Durian. Philippine Eagle. Mt. Apo. These are what I call the superstars in Davao. But you see Davao City is more than the king of fruits and the king bird kingdom.
In this simple Davao City Travel Guide, I collaborated with a Davao local blogger- Glen Santillan of Escape Manila. Hope this helps Davao City future visitors.
1. Describe Davao City.
Glen says: Davao is one of the safest place in the Philippines but because it is situated in Mindanao it is often stereotyped as one of the dangerous places in the country. It is a place where Christians, Muslims and indigenous people co-exist harmoniously.
James says: Davao City is 3x as big as Metro Manila in land area. The center of economic activity in all of Mindanao with an International Airport and good Seaport system. As Glen said, its safe, actually its the “Most Child-Friendly City” in the Philippines. A big city packed with diversity- of Christians, Muslims and lumads co-exist.
2. What do you like most about Davao City?
Glen says: I love Davao’s peace and order and the no smoking policy. I think everyone of us deserve clean air to breathe.
James says: Same with Glen, peace and safety. I really feel safe even when alone walking at night. The taxi drivers are fair and helpful. The freshness of seafood, vegetables and fruits. Plus I think I can live with durian, mangosteen, rambutan, lanzones and marang for the rest of my life.
3. Is there anything the local government can do (or stop doing) in order to make the place more tourist friendly?
Glen says: I think the city should allow bars to open after 2AM during weekends and holidays.
James: They should do something about the heavy traffic during rush hours. It’s not like EDSA traffic but who wants being stuck on the road?
4. Don’t go home without seeing/visiting/experiencing __________.
Glen says: A first time visitor to Davao should not miss the Philippine Eagle Center to have a close encounter of our own Philippine Eagle which is considered to be one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world.
James says: I like having a morning walk around Bankerohan Public market for fruit-tripping. Then go to Aldevinco for some pasalubong shopping. If you have atleast 3 days and is an adventurous type, why not scale Mt. Apo which is the highest mountain in the Philippines.
5. Don’t go home without trying/eating ____________.
Glen says: One should try the king of fruits – Durian. There are different varieties of durian available in town and my most favorite is Arancillo for its sweet and creamy taste. If you want a bitter-sweet taste, you can try Puyat. Aside from the king of fruits, I also recommend eating at Lachi’s and sample their mouth-watering desserts.

Davao Food Trip- Mangosteen, Durian Panna Cotta, Kinilaw with crispy dried squid, Chevre Cheese with honey and Durian at Php25/kilo.
James says:
Penong’s BBQ for a local flavor of chicken, pork or fish. Have your food anyway you want- grilled, soup or ceviche. It has lots of branches around Davao City.
You should also get to taste Durian coffee and Durian Cheesecake at Blugre’s Coffee.
Don’t you also miss the gourmet cheese from Malagos Farmhouse, I specially like the Chevre which is made from goat’s milk- wonderful tart and creamy. It also comes with pineapple, mango and pesto flavors.
Desserts like durian cheesecake or sansrival should be at Lachi’s, with a homely ambiance and just good food, you will never forget the place. Lunch and dinner can be enjoyed with my personal faves- callos, spicy oriental chicken and laing. <3 it!

Lachi’s Sansrival atbp. – Spicy Oriental Chicken, Callos, Dessert, Laing, Durian Cheesecake and Me with the twin brothers, the owners
If you are looking for a superb fine-dining experience, do try Marco Polo’s Bistro. An exciting food experience is on your way from appetizer to dessert. Taste local cuisine with a twist. I love their tuna kinilaw (ceviche) topped with crispy dried pusit (squid), pomelo salad with arugula sprouts and durian panna cotta.
6. Traveler’s Tips:
Glen says: If you have a lot of time to spare try to visit the nearby Island Garden City of Samal for beach bumming and other water activities .
James says: You should not miss the Philippine Eagle Center. YOu should go there in the morning as you would learn a lot from the guides inside. If you have more days to spare, go to Mati City particularly Dahican Beach to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Its just a 3-hour land trip if you are taking the van, 5 hours if you take the bus.
7. Recommendation Hotel, Inn?
Glen says: For budget travelers, you may want to try My Hotel along San Pedro St. They have aircon rooms at P800 and non-air at P250.
James says: If you are on a budget go to Casa Graciana near NCCC Matina and MTS (starts at Php300) and I can just take the public bus to the airport when I go back to Manila or Palawan.
If you want superb service, comfort and convenience in the heart of the city. Go to Marco Polo Hotel Davao– its the best hotel pare! Durin Kadayawan Festival, Marco Polo Hotel is the best spot where you can watch the street dance from various performers from Mindanao. Visit this link for rates and amenities: Marco Polo Hotel Davao

