15 Things To Do in Davao City for First-Time Tourists (Like Me!)

The "Fruitasan Mo" fruits market at Bangkerohan, Davao City.

"All roads lead to Davao City."

While Davao City in Davao del Sur has always been one of the Philippines' most iconic tourist destinations, its new-found popularity and sudden projection to the spotlight can be credited to the country's most powerful man as of present-- His Excellency, President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte who hails from said province. The largest city in the world in terms of land area, Davao City has always been famous for its low cost of living, public safety, cleanliness, and orderliness, and its export-quality production of fruits and  seafood. 

*Optional: Jump to:

Page 2: Davao Crocodile Park, Davao Butterfly House, Tribu K'Mindanawan, Blugre Coffee, Roxas Night Market

Page 3: Backyard Burgers, President Rodrigo Duterte's Residence, Lola Abon's

There's a funny story behind my trip to Davao City, and it happened in the middle of December. You see, my sister and I are both registered nurses working in different hospitals not far from each other. Our hospitals had their respective Christmas parties on the same day, and the program for both involved a raffle  draw which we didn't really care for since we consider ourselves not lucky enough to win. So imagine my surprise when, in the middle of the program during the drawing of the employees' tickets, my name was called out as one of the winners for a spaghetti pack! I rang my mom up and excitedly announced my win, thinking she'd be impressed. 

ME: "Mom! Great news! I just won a spaghetti pack! I never thought I'd win anything from a raffle draw!"

MOM: "Oh, that's great," my mom replied apathetically. "By the way, your sister just won the grand prize for her hospital's raffle draw-- a trip for two to Davao City!"

A box of uncooked pasta versus round-trip tickets with free accommodation to Davao del Sur. I happily congratulated my sister as I tearfully clung to my precious spaghetti pack.

On March 9-11, my sister tagged me along on her grand prize trip. If you're wondering why she didn't bring a boyfriend with her, see this post.

(Related post: Tribute To Summer 02: The Palm Tree Resort In Subic Is Perfect For Your Summer Heartbreak!)

Upon touchdown at 8:00 AM, we took a taxi to one of Davao City's most prestigious hotels-- Seda Abreeza, managed by Ayala Corporation and is located right in front of Ayala Abreeza.

King-sized bed!

Mini-bar.

The pool, Seda Abreeza.

The gym overlooking the pool.

Arriving at the hotel's restaurant the next day, we were shocked when the receptionist informed us that our room came with breakfast for one person only (entrance to the breakfast buffet costs Php 600.00 per person). We told her that this was different from what the receptionist from yesterday said, as he assured us our room came with daily breakfast for two. There was a brief moment of waiting while she confirmed with management. When she came back, she insisted that normally, only one of us can be admitted for breakfast but she will overlook it this time. I love you, Seda Abreeza!

They have unlimited wine tasting for Php 899.00 per person during certain times of the week.

The famous Malagos Farm cheese.

Sweet, beautiful madeleines.

Cute chocolate cakes with pink frosting.

Biko and cupcakes.

Fresh fruits in season.

Fried crispy danggit. This goes well with spicy vinegar dip.

Salad bar.

Aside from these, they also served tuna meat tocino. 

Noodle bar.

One of the best things about staying in Seda Abreeza is its location. It's approximately only 3-5 kilometers away from major tourist attractions like People's Park and Crocodile Park, but it's a stone's throw away from Ayala Abreeza Mall itself! 

This is actually the view from our window.

Abreeza Mall is also home to the Asian Fruit Market.

WHAT TO DO IN DAVAO CITY (DAVAO CITY'S TOURIST SPOTS)

Here are some of Davao City's top attractions for both tourists and locals to enjoy! (I have listed them down in no particular order.)

1. GET TO KNOW THE CITY'S ROOTS

MUSEO DABAWENYO

ENTRANCE FEE/S: Free

Perfect for history buffs (like my sister) but not really ideal for families with tiny tots, Museo Dabawenyo showcases various artifacts, tableaus and stories about the richness of Davao's history.

The only gallery within the museum where picture-taking is allowed is the Art Gallery, where once a month, they feature an artist and his/her works.

2. BE AWARE OF THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

D'BONE COLLECTORS MUSEUM

ENTRANCE FEE/S: Adults Php 80.00, Children Php 50.00

Approximately a kilometer away from Museo Dabawenyo, past an overpass and through an alleyway, is D'Bone Collectors Museum, which is Darrell Dean Blatchley's unique showcase of animal (and human) bones presented with the intent of raising awareness toward proper environmental care.

Unlike Museo Dabawenyo, I think this is a place that small kids, school-aged children and science fans will enjoy thoroughly.

Skeletons of turtles on the third floor of the museum.

The bones of a pygmy whale named "Lost" who lost her life due to an attack by a cookie-cutter shark but was able to give birth before her untimely death.

Animals of the marsh.

Forest animals.

Skeleton of a six-legged calf.

Butterfly collection.

