Step by Step Over the Sea: Donel’s Resort Floating Pontoon Experience

Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur, Donel’s Resort hides a little surprise for curious wanderers, a colorful floating pontoon that lets you literally walk over the sea. Imagine taking slow, small steps across interlocking red, blue, and gray blocks. The gentle waves beneath your feet, and the open horizon ahead make this pontoon awesome. It’s not your ordinary beach boardwalk, it’s a playful, slightly wobbly adventure that makes this humble resort stand out.

Donel's Resort is located in Lower Bayao, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur. It is well-known for its extended, large beachfront with white to black fine sand, a swimming pool, a function hall, tent and cottage rentals, hosts live bands on special events and parties, and every Friday night DISCO.

During the day, the resort beachfront offers a calm shade for beachgoers with its lush Talisay trees, giving relaxation and a nice breath of the sea breeze.

Children also have a great time, playing on the sand and building their sandcastles. The resort also offers banana boats for thrill-seekers, letting you bounce and splash through the waves with friends or family.

But what I enjoyed most about Donel's is its colorful structure, where you can walk above the water, the floating modular dock or floating pontoon walkway. It’s made of interlocking plastic blocks, usually HDPE or similar durable plastic that float on water and are connected together to form a stable path.

Walking on this plastic pontoon feels like stepping on a floating playground. With every step, I feel a gentle sway under my feet, just enough to remind me that the sea is right there below me. It’s a bit wobbly but safe, and it makes us laugh at how the waves move us ever so slightly, like the ocean giving us a playful push.

Our kids loved the plastic pontoon even more than we did. They walked, ran, and even bounced on it, giggling every time the dock wobbled under their tiny feet. I won’t lie, it made me a bit scared, watching them so close to the water, but as I looked at their happy faces, it made me calm down a bit.

To check in at Donel's, they have varied entrance fees depending on whether it's daytime or nighttime. During the daytime, an entrance fee of 150 pesos per person made you accessible to their amenities, including the swimming pool and the pontoon. At night, especially on Fridays, the entrance fee is higher, so you to enjoy the live band and the Friday night disco.

Donel's is just a 25-minute ride from Pagadian City. You can take a van or a habal-habal (motorcycle rental) and tell the driver to bring you to Donel's at Lower Bayao, Tukuran. The road is mostly paved, and you’ll pass through a few barangays before you spot the beach entrance. If you’re driving your own car, just follow the national highway going west, then look out for signs pointing to Lower Bayao. The resort has a small signboard by the roadside.

Donel’s Resort may be humble, but its floating pontoon turned an ordinary beach day into something playful and a little magical.