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I love durian, though I prefer eating it frozen because it just tastes divine, just like ice cream. And its partner that I couldn’t do without? COKE! It just doesn’t taste the same without Coke. At home, only hubby and I enjoy eating it, our kids don’t like the smell much less the taste. Hubby just got back from Davao, and aside from the 6.5 kilos of Pomelo that he brought home, I made sure that he didn’t forget to bring home 2 containers of frozen durian also. How about you? Do you like durian?
Happy FOOD TRIP FRIDAY!
In planning my recent trip to Davao, I told my husband that we should explore Samal Island more instead of just staying in the resort, so I checked some websites and blogs and I saw some photos of the Hagimit Falls. I asked hubby, who’s been in Davao since the latter part of last year, if he has heard about it, but he said no. So, I searched and tried to find out more about the falls and added it in our itinerary. When we arrived at our resort in Samal, we asked the staff at Chema’s how we can get to Hagimit Falls. We were told that the only way to get there would be to hire a motorcycle, or what’s locally known as “habal-habal”. I think there’s no standard rate but unfortunately, we didn’t know it then that we were charged a very unreasonable rate of Php250 per hour for a total of Php700 for the 3-hour trip that we had. Most probably, since it was arranged by the resort, the motorcycle operator also gave a portion of the fee to them. But anyway, we enjoyed the trip so hubby and I just let it go.
Travel time from Chema’s to Hagimit Falls was 30 minutes. It was rough road in some areas so the ride was a bit bumpy and uncomfortable, but we had fun actually. I was amused with the other motorcycles we passed by which had 4 or 5 passengers, and I just couldn’t imagine how was that possible. Entrance fee at Hagimit was Php40, and with it, you can already take a dip in several areas of the falls that you prefer.
We had to go down about 100 steps to reach the first part of the falls, and then we had to walk a little bit more to reach the main part.
 The falls was really mesmerizing, and I was kidding my husband and asking him how come he didn’t know about it when he’s been in Davao for quite some time already.
There were cottages and tables for rent but we didn’t get any because we didn’t plan to stay long. We just wanted to experience it and stay for a few minutes. The water was so cold since it came straight from the mountains, and kids were not actually safe to swim because of the uneven water level.
I wanted to have my photo taken under the falls but the rocks were very slippery, and I didn’t want to go near the plants that were floating on the water, so only hubby was “privileged” to have the photo, LOL.
The problem that we had was finding a place to change clothes since the comfort room that we used earlier was already locked when we were done swimming. What’s more, the 100 steps that we easily took on our way down, was of course much more difficult on our way up, LOL, but aside from these inconveniences, the experience was well worth it.
What should we do differently next time?
Well, we’ll make sure that the motorcycle that we hire will not rip us off.
We will just hire the motorcycle for one way trip so that we can stay a bit longer swimming in the falls and then just get another motorcycle when we’re done.
Today is my parents’ birthday, yes, they share the same birth date!
I always thank God because they’re still strong and healthy. Nanay even sneaks out of the house just to visit some of our relatives, sometimes without telling me where she plans to go! I had to be resourceful in trying to find out where she went by calling my cousins, or my tita (her sister-in-law), or my uncle (her brother). She kept on doing this because she knew I wouldn’t allow her to go out by herself. I keep on telling her that it’s not safe to go out on her own, but she always insists that most people go out of their way to assist her in crossing the street, or in going down the jeepney.
Papa enjoys watching the free movies provided by the local government in our place, unfortunately, Nanay is not into it. She says she will just fall asleep inside the movie house, so, it’s only Papa who gets to enjoy that privilege. I just keep on reminding them that they should have an activity that they enjoy doing together.
Happy birthday dear Papa and Nanay! I hope and pray that you’ll continue to be blessed with good health, and may God bless you with more years to enjoy your grandchildren, hopefully even see Earvin become a full-fledged doctor someday.
