Where to Eat Chinese Food in Davao : Mandarin Tea House

We were supposed to try out any of the famous buffet in Davao City but we were able to arrived in Sta. Ana Wharf a bit late for lunch already so we decided to check out the restaurants along Rizal Ave. There's Jollibbe along the way but hey, we're in Davao and we should explore something new. Across Jollibee is Tops (an open-air grill and "silog" diner). Since it's almost 2pm, the sun is really at its peak so we decided not to eat there because my baby might have another skin asthma attack due to the extreme heat.

We walked and walked and walked until we arrived at this Chinese restaurant, still along Rizal Ave. -Mandarin Tea Garden.

We checked out the dining area and it looks clean and the food looks appetizing, too! Think North Park or Super Bowl of China.

Plus, it's a non-smoking restaurant, so we decided to settle here for our late lunch.

We ordered Siomai Noodle Soup for my baby. Serving is good for one, but if you're ordering other dishes, it may be enough for sharing.

My husband ordered Mandarin Spareribs rice bowl. The meat is so tender and tasty. It tastes like sweet and sour spareribs. More on the sweet side.

I cannot decide what to order as their menu has lots to offer so I decided to have Soy Chicken rice bowl. It's tender and juicy. The sauce is a bit spicy but just enough to tease your palate.

By the way, they really have good-tasting chili-garlic sauce that's perfect for siomai and even the Soy Chicken! Our will was P232, not bad for the taste and quality of their food. We went out full and recharged again.

Hof Gorei Beach Resort: A Nature Sanctuary at the Heart of Samal Island

We spent our third day of Samal Island adventure in Hof Gorei Beach Resort. At 8:30 am, the resort's own boat fetch us from Kaputian wharf. The resort has seven boats, one of which is a passenger boat from Kaputian to Sta. Ana wharf. Their boats are big and are crafted to transverse the waves of the open sea. These boats are also available for island-hopping.

In less than 15 minutes, we arrived at the resort's own wharf. On the way to the resort you will also see the famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

You will be welcomed with your own butler, who will give you this refreshing watermelon juice and cold towels.

Contrary to what I've read in other blogs, Hof Gorei has a new concrete walkway. Guests now will not get scared of crossing the wood panels (the old walkway is made of wood panels) above the sea.

Hof is an Austrian word that means "farm", so Hof Gorei translates to Gorio's Farm. If Davao City has Eden Nature Park and Malagos Garden Resort, Hof Gorei Beach Resort is Samal Island's nature sanctuary. The  owner, Ms. April told us that she is really fond of nature. She loves animals and flowers. She appreciates the natural beauty of things, thus, the birth of Hof Gorei Beach Resort. If you want to de-stress and be away from the noise of the city, go to Hof Gorei and inhale some fresh air.

We checked in at the Beachfront Bungalow for the duration of our day trip. The bungalow is made of bamboo and other native materials. Think like you are in a rest house of your own.

The bungalow is very cozy. It has a king size bed, a sofa, a TV, a mini ref stuffed with assorted drinks and a clean bathroom with hot and cold shower.

After we put our things in the bungalow, we decided not to waste a single minute and went up to the view deck and jacuzzi. We climbed 205 steps to the said area. Trekking here is not boring as you will see lots of flowers and other plants along the way. It's very refreshing to the eyes.

After trekking 205 steps, we arrived at the jacuzzi. It's perfect to massage stiff muscles.

While my baby and husband are enjoying a dip in the jacuzzi, I went around and saw  this cow. Hof Gorei is really nature-perfect.

We also saw these near our bungalow.

Cute ducks in the pond.

Iguana, I guess.

And this is my baby's favorite, a green parrot.

Hof Gorei also has a restaurant that offers Filipino as well as American and European dishes. Prices are P200 up.

I was also able to have a glimpse of their Junior Suite which is located at the third floor of the restaurant.

The room is Austrian-inspired. Still made of native and wooden materials, the room has a king size bed, a mini bar, a lounge and a mini-dining area.

