TUKA MARINE PARK: Budget Travel Guide + Everything You Need to Know

Sarangani Province always leaves me in awe. It is a hidden gem that is mostly unexplored, and it never fails to surprise me with its raw beauty. While many people know about Glan and the stunning white sands of Gumasa Beach, there are still plenty of other amazing places to explore in this province. One such place is the Tuka Marine Park & Sanctuary, which is definitely worth a visit.

The Journey To Tuka Marine Park

We visited Tuka Marine Park & Sanctuary without having much information about it. I only had limited details from my research as there wasn’t much information available online. Tuka Marine Park & Sanctuary is situated in the town of Kiamba. But where exactly in Kiamba was the question I was eager to have answers to.

We started our journey from our rented room in General Santos City and drove our tuk-tuk towards Kiamba early on a Saturday morning. The plan was to stay overnight, so we had brought along our camping gear. The distance between General Santos City and Kiamba was only about 2 hours, and since we had driven on these roads before, we were already familiar with the twists and turns of the road and the stunning views of Sarangani Bay along the way.

We arrived in Kiamba at 10:30 AM, but we were disappointed to find out that it was not a suitable time to start sailing due to safety concerns. Sarangani Bay is connected to the open sea, which makes the tides unpredictable. As a result, the Coast Guards no longer allow voyages to Tuka Marine Park beyond 10-11 AM. Furthermore, overnight stays were not permitted at that time, which made us feel sad.

Although it was disappointing that we couldn’t visit Tuka Marine Park that day, I didn’t want to waste any time. We had already explored the area and experienced pretty much everything, including white water tubing in Maitum and chasing waterfalls, so there weren’t many options left. Since I wanted to be early for Tuka Marine Park the next day, I didn’t want to drive back to Maasin to camp. The locals suggested a nearby beach resort but it was beyond our budget. Eventually, we ended up spending this day driving around, trying to look for something to do without success until we settled for a nearby motel at dusk.

As I lay on my bed, I could hear the voices of couples in the adjacent room. I reflected on my past trips and how often things didn’t go as planned. Then, it dawned on me that the reason wasn’t that I was terrible at planning or research, but rather that I tended to travel to remote locations with limited information available. This realization brought a sense of relief as I had been too hard on myself for making poor choices in the past, not realizing that it wasn’t entirely my fault.

The following day, we woke up early and went to a nearby bakery to have coffee before heading to the Kiamba Tourism Office. The local staff was kind and helpful, as they quickly accommodated us knowing our situation from the previous day. As there were no other tourists around, they suggested that we rent the boat exclusively, which we happily agreed to. Since it was still low tide, we had to wait a bit before starting the boat ride to Tuka Marine Park.

We left at 8 AM to visit Tuka Marine Park, which is located behind a mountain and is not accessible by land. I used to think it was an island, but I was mistaken. Although some people would hike to a nearby peak to get a good view of the sanctuary, it is not allowed to hike to the beach due to safety concerns. Instead, it is recommended that visitors go through the tourism office in Kiamba. The fees charged are reasonable and are used to improve the sanctuary.

Upon leaving the docks, I was immediately struck by the surreal beauty of Tuka Marine Park. The 20-minute boat ride was breathtaking. Although there were four beaches within the sanctuary, only the third beach was accessible to the public at that time. Due to the strong current, it was challenging for the boat to reach the shore, and even more dangerous for us to disembark. Fortunately, we were in the hands of the most skilled boatmen, and they quickly found a way around the situation, allowing us to safely get off the boat.

The third beach is a stunning 500-meter stretch of white sand, lined with coconut trees. The sea water is wild and comes in many shades of blue, ranging from turquoise to azure. The beach is breathtakingly beautiful and the underwater world is even more impressive with thriving corals and an abundance of marine life. Just a short distance from the shore were several villas that used to accommodate overnight visitors. However, the villas are now rundown and have not been used for a long time.

We settled at an empty spot near one villa and tied our hammocks. As we planned to stay at the beach until 3 PM, we had ample time to explore. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any provisions with us as the public market in Kiamba was still closed. Our bags only had water, bread, and corn chips.

Pani was concerned that it wouldn’t be enough for us, so we paid extra for another ride back to the town center. He went to buy some necessary supplies while I spent my time taking photos and enjoying the beauty of the sea. When Pani returned after two hours, he had some slices of pork belly, charcoal, and spices. As cooking is not my forte, I left it to him and continued to enjoy the scenery. At noon, he called me for lunch, which I really enjoyed.

After having lunch, we took some rest before heading out for snorkeling with our rented snorkel gear. However, snorkeling was a bit risky due to the wild waves. We were unable to fully enjoy the experience as the waves took us tumbling against rocks multiple times. It proved to be dangerous as I suffered scratches and bruises. So, after a short while, we decided to abandon the idea of snorkeling and instead chose to lie down on our hammocks and read a book.

I didn’t realize it, but I had dozed off for several hours and only woke up when our boatman signaled our departure. Since I had already cleaned up earlier, the only thing left to do was to tidy up the place. We left Tuka Marine Park at 4 PM. Although it was only a short while, I had the best time. And just when I thought the day was finally over, several dolphins playfully swam alongside our boat and skillfully showed off their talents. Talk about a perfect ending!

How To Go To Tuka Marine Park

From Manila – Fly to General Santos City. Once there, ride a tricycle to the bus terminal. Hop on a Yellow bus going to Maitum and alight in Kiamba town center (₱300/way | 2Hrs). Hire a motorcycle to the Kiamba Tourism Office (₱50/way | 15 minutes).

From Davao – Ride a bus in Ecoland Bus Terminal to General Santos City (₱450 | 4Hrs) then hop on a Yellow bus going to Maitum and alight in Kiamba town center (₱300/way | 2Hrs). Hire a motorcycle to the Kiamba Tourism Office (₱50/way | 15 minutes).

From Cotabato – Ride a van to Lebak or Kalamansig and another van going to General Santos City and get off in Kiamba. This is a long trip and transport options are limited. Once in Kiamba, hire a motorcycle to the Kiamba Tourism Office (₱50/way | 15 minutes).

Useful Travel Tips

🔅 Make your reservations. It’s not required but it’s highly encouraged since they also limit the number of guests.

🔅 Day Tours and Overnight stays are both allowed. Make sure to communicate with the Tourism Office first as they would sometimes close the sanctuary for overnight stays or completely for a certain period of time.

🔅 Sudden cancellation of trips should be expected as they’re being regulated by the PH Coast Guard for safety reasons.

🔅 Avoid visiting during the Full and New Moons. The park is best visited when the seas are calm, allowing you to snorkel and witness its beautiful environment underwater. Since moon phases affect ocean tides and New and Full moon are known to cause high tides, it’s better to avoid them. Just another food for thought shared by our boatman.

🔅 Bring food and beverages as there are no stores or any sources of food in Tuka Marine Park. Fishing in the sanctuary is also not allowed so no fisherfolks visit the area.

🔅 The sanctuary has four beaches but only Beach 3 is open to the public. I’m not sure if it’s allowed now but guests used to explore Beach 4 using a trail in the woods.

🔅 For reservations and inquiries, message them through kiambatourism@gmail.com or 09953324484 | 09856464744.

Budget & Other Essentials

There you have it, lovelies. I hope you enjoyed this post. Share this with your friends and plan that adventure now! If you want to keep tabs on my adventure, follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Until next time. Ciao!

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