"Davao: The Place Beyond the High Grounds" Top 5 Page for this destination Davao City by monina_c

Davao City Travel Guide: 535 reviews and 1,786 photos

Davao and the Colors of Life - Davao City

Davoh

Wikipedia on Davao:

"The name Davao came from the phonetic blending of the word of three Bagobo subgroups when referring to Davao River, the main waterway which empties itself into Davao Gulf near the city. The aboriginal Obos who inhabit the hinterlands of the region called the river, Davoh; the Clatta or Guiangans called it Duhwow, or Davau, and the Tagabawa Bagobos, Dabu.

To the Obos, the word davoh also means a place "beyond the high grounds", alluding to the settlements located at the mouth of Davao River which were surrounded by high rolling hills.

When asked where they were going, the usual reply is davoh, while pointing towards the direction of the town. Duhwow also refers to a trading settlement where they barter their forest goods in exchange for salt or other commodities. "

In these modern times, although forest goods are no longer used for barter and the city has sprawled well beyond the bounderies of the old settlement, Davao continues to be a thriving trading center.

But despite the urban sprawl and the development that marks Davao in the 21th century, there are still a lot of places in this vast city where people can take a breather and forget about the daily grind, places where we can just kick back our heels and relax completely.

Each visit to Davao is a joy

Ah, this is the life!

It gives me a chance to relax and just roam around without the pressure of time hounding me. Usually