Journey to El Nido

I'd like to say our travel to El Nido is smooth sailing, but it's not. Our long and bumpy journey to El Nido started in Puerto Princesa, which is an hour flight away from Metro Manila. There is 237 kilometers of land separating El Nido from Puerto Princesa. From the capital of Palawan, we traversed highways, snaked through mountains, passed different bodies of water and stopped for check points so many times that I already lost count (our guide says this is normal, just a precautionary measure).

Whenever we'd see a body of water, we hoped we're already close. Sleeping in the van is difficult because most of the roads are not yet cemented(or under construction) or you're swayed (not lightly) to the zigzagging roads up or down a mountain. I haven't ever had motion sickness from any kind of transportation or theme park rides, but this trip, I almost did.

A Day in Davao City

If you have one day to spend in Davao City, here's my suggestion on what to do, places to visit and food to try:

7:30am: Breakfast at your hotel. It's the most convenient way to go. There's a ton of choices for a place to sleep in Davao City, from luxurious to the affordable. Dormitory-type hotels seems to be popular. This will fit the bill for those travelling in big groups on a tight budget. From less than Php1,000 to as much as Php6,000.

8am: Grab a taxi to Crocodile Farm. From the city center, Crocodile Farm is about 45 minutes away. Taxis are abundant in the city and drivers are honest so no need to worry about getting tricked. It will cost about Php150 from the city center to Crocodile Farm.

Turn Back Time at Claude's

When I met with my friend E on a recent visit to Davao City, she brought us to Claude's Le Cafe de Ville for dinner. Of course I've read about this restaurant, having done my usual research before travelling to a new place. E said it's the only nice restaurant in Davao City. She must know, she was born and raised in this Southern city famous for durian fruits.

Claude's is located at the city center in an ancestral house, previously owned by the first mayor of Davao. They actually recently transferred there from their original place across the street. My friend said people were wondering why Claude's would transfer to this haunted house. But after the restoration, the old house was transformed to a charming early 20th century home, as it would look like when it was first constructed.

Pearl Farm Resort Part 2: Beach, Pool, Food and other good things at Pearl Farm

It's been a busy month of April for me, so it's only now that I've made a follow-up on my first post about Pearl Farm Resort. (Read Part 1 here.)

Pearl Farm has two beach areas, the Maranao and Mandaya beach. Maranao beach is short, about 200 meters, but it's the better one of the two. The sand is fine by the cabanas, but will get rocky closer to the sea. It gets better though as you go into the clear turquoise water. The Mandaya beach, on the other hand, does not look suitable for swimming. It's so rocky that we didn't dare try to go in the water.

Pearl Farm Resort Part 1: Pearl of Davao

Pearl Farm is located in the Kaputian District of Samal Island. It is one of, if not the most expensive resorts in Samal Island. The picturesque view from their Maranao Beach is of the emerald green waters of Davao gulf, the white sand beach of Malipano Island, back dropped by Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines.

To get there, Pearl Farm has it's own wharf called Marina, which is just a few minutes from the airport and a good 30 minutes from the city center. Marina in itself is a hotel. There are rooms, a pool and a restaurant.