The biggest city in the Philippines and one of the biggest cities in the world, DavaoCity offers the comforts of city living while retaining the rural feel (and even look) in some of its areas. One of the great things I like about the city is that you’ll never get bored in this city. There are simply many places to go to and there are a lot of sights to see.

Last weekend was a three-day weekend in the country. To top it all, the weekend coincided with the Kadayawan Festival of DavaoCity, which is one of the most popular festivals in my country. So just like a lot of Filipinos (and foreigners, too), we trooped to Davao to enjoy the festive atmosphere and to be tourists at least for two days.

Featured in this hub are some of the places we went to. I hope this hub will help promote this city which I so love.

First Stop: Jack’s Ridge

Jack’s Ridge is not actually a tourist destination. It is a restaurant with a bar. What sets it aside from your local restaurant is that it is located on top of a hill and you get a great view of the city! Plus the food there is definitely delicious. The restaurant is located at the top of the ridge. The bar is located a few (more like 20) steps down and it opens after 7 pm. There’s also a swimming pool in another area of the ridge. If you want to stay in this place longer (and who can blame you), there are rooms available for a one-night (or even more) stay. Entrance is free and the food and the facilities are affordable.

Next Stop: The Philippine Eagle Center

This is the facility of the Philippine Eagle Foundation geared towards conserving the majestic and beautiful Philippine Eagle (formerly Monkey-Eating Eagle; scientific name: Pithecopaga Jefferyl). It is located inside the Malagos Watershed and is about 20 – 30 minutes from the city proper. It is home to some of the Philippine Eagles who were successfully bred in captivity. Other than Philippine Eagles, you will also find other animals within the same area. Entrance to the Malagos Watershed (certain areas only) is like P5 or $0.10. Entrance inside the facility is only P50 or $1.00.

Third Stop: EdenMountain Resort

This was featured in one of my hubs, All About Davao, but the pictures here are all from my camera. The resort is located on top of the mountain (which I felt in my ears while we were going up). It has its own restaurant which offers buffet lunch. The weather was good (not too cold, not too warm either). You’ll also see a great view of the city and there are a lot of things to do while you’re on this resort. Unfortunately, we could not go around the resort because all of the tours were already fully-reserved. But it was enough for us to see and feel the place. Entrance fee (with buffet lunch) is like P450 or just $9.

There are two worthwhile things to mention about this resort. First you can stay overnight in one of the log cabins and experience living inside the forest. Second, if you are feeling adventurous, go and ride the Skyrider (where you can scream your heart out).

Other Places to Go to When You’re in Davao

If you’re looking for cheap but beautiful and high-quality souvenirs, go to AldevincoShopping Center. If you like durian candies, durian bars, mangosteen candies, and other such delicacies, go to Lola (grandmother) Abon’s outlet center where these products are made and can be bought cheaper than the malls or other stores. If you want to catch a view of the beach and the nearby island, you can go to any of the resorts in the Matina Aplaya area.

Don’t forget to eat your fill in the restaurants in Davao. Jack’s Ridge and the restaurant in Eden Mountain Resort are only two of them. There’s Ahfat (see picture of the crab), the RiverWalk Grille beside CrocodilePark (see picture on the crocodile steak) and all other restaurants behind the malls. You can also go to Torres St., there is a row full of restaurants in that area (Harana, Banok’s Japanese restaurant, cafes, etc.)

Last Stop: Your Hotel

Because it was Kadayawan, most of the hotels were full (even the most expensive ones!). Luckily for us, we found a newly-opened hotel which was as beautiful as the other hotels (but offers cheaper introductory prices). This is Casa Leticia 2, just behind the bus terminal of Davao. Shown in this hub are some of the pictures of the room where we stayed. The rate? Less than P900 per night or $19 (don’t know how long this will last though).

Before I end this hub, some of the places I mentioned here are from the center of the city. Eden Mountain is like 30 - 45 minutes away from the city. But don't fret, there are ways for you to go around. What we did was to hire a taxi for the 8-hour trip from Philippine Eagle to Eden Mountain Resort and to Crocodile Park. The fare was like P2,500 or $50 but since there were four of us, it was already a cheap mode of transportation. To contact a taxi service, just ask your hotel receptionist to call up one for you.

So next time you think of a place where you want to go during your vacation, why not consider Davao City, Philippines? Just make sure you drop me a line here before you go to the place and I’ll help you arrange your visit. Cheers!