Paradise in Samal

A whole bunch of bloggers nationwide were invited for this year's 2nd annual Davao Food Appreciation Tour.  We were set to enjoy the sights of Davao and taste the food of over 7 restaurants in the span of 3 days.  

Aside from the food tour, we were determined to go to the beach since it's been more than a year since we've been to one and so Aileen and I mentioned to the other bloggers that before the food appreciation tour officially starts, we planned to visit Samal in the morning and have breakfast.   Samal is just a 10 minute boat ride from Davao City and the island is suitable for swimming and diving.  Several resorts are also located in Samal including the famous Pearl Farm.   

We visited the resort nearby which was Paradise Island Park and Beach resort.   Markku, Hanna, Maki, Aileen and I rented a boat which took us straight to Paradise Island.  When we got off, we were already amazed at the clear waters...clear enough to see the fishes below.

The staff were very friendly and all greeted us left and right.   We were directed to the picnic area right in front of the beach where they conveniently had tables and benches in front of the beach for dining.  We ordered our breakfast and took a quick swim while waiting for the food to be served.    When in the water, you could see Davao City's coast and huge mountains in the background which we soon discovered one of them being Mt. Apo.

We had bacon, hungarian sausage, scrambled eggs, toast and omelettes.  We didn't think twice about ordering fresh fruit shakes and juices since this is where fruits are always in abundance.   Dining by the bay with the fresh air, cool breeze and spectacular view just makes your breakfast much more pleasant and exciting. 

Since we didn't have much time to spend, we toured the rest of the resort after breakfast and pleasantly discovered a mini zoo with some exotic birds.   And heading towards the dock, we saw a sign which read "massage" and saw the white mats with giant umbrellas at the beachside where you can have your massage.

The serenenity of the resort does make you feel like you're in paradise.  No wonder they call the resort Paradise Island.  I'm hoping to visit them again and stay longer the next time I get to visit Samal.  You can check out their website at http://paradiseislanddavao.com/