My family and I spent the night at Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort with a large group. Each…read morefamily had their own cottage or room. We parked across the island and took the short boat ride to Paradise. Upon arrival, our bags were inspected for outside food, since they do not permit it. Although they initially confiscated our small bag of rambutan, they eventually allowed it since it was just a little amount. The resort is impeccably clean with beautiful manicured grounds. The staff is always cleaning! Paradise features its own restaurant and shops. After checking in, we were assigned a dining table in the main area near the beach for all our meals. The food is delicious here, by the way! They have live music on certain nights and they even had fireworks during our stay. The resort also offers a variety of water sports like jet skiing and banana boat rides, which are affordably priced compared to other resorts in Samal. The water is crystal-clear. Beach towels are available upon request. They are very thin, though so I recommend bringing your own. We opted for one of the newer cottages, 25C. The room was clean and had two full beds and two bath towels. We requested a third towel for the three of us, and the staff was very friendly and quick to assist. We had an issue with out toilet and they fixed it right away. Service was excellent throughout our stay. I highly recommend Paradise Island, especially if you're looking for a nice budget-friendly getaway in Samal!

Food was great with a lot of variety nice clean beach water. The ambiance was great. Band playing…read morebetween 1130 and 2:00 PM with beautiful rendition of 80's and 90's songs. Waiters were attentive. But get ready for the entrance fee of 350 pesos per person.

My extended family of nine enjoyed a two-night, three-day stay at Pearl Farm Beach Resort. I had…read morevisited over ten years ago with my family when they still offered day passes, and I loved it then. This time, we booked Villa 5 on Malipano Island. Malipano Island is a private island located just across from the main island and is accessible by a short boat ride. It features three or more villas, at least two private beaches, a public pool, as well as its own dining area and bar for guests staying on Malipano Island. If you book a villa on Malipano Island, you have access to the main island. However, if you book accommodations on the main island, you have little to no access to Malipano Island. Our villa featured a spacious open-air living room with stunning views of the beach/ocean, three bedrooms with a total of five beds, three full bathrooms, and one half bath. While I appreciate the open-air concept of the living room, we mostly stayed in our bedrooms to keep cool and avoid mosquitoes. During the day, we were either out on the beach or at one of the resort's many pools. Kayaks and paddle boards were available and included in our package. The grounds are beautiful, clean, and well kept for the most part. However, during low tide, you can see the trash on the beach, which turned us off. I actually didn't get in the water during low tide for fear of getting a skin reaction or getting sick. The food is excellent at both islands. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served buffet-style featuring a wide variety of traditional Filipino food options from meat to seafood to veggies. The service is impeccable. Every staff member we encountered was super friendly and helpful. I would still recommend Pearl Farm. Just keep an eye out for trash on the water during low tide.

Pearl Farm was highly recommended to us and is apparently the Maldives of the Philippines. The…read moreviews were definitely breathtaking and the white sand beach was beautiful. The water was so clear and pristine. The boat ride from Davao to Pearl Farm is about 45 minutes. We were lucky because the weather was perfect when we went and the waters were not choppy. We stayed for one night in the Malipano Villa, located on Malipano Island which is a short boat ride from the main resort. The private island consists of seven ocean front villas and has its own beach and swimming pool. There was also a restaurant, but it wasn't open unfortunately. There was only one other family staying at the time so it was super quiet. You can literally hear the waves and birds chirping from your bedroom. It was a bit disappointing as the villa was a bit run down for the price we paid (minus one star). I definitely think it would benefit from a renovation. When you walk in to the villa, your eyes are greeted to a fully open lanai with a beautiful ocean front view. The lanai had a seating and dining area. I didn't care too much for the open lanai because it invited critters in to our villa so we had to make sure all of our doors were closed. The master suite with king bed and second guest bedroom with two twin beds were on the first floor, a spa bathroom on the second floor, and a third bedroom with three twin beds on the third floor. The spiral stairs were very narrow and it was difficult bringing luggage upstairs. I believe the villa can accommodate up to eight guests. I appreciated the cold a/c in all of the bedrooms and the filtered water dispenser. All of the staff we encountered were helpful and friendly. There are different water activities available at a cost. My family opted to do jet skiing and had a lot of fun. The lunch and dinner buffets were okay (traditional Filipino food). Their dining area is open and birds kept flying in to peck at the bread during lunch. There were also fruit flies on the fruit. They should do a better job and keep the food covered. We enjoyed the snacks and cocktails served during appetizer hour. We opted to have breakfast delivered to our villa and the food was good. We especially enjoyed the sikwate (hot chocolate) that I dipped my pandesal in. Upon check out, we were charged 400 pesos (almost $8 USD!!) for a small can of Pringles that was in the room next to the bed stand of the master suite. Mind you that was the only snack in the villa so I thought it was complementary. Ridiculously expensive! All in all, I'm glad we had the opportunity to stay at Pearl Farm. This would be the place to stay if you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy beautiful ocean views.

