Planning to visit Davao for your next weekend getaway? This 3D2N Davao travel itinerary has got you covered.
Davao is a city on the Philippine island of Mindanao and one of Cebu Pacific’s five destinations with a direct flight from Singapore. We’ve never been to this part of Philippines before and this city does indeed have many things to explore – from picturesque landscapes, fruit plantations to virgin forests and coral islands. Interestingly, Davao is coined the “Durian Capital of the Philippines”, due to the ideal tropical climate to harvest the king of the fruits. It is also home to the majestic but critically endangered Philippine Eagle, the country’s national bird.
Visit Davao Summer Festival 2018
Like Singapore, Davao is really hot. Summer usually spans from April to May, while June to October is the monsoon season. So ideally, the best time to travel to Davao is from December to February when the weather is much cooler and dryer, or even better go during their Visit Davao Summer Festival. We took a red eye flight via Cebu Pacific Air, which took around 3 hours 45 minutes direct from Singapore to Francisco Bangoy International Airport.
Singapore to Davao via Cebu Pacific Air
Here’s our 3D2N itinerary in full:
DAY 1: Eden Nature Park
2:00AM – Arrival in Davao and Check-in at SEDA Abreeza Hotel
We stayed at the SEDA Abreeza Hotel, which is just 20 minutes away from the airport. The hotel is quite central and provides convenient access to various tourist attractions like the Philippine Eagle breeding camp, white water rafting and also just an hour away from the sea port where you can get to visit the white sandy beaches of Samal Island. There’s also an upscale Abreeza mall and 711 directly opposite the hotel, so fret not if you need to shop or looking for last minute necessities.
Accommodation at SEDA Abreeza Hotel
The room at SEDA Abreeza Hotel has quite a relaxed and restful ambience with the cool, earthy tones. It’s quite spacious and equipped with the usual amenities including Wi-Fi, kettle, minibar, hair dryer, in-room safe etc. For electrical points, you’ll have to bring along your travel adaptor type E or F. Facilities-wise, the hotel has a gym, swimming pool and an all-day dining restaurant, Misto – serving international breakfast and regional cuisine.
SEDA Abreeza
Address: Abreeza Ayala Business Park, J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City, Davao del Sur, 8000, Philippines
10:00AM – 5:00PM – Eden Nature Park & Resort [Sky Adventures & Guided Tour]
Our day 1 activity was to the mountainous area at Eden Nature Park & Resort, which was about an hour away from our hotel. The air was cool, crisp and felt absolutely peaceful, being surrounded with lots of pine trees and untouched landscape. This 80-hectare nature park also doubles as a resort, for those looking for a private stay away from the city.
But don’t be fooled by the tranquil atmosphere, there are tons of thrilling activities and attractions to discover here. For thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies, the Sky Adventures is a must-try. We tried all three sky adventures – the Skyrider, Skycycle and the Skyswing, and I must say all are quite on par to raise your adrenaline.
The Skyrider is a set of 200m long steel cables suspended 20m in the air – basically a zipline. The ride itself is quite mellow but you get to enjoy the spectacular view of Davao City and the Davao Gulf from a vantage point.
Up 60ft high on the Skycycle
Next is the Skycycle, which is literally cycling up in the sky. From below, onlookers will surely get nervous thinking if they should attempt the ride. There’s a strange adrenaline rush while pedalling up 60ft in the sky.
Plunging down 95ft on the Skyswing
The last sky adventure, Skyswing, is probably the most extreme. Standing 95ft off the ground, the ride will slowly elevate you to the highest point, before plunging down at a rapid acceleration. If you can handle the drop and build-up anticipation, this will probably be a breeze for you. Must-try!
Besides the recreational activities, there are many attractions at Eden Nature Park like the Rainbow Pass, Flower Garden, Butterfly Garden, Tinubdan heritage houses, hiking trail etc. For those looking to up their Instagram feed, get your cameras ready for the Rainbow Pass – a seven-arch rainbow structure.
Rainbow Pass
Flower Garden
Butterfly Garden
Tinubdan Heritage Houses
Eden Nature Park
Address: Emilio Jacinto Street, Batangas Eden, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur, Philippines
7:00PM – Dinner at Rekado Filipino Comfort Cuisine
Rekado Filipino Comfort Cuisine
We had dinner at the Rekado Filipino Comfort Cuisine, a modern restaurant that serves authentic Filipino dishes. We can’t rave enough about the spread of dishes here, especially their homemade adobo or kalderobo. Look out for our top 10 food to try in Davao coming soon!
