Mati’s summer destinations
By Ben O. Tesiorna, Reporter

Summer is here! And what is the best thing to do this summer? What else but head on to the beach and dive on the cool water.

Here in the Davao Region, one best destination would be the City of Mati in Davao Oriental. With its white sand beaches and azure seas, Mati is a go-getter. But there is more to Mati than just beaches and sun.

Lately, hotels and resorts have begun sprouting like mushroom in this laid back city. Sun.Star Davao toured some of the best hotel/resorts in Mati and here is our experience.


BAYWALK HOTEL
Located at the heart of the city, this latest addition to the growing number of hotels in Mati is a sure hit. With a very spacious two-bed air-conditioned room priced at P650 only, Baywalk Hotel is fast becoming a choice of visitors who wanted to experience great hotel ambience at a low price.
Each of its rooms has different themes and comes with a hot and cold shower, and a television. It also offers an air-conditioned function room that could accommodate 200 persons. At the lobby is a restaurant that serves delicious foods and drinks.
For techies, wifi is available. Baywalk Hotel also offers a great view of the sunset and is just a stone’s throw away from the cathedral and Mati’s baywalk park thus its name.
For reservations call (087) 811-4060.

KANAK BAI
Kanak Bai is a Mandayan dialect which literally means “my house”. And like its meaning, visitors would surely call this very exclusive resort as their own house. Kanakbai Tropical Home is located only 15 minutes away from the city. You travel in to Dahican Village, and along a picturesque coconut farm and cattle ranch which ends at the Pacific Ocean.
This two bedroom tropical house is right in front of the Pacific Ocean, and surrounded with coconut trees, Barbados almonds, mahogany trees and a tropical garden.
Owner Queenie Catbagan-Sibala said there will only be one set of guests at a time on their resort. She said this is to give their guests the exclusivity they needed during their stay.
Kanak Bai amenities include 2 full suites that could accommodate six persons each room. The room comes with king size beds, private baths (hot and cold showers), and air-conditioning.
It has a screened balcony complete with furniture, refrigerator, a mini bar with a view of the tropical garden and the Pacific Ocean.
The resort has also a large veranda that is 75 square meters and includes fully-equipped kitchen with refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, dining wares and kitchen utensils, two dining tables, two ceiling fans, outdoor benches and comfortable sofas, private comfort room and outdoor shower.
All this for at least P2,500 only for a couple. If the guests number to more than two, Sibala said they will charge an additional P250 per person. If you want a package for as many as 20 guests, the whole resort is yours for only P10,000 per day.
Other amenities include child wading pool, banca, two mountain bikes, skimboard, on-site housekeeper and cook.
This haven is ideal for the relaxing tourist, newlyweds, lovers, friends, family reunions, weddings and all sorts of celebration inside a coconut plantation overlooking a white beach and the Pacific Ocean.
For reservations and more information log on at www.kanakbai.com or call them at 09177197209.

BOTONA
The Botona Beach Resort is named after its owner, Eva Botona.Wanting to help her fellow Matininan, Eva decided to construct a beach resort that will not only serve as her rest house whenever she is in town but also cater to the visitors who wanted to enjoy the Dahican Beach.
The resort boasts of two cottages with two rooms each priced from P1,500 to P1,800 per day. A resto-bar is also available for those who wanted to savor seafoods and cold drinks. Several kiosks, at P250 each, and rubber seats, at P150 each, are also available for those who are on a tight budget.
If you want to have all of the resort exclusively yours, you will have to shell only P15,000. The resort is perfect for parties and weddings. An exclusive use of the restaurant area during daytime is only P2,000 while on night time it is a little higher at P3,000.
If you only have P5 in your pocket, have no fear as you can still enjoy the Botona Beach with its P5 entrance fee. All you have to do is sit on the sand and enjoy the sea.
Call or text 09185255227 for your reservations.

