Dive Into Davao
By Bernadette Reyes
NAMED as the Most Livable City in the Philippines in 2008 by the Department of Tourism, Davao is the country’s largest city. It is home of the famed luscious fruit, durian, and the hub of business, investment, and tourism in the southern region. The city offers the best of both worlds: the idyllic charm of the countryside and the urban comforts of city living. Indeed, exploring this progressive city is must in your to-do list.
WHERE TO STAY
You may choose a posh hotel, a pension house, or an inn to cut back on cost. If you have the money and prefer a little luxury, you may go for Marco Polo Hotel. Other affordable choices include Casa Leticia and Pinnacle Hotel, which offers spacious rooms and complete hotel amenities such as a pool, Jacuzzi, and gym. Or, you may try the Sequoia Inn which mixes value and comfort in one roof.
In the city, you will find Emar’s Hotel which boasts of more than just a place to stay in. It offers tourists a rustic setting and its main attraction is its wave pool for all members of the family.
Villa Margarita Hotel is also a budget traveler’s fave. Located on J.P. Laurel Street in Bajada, it offers 32 three-star accommodations at an affordable cost coupled with Davaoeño hospitality.
WHAT TO ENJOY
It is best to save on hotel cost so you can embark on a Davao adventure. If you love heights or want to conquer your fear of heights, take the Skywalk at the Crown Regency Hotel Davao, the Philippines’s tallest hotel tower. The beauty of Davao is in view as you walk around the circumference of the tower.
If Manila is the hub of urban living, then Davao is a cosmopolitan city. Davao is home to some of the country’s major mall chains, business and investment centers, and cultural and historical sites.
The Museo Dabawenyo or the New Museum to the locals, and the Old Davao Museum at the Insular Village in Lanang offers educational enrichment and a glimpse of Davao’s cultural heritage.
Also inside the Insular Village grounds you will find the T’Boli Weaving Center or Dabaw Etnika which is the mecca for handicrafts. See costumed Mandaya women weave their superlative dagmay cloth from the fibers of the native abaca plant on traditional backstrap looms. It is also here where you’ll find Aldevinco Shopping Center where you may also shop for some of the region’s best handicrafts.
Davao also has some best-kept secrets waiting to be unraveled.
Go bird watching at the Philippine Eagle Center, home to the Philippine Eagle. The center is primarily
a breeding facility for various species of birds and habitat to animals endemic to the region. 10 minutes away from the nature center is the Malagos Garden Resort which houses diverse varieties of ornamental flora and orchids, such as the waling waling and sculptures of National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva. While there, taste Malagos Farmhouse artisanal cheese by Olive Puentespina.
Travel south, some 50 kilometers of the capital, and you are up for more thrill and excitement. Camp Sabros in Davao del Sur boasts of the second longest zip-line in the Philippines.
Its Slide for Life sends you flying for almost a minute at 150 feet above ground for P200. If you’re a thrill-seeker, then dare to try the Accelerator, which, for P950, gives the most high by zipping 100 kilometers per hour at 200-feet above ground.
Camp Sabros is accessible via bus. Take a bus at the Ecoland Bus Terminal going to Digos City Terminal. From there, take a tricycle going to the old Digos City Terminal, then take the van that will take you to the trekkers’ checkpoint. Trek uphill for about half an hour and you will reach Camp Sabros.
Go north of Davao and enter the Garden City of Samal Island for peace and tranquility.
One of the fast-rising tourist destinations in the Philippines, Samal Island is a five-minute boat ride away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Pristine beaches engulfed in white sand welcome locals and foreign travelers alike. There are a number of budget and luxury resort accommodations in the island available for tourists.
Travel some two kilometers of Peñaplata proper, the island’s capitol, to discover the secluded Hagimit Falls bounded by lush vegetation, thick woods, and rock formations. Best time to go exploring is when most travelers have gone home where you can listen to the gushing of water and chirping of birds that are soothing to the eyes and soul.
Samal Island is also home to the world’s largest colony of Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats — Monfort Bat Cave. The cave is home to around 1.8 million bats.
Going around Davao is easy with the availability of public transport. You may go around in the ubiquitous jeepney or hire a cab. Both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned taxis are available. But to save on time, hiring a cab or a private van is recommended especially if you’re traveling in a group. At P1,500 a day, you may share the tab and save on cost.
When in Davao, there is one place you shouldn’t miss if you have the budget (well, better to save for it when planning to go to Davao, otherwise, Davao adventure would not be complete): the luxe Pearl Farm Beach Resort. Located off the coast of Davao City in a secluded 28,000-hectare Samal group of Islands, the resort was once home to different-colored pearls which were cultured from white-lipped oysters moved from Sulu Sea. For $680 (USD), you get to experience its powder-like sand beaches, relax amid mangroves and palms, rock formations, and exotic aquatic life.
Pearl Farm is known for its concept guest rooms and villas on stilts perched above water patterned after the stilt houses of the seafaring Samal tribes. And if you prefer something private, the farm has seven exclusive villas at the nearby Malipano Island.The resort also offers action-packed entertainment via its Aqua Sports Center. There’s also opportunity for exploring the depths. Just 60 meters away from the resort, two sunken World War II Japanese vessels await to be explored by scuba divers.
This is Davao — and more. When in Davao, your gastronomic experience wouldn’t be as thrilling as when eating its pride: Durian. Durian haven Magsaysay Park, located beside the Sta. Ana Wharf along the corners of Magsaysay Avenue and Quezon Boulevard, has numerous fruit stalls which sell pomelos, mangosteen, and of course, durian. Not to be missed is the durian monument near the wharf. Durian candies and yema also abound. They come cheap – only P35 for a pack of 12.
With more likes after posting your Davao adventure photos on Facebook, bet you’re going back to Davao sooner than planned.
Into the blue. Samal Island’s crystal-clear blue waters.
Playground love, clockwise, from top: A traveler enjoys a photo op in one of Davao’s tourist attractions, Eden Nature’s Park, and Hagimit Falls.
Samal fun, clockwise, from top: A tourist walks the hanging bridge, thrill-seekers may go rappeling down a ravine, or try out the Slide for Life zip-line.