Dakak Beach Resort in Dapitan is just across the sea from Dumaguete. After so long a time, we finally decided to visit such a tropical getaway. The promise of luxury, tranquility and bountiful nature is fulfilled, but for a hefty price tag, especially if you plan to stay there overnight. If money is no object, there is a wide array of resort rooms to choose from. In our case, we were on a very tight budget or even survival mode; indeed, money doesn’t grow on trees.
However, there is still a window of opportunity for one to experience Dakak – that is their Day Tour Package. It only costs P500 with a free Italian Pasta meal and free use of their swimming pools, jacuzzi, pure white sand beach and other high-class amenities. We will focus solely on this, because our blog caters to backpackers who prefer to maximize their travels and spend less at the same time.
Our day started with an early breakfast at a Tapsilogan food station located on the opposite side of the road from where the Rizal monument rests nearby the Gloria de Dapitan amusement park. We ordered Tapsilog for P45 each and tap water to save up. We took some pictures of the gray sands lining the entire breadth of the Sunset boulevard while waiting for our savory meals to be served.
We rode on a motorcab going to the market area where the single motorcycles are parked, by the way the fare is only P8 so always ask first before you step on any public vehicle. We then asked the driver to look for a single motorcycle rider who would settle for P75/head one way going to Dakak beach resort. Luckily, there was one who agreed – Marlon, cellphone #: +639174602373. From there we were whisked away to the Dakak beach resort portal for about 30 minutes. We don’t want to delve anymore into our conversations about the Jalosjos clan and their political grips over the land.
As soon as we arrived at the gates of Dakak Beach Resort, we showed our receipts of P1,000 for the Dakak Beach Resort Day Tour. P500 for me and another P500 for my wife, in case you’re wondering. We purchased our tickets from Fantasyland Tours inside Gloria de Dapitan. So, after showing our tickets, one of the staff called up the free shuttle ride going to where the Dakak Beach Resort is nestled in the distance. We noticed that the road were well-paved and there were lots of fantastic landscaping along the way. It took less than 10 minutes to reach our destination.
The first thing we saw there was this huge boat fixture between the big Dolphin swimming pool and kiddie pool which is actually the Pirate’s Disco Bar. We visited the souvenir shop nearby but the Dakak T-shirts were so expensive from P250 to P375 each. So, we had to skip that and just proceed to their lockers area. Yes, there is person in charge of all your baggage situated by the Kiddie pool. We left our bulky stuff there and proceeded to the beach. The cove itself was clean, white and considerably wide but if you’re looking for long walks on the beach then this particular patch of beach isn’t for you. On the other end is the Dakak Aqua Sports, they have everything there – Jetskis, banana boats, scuba gear… you name it. If you came to Dakak Beach Resort as a group, you may cheapen the cost of the Jetski rental by taking turns with your mates. We estimate it to be around P2,000 for a mere 30 minutes use. So again, we went beach bumming for a bit then took pictures here and there. It was a lot of fun, but we were a bit bothered by the people at the beach-side restaurant. The restaurant itself allows the customers a full view of the beach, sea and the embracing land masses.
Dakak Beach
During our stay, there were lots of people since it was the weekend after all. But, we were fortunate enough to capture stills of the beach when the others were hiding from the scorching heat of the sun. We wasted no time and took advantage of such a beautiful moment of having the entire stretch of the beach all to ourselves!
Underwater Scene
The underwater scene was not that good, but it still laid some pretty awesome surprises for us. There were fish species we haven’t seen elsewhere. There were gardens of spiny Sea Urchins nearby the shore, which could definitely injure aggressive swimmers who dare to swim to the farthest point without any snorkel gear on. Not a lot of corals, but we did see a sneaky Lionfish camouflaging itself by positioning itself in front of a sea urchin. That was a priceless thing to see indeed.
Il Patio Restaurant
We were told that we could consume our free meals that came with our Dakak Beach Resort Day Tour package at 11:am. So, after snorkeling and beach bumming for hours we got so hungry and decided to go there right away. We were delighted to find out that the servings were huge and we had so much fun eating our lunch without ever paying a single centavo.
Il Patio Restaurante Italiano Menu
Bamboo Cafe Restaurant Menu
We were happily satisfied with our lunch at the Il Patio Italiano Restaurant, but still we decided to drop by the Dakak Beach Resort’s Bamboo Cafe Restaurant by the beach to see what’s up on their menu. We’re doing another public service by posting their menu here.
Bamboo Cafe Restaurant Breakfast Menu
Salads Menu
Bamboo Cafe Restaurant Seafoods Menu
Bamboo Cafe Restaurant International Favorites and Vegetables Menu
Cockpit Bar Menu
This Bar is right next to the Bamboo Cafe Menu, so if you prefer some drinks over food then just head to this part. Without further ado, here are the pages of their menu for your perusal.
Dakak Beach Resort Swimming Pools
We didn’t feel like eating again, so we just checked out their swimming pools next. We tried their kiddie pool but we didn’t like it. However, there is a jacuzzi beside the kiddie pool and we spent a full hour in there, just enjoying the massaging sensation of the water against our tired bodies. Later, we moved on to our next pool – the Dolphin pool! It was deep, yes, but our shocking observation was the saltiness of the water. We swam in that pool for an hour and then tried their yellow-colored slide which is wider than the usual – you can slide in tandem or as a group, just be careful when you hit the water!
Dakak Park & Beach Resort Pool Munchies Menu
Chinese Function Hall
There’s a Chinese-themed Function Hall in the midst of the resort, mainly for functions like seminars, birthdays and weddings. We liked how it is strategically built on a spot with a limestone cliff backdrop. It looked good even though we were using our point-and-shoot underwater camera.
How to Go to Dakak Beach Resort in Dapitan
Coming soon! We are taking a break from editing this long post and formulating our notes.
