Pearl Farm

Hey guys, landed here in Davao in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, which is known for its tuna and terrorists (that sounds like a good name for a restaurant). After enduring a 2 hour plane ride from Manila, a 15 minute car ride, a 45 minute boat ride, and coffee from a civet’s ass, we arrive in the nice resort of Pearl Farm.

First things first, the only things being farmed here are coconuts and tourists (another good name for a restaurant). They must be hiding the pearls in the malls. The resort is lovely, especially considering what we paid – good value for money. The sand is white-ish with mixed in shells and corals. The snorkelling is almost comparable to Palawan. And it’s terrorist free. The only eyesore I saw were the shanties to the left of the resort coming in from the boat. Solution: look away and think good thoughts.

The swimming pools – there were 2 – are very kid friendly and pretty clean. They weren’t too crowded despite the day trippers that came in early in the afternoon. We lucked out because a week earlier, our friends complained that there weren’t enough beach chairs for the residents since the day trip people took over. But again, for the price we paid, my low expectations were surpassed, just like when I watch Adam Sandler movies.

Our cottage, which was a bit old as you can tell by the bathroom design, was right on the water. Although there was no direct access to the water underneath, the view was still quite nice as you could see the fish underwater. The villas on the other side of the pier had stairs going down to the water. I could’ve jumped into the ocean, but my fear of sea urchins and loose board shorts got the better of me.

The 3 days we spent was good enough, although my 2-year old daughter wanted to stay longer. Overall, it was money well spent for this short vacation. And did I mention it was terrorist-free?