Kadayawan Festival- Indak Indak 2013 as viewed from Marco Polo Hotel (I don’t even have a zoom lens)
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Thanks to Glen for helping me out in this feature. Do visit Glen’s blog at: www.escapemanila.com, connect with him on Facebook: /EscapeManila and follow her on Twitter: @escapemanila
Getting to Davao by air:
Cebu Pacific Air flies daily to Davao City from Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Kalibo, Zamboanga, Dipolog, Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa . For bookings and inquiries, go to www.cebupacificair.com or call (02)7020-888. The latest seat sales and promos can be found on Cebu Pacific Air’s official Twitter (@CebuPacificAir) and Facebook pages (/cebupacificair).
You can read my past articles about Davao City below:
Experiencing Davao City’s Kadayawan Festival in Style: The Welcome
Watching Kadayawan Fiesta in Style- The Parades
STRANGE[R] ENCOUNTER: Kaalim Family of Samal Island, Davao
Mindanao Challenge Day5- Blessings: Hitchhike from GenSan to Davao & Food Trip
If you want to join the Travel Bloggers Collab, please do email me at journeyingjames(AT)gmail(DOT)com together with the place you want to talk about. I want to learn from you and see from your perspective.

Nice one Bro,.,.,. Try also if u have time to visit Mer’s Native delicacies,., Way to Digos ,.,.
I think i saw that once. sige, maybe when i get back to davao. thanks for the suggestion bro
Nice one! Travelers may also visit our outdoor and rescue equipment store in Davao City located at Dona Segunda Building, Ponciano Street ( same street where PLDT/SMART office is) The shop Suntrek Enterprises and their website is http://www.suntrekenterprises.com
Thanks!
Great post about Davao! Life is here, right? 🙂 Traveler’s may also check out Davao Seminars ( http://www.davaoseminars.com/ ) a well-organized hub for all seminars in the Davao Region. This aims to provide both the seminar organizers and lifelong learners an easier way to post and browse seminars in Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental. Thanks!
Davao is definitely a place to visit in Mindanao. It has a lot of tourist spots to offer and the food there is great. The people are friendly and the city is totally safe.
Davao is a great place to visit. It offers some of the cleanest air and water in the Philippines. The nightlife here has evolved and you can spend any night of the week out having fun at MTS, Sales Bar, or Brewery.
The beach is also literally only a short 2 rides away from virtually any point in the city and you can get there for less than a dollar. You can spend the whole day at Samal Island’s Paradise beach for literally less than $10. Currently, with the GrabTaxi promos you can get nearly anywhere in the city for close to nothing.
I’m posting from Revel Maker & Casa Munda Inn. We’re a family run business with deep roots in Davao, and I encourage anyone thinking of paying Davao City a visit to go and do so. We’d be happy to help you make the absolute best of your stay here by offering our services. We have rooms, car rentals and tours. We have the most affordable prices and we offer highly superior service. We love this city, and we want our guests to love it too.
If you’re dropping by for a special event, family occasion, business meeting, or if you’re just dropping by we’d love to speak with you.
you may call or text us at:
landline (+6382)295.7674, mobile (+63922)327.6674
or email us at revelmakerevents@gmail.com
this is an amazing article that you’ve made. you really featured some of the highlights of Davao city and that is a great job, thank you for sharing this to everyone.