Discovering Surigao & the beauty of Tumi Beach Resort on Bucas Grande Island!

02:50 Bucas Grande Island , Mindanao , Surigao , travels , Tumi beach resort No comments

https://maps.google.com.ph/maps?ie=UTF-8&gl=ph&daddr=Siargao+Island&saddr=Bucas+Grande&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&geocode=KWGFfBzH4gMzMTAXeVXmvgy4%3BKbPp2VI2BAQzMYQboclgasXU&dirflg=d&ei=q4BTU9a-E5aF8gX1s4DoDg&ved=0CCkQ-A8wAA

from: Bucas Grande to: Siargao Island (by Google Maps)

Surigao del Norte is a province I heard quite a lot about. Friends would tell me often that you think first of Siargao island in that region as the most beautiful as it is heavily advertised in media, but it is a far cry from the natural beauty of the Sohoton Caves and the Bucas Grande Island! After having spent three days there, I am still at awe at its truth.

Background info:
Bucas Grande Island is popularly known as Socorro. It is a lone island municipality in the province. It has a total land area of 12,445 hectares holds a count of more or less 20,000 inhabitants. These inhabitants have settled in 14 barangays of the municipality namely: Barangays Don Albino Taruc, Navarro, Rizal, Del Pilar, Dona Helene, Honrado, Nueva Estrella, Pamosaingan, Salog, San Roque, Sudlon, Santa Cruz, Songkoy and N. Sering.

There are many ways to reach Bucas Grande Island:

Surigao City is regarded as the main transit point in getting to the island. You can either choose to travel by air (Cebu Pacific flies daily from Cebu to Surigao and vice versa, Air Phil Express flies from Manila to Surigao everyday except Wednesdays and vice versa), by land (Philtranco Bus), or by sea from Manila directly to Surigao City. From the airport or from the bus terminal, available tricycle or multicabs can bring you to the City’s Pantalan Uno (Port/Pier 1), take then another two-hour boat ride to Bucas Grande Island. Other drop off points may be be the port of Barangay Hayanggabon, Claver.

Arrival:

The boat ride took about 1.5 hours. From afar we saw the beautiful shorelines of Bucas Grande with its magnificent white beaches and green scenery. The closer we got, the more we were convinced that Mother Nature has abundantly blessed this area! By laying first foot off the bangka, we were welcomed by the powdery white sand, the sound of the waves and the warm resort's host.

Accomodation:
We stayed at TUMI BEACH RESORT. This resort is one of three private resorts owned by a Belgian and run by very kind locals with excellent hosting and service skills. In terms of price: normally one night cost Php5,000 good for a group of 10 excluding food. Since we availed of a promo, we got it cheaper including food and sightseeing tours to Sohoton Cove, Enchanted Crystal Cove, Lagoon Tiktikan and tours along the island for swimming and diving breaks.

Tumi Beach Resort on Bucas Grande Island... Yup, it is that awesome!

Tumi Beach Resort provides two cottages (good for couples) and an open-cottage (good for ten people or more) made of hard wood, bamboo, partially with concrete and tiles.

back view of our open cottage

front view

Food:

Since we availed of a promo, we were served three times a day with delicious meals! Mainly we were served with all kinds of very fresh seafood (crabs, shrimps, tilapia, lapu-lapu), meat, rice, desserts (pineapple, watermelon, apples, oranges, fresh coconut). It was absolutely yummy every time!