The best feature of the Junior Suite is this one:

A perfect view of Hof Gorei Beach Resort. It is a perfect combination of hills and sea.

The resort also has a pool and a poolside bar where you can grab a booze while having a dip.

Best of all, the resort has its own sand bar, where you can bask in the sun.

So if you want to escape the busy and noisy city for a day or 2, book a bungalow in Hof Gorei and experience being reunited with nature's best offerings.

You may reach Hof Gorei Beach resort at 09228646814 or browse their website at www.hofgorei-resortdavao.com

The Treasures of Talikud Island, Davao

The original plan was to go island hopping in Talikud Island on day 2 of our Davao trip. However, a group of 7 pax, who arrived on the same day and time with us wants to go island hopping immediately because they will go to Pearl Farm the next day. Kuya Aries, a staff of Red Parrot Inn asked us if we want to join the group to cut the cost of boat rental. 

Boat rental for island  hopping in Talikud Island is P1,800 (original price is P2,000 but in-house guests get a discount). So given that we were 9 in the group, we paid P200 each. SAVINGS!!! YEY! At least we can divert our savings to food and pasalubong.

We passed by Isla Reta 1, just across Red Parrot Inn. 

We were supposed to dock in Isla Reta 2 but the waves are really strong that our boat was not able to dock here. Isla Reta 2 is facing the open sea, unlike Isla Reta 1 that faces Samal Island. From afar, we can see that the water here is really clear and the sand is white and powdery. Too bad we were not able to dock there. If you wish to spend time here, it will be better if you start your island hopping adventure earlier. We left the inn at 12nn and the waves are kinda big already.

You can also go straight to Isla Reta 2 from Davao City. Simply catch a boat from Sta. Ana Wharf at 9:00 am (look for the boat with the name "Isla Reta") and it will bring you there in an hour. Fare is P70. Day tour here is P75/pax. They also have concrete rooms at P850. I just wish the staff at Isla Reta 2 would answer text queries promptly. When I inquired from them, I only got 1 text about the rates. When I was confirming our reservation, no one is answering my calls anymore. So I ended up pissed off and did not bother to call them again.

Evident clear water from meters away.

Our next stop is the Coral Garden. It took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach this snorkeling haven. No entrance fees here plus they have a shore where you can bathe in the sun! Though we walked from our boat to the shoreline because the tides are getting lower that time. There are parts of the beach that are rocky, but the sand is generally fine. Still like the ones in Bantayan, Cebu.

These corals are alive!

Along the shoreline were a lot of cute hermit crabs. My daughter was really fond of them.

We also passed by Babusanta and Dayang beach which are at the opposite side of the island, still facing open sea.

Our last stop was Angel's Cove where the water is sooooooooo deep yet sooooooooooo clear! Kuya Aries said it's  where beginner divers go to practice.

See how clear the water is? I took a shot from the boat and you can still see what's beneath.

The island hopping lasted for about 4 to 5 hours completing a 360 degrees tour of Talikud Island. 

The Best Jump-Off Point to Talikud Island: Red Parrot Inn, Island Garden City of Samal

The last tickets I booked from last year's P88 seat sale of Airphil Express were bound to Davao City. I really do hope that Airphil Express will offer this kind of promos again, sans fuel surcharges. Imagine these tickets I booked for only P600 for the 3 of us, and its bound to Mindanao. This is definitely a steal!

We left Manila at 4:25am and arrived in Davao International Airport at 6:00 am. We decided to go straight to Sta. Ana Wharf, our gateway to Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal where Red Parrot Inn is located.

We took a cab to Sta. Ana Wharf. Davao City is known for nice and honest taxi drivers, and I can attest to that. They will really give you exact change or sometimes, if the meter stops at P50.50 and you give them P100, they will give you P50 change. That's how honest they are. Travel time from airport to wharf is about 30 minutes.

We arrived in Sta. Ana Wharf at around 6:30 am. The cab fare was P150 plus a P10 sort of entrance fee of the taxi to the wharf.

