Davao

Photo © epsd2001

Travel Guide Asia Philippines Mindanao Davao

Introduction

Blue Sky

Considered as one of the top 20 most liveable cities in Asia, Davao is the Philippines' premiere city in the south. The largest city in terms of land area, it has become the center of business and international trade in the southern island of Mindanao and has about 1.4 million inhabitants. Aside from its beautiful beaches and dive sites, it is home to the country's highest peak and the world's largest eagle, the Philippine Eagle.

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Neighbourhoods

North of Davao: Panabo City and Tagum City
South of Davao: Sta Cruz and Digos City

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Sights and Activities

People's Park at the Heart of Davao

The Philippine Eagle Sanctuary
Mount Apo. Philippines' highest peak.
The Pearl Farm
Eden Nature Park
Crocodile Farm
Matina Town Square
The Venue
Jack's Ridge
People's Park

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Events and Festivals

Kadayawan sa Dabaw - Held every third week of August this is in celebration for bountiful harvest of fruits and orchids during the season.
Araw ng Davao - Every 2nd week of March

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Weather

Davao does not usually get any typhoons (hurricanes). The rainy season extends between June and September, while from October to May the weather is generally sunny. The tropical climate means that temperatures year round are around 30 °C during the day and around or slightly above 20º at night.

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Getting There

By Plane

Davao airport

The Davao International Airport (DVO) serves as the main gateway into the city.

Cebu Pacific Air has flights to Cebu, Hong Kong, Iloilo, Manila, Singapore, Zamboanga
Philippine Airlines has flights to Manila
Air Philippines has flights to Cebu and Manila
Asian Spirit has flights to Seoul (seasonal) and Palau
Singapore Airlines has flights to Singapore
SilkAir has flights to Singapore
Sriwijaya Air has flights to Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi

By Bus

You can reach Davao City by bus to and from all of the major places in Mindanao like General Santos, Isulan, Tacurong, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, and Butuan. Even Cebu and Manila have connections by boat/ferry.

By Boat

Sulpicio Lines and Superferry have connections to/from Davao, including boats to Manila.

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Getting Around

By Car

Another alternative ride aside from the jeepneys and taxis, is to rent a car. There are many cars for rent. If you don't know the routes you can hire drivers by asking the attendant of the rental company. Local companies tend to be cheaper than the national ones.

By Public Transport

Alternatively, if you opt for more adventure, then do as the locals and catch a colorful jeepney. Simply ask around for which route to take to avoid getting lost. They are usually available 24 hours and cover most of the nooks and crannies of the city. This is the cheapest option for getting around. The usual cost for a jeepney ride is P8.00 for every 3-kilometre ride, and about a 1 peso increase per kilometer when going beyond the 3 kilometres (for regular passengers).To pay, pass your fare to the person next to you, all the way to t e driver or the conductor, by saying "bayad po". Paying the exact amount is highly recommended. To stop at a certain destination, say "lugar lang", "para", or knock your coins hard on the steel handle.

By Taxi

The simplest way to get around is by hopping on a taxi. A typical trip can cost about P70-95 or approximately US$2. Unlike Manila, drivers in Davao do not normally bargain if they notice that you are a tourist, hence the cost of the trip is the same in price as a regular. Davao Taxi Drivers are regarded as the most honest taxi drivers in the Philippines. Taxi Drivers in davao city do not charge tourists extra fare unlike their counter parts in Cebu and Manila. If you know the name of the building, establishment, area or street you wish you reach, this is still the fastest way to get to your destination. You can also call or send an SMS to the cab company directly to have a cab driver pick you up. Taxis start their fare at P40.00 and will add P3.50 per few hundred meters. Please do say "thank you" or "salamat" once you have arrived to your destination. Davao Taxis issue fare receipts that list the name of the taxi company, the plate number, and the taxi number which could come in handy if one leaves valuable items or documents inside a cab. Just tell your taxi driver if you want to get a receipt. New to Davao is the acceptance of ATM cards in taxis. The service, however, is only available in "black" colored taxis.

By Water Taxi

A new mode of transportation around Davao Gulf is through a water taxi. Water Taxis service the daily commuters and visitors of Davao City, Samal Island, and other neighbouring coastal municipalities around Davao Gulf. It will get you to the island, waterfront restaurant, or beach resort you wanted with comfort and ease. The pioneer water taxi service in the Philippines is found in Davao City and has the swift, safe and secure water transport, the best and most professional skippers and has a customer friendly and positive attitude, all incorporated to make your transfer easy and pleasurable. Visit their website for more information

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Eat

One food that is a must-try in Davao (and the Philippines in general) is durian, a fruit with a strong, distinctive odour.

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Sleep

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Ponce Suites	Corner Road 3 and 4 Dona Vicenta Village, Bajada	Hotel	86

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Learn

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Keep Connected

Phone

Post

The Philippine Postal Corporation, or PhilPost, is the provides the postal service throughout the Philippines. PhilPost is pretty reliable, but one can hardly call it fast services. It is fine for sending postcards and letters though, both domestically as well as internationally. Prices for sending postcards or letters within the country start at around P7, while most international post costs at least P20. For sending parcels to and from the Philippines it might be wise to use companies like FedEx or UPS. The opening hours of post offices in the Philippines differ from one place to another. Usually, post offices are open from 8:00am to 12 noon and from 1:00pm to 5:00pm on weekdays. And for those that operate on Saturdays, the business hours are from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

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