And some armed with a 60’s inspired pair of sun glasses, an SPF 90 sun block lotion and my trusty sarong. I handed in my pink boarding pass and stepped on the wooden dock of Pearl Farm Beach Resort however, I knew I was going to plunge into a different sun, sea and sand experience.
Oh, there were plenty of tell-tale signs, I suppose – the sound of bongos as we approached the dock, the welcoming smiles and greetings of the resort staff, the extraordinary pineapple juice. Being one perennially haunted by music that play in my head, I initially thought that the reggae-esque music was a fragrant of my imagination, along with the gorgeously-tanned man with sculpted abs minding the jet skis in short distance. But both were real, and so I started thinking: beaches aren’t so bad, after all.
A watchtower, bar none
Seeing the resort at present makes it quite difficult to imagine how it looked over a decade ago when it still operated as a pearl farm where oysters were cultivated for the much-sought Philippine pearls. Then I realized that I was standing at the bottom of a three-level wooden structure called the Parola. During the oyster-cultivation days unwanted visitors of the island, at present, it sill serves as a look-out post, but for a different purpose – once the boat carrying the arriving guests is spotted, the bongos are played, the unique blend of pineapple juice is prepared and everyone gets ready to welcome the guests.
The second level houses the Parola Bar which is ideal for non-bar-goers like me. Unlike most bars where everyone seems to be grouping in the dark, the Parola Bar is adequately and appropriately lit, unenclosed, with the ambiance that perfectly matched the rest of Pearl Farm Beach Resort which is, in a word, serene, in the afternoon, the sun spills its warm and warm lighting which contribute to making everything and everyone look good. Now, this is the kind of place where you can really get that relaxing nightcap minus the assault of your nose and lungs.
An encounter with a kitchen-slash-bathroom-utensil hybrid
We were transported to our room through a shuttle service that go around the resort. The different areas aren’t really that far from each other, although the 14-hectare land area of Pearl Farm can pose a challenge to those whose idea of exercise is lifting the remote control and pointing it to television.
Among other things, my attention was caught by big clay of jar resting on top of the stone steps that lead to our room. It had an unusual dipper, which to me, seemed like a charming cross between a cooking sandok and a bathroom tabo. The jar was filled with clear water, the main purpose of which was to wash off the sand on the feet of the guests before they enter their rooms. However, I have also been told that this particular device serves another purpose aside from the cleanliness. It has been said that people in the past had these devices by their long doorstep and they use it to wash off not just the sand on their feet, but also the negative elements they may have encountered throughout their day. I loved this idea of cleansing and the night after a swim, I made it a point to use the charming sandok-and0tabo hybrid to cleanse the sand off the soles of my feet and my dislike of the beach, although by that time, there was hardly any of that left.
Little house on stilts
We stayed at one of the 19 Samal Houses. These are air-conditioned cottages that are built on stilts in the water. Patterned after the houses of the Samal Tribe of Minadanao, each room is decorated with the bright colors of pink, yellow and blue characteristics of the tribe. Our “house,” along with the rest of the Samal Houses, has a balcony, which provides an awe-inspiring view of the water and the neighboring islands. In the morning, schools of fish swim close by and some even play on the stilts of the house.
The Samal House is a comforting place for people with a certain degree of quirkiness like me – aside from the balcony which is a great place to harbor daydreams, the inside of the house has a particularly comforting ambiance. In fact, the whole resort has this particular feel in it – it makes you feel as though nothing bad can ever happen to you there, and it does make true to its ambiance. When you’re in the vicinity, you wouldn’t be able to help but think that the only tragedy that could befall you in Pearl Farm is to be forced to leave it so soon.
Informational Hygiene
As far as quirks go, I have plenty and among them us the habit of reading the text on conditioner bottles, on junk food wrappers and on the inside of San Mig light labels. You can just imagine how much of a treat it was for me to go through the toiletries laid out on a wooden box by the sink. Each one came in a tiny box, printed on which are little snippets of history, etymology and even theory on how each of those hygiene products came about.
My top two favorites were the toothbrush and the sanitary bag. The toothbrush is said to date way back in the 15th century, and I quote, that toothbrush was made of hairs from the neck of a Siberian wild boar which were fixed to a bamboo or bone handle.”
Chef Ed and his kitchen
Alas, there is so much more to know other than the origin of toiletries, and so I put down those little boxes of reading material and proceeded to the spacious Marana Restaurant where I met Chef Ed Chaves. Chef Ed may be considered a newbie, having joined Pearl Farm Beach Resort only very recently. However, he is definitely far from being an amateur in the field, having worked in several resorts and hotels before from the Caribbean to China to the various parts of the country like Cebu and Batangas.