If you’re in Davao and you want to have a relaxing weekend and quiet time with your family, you should visit Chema’s by the Sea in Samal Island. It’s a charming resort with very relaxing ambiance suitable for couples and families. It’s just a small resort with very few cottages, and what I like best about it is that their cottages are situated quite far from each other so you would really have some privacy and wouldn’t necessarily bump into the other guests. That was the kind of resort that hubby and I were hoping for and we were not disappointed. It was very different from the two other resorts in Samal that we have visited in the past: the Paradise Resort and Blue Jazz Resort which were always too crowded and didn’t offer much privacy except probably if you’re staying overnight and will just stay in your room.
In reaching the resort, you need to pass through the Waterfront Insular Hotel where you can also park your car. The port is exclusive to them and boat ride is about 15 minutes at Php100 per head; quite expensive as compared to the other boats going to the other resorts, but it’s like a chartered boat for the exclusive use of its guests. Actually, I’m not sure if the resort is also owned by Waterfront Insular Hotel because I noticed that the towels have the Waterfront name embroidered on them.
Upon entering the resort, I immediately noticed the nice, well-kept surroundings, with soothing background music that can be heard in the entire resort. But still, in my opinion, it was so green that they should have at least planted more flowers to make it even more refreshing.
When we arrived, we were greeted by one of the staff who promptly led us to our cottage. I was actually a bit surprised because I wasn’t expecting it to be so cozy and rustic. It was elevated several steps above the ground, overlooking the sea and the rest of the resort.
And the room… don’t you find it romantic? Well, I do! Hubby and I were both surprised when we saw it. I think the sheer cloth hanging above the bed just did it!
 And the baywindow simply adds to the cozy ambiance.
Food is not allowed but you can bring chips, bottled water, sandwiches or biscuits. We had a personal staff assigned in our cottage who took our food orders and since the cottage has a dining table, we didn’t have to go to the resort’s dining area.
I love the resort’s infinity pool with saltwater. Though it was a bit small, it complemented the resort’s cozy feel, and I love that it was covered with lots of plants around it which shield it from direct sunlight.
The beachfront was private and occupied only by the resort’s guests. Of course, the sand was not as fine as the sand in Boracay, but still nice, and as compared to the beach in Paradise Resort and Blue Jazz, the beach at Chema’s has lesser rocks, but beach shoes are still recommended.
Nipa huts were also available and were mostly occupied by day-tour guests, but it was still not too crowded because from what I gathered, they limit the number of guests that they accommodate in a day.
As with the other resorts in Samal, Chema’s also has its own jetty.
So, if you want a relaxing weekend with your family or you want to have a weekend get-away with your spouse, and you happen to be in Davao, be sure to visit Chema’s by the Sea. Just don’t get your hopes up and expect some activities because you wouldn’t find it there, it’s just truly for relaxation and some quiet time with your loved ones.
How to get there: Guests can reach the resort through the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang, Davao City, via a chartered boat going to the Samal Island.
Contact Details: (082) 303-0235; 0917 8140814
Buffet restaurants of all kinds are sprouting in Davao, and crabs buffet is just one of them. During my first visit in Davao back in 2009, I was so surprised with the lunch buffet being offered by many restaurants at very reasonable price and although the choices of food vary in each restaurant, I still consider them very affordable. Last weekend, my husband brought me to Glamour Restaurant located in Gomez Street in Davao. It’s a small restaurant with just a few tables, though they also have a separate room which I think can be reserved for private functions. They don’t have much food selection, but then, we went there for the crabs, right? Actually, when my husband first mentioned these crabs buffet restaurants, I thought they only have crabs on their menu, but I was mistaken, since this particular restaurant also have fish, vegetable, shrimps, squid, and desserts.
I can’t remember how many crabs I consumed, but since I didn’t eat any crab eggs, I didn’t consider them “very threatening” health-wise, but my husband restrained himself from consuming more than four pieces, I think.
The cost is Php398 per head and if you love crabs like I do, you will consider the price to be reasonable enough.
And just for fun, we even wrote them a message on their Crab Wall tarp:
On your next visit to Davao, be sure drop by any of the many restaurants offering lunch buffet or for some, even dinner buffet, but for sure, you wouldn’t want to miss the restaurants offering crabs buffet.
I’m linking this up to Food Trip Friday.
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