Davao Activities

With gorgeous beaches at its disposal, Davao is an ideal family holiday destination, offering endless and inexpensive days of fun in the sun. Kids invariably find ways of entertaining themselves; however, the opportunity to take part in a variety of organised activities adds to Davao’s appeal. Heading inland, families will find the delights of Crocodile Park and Eagle Sanctuary a joy, while for rainy days, there’s the cinema or hotel facilities to fall back on.

Beaches
Head for a scenic coastal spot such as Samal Beach in Davao and the kids will be able to while away many a happy hour enjoying the delights of the sand and sea. Davao’s beaches are safe places for families to visit and the atmosphere at these sandy stretches is conducive to parents relaxing and soaking up the sun while the little ones entertain themselves.

Cinema
SM City Mall has a multi-screen cinema showing all the latest Hollywood movies (in English with Cebuano subtitles) and is the ideal place to kill a few hours with the kids on days when it’s raining or just too hot to be outside.

Davao Crocodile Park
A great family trip can be enjoyed at Davao City’s Crocodile Park, the only facility of its kind in the region. Locally bred crocodiles are on show at the park and among the highlights is Pangil, the country’s largest specimen. Feeding time is also one of the park’s biggest attractions, with visitors given the chance to safely deliver food to the fierce reptiles. Phone: +63 82 3013274; website: www.davaocrocodilepark.com/.

Philippine Eagle Centre
Kids are always fascinated by animal-based attractions, and the popular Eagle Sanctuary with its interesting collection of magnificent birds is sure to please. A variety of other animals at the facility help make this a great trip out for all the family. Phone: +63 82 224 3021; website: www.philippineeagle.org/.

Visitors with an interest in the history and cultural heritage of Davao City and the Davao region will find a good selection of facilities dedicated to offering background on these topics. The Davao Museum and Davao Historical Society Musuem are good places to start, both providing information about the various tribes that led to the settlement the city and the other civilisations that followed them. Aspects of the Japanese presence in the city can be explored at the Japanese Museum and Tunnel.

Davao Historical Society Museum
Along with the Davao Museum, this facility highlights aspects of the area’s colourful and fascinating past, and the people who have dominated it. The museum is home to the collection of the Davao Historical Society.

Davao Japanese Tunnel
A small entry fee permits tourists to visit the Japanese Tunnel in Davao City, which is famous for having been used by Japanese soldiers during WWII. Life-size models of Japanese soldiers in various poses have been placed at different points along the length of the tunnel.

Davao Museum
At the Davao Museum, visitors can gain an interesting insight into the background of some of the region’s indigenous tribes and most significant pioneering families. A variety of artefacts are on display including tribal household items, costumes, jewellery and original photographs. The museum also houses a gallery featuring paintings, sculptures and ceramics.

Japanese Museum
This facility is dedicated to providing a background on the history of the Japanese in Davao, and is home to an interesting collection of artefacts from both pre and post-war periods. Among the articles on display are original publications, agricultural tools, photographs and period written accounts from members of the Japanese community.

Lon Wa Buddhist Temple
The island of Mindanao’s largest Buddhist temple can be found in a scenic setting amid bamboo and candle trees. The temple’s most outstanding point is perhaps its giant statue of the Buddha and the accompanying wood carvings that tell stories of his life.

San Pedro Cathedral
With the original structure dating back to 1847, the San Pedro Cathedral is among Mindanao’s oldest churches. This splendid old building was erected as a tribute to St Peter and is notable for housing its original altar, which now stands in the right wing. The cathedral is still a working religious facility and serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Davao.

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague
Located atop Matina Hill, the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague is a local mecca for Catholic devotees, as well as being one of Davao City’s most famous landmarks and tourist spots. The structure is unusual in that its chapels are all open-air. During Holy Week, locals re-enact the Stations of the Cross on the hill leading up to the shrine.

A vibrant ethnic mix in Davao has led to the establishment of a rich and varied local cuisine, which includes a mix of dishes of tribal origin, as well as some hailing from China, Japan, the US and Europe. Eating out, consequently, is never a dull experience and opportunities to try a plethora of interesting culinary creations are plentiful.

Seafood is a popular aspect of the local cuisine, especially yellow fin tuna, which is prepared by slow-cooking the fish over hot coals. Other favourites include pusit (cuttlefish), pigek (a local fish delicacy), sugpo (giant prawns) and the marinated raw fish dish known as kinilaw.