The Maranao Restaurant has a buffet ready for breakfast, lunch and dinner with eight major dishes every meal. The buffet offers three kinds of appetizers, seven kinds of salad dressings, and four kinds of brads. Chef Ed said that the dishes they serve do not necessarily exhibit a particular influence or theme but they have a bit of everything for everyone – pasta, meat, seafood, salad and of course, an array of desserts be it sweet treats or fresh fruits. They also suit the menu for the guests. On the particular night, sashimi was among the dishes on the table as there were Japanese guests with us. And of course, all their ingredients are ordered fresh daily from Davao and Manila. The buffet tables were in the shape of boats, with colorful cloths reminiscent of the sails of vintas hanging above. Both were inspired by the Maranao people of Minadano who, like the Samal, are seafarers. Aside from the buffet, the restaurant is also open for a la carte orders 24 hours but I realize, this one service I certainl did not need this time.
The different hues of blue
Much like in food, there is something for everyone at Pearl Farm in terms of preference in bathing. There are two kinds of swimming pools – the Infinity Pool and the Mandaya Pool, the latter even comes with a jacuzzi; and two separate beachfronts – the Maranao Beachfront and the one froning the Mandaya Pool which is a great venue for beach volleyball and water sports.
The Marano Pool is practically beside the Parola Bar. The end of the pool serves as the border that divides the light blue of the pool from the deep blue of the sea (it’s technically a gulf but it eventually pours out into the sea anyway, plus “sea” sounds more poetic than “gulf”). The Maranao Beachfront, several meters away from the pool, is a good place for snorkeling, as there are always schools of fish wandering in the area. Like the pigeons of Italy, the fish of Pearl farm immediately gather towards crumbs of bread. A snorkeling mask isn’t even necessary to see such a sight.
At night, upon the request of guests, the Maranao Beachfront is transformed into the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, which will prove to be indelible in your memory. During our visit, two tables for two were set on the beach for two pairs of honeymooners. There were candles and night torches, silver and glasses, publish-pink petals were scattered on the powdery white sand. There was the murmur of the waves. The moon presided over the beach in the distance, like a tableau of fireflies, were the lights of Davao City. Numerous proposals and avowals have been made on that very beach, yet it is far from turning into a cliché for a setting like that never gets old.
Catching the Wind, the wave and the scent of Ylang-Ylang
The beachfront by the Mandaya Pool houses Wind and Wave – a consignee of Pearl Farm in charge of the resort’s aqua sports. Wind and Wave is home to a good number of water sports and activities. Among these is scuba diving where the abundance of World War II wrecks and dive sites in the area may be explored. Wind and Wave also offers sessions on Introduction to Scuba Diving.
Island hopping gives the guests a chance to commune with nature and see the stunning scenery of Samal as well of the nearby Talikud Island. Wind surfing is also offered, and they even have a “school edition wind surfing boards and sails” which is enable you to learn the basics of windsurfing “in just a matter of minutes.” Of course, the more conventional water activities like kayaking, Banana Boat Ride, Snorkeling and Jet Ski Ride are present at Wind and Wave, alongside the less- conventional ones like Fishing and Wakeboarding.
The Ylang-Ylang Spa can be found beside a small waterfall. A winding wooden bridge over a man-made pond leads to an open space surrounded by foliage. There, you can indulge in pampering treatments of the spa. The Ylang-Ylang Spa offers head-to-toe services – hair health, facials, hand treatments, body scrubs, foot spas, massages, and even salon services. The Spa makes use of fresh and natural elements in all their treatments. For the hair, there is the Egg and celery Juice Hair Treatment; for the face, the Honey, Lime & Cucumber Facial; for the hand, the Almond & Vanilla Gommage; for the foot, the Beach Sand & Olive Oil Scrub; and for the body The Davao Coffee & Milk Scrub. The massage therapies offer feature only the most effective Asian and European techniques such as Warm Stone, Asmara Royal, Swedish and Shiatsu. The Spa also offers Synergies & Indulgences treats such as the “Men’s Stress Buster,” the “Romantic Getaway,” and the “Pearl Farm Spa Day.”
Traveling clouds and clicking cameras
I instinctively went back into the house to grab my camera, but turned back after a couple of steps, upon realizing, but turned back after a couple of steps, upon realizing the futility to trying to capture everything with a single click of the gadget. Nothing bears a mental picture. I took a long, deep breath and asked myself could this be the beginning of a long overdue liking of the beach? On the boat heading back to the city, I closed my eyes and felt the balmy wins of the sea on my face. The infrastructures of the city are looming in a short distance, getting bigger and bigger as the boat moved forward. I looked back at Samul Island, which was fast becoming a mere fragment in the horizon. I thought I heard bongos, but this time, it was simply a fragment of my imagination. I was still nowhere near embracing the idea of being fully pledged beach bum, but I think I’m getting there.