3. SAMPLE DAVAO CITY'S FRESHEST FRUITS

BANGKEROHAN FRUITS MARKET

ENTRANCE FEE/S: Free

Here's where it gets colorful. Davao City is known for not only the infamous durian. Other fruits like mangosteen, marang, lychee, dragon fruit, and watermelon are sold here for low prices, depending if they're in season or not. You can also buy the well-known Davao suha here for Php 600.00 per box which is reasonable if they're Grade A, but for downright low prices, the Bagsakan ng Suha in Matina (which will be discussed next) is another option.

Tip: Durian is not allowed in the plane unless it's packed or sealed. If you need to buy some for pasalubong, opt for the vacuum-packed fruit for Php 125.00 per pack weighing 500 grams from the stall across the street from the fruit market.

You can buy durian candies and baked products here, which the vendors usually sell for Php 35.00 a pack/ Php 100.00 for three packs. I recommend the durian or mangosteen macaroons/ cupcakes. For original Lola Abon's products, though, it's be best to head to their flagship store in Matina instead-- trust me, it's cheaper there by a third. 

Across the fruit market is Bangkerohan Public Market.

4. BUY CHEAP DAVAO CITY POMELO

BAGSAKAN NG SUHA SA MATINA

ENTRANCE FEE/S: N/A

Not many tourists know of this place. I myself don't know exactly where it is; we just let our friendly taxi driver drive us to it. All I know about the place is that it's close to Lola Abon's and that it's somewhere in Matina.

They sell pomelo here per kilo for as low as Php 40.00 for the Grade C's.

Tip: For the sweetest and freshest pomelo, choose the ones with skins that are off-green and corrugated to touch and heavy for their size.

5. FIND PEACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY

DAVAO CITY PEOPLE'S PARK

ENTRANCE FEE/S: Free

In the heart of Davao City lies People's Park. I loved it because it was clean and well-maintained-- features that are rare among parks in the Philippines. 

Near one of the exits is the Pasalubong Center, which sells various novelty items perfect as gifts. It's lined with snack kiosks, too.

The budget-savvy shopper would probably notice that the items on sale at the Pasalubong Center have steeper prices than normal. To save more on souvenirs, I recommend the following itinerary on the list.

6. BE AWESTRUCK WITH GREAT BARGAINS

GAISANO MALL

ENTRANCE FEE/S: Free

Infrequent travelers to Visayas or Mindanao will probably be unfamiliar with the Gaisano chain of malls specializing in local budget buys from their department stores and supermarkets. The Gaisano Citimall, located within close proximity to People's Park, is where I bought myself a pair of flats worth Php 199.00, a black chiffon dress worth Php 150.00, and a plastic messenger bag worth Php 220.00. For pasalubong, they have packs of durian sweets ranging from Php 20.00 to as high as Php 70.00, depending on the brand and quality.

7. EAT THE YUMMIEST CRABS AND SHRIMPS WITH YOUR HANDS

BLUE POSTS BOILING CRABS AND SHRIMPS

PRICE RANGE: Mid-range

While Davao City is famous for a lot of things, the fresh seafood that the city offers deserves two (or maybe three) thumbs-up! One of the places we visited for dinner prides itself in being Davao's "Seafood Haven" with their fresh and succulent tuna, crabs, and shrimps.

Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps in Bajada is a hip and fun place where customers are allowed to scribble with a marker on the walls while waiting to eat seafood with their (sometimes bare) hands. Much like my experience at Cebu's Bucket Shrimps, the table was covered with wax paper before you can dump your rice on top-- who needs plates when you have the whole table top at your disposal?

With great seafood comes great prices! The waitress showed us a basin of crabs and asked us to choose which one we wanted for dinner. My sister, a bit of an expert about crabs, taught me how to discriminate what kind of crab would be the most fulfilling by determining its gender and weight. Choose female crabs over male crabs, as they tend to be meatier and tastier. You can tell a male from a female crab by looking at the sterna on the flip side of the crustacean. A female crab will have a wider, rounder sterna while a male will have a V-shaped, narrower one. Also, weight needs to be heavy for its size, about half a kilogram for a crab around five inches in diameter.

The difference between a male and a female crab. Image from this link.

Try having your seafood cooked in Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce or in Sambal with Mild spiciness. They're not bestsellers for nothing. Also, try the Sinuglaw and the Buttered Cereal Shrimps.

Don't pass up the chance of trying out the Pomelo Salad!

The Pomelo Salad-- a mixture of the sweetness of the pomelo and the sourness of the vinegar and peanut sauce dressing, with a side of boiled shrimps.

Sinuglaw (Php 434.00) is a portmanteau of the words sinugba (roasted pork belly) and kinilaw (raw tuna meat marinated in vinegar and spices). As a dish, it is a mixture of both. The restaurant's version incorporates green apples and water chestnuts into the recipe, and that's what makes it not only unique but also sinfully delicious.

Finally! Crabs in Lemon Butter Garlic sauce (Php 1,800 per kilogram at the time of visit) and Shrimps with corn on the cob  in Sambal with Mild Spiciness (Php 573.00).

Don those hand guards and plastic apron! It's time to dig in!

CONTINUE READING >>

Next up: Day 2 in Davao City's Crocodile Park Complex

The Butterfly House, Tribu K'Mindanawan Fire Dance

 Roxas Night Market