Summer 2015 is about to end  and I was still drowned for work and my body can’t take it anymore. I know it badly craves for a getaway but I cannot ask for vacation leave because I already allotted it for future planned vacations. So, I needed a back-up getaway. Here’s an impromptu weekend getaway trip in a tight budget to SURIGAO DEL SUR. I have always wanted to go to Surigao del Sur because of my curiosity about the mystery of Enchanted River. I am never a fan of waterfalls but I will visit Tinuy-an falls for a side trip and most especially, to finally see the pristine and clear water in Britania Islands. I have with me my forever travel buddy – Franz and now, for the first time with my sister, Excel. So, we are ready for a 2 days and 1 night 3k Challenge in Surigao del Sur for 3. From Davao City, we opted to visit the farthest destination down to the nearest so that we will not be too tired of the long travel back home. *Food and Gasoline is not included in the budget. We already brought with us our food for the 2 days of getaway so as to save money. We only spent for P755.85 for our grocery which includes Pork Adobo, Breaded Pork Chop, Hotdog, Junk Food, Drinks and candies. The amount was not included in the budget. You may opt to follow this or you may also buy from the municipalities you will pass buy. But for food safety and lesser stress of not looking for place to eat, we have our baons.   Based on my research of the three destinations, Britania Islands is the farthest. It is located in Brgy. Salvacion, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur. When commuting through bus it would take you 8-10 hours (realistically) but when travelling with own car, it would be 5-6 hours. Please see below my suggestions when commuting.  So, we left Davao City at around 3:30 am. Passing by municipalities of Panabo, Carmen, Tagum City (Davao del Norte) Nabunturan, Montevista, Monkayo, (Compostela Valley) Trento, Rosario (Agusan del Sur) and finally San Francisco (Surigao del Sur). From San Franz, take right turn to Barobo. From the end of Barobo, take left turn. Please be observant of road signs as it will really help you. Day 1: BRITANIA ISLANDS We arrived at Britania Islands around 8:45am, that is 5 – 6 hours of travel. In the welcoming area, we are to pay Entrance Fee of P25.00 per person and Environmental fee for the group for only P30.00.  From their you will have a lot of choices for the island hopping tour. I chose to take the tour with the local bankers for P1,500.00 for unlimited hours. The famous La Entrada Resort has the same rate but as far as I know if there’s only 3 or 2 of you, they will join you to other groups and at the same time, they also have entrance fees. You can haggle with the local bankers, I tried, but I was convinced to pay the amount since we will have our own boat for the 3 of us and one thing is, you will pay to the locals. Ready for the Britania Adventure! We had our quick breakfast before jumping off to the motor boats. The sun was too high and at the same time it was low tide by the time we are already hopping from one island to another. I suggest you must be very early when visiting Britania Islands so you can enjoy more the beach.   We haven’t able to touch down in Panglangagan because our boat can’t dock due to rocky sea grounds. WE stayed in Boslon island where most of the tourist also stayed. What’s memorable in Britania Islands is my experience of eating exotic seafoods.   Thanks to some generous tourists who freely shared the last sea urchin for sale. 🙂 We left Britania Islands around 1:45pm and traveled around an hour and a half to Hinatuan. WE looked for a place to stay with reference to some blogs I’ve read. Too bad that the inn that most bloggers recommend had increased their price (Marky’s Hostel already P500 a night). Since we are on a tight budget, we never gave up. So we finally found, Maryland Lodging House. We chose a non-aircon room and with a common rest room for only P350 for the three of us. That is almost P120.00 per person. We bought rice from the market which is just near the lodging house since we have baon with us. Then we slept early in preparation for the next awesome day.  Day 2: ENCHANTED RIVER AND TINUY-AN FALLS We woke up 5:00 in the morning, didn’t took a bath since we will still swim at Enchanted River. We asked for hot water in the lodging house because we have cup noodles with us and a loaf of bread. We arrived at Enchanted River after a very very rocky road with unpredictable high-low slopes. Enchanted River from the highway is approximately 25kms. We arrived in perfect timing that the resort had just opened around 6am and there were very few tourists. That’s the thing about an early bird. What excites me in Enchanted River is the changing temperature of the water from cold to warm and it’s clarity. The area where everyone is jumping and swimming at is the meeting place of water from the river and the sea. The river is too deep and as what they say no one has ever reached the ground. I enjoyed jumping from the stairs to the deep waters without life vests. Yey! Check the itinerary above for the fees in the resort.   We left Enchanted River around 8:30 am because the crowd is getting bigger and it seems like you will have no space to swim anymore. We now traveled to Bislig City for our last stop. For approximately 2hours we arrived in Bislig City. But before going to the falls, we went first to the market to buy some rice for lunch. Finally, after almost an hour of again rocky road with unpredictable slopes, we reached Tinuy-an Falls. Tinuy-an Falls is a three-layered falls and known to be the “Little Niagara Falls” in the Philippines. I never feel in love with waterfalls until I experience Tinuy-an. Some waterfalls I’ve been into were icy cold water that I cannot really enjoy. But this one, I enjoyed a lot the bamboo rafting. We even went to the area where the water drops on you from above and it feels like a massage. We also went to the upper area where the water comes from. It was a good idea also that we ended the trip at Tinuy-an Falls because they had a decent shower room. We left Tinuy-an Falls around 12:30 noon and headed straight to International Doll House. So this is what you see in the International Doll House.   And so we arrived in Davao City around 8pm because we still dropped by at Tagum City for a quick food trip. So here’s my quick fix of my summer by having a weekend getaway for just 3k. 🙂