I booked accommodations at a Samal island resort for our first day in Davao, so we had to go directly to the Santa Ana wharf from the Davao City International Airport. Since my mom and I were unfamiliar with Davao city, we hired the airport van service to take us there, but we learned later that we could have saved around 75% of the fare if we just flagged down one of the taxis at the airport exit. Oh well. The van driver went out of his way to be helpful, anyway. We arrived at the wharf an hour early for our scheduled boat transfer, and he was kind enough to endorse us to the wharf officers so we won't get lost. We had breakfast at a nearby carinderia while waiting for our boat. I wasn't able to get the name of the carinderia, but their bulalo was kickass. :D

My mom and I were the only guests on the boat to the Hof Gorei resort (maybe because it was a Thursday). The boat trip took about an hour, but it was worth it when we got there. The place was beautiful! Later on, we found out that we shared the resort with only two other guests, who were both German. We stayed at one of the Hillside Round Huts, which gave us an almost bird's eye view of the beach (plus lots of leg workouts just to get there). We met the owner, April, who was very friendly and down-to-earth, and seemed to be a big afficionado of nature and animals. She does her own gardening, and she can name almost all the species of birds that visit her resort.

The accommodations at Hof Gorei were first rate, and the entire area was clean and well-maintained. The beach was nice, too, as long as you stay within the Hof Gorei area (they regularly remove the coral residue, which is painful to walk on if you're barefoot). The resort is a perfect place for people who want tranquil and natural surroundings. Party-going Bora people would probably find it boring there, though, as there really was no night scene to speak of, unless you want to party with the freely roaming geese and hornbills. :)

Contrary to the negative reviews about Hof Gorei's food I found on the net, I really enjoyed the food there. It was a little on the expensive side compared to normal resort rates (about P200-300 per dish), but the servings were huge. As in, good-enough-for-two-people huge. Weren't we thankful for all the cardio we got climbing from the beach to our hut. I especially liked their antipasti (roasted vegetables with a tomato dip), the club sandwich with a ton of perfect french fries, sinigang, pancit bihon, and their 'melon salad' (which turned out to be watermelon) with bacon and cream.

Ahh. In the end, my mom and I didn't want to leave, but we couldn't stay another day because I won't be able make it in time for Sheila and Eric's wedding (which was the reason I went to Davao in the first place).

A word to the wise: never take the afternoon return boat transfer when it's raining (or about to rain). The waves are fierce! I kept gauging the distance to the shore, wondering whether or not I can swim that far with my mom in tow, in case our small boat capsizes. XD

Hof Gorei has a 2+1 room promo where you get a night free for every 2 nights you stay in their resort. Anyone want to go with me next time? :)

Meanwhile, I still haven't downloaded the photos from Mom's cam. LOL.

Next: Sheila's wedding