I was blessed to be able to fly for free because of the flight voucher I received from Cebu Pacific when our flight from Manila to Cebu was cancelled and we were transferred to another flight. I had only 6 months to use it so I booked it on the third week of August; little did I know those dates were the dates for the Kidayawan Festival in Davao City which I learned only a week before my flight. I got excited with the thought of actually attending a well-known local festival, but unfortunately I was not able to see it up close and personal and only from the hotel’s TV feed. It was very hot that weekend in Davao City, a lot of people were in the place where the street dance was being held and it was kind of traffic around that part of town. So I ended up skipping watching the Kidayawan street dances. But you know that there are festivities going on because my flight was full and there are also many tourists in Davao.
I’m baffled every time people learn that I am alone on that trip when many other tourists have been roaming around the world alone, and Davao City is a major Philippine destination and for sure many solo travelers had gone that route as well. I learned quite a bit from being a first time solo traveler. For one, it’s much more expensive since you need to shoulder all the bills and have no one to split it up with. It was ok though; I’ve prepared and saved up for this trip and have a set budget already. You have lesser photos of yourself in all the places you’ve visited. I didn’t bring a selfie stick with me (I was kinda shy to bring one actually) and I’m not good at taking selfies. Thank God for nice random strangers, hotel and restaurant staff and guards who willingly took photos of me. But it was ok, I was able to appreciate more of the places I visited and focused less on taking photos of myself which I have had so much in my previous trips. This made me appreciate more the places I’ve been to, the food I ate (which was a lot!) and the people I met. I also was carefree with time; I would leave and go back to the hotel whenever I want to. I don’t have to wait for other people and waste time and bargain in deciding where to go and where to eat.
I learned a couple of words from the local dialect too! Travelling solo wasn’t so scary or lonely after all, like others think it would be. I also got to practice independence and courage; I didn’t worry if my itinerary wasn’t followed or if I got lost. But of course to be on the safe side, I always message my family as to where I am currently located or tell the hotel staff where I am going. I would love to do it again actually and go to more unfamiliar places. Well maybe, who knows…
Pearl Farm Beach Resort - Butik and Mandaya Weaving
Going to Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island off the coast of Davao City was the highlight of my trip. Pearl Farm is considered as one of the luxury resorts in the Philippines since probably the 1980s. Before, only people with a lot of money to spend can go to this luxury island resort because of its rates. It was good a good thing that they have now day trips that will allow tourist and locals to enjoy the beauty of the place without burning their pockets. Although their day trip rate can still be stiff for others, here’s what I'm going to tell you though, it is worth it! So save up for it, just like what I did.
I didn't stay overnight at the resort since I was just travelling solo and it was way over my budget. But if I had the money, I would probably stay at least for a night. Everything about Pearl Farm screams luxury. From where I stayed, I took a cab and arrived at Pearl Farm’s own marina. The usual time that the boat leaves for Pearl Farm is 9:00am. I was there already a little past 8:00am; I didn’t want to be late because I still want some time to roam around and take photos and also a special trip to the resort, if you happen to miss the boat ride schedule costs a whopping 6000 pesos!
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