Rekado Filipino Comfort Cuisine
Address: 1050 Jacinto Extension Street, Barangay 11-B, Davao City 8000 Philippines
DAY 2: Malagos Garden Resort & Philippines Eagle Centre
10:30AM – 3:00PM – Malagos Garden Resort
Malagos Chocolate Museum
Day 2 was slightly more relaxed, starting with a day tour to Malagos Garden Resort for a chocolate tour, chocolate making and tasting of the Malagos chocolate, animal petting farm and cheese and wine tasting. Entrance fee to the resort is inclusive of access to the various attractions – Bird Feeding dome, Petting Zoo, Noah’s Deck, Zen Garden, Butterfly dome, Museo de Mariposa, Mindanao Contemporary Art Gallery and the Chocolate Museum. There’s also a bird show on weekend mornings and their sumptuous lunch buffet spread on weekends.
Chocolate making in progress!
One of our favourite highlights in Davao is getting the chance to make our very own chocolates! The Malagos Chocolate Laboratory has a place for visitors to try their hands on a chocolate making session. For just Php 450, you get a mini pitcher of chocolate, moulding trays, ingredients, and a box to pack your chocolates. Ingredients include nuts, marshmallows, salt, chili flakes, spices, durian candy and many more.
Ingredients to choose from
Hard at work
Our final product!
Wine and cheese tasting
After the chocolate making experience, we headed over to the Dome for an Animal Encounter experience. You can probably spend about half a day roaming around while feeding and playing with the animals.
Getting ready to feed the goats during the Animal Encounter Experience
Bird feeding time!
Overall, Malagos Garden Resort is a great place for the whole family to enjoy, while being close to nature. For those who are looking to stay the night, the resort offers deluxe rooms and villas.
Malagos Garden Resort
Address: Calinan-Baguio-Cadalian Road, Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City
3:00PM – Philippine Eagle Centre
Next, we visited the Philippine Eagle Centre, which is a sanctuary for the endangered Philippine eagle. It takes about 1 hour travelling time from the city – but just 10 minutes away from Malagos Garden Resort. It’s worth a visit for both passionate advocates and casual visitors, a rare opportunity to see these captive-bred Philippine eagles up close. There are other wildlife and birds here while on the nature walk, so do keep a look out!
Philippine Eagle Centre
Address: Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City, Philippines
7:00PM – Dinner at Yellow Fin
Yellow Fin
We headed over to Yellow Fin for dinner, known as the city’s finest seafood restaurant. They serve up fresh seafood and delicious Filipino cuisine, including yummy chunks of grilled tuna belly. Simple seasoning but absolutely delicious.
Yellow Fin
Address: Fronting SM Lanang Premier, J.P. Laurel Ave, Buhangin, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur
DAY 3: Samal Island, Giant Clam Sanctuary & Club Samal
8:00AM – Samal Island
Boat ride to Samal Island
On our last day, we woke up really early and took a boat ride out to the white sandy beaches of Samal Island. The ride was about 15 minutes long and we stopped over at a make-shift jetty to start our snorkelling adventures! We snorkelled and had an encounter with the giant clams which were sitting on the bed of the sea. Those who love the sea and underwater marine creatures, this is something you shouldn’t miss.
We then made our way to Club Samal Resorts, a boutique resort on Samal Island. The resort itself is convenient yet secluded from public and offers the best mini getaway from the bustling city life.
Club Samal Resorts
For lunch, we had a seafood feast at the secluded Club Samal Resorts. The food here is really superb – or maybe Filipino cuisine in general tastes really good. Our favourite from lunch was the Filipino-style fried fish with mango sauce and grilled squid – a simple dish but dripping with sweet and savoury flavours.
Seafood spread at Club Samal Resorts
Club Samal Resorts
Address: Babak, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, Philippines
2:00PM – Journey to Davao Airport
By 2pm, we were packed and on our way to the airport for our flight back home via Cebu Pacific Air.
Visit Davao Summer Festival 2018
This was our first time to Davao for their Visit Davao Summer Festival and it was quite an adventure. From the friendly locals on the street, to the beautiful beaches, delicious local cuisine, nature exploration and adrenaline-pumping activities, you’ve got to put a trip to Davao on your bucket list.
Our deepest appreciation to the lovely folks who took great care of us in Davao. Thank you for hosting us and we can’t wait to be back!
With lots of love,
An Affair With Food
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An Affair With Food
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