastes like nowhere else in the world) and ultimately, its many food stalls, whose owners always welcome you with a smile on their faces.
Rice coffee, Mati's most popular drink
THE ALIWAGWAG FALLS
Aliwagwag Falls, located in Cateel, are the highest in the country and are made up of a hundred waterfalls whose strength transmits, paradoxically (or not so much) a tranquility that completely abstracts us from the world.
In addition, you can take a dip in the natural pools or cross the Monkey Bridge, a rope bridge not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo.
PUJA BAY
Pujada Bay is another of the paradisiacal corners of Davao Oriental, besides being a protected area with a marine research center.
To get here, it is enough to take a rental boat in the city of Mati.
The island of Pujada is the most important in the bay that bears the same name
In Pujada, nature roams freely unfolding all its potential in the form of mangroves, pines, white sand and crystal clear waters.
Marine life is a true wonder: hard and soft corals, fish, turtles, dolphins, whale sharks and the most illustrious inhabitants: the dugong, sea cows that attract all eyes in the area.
The dugong, the most famous sea cow in Pujada Bay
THE BLUE ECONOMY: KEY TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE OCEAN
Davao Oriental, with its governor Nelson Dayanghirang at the helm, does not stop his tireless work to preserve the marine environment while betting on a sustainable tourism.
In this region of the Philippines, locals and tourists they love the ocean above all, that is why they always apply the maximum “think global, act local”, and always thinking in terms of sustainability.
Who knows, maybe this piece of paradise will never have to close its beaches and be an example that tourism, developed on the basis of respecting nature, is possible.
Long live the ocean!