The first boat trip to Kaputian is at 9:15 am via Palbros. We stayed in a cafeteria within the vicinity and had our quick breakfast (we brought our own food). By 7:30 am we walked around the wharf and saw Palbros 2. We asked the crew if we can already get inside the boat and fortunately, he agreed.

Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) is a 1-hour boat ride from Sta. Ana Wharf. I saw this map in the cafeteria and thought this might be helpful for those who are looking for accomodations in IGACOS. If you wish a bigger version of this map so that you can see the numbers and resort names, feel free to email me and I will send it to you.

 After transversing the open sea, we finally reached Kaputian Wharf. Upon arrival, we took a pedicab/trisikad going to Red Parrot Inn. The inn is actually walking distance from the wharf but since we have a child with us, we decided to ride a pedicab. Fare is P7/ head. The pedicab will usually wait for 3 passengers before it leaves the wharf but you can opt to pay P21 instead to have a "special' trip.

The road to Red Parrot Inn and to the majority of IGACOS is still undevelop and rough. The community is similar to that of Bantayan in Cebu. Families live simply around the neighborhood. There are also cafeterias and sari-sari stores around so no worries about where to get food and other necessities.

And in less than 5 minutes, we arrived in Red Parrot Inn. I learned about Red Parrot Inn through a friend in Davao. After browsing its website, I immediately contacted the owner, Tita Cleo, and she responded promptly to my inquiry.

Red Parrot Inn is owned by Capt. Brock Hook and his Filipina wife Cleo Hook. It is situated just a few meters away from Kaputian Beach Park (a public beach in Samal). The inn has two buildings, the main inn which is beachfront and another one just across the street where the main kitchen is. If you are planning to explore the other side of Davao, Red Parrot Inn is your best bet as it is just across Talikud Island where the famous Isla Reta, Babusanta and Dayang beaches are. It is also a haven for divers as it where you can find the Coral Garden and Angel Cove. From Red Parrot Inn, Isla Reta 1 is just a 15-minute boat ride. It will not only save you time but will also save money as boat rental in Red Parrot Inn is the cheapest you could get around the area due to its proximity to Talikud Island.

This is the honeymoon suite adjacent to the main inn.

And this is the annex building where the cottages are. View from our veranda.

Tita Cleo gave us the Junior Deluxe Room which has a king bed, a sofabed, a closet, cable TV, hot and cold shower and coffeemaking facilities. The rooms are new and very clean. The sheets smell fresh. The beddings and cushions are soft. For its price, it's definitely a steal. Not to mention the owner is so nice that she even asked her staff to set-up a water dispenser inside our room for our daughter. These are simple things that matters a lot to parents like us. (Thanks Tita Cleo)

 

The main inn is beachfront. Adjacent to this veranda is the whole house that is also for rent at around P5,000 per night, good for 10 people. It has 3 bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen.

Ever wondered why the inn is called Red Parrot? It's because the owners have 2 red parrots and a white one. You can see them infront of their bar.

If you stay in Red Parrot Inn, there is no need for you to go to Kaputian Beach Park since the beach infront of the inn is swimmable and clean. The staff clean the beach area every morning. There's a rocky part of the beach just like in Kota Beach in Bantayan but the water is so clear that we can even see the seabed from our window upstairs.

This is Bounty Hunter, Red Parrot Inn's boat for island hopping. In-house guests get discounts on island hopping services.

And from Red Parrot Inn's beachfront, here is the view of Kaputian Beach Park.

We also went around the island and saw this church uphill.

We passed by this old house (an art sanctuary) on our way back to Red Parrot Inn.

And finally, this is the view of Talikud Island and Mt. Apo from our room. You can see the sunset right from your room or veranda.

Should I go to Davao in the future, I will definitely be back in Red Parrot Inn. Not only did they have clean and new accommodations, they have the friendliest owners and staff as well. For that, I highly recommend this inn. Budget-friendly, good location, good food (you can ask them to cook for you for a minimal fee), nice people.

On our way to Kaputian, we passed by the famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort.