Santa Cruz Island Zamboanga

Dia Dos: La Isla de Santa Cruz (Pink Sand)

Great Santa Cruz and Little Santa Cruz Island

 Dia Uno: Hola Buenas Ciudad de Zamboanga

Dia Dos: La Isla de Santa Cruz (Pink Sand)

Dia Tres: Ultimo Dia en Zamboanga 

Question: Where is Santa Cruz Island?Is it Safe to go there? Is it really Pink?

Itinerary for the Day: Half Day (Santa Cruz Island)- Try the Curacha at Alavars- Nightlife 

How to get there? By Boat from Mainland Zamboanga City 

How long? 4KM / 15 Minutes Travel

*courtesy of google map

*Have an arrangements/reservations at Dept of Tourism office a day before your trip. Gracias Sir Jun for assisting us!

 Information from DOT:

                -P1000/10 pax/ 1 Boat/with 1 Escort/1 Tour Guide

                -Bring your own food, water, liquor (is allowed) and also food for your Escort and Tour Guide

                -Cottage Rentals (P100-P200, not sure of the Big One)
                -"Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time" (Very Elementary to Explain)

 

Paseo del Mar

 Dia Dos: La Isla de Santa Cruz (Pink Sand)

-Breakfast and Bought our Food at Jollibee.

-Went to Paseo del Mar (Docking Point-Boat to Santa Cruz Island)

-Paid Island Fee( P20/pax), Environmental Fee (P5/pax)

-Coast Guard Personnel were around. Checking the manifest and gave us clearances and strictly instructed us to wear the Life Jacket before we ride the boat. (Good Job!)

What's missing with this boat?

    Boat Ride: We were 5 then plus the escort and tour guide plus 2 boatmen. Don’t make any unnecessary moves. Balancing is the best policy. It was a bumpy ride. We were screaming at first and full of silence afterwards and Scream Again! I felt that any moment the boat will turn upside down and I started to pray. Calling all Angels  and Saints that bring us to the island safe and sound. I felt relief that we’re almost at the island.. Whew!

    It’s only a 4KM ride, just 15Mins Ride. Very Near but the boat is very unique. It has no “Katig”-outrigger! What will be the support?.

    By 10AM, Arrived at the Island.Asked our boatman to return by 1-2PM. No Payment Yet

(Still can’t get over with the ride. I forgot to remove my Life Vest until we reached the Cottage, which supposed to be return to the boatman)

Bienvenidos!

Vinta?

Little Santa Cruz Island

Long Stretch of White Sand

     There were already 1 group ahead of us (compose of 17 pax with their 2 Policemen Escorts). So we felt secured that we have companions and also our Tour Guide informed us that there is a Detachment (Armed Forces of Philippines) within the Island.

    We were also advised by DOT that the latest time to stay at the island is at 3PM. Why? For security and tide reason

Other Tourists

   10 - 11 AM - Photo Op/11 -12 PM- Eat/12-2 PM- Swim and Stroll the Island

Emo at Santa Cruz Island

 

Tips and Information

-Tagged as Pink Sand, Don’t expect to be that pink, a Mixture of White Sand and Corals (Fuschia). Well...

Because of this Coral

Crabby?!Pink right?

How about you John Lennon? Is it Pink?

-Security (the Biggest Issue)- According to our guide, No Bandits Intervention incident so far happened. As a safety precaution, they built the Army Detachment and Escorts for tourists

Pastime of our Hero Soldiers

Army Detachment

-Other Sites (Santa Cruz Island)

                -Lagoon ,Badjao’s Burial Site and a Little Community at the other side of the Island

-Designated Souvenir Shops Area/ No Sari-Sari stores

                -You can Haggle but don’t be a Lowballer- Their Only Source of Income and to Earn a Living

Souvenir Shops

my vintas

-Has CR- No Showers, No Tap Water Yet

-By  January (2013), Our Tour Guide informed us that the Local Government will start the Development of the Island.

                -Stores, Water Supply and Barracks for Local Guides will be available for the 1^st Q of the Year.

By 2 PM, GoodBye Santa Cruz Island. Wet. No Shower.Unforgettable Boat Ride. Reached the Mainland .Walked Going Back to our Lodge.Freshen Up and Rest for a While...

2nd Half of Our IT for the Day: Quest for the Curacha(a Must Try to Eat) at Alavars and the Nightlife

By 7PM -Onwards...(Transportation: Tricycle)

-Went to Alavar (Main Branch -Tetuan). Curachas were Sold Out. Failed! 
-Hopped to different restaurants hoping that they serve Curachas. Failed! It was not our lucky night! We ended eating our Dinner at Katribo (Area for Bars and Restaurants) 
-Thank God, my officemate, Schyne was there, guided us What to do? Where to go? and etc..
-After Dinner we went to Boulevard (a.k.a Cawa-Cawa or better known as Boulevard of Broken Dreams... accdn'g to my officemate) and headed to Camins Ave for our "Nightlife"(no further info..Ssssh!)

Alavar Main Branch ( Tetuan)

Boulevard (Cawa-Cawa)

Had a Massage. Back to Our Lodge. Sleep 

Siguiente: Ultimo Dia en Zamboanga