Davao City

Davao City

Davao Travel and Tourism Guide

Since Day One, this website has been designed with you, The Davao Traveler, in mind. Our aim is to provide you with a very comprehensive online travel guide to Davao City.
Whether you are planning a trip to visit Davao for the first time, or thinking of going back again to this beautiful city in the southern Philippines, this website will provide you with a wealth of tourist and travel information.
Davao is the third most popular city in the Philippines following Manila and Cebu. It is considered as the center of trade and business in the southern part of the Philippines. In terms of tourism, it offers a lot of wonderful tourist destinations and world-class facilities for you to enjoy. Its people, known as the Dabawenyo, are among the most friendly and hospitable in the world.
If you love traveling, Davao should be a part of your itinerary. When in Davao, you can visit wonderful places like the beautiful white-sand beach resorts in the nearby Samal Island, the Philippine Eagle Foundation, the Eden Nature Park, and many other tourist spots.


Getting Around Davao

From the Davao International Airport, the city propery is only about a 15-minute drive. Like most major cities in the Philippines, in Davao you will also find the colorful jeepneys traveling through the busy streets of the city. If you are in a hurry, you may consider getting a taxi. Both air-conditioned and non-aircontioned taxis are available. And don't forget to ask the taxi driver to use the meter.
It is very safe to go around Davao as long as you follow some common sense rules. For added security, our our travel tips might prove to be useful.
Want to go downtown?
First, familiriaze yourself with the old street names in Davao City..

Kadayawan Festival

Greetings! Madayaw!
“Kadayawan sa Dabaw” is an enriching experience with a difference as its explores the past, present and future of the Davaoeños, the Mindanaoans, the Filipinos. Its sights and sounds remain unparalleled. Be part of the experience.
“Du-aw na sa Dabaw! Duyog sa Kadayawan! Maglingaw-lingaw ta!”

Mount Apo is a large stratovolcano on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is the highest mountain in the country and overlooks Davao City, a few kilometres to the northeast. Its name means "master" or "grandfather". Apo is flat topped, with three peaks, and is capped by a 500 m wide volcanic crater containing a small crater lake. It is a source of geothermal energy, but the date of its most recent eruption is unknown, and none are verified in historic times.
Mount Apo is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the Philippines, and the summit is easy to reach. It was first climbed on October 10, 1880 by a party led by Don Joaquin Rajal.


On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park by President Manuel L. Quezon. The mountain is home to over 270 bird species, with more than a hundred that are endemic.
Although a declared National Park the current climbing trail are littered with rubbish and opening paths for soil erosion across the already denuded mountain sides. Some mountain climbing group are leading the way conducting up climbs after the main Easter climbing season.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has submitted Mount Apo for inclusion in the UNESCO world heritage list. Mount Apo is considered the center of endemism in Mindanao. It has one of the highest land-based biological diversity in terms of flora and fauna per unit area. It has three (3) distinct forest formations from lowland tropical rainforest to mid-mountain forests and finally to high mountain forests.
A portion of the eastern slopes are also with the scope of the UNESCO Hydrology Environment Life and Policy (HELP) Network. The Davao HELP Network is focused on building collaboration among watershed stakeholders.

Eden Nature Park

A mountain resort located at 3,000 feet above sea level, Eden Nature Park is 95% human-made! It is a great model of how humans can re-create nature and rebuild a lost environment.Discovered sometime in 1971, the resort used to be a logged-over area covered only by a blanket of wild grass. Its potential was, however, readily seen by the owners as the property provided an imposing view of Davao City and the Davao Gulf.
Not long after, terraces were carved out of the mountain slope, and thousands of pine tree seedlings were planted. As the pine trees grew it created canopies, allowing other trees and plants to grow and creating a secondary forest. Today, there are over 100,000 pine trees spread in about 80 hectares, providing a refreshing backdrop to the various attractions in Eden Nature Park.



Pear Farm Resort

The Pearl Farm Resort lies in a secluded island off the coast of Davao city. This 11-hectare spread was once a pearl farm, where thousands of white-lipped oysters, transported from the Sulu Sea, were cultivated for their pink, white and gold pearls. Today, the resort beckons with the promise of a relaxing private retreat, under the care of our friendly, charming staff.
The resort's Samal Houses are patterned after the stilt houses of seafaring Samal tribes of the Sulu archipelago. By day, schools of tiny fish frolic between the sturdy poles that support the houses. At night, the sound of the waves are a soothing aid to slumber.
A jar of water and a coconut shell dipper are placed near the entrance to each house so that guests may wash away the sand after a day of barefooting on the beach. In local custom, this gesture is also symbolic of a cleansing of the spirit.
The waters of this island resort are inviting. Crystal clear waves lap gently on the shore and the calm surface of the rock pool washes over the edge into the sea below.

Airconditioned rooms are housed in 19 Samal houses and six Samal Suites. There are 19 hotel-type rooms at the hilltop Balay 1 and Balay 2. Each room was individually designed, and decorated with fine samples of the arts and crafts of the tribal peoples of Mindanao. Rooms were built to fit around the island's contour and all of them provide a panoramic view of the sea.
Jetskiing, hobie cat sailing, scuba diving; an exciting variety of activity awaits the water sports enthusiast. There is also a fish pond stocked with rare aquatic species like the pawikan (marine turtle) and the giant taklobo clams. For drier pursuits, there are two tennis courts set amidst lush tropical foliage.
For exhilirating days in the Davao Gulf, sail over the calm seas on a hobie cate, or take a banca to explore the dazzling coral gardens. Within these waters can be found the different colorful marine life species of the whole Indo-Pacific region. The vast unexplored depths offer ample opportunities for world-class scuba diving and underwater photography, either for the enthusiastic beginner or the expert diver.

Follow the wooden footbridges and walkways as they meander through the exotic gardens of the resort. Island structures are made of natural materials such as bamboo, wood, rope, stone and coral - the better to blend in with the surrounding landscape.
Ethnic motifs reflecting the rich culture and heritage of indigenous tribes lend a distinctive charm to the resort. At the Maranao Pavilion, guests can savor fresh seafood from surrounding waters, as well as exotic fruits such as bananas, durian, santol, papaya, green mandarin, mangosteen and mangoes from the plantation of Davao.

Named after the local term for lighthouse, the Parola bar was once a lookout post for strangers who were not welcome on the island, back in the days when it was still a pearl farm. Today, the bar's cozy ambience invites guests who wish to spend a night of music, drinks and conversation.