Ang Dabawenyo

Samal island is not part of Davao City, but is most accessible from here. It’s actually a chartered city now, and is officially called the Island Garden City of Samal. The past few years have seen a steady increase in the number of beach resorts on the island, the newest of which is Hof Gorei Beach Resort. The name is pronounced hoff go-rye; “hof” is German for “farm”. The resort is owned by an Austrian couple, Mr. & Mrs. Kröll, but run by the Filipino-turned-Austrian wife, Madame April.

Photos courtesy of Alex D.

Travel agent par excellence Alex, BisayaBloggers.com aggregator site’s Ayeza and I went to Hof Gorei last Sunday (26 August). We were supposed to stay only for the day for a quick look-see, but the very gracious Mme. April had different ideas for us. Good thing we let her convince us to stay overnight. And good thing Monday was a holiday! Read more »

“Oh, to be one with nature…”

We Dabawenyos take it for granted that raw nature is never more than an hour’s drive away. But when out-of-town relatives, friends or business associates come visiting, we never fail to share with them what makes Davao beautiful. The most accessible are the beaches on Samal island. For the more adventurous, there’s Epol and its caves, waterfalls and jungle trails — all 4,000+ feet above sea level.

A destination I’d almost forgotten about but fortunately remembered yesterday is the Malagos Garden Resort in Baguio District, Calinan. The last time I was there was too many years ago; more like a decade, I think.

Read more »

Technically, Samal isn’t Davao… but I did say this blog is to be about the city and its environs, didn’t I?   So here’s something I’ve written about a new resort on Samal. It’s called BaliBali Beach Resort, and it’s a cute, cozy getaway.

Please click on this link to read about the resort.