Davao

Davao City is located deep in the heart of the Philippines' exotic south, in the southeastern portion of Mindanao Island. It is a highly urbanized city that serves as the major economic, financial, and educational centre of the entire island. The city which falls nominally under the province of Davao del Sur Province, is bounded on the north by Davao and Compostela Valley provinces, on the east by Davao Gulf, on the south by Davao del Sur, and on the west by North Cotabato province.

Davao serves as the gateway to the island of Mindanao, being serviced by several national as well as international air and sea carriers. The brand new Davao International Airport (the busiest on the island) now handles international flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Republic of Palau (Micronesia). The seaport meanwhile handles a sizable traffic of goods bound for Japan, China, the USA and the Middle East.

Considered one of the largest cities in the world in terms of land area, Davao now boasts of a population of about 1.2 million. People from all over the country have come here to explore all the possibilities that this city has to offer. In addition, the city and region also have a number of indigenous tribes that add colour and uniqueness to the area; like the Bagobo, Manobo, Mandaya, and Bilaan tribes.

To this day, Davao City continues to straddle two worlds - the new and the old. Part of it is a flourishing metropolis of business districts, mechanized farms and cosmopolitan villages where "instant millionaires" live. And the other part is a rural landscape of hills that roll down into fertile valleys, dominated by the Mount Apo, the grandfather of all Philippine mountains.

There are lots of things for travellers to do. Tourists can try climbing Mount Apo, the country's tallest peak; nature trekking or hiking at Eden Nature Park; exploring the numerous pineapple, banana and other fruit plantations of which the region is known for; kayaking, sailing or just lazing around at any of the numerous beach resorts, including white sand resorts on nearby Samal Island. A must-see is the Philippine Eagle Centre in Malagos which artificially breeds the Philippine Eagle in captivity. For the more adventurous, there's white-water rafting and rappelling on the Davao River. Then there's Kadayawan sa Davao, a grand fiesta that happens every third week of August. Come to this fiesta and see indigenous tribes dancing to ancient rhythms, horse-fighting shows, floral float displays, and other fun-filled activities.

Eating Out

Here are some fun places to dine when in Davao City. There's Chinese, European, Irish, Japanese, Filipino restaurants specializing in fresh seafood, grilled goodies and other native delicacies.

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