Durian is a specialty in Davao. Besides being eaten raw, it is commonly prepared into ice-cream, candy and a variety of other sweet preparations. The raw fruit is famous for its pungent smell, with the fruit being banned from being brought into hotels in the region. Other fruits commonly eaten include mangosteen, sweet pomelo, green mandarin and rambutan.

Davao City offers an excellent selection of eateries with establishments to suit all tastes and budgets. Among those restaurants that consistently attract tourist clientele are Cactus World, Claude’s Le Café de Ville, Molave, Blu Gre Café and Davao Dencia’s Restaurant. Visitors wanting to go as authentic as possible with their dining experience are best seeking out the small, lower profile establishments that tend to be favoured more by the locals.

For shopping, Davao City is the place to head with its excellent mix of local market-style establishments selling traditional handmade goods and large malls where branded clothes, electronics and household goods are on offer. Giasano Mall is perhaps the most famous shopping centre, offering a huge selection of outlets in a modern, pleasant air-conditioned environment.

NCCC Supermarket is another place worth checking out; the name is something of a misnomer as the establishment offers not only a supermarket, but also a bowling alley, four cinemas, restaurants and a number of other retails outlets. Shops in malls invariably have fixed prices.

For souvenirs and local handicrafts, the indoor market known as Aldevinco, is the place to head. Here a large number of stalls sell everything from sarongs to antiques, and prices are negotiable.

Davao is the perfect place for outdoor types, providing numerous opportunities to make use of the geographical assets that Mother Nature has blessed the region with. The beach is the focus of much of the action. However, Davao is also a great place to get active in the hinterland. Scuba diving is especially notable here, with some beautiful reefs available for exploring with the assistance of local dive tour operators.

Beach Volleyball
The beaches in the Davao region offer ideal conditions at which to enjoy this popular outdoor sport. Nets can be found in many locations. If you don’t want to engage in the activity yourself, you can always sit back and enjoy watching the locals play.

Boating
There are many areas along the coast of Davao at which boating can be pursued, with sea conditions well suited to the use of a variety of vessels including kayaks, rowing boats and speedboats. Small, easy to command vessels can be used by relatively inexperienced visitors, while larger boats should be hired complete with a skilled operator.

Fishing
There’s plenty of fishing action to be found in Davao with local tour operators offering game fishing trips on which keen anglers can try their hand at hauling in tuna or marlin. Campo Agua is one of the most ideal spots in the area for fishing and can be reached independently without need of a boat or third party. Campo Agua is located just 30 minutes from the centre of Davao City.

Golf
Few tourist destinations deny golfers the chance to indulge their passion, and Davao is no exception. Davao City offers the Apo Lanang Golf and Country Club (phone: +63 82 297 2150), which is located just over half a mile south of the city in the suburb of Dumoy. Besides offering 18-holes of international standard, plus golf clubs and caddies for hire, the club has tennis courts and a swimming pool. Alternatively, the New Davao City Golf Club (phone: +63 82 2962290), situated two miles south in Matina, offers nine holes of golf and caddies and equipment for hire.

Mountaineering
A popular challenge for visitors to take on is the four-day trek to the top of Mount Apo. A variety of trails have been established, allowing for different routes for both ascending and descending. The trek can be dangerous so visitors are advised to obtain assistance from the Mount Apo Climbers Association (phone: +63 82 62062) before setting out, or alternatively contact the Department of Tourism Office located in the Magsaysay Park Complex.

Scuba Diving
Davao offers a plethora of excellent dive sites with a number of destinations no more than two hours away from Davao City by car including Isla Malipano, Mushroom Rock, Ligid Island and Talicud Island. Coral reefs at these sites make for some stunning underwater viewing, as do the wide variety of sea life on view. Davao’s dive season runs for the whole year, although the period from March through July is considered the most ideal time.

Water Sports
Opportunities to participate in popular water-based activities are plentiful at Davao’s scenic beach areas. Activities such as waterskiing, jet-skiing, sailing, body-boarding, snorkelling and more can be pursued with the help of local water sports operators.

White Water Tubing
There’s a stretch of the Sibulan River at Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur that lends itself perfectly to the pursuit of tubing. Participants get themselves comfortable atop a large truck wheel inner tube and let the river’s current and its various eddies do the rest. The thrills are plentiful and the experience unique.