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Museo Dabawenyo
An excellent museum with two floors of well-designed galleries exploring the complex patchwork of indigenous tribal groups, religions and ethnicities of…
Shutterstock / Joshua Edward Quillo
Davao
This sprawling city – the culinary, cultural, economic and commercial capital of the south – is, for better or worse, becoming more like Manila. More traffic, more malls, more multinationals, more subdivisions hidden behind security gates. However, Mt Apo looms majestically in the distance, symbolizing the typical Davaoeño's dual citizenship as both an urbanite and someone deeply rooted to the land outside the city. Locals know that Davao (dah-bow, and sometimes spelled “Dabaw”) has more than enough action to keep them satisfied, and yet it’s only a short drive or boat ride from forested slopes and white-sand beaches.
Explore Davao
- MMuseo Dabawenyo
An excellent museum with two floors of well-designed galleries exploring the complex patchwork of indigenous tribal groups, religions and ethnicities of…
- KKublai's Gallery
An unconventional setting for a fine-art gallery, paintings by artist Kublai Millan fill the walls of this large space. Take an elevator to the 4th or 5th…
- DDavao Crocodile Park
Around 5km north of the city centre is this large complex spread out along the Davao River. A combination conservation centre and zoo, there are croc …
- BBankerohan Public Market
Vibrant, chaotic, claustrophobic, smelly and resembling a sprawling shanty town, Bankerohan provides a taste of local flavour. Everything that appears in…
- PPeople’s Park
A family-friendly expanse of more concrete than green space with larger-than-life-sized sculptures of native peoples of Mindanao, all designed by artist…
- DDabaw Museum
This museum, next to the Waterfront Insular Hotel northeast of downtown, has a good collection of tribal weaving and artefacts from most of the Mindanao…
- SSan Pedro Cathedral
This centrally located cathedral on the site of the city's oldest church has an interesting design meant to resemble an ark. Daily mass in English at 6am…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Davao.
See
Museo Dabawenyo
An excellent museum with two floors of well-designed galleries exploring the complex patchwork of indigenous tribal groups, religions and ethnicities of…
See
Kublai's Gallery
An unconventional setting for a fine-art gallery, paintings by artist Kublai Millan fill the walls of this large space. Take an elevator to the 4th or 5th…
See
Davao Crocodile Park
Around 5km north of the city centre is this large complex spread out along the Davao River. A combination conservation centre and zoo, there are croc …
See
Bankerohan Public Market
Vibrant, chaotic, claustrophobic, smelly and resembling a sprawling shanty town, Bankerohan provides a taste of local flavour. Everything that appears in…
See
People’s Park
A family-friendly expanse of more concrete than green space with larger-than-life-sized sculptures of native peoples of Mindanao, all designed by artist…
See
Dabaw Museum
This museum, next to the Waterfront Insular Hotel northeast of downtown, has a good collection of tribal weaving and artefacts from most of the Mindanao…
See
San Pedro Cathedral
This centrally located cathedral on the site of the city's oldest church has an interesting design meant to resemble an ark. Daily mass in English at 6am…
Guidebooks
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