The place is found at a scenic location where you have a newly constructed road to pass by. At the…read moreview outside, you would be mistaken in seeing a small resort because the gate can only fit one vehicle at a time. It also has a foreign emblem that makes you wonder what it is that you find inside the resort. Upon entry to the lobby, you would see the gorgeous infinity pool. When I say gorgeous, I really mean absolutely stunning. At a perfect angle and on a windy day, there would be moments where the waves of the ocean would be in sync with the ripples found on the pool. It's obvious that the pool is the highlight of this resort given it is found in the middle (and the one closest to the villas, around 5 meters from the doorstep). The resort basically gives you two room types: a room in the multi-storey building (a minute's walk from the pool and another minute more from the shoreline) and a villa that is themed around a choice of different countries: Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and others. My choice was a Thai villa and it was great. Although, I was able to take a peek inside the Japan-themed villa later in the day when it was being cleaned and it looked really authentic (making me want to choose that one next time for sure). Customer service is top notch and staff is readily available to accommodate your every need. I will definitely be back!

From the owner: Bali Bali joins the number of resorts nestling in the Island Garden City of Samal. But with pride…read morewe offer a different kind of experience that's worth your visit -- your time. Because you deserve the best vacation in a tranquil, serene and private place along with the beautiful nature you are blessed with. :)

It takes a while to get to Kembali Coast, which is situated at the end of Samal Island. It faces…read moreTalikud Island. But the trip is worth it. The water is in pristine condition. It's crystal clear water is so inviting. Snorkelig close to shore allows you to see a variety of marine life. On shore, our kids enjoyed burying themselves under the sand and hunting for hermit crab. They have an abundance of hermit crab of all sizes. They're all around: on the sand, tables, rocks, trees, etc. Having a home by the sea was an added plus. There's a shower for rinsing after swimming in the salty oxean water. There's a full service kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, microwave oven, sink, bathroom. The infinity pool was an added plus. Our kids enjoyed tgeir swim. Adults have to pay 200php to swim. I would love to try to atay for the night if I get a chance next time.

Beautiful place the buffet I enjoyed the most. Nice and clean except need to renovate there buffet…read morerestaurant the hotel a little need new furniture.

Pros: Spacious room…read more Relaxing atmosphere, grounds. Excellent shampoo! Excellent desserts at Café Uno!!! Oh, the carrot cake. OMG! Buffet was very good. Friendly, customer service oriented housekeeper. Cons: Poor a/c (constant 80 degrees) in Building 3. I'll return after modern a/c is available. Requested King, got twin beds. Choice should be specific: KING or 2 twins My wariness was well founded, as it turned out. We enjoyed our May 2019 stay very much! Booked another stay for March 2020. Can't wait!

This is a regular place for family and friends to hang out or celebrate special occasions. The…read moreplace has a variety of activities to choose from: karaoke in an exclusive room; drinks by the sea; birthday and wedding celebrations in a function room; weekend getaway by the beach. This is a hidden treasure residing by the coastal road at Matina Aplaya. The resort serves Filipino and Western cuisine and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I especially love their bulalo steak! The beef shank is still attached to the bone, which is oozing with warm bone marrow. I love sinking my teeth into the tender meat. It's a great place to enjoy a relaxing day by the sea.

The service is super slow. No body come by to check again for drinks after 45 min…read more Ordered simple appetizers and some fried chicken, 45 min still waiting. Once our food came out, it was hot for the most part. The food was good, but they held up the appetizers until the Paella was finished cooking which takes an hour. Resort was not very crowded.

Our family has been visiting this place for years. We like the convenience of being able to go…read moreanytime. The best time to enjoy the beach is early morning, around 6am. By 1030am or 11am, we're ready to head home cause the tide would have gone down and the sun gets pretty hot. This place has a little of something for everyone to enjoy. For the water enthusiast, the beach and water sports will keep them busy. There's a playground for the kids. The aviary is a nice little walk to explore and enjoy. The kids love looking at the animals and learning what they look like and how they behave. There are cottages that can be rented for overnight stays. There are halls for big events. There's also entertainment on Saturday's for diners and beachcombers to enjoy. Food is good. Lots of Filipino dishes to enjoy. Don't worry if you forgot something, they have a well-stocked mini mart that offers a variety of things. Note: The entrance fee has gone up and become cost prohibitive for a regular visit. But it's still worth going once in a while.