 |
Infinity Pool at SECDEA Beach Resort. |
My
cousin told me that there is a world-class resort in the island so after
our overnight stay at the Heavenly Beach Resort in IGACOS (still popularly
known as Samal Island), in the late afternoon, we decided to drop by the place. We drove passing by the overlook drive of the
Holiday Oceanview Marina where several yachts were moored, mostly owned by
foreign tourists. I thought the place is
closed because of the kidnapping incident that took place in September last
year were 4 people (2 Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipina) were abducted by an
unknown group. But judging by the number
of boats within the enclosure, it looks like it’s still in operation.
 |
Holiday Oceanview Marina as seen from the lookout. |
The lookout on the promontory just above the marina commands a nice view of the blue
ocean, the marina, and the small island in the middle of the sea beside it. There were tables and benches which mean that
people could have a picnic there? Not sure.
Then off
we took the long drive east of the island, perhaps, if you’re coming from the
ferry wharf, it may take more than half an hour to reach it.
The
place is a piece of paradise! With all
the small resort establishments around the island, SECDEA Beach Resort stands
out with its topnotch and charming facilities sprawling over 50 hectares along
the shoreline of Barangay San Isidro, Babak.
Upon
entering the main gate manned by security staff, we were transported along a
boulevard by the resort’s golf cart. Few meters from the main reception
building, on the left side of the boulevard we stopped over at a man-made
waterfalls along the way, fashioned on the side of a cliff with the name of the
resort on the upper part. Accented with green
plants and shrubs, the water cascades onto a koi pond with lots of big colorful
fishes, a wooden platform in the middle beside the pond and the waterfalls where
one can have a closer look. Beside it a
lawn with huge turtles, three of them slowly lazing around which at first I
thought were turtle-shaped rocks until one of them started to move its
head. The children loved it.
 |
Cascading waterfalls near the reception area of Secdea. |
 |
Turtles. |
We walked to the domed reception area just across the falls, it is accented with a small koi pond, sort of a wishing well as I’ve noticed shimmering coins beneath the surface and there are also red and white colored fishes, theme was of Japanese.
 |
Reception building and the Secdea sign on the cliff wall. |
 |
Reception Area. |
 |
Corkage Fees and the Breakfast Hall. |
Passing
by the lofty breakfast hall decorated with several fans on the ceiling on the
left side of the reception, it opened up onto the neat vast pool area all the
way to an Infinity Pool overlooking the picturesque ocean with the
pavement in between the pool and the white sandy beach.
 |
Swimming Pools at Secdea. |
 |
Infinity Pool with the scenic ocean and mountains in the background at Secdea. |
A jetty
is jutting out from the white sandy beach onto the middle of the water with a
hut in the end of the walkway. Beside it
is a small blue-striped watchtower at the tip of the breakwater perpendicular
to the jetty, ambiance is serenely scenic with the vast blue ocean and the
silhouette of the mountain range on the far horizon.
 |
Jetty at Secdea. |
 |
Kayaking near the jetty. |
 |
Lighthouse in the middle of the sea at Secdea. |
At the
back of the parked speedboats is an entrance opening up to a pathway onto a
mangrove park. The beautiful Mangrove
Walk can be explored leisurely along a very long cement walkway elevated
couple of meters from the wet ground winding through tall mangroves, some
concrete benches along its sides facing the sea. The walkway ends on an aviary with several chirping
birds and a big Philippine eagle.
 |
The boardwalk along the Mangrove Walk at Secdea. |
 |
Explore the mangroves safely along a winding elevated walkway. |
Beside
it is a lofty overlook accessible through a spiral staircase and a little
further to the left is the Fishing Lagoon.
 |
The fishing Lagoon at Secdea. |
The
whole resort area is a huge park in itself with many things to see and explore
by its guests.
The
resort offer many beach activities like snorkeling, kayaking, beach volleyball,
basketball court, a tennis court, banana boat ride, and there are several speed
boats.
Dotted
by variety of accommodation types from full villas for families on an outing to
couples who need a romantic getaway. There stands beside each other two-story villa
with four rooms, two big rooms with two matrimonial beds and two single beds each
and two small rooms. One of the smaller
rooms has one matrimonial bed and the other one has two single beds. Although each of the rooms has its own
bathrooms, the two bigger rooms have spacious bathrooms. There is a large porch with furnishings
overlooking a partial view of the ocean and the beautifully sculpted lawns.
The
friendly staff who toured us around told me that the rate of the whole 4-bedroom
villa is P18,000.
 |
The spa on the right side of the two-story villa at Secdea. |
 |
The two-story villa with 4 bedrooms and a wraparound patio at Secdea. |
Fronting
the villas is a long two-story building which houses rooms for big groups also
with 6 double beds and costs P15,000 per night good for 10 to 12
persons. Though I find that a bit odd
because if I’ll be staying with a group of 10 or more, I’d rather take the more
spacious villa rather than the large one-bedroom with just a difference of
P3,000. The villa is a lot bigger, more privacy,
a large porch, several bathrooms, it’s like having your own house compared to
being housed in a hotel-type accommodation no matter how spacious the bedroom
is.
 |
Side-by-side, the two-story hotel-type building and the one-bedroom cottage; on the right side is the 6-bed room. |
Beside
the building are small cottages for couples opening up to a big lawn though I
have not seen the inside of it. Standing
on a stilt on the water few meters from the sands is a lone cottage which is
also for rent, I think it cost P4,000 or something, I just forgot, but it
doesn’t have its own bathroom instead you have to walk a minute to get to the
common bathroom. Perfect place for viewing
the sunset, I personally like the idea but not if you’re bothered by the lack of ensuite bathroom.
 |
Seaside Cottage at Secdea. |
Should
you want to bring your own food and beverages, you definitely can for a pricey
corkage fee.
The resort also offers a day tour (not
overnight stay) wherein, for the whole day, you may enjoy swimming at the
pools, beach, and enjoy exploring the surroundings.
This stunning resort is relatively new, opened
only in 2013, so noticeably the staff – although friendly – lacked the usual
courtesies (the greetings like Good mornings or Welcome to -
whatever) that I usually find at premier resorts or hotels. I cannot differentiate the ordinary staff or
rank and files to the supervisors or managers or team leaders – if there are
any. Nonetheless, it’s a good
competition to the long-standing Pearl Farm, maybe even better – if properly
managed.
For reservations and rates, you may call SECDEA
Beach Resort at (082) 305-2774 or (082) 305-4028.
Secdea is such a wonderful place. I love those infinity pools. Wish to visit Davao this year to experience Secdea. Office Supplies Davao City
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