EL PUEBLO
Just a few months since it opened to the public, El Pueblo will definitely offer a new experience for visitors and locals alike.
Mary Ann Lopez-Valverde is bent on making El Pueblo a must destination in the near future. Though at present it only has one building with 12 rooms priced at P850 each room with free breakfast , four more buildings are coming up along with a swimming pool and a garden with a fountain fit for weddings and parties.
Valverde said she will also construct a commercial building in the compound for other establishments to make business with. A conference room will also be constructed as well as a spa. The owner said she plans to make El Pueblo a high class resort comparable to the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.
At the moment, Valverde said she is introducing her international cuisine to the residents of Mati. So far, so good she says. This summer, there specialty is the halo-halo topped with a strawberry ice cream and a cherry.
For reservations and inquiries, El Pueblo can be contacted at 0922-8448029.


GREGORIO BEACH RESORT
Gregorio Beach Resort is one of the four resorts lined along the Masao area. From as low as P250, one can enjoy the sand, sea and sun.
Aircon rooms are available for only P1,200. While a two room “vacation house” sitting on top of the water is at P2,000 per day. Other cottages can be rented out from P500-P1,000. A floating cottage is also available for only P200.
Gregorio Beach Resort has much promise to becoming a favorite destination but it needs more improvement at the moment. Text or call 091975551712 for your reservations.

CINCO MASAO

One of the most popular resorts in Masao is the Cinco Masao Resort. It has 15 small open cottages for at least P100 only and 15 big open cottages for P150. Four aircon rooms are also available for P1,500 each while a family room good for 12 people can be rented out for P4,000.
Non-air rooms are also available for only P300 good for two persons. Cinco Masao is known for its line of cottages going out to the sea. “Tulay cottages”, as they call it, can be rented out from P300 to P400 pesos only on daytime. Higher rates are imposed on nighttime use of their cottages.
At the end of the tulay cottages is the function hall with eight rooms on its attic. The entire building can be rented for P5,400 while rent for the function hall only is at P2,500.
Cinco Masao has also a mini zoo with monkeys, eagle, a civet cat, a crocodile and a “kalaw” named Luningning.
Luningning has become the resort’s attraction. Uncaged, Luningning flies freely around the resort. Just by a call of her name, Luningning flies towards whoever calls her. Though at first one might get intimidated with Luningning’s huge beak, she is nevertheless as harmless as a puppy.
Growing up around people made Luningning very comfortable with visitors who wanted to hold and pet her. Just one warning though, never try to run whenever Luningning is around as she will surely swoop down on you. For reservations call 09187560571.

HONEY’S HOTEL AND RESTAURANT
Honey’s Hotel and Restaurant is one of the favorites in holding events with huge crowd. The two-storey building has two function halls that can accommodate several hundreds of people.
At the ground floor are beautifully designed hotel rooms. Each room has different motif, all are air-conditioned with hot and cold bath and cable TV.
Adjacent to the hotel is the Honey’s Restaurant that serves food turo-turo style.
They can be contacted at telephone number (087) 811-4038.

MOST RECOMMENDED DESTINATION:
Two of my most memorable destinations in Mati are the Jam Bay Beach Resort and the Seaside Restaurant.

JAM BAY RESORT

Jam Bay Resort is located along the Masao beach strip. At present it has only three rooms, and several tables along the beach front. A conference hall and more rooms are however being constructed and will be completed soon.
What struck me most with Jam Bay is the warmth and hospitality of its owner and staff. Owner Joy Moring is most accommodating host.
Big plus factor is the swimming pool-like swimming area. Unlike other resorts in the Masao area, Jam Bay’s swimming area is very clean and safe. The owners painstakingly clean their area of dead leaves on a daily basis and flattens area that have sharp stones to make it more pleasing to the naked feet.
The staff is also very obliging to the point that you feel so pampered like a royalty.
For reservations and inquiries you can contact Jam Bay Resort at 09219541272.


SEASIDE REASTAURANT
If you want the best sea foods in town, go to Seaside Restaurant located just a few meters away from the city hall.
Mouth-watering grilled tunas paired with kinilaw, shrimp in chili sauce, camaron rebosado, grilled pusit and tinolang isda is just heavenly and satisfying.
Seaside also boasts of its popular fried and fresh lumpias and empanada.
If in Mati, just ask where Seaside is and you will surely not miss it. Seaside is synonymous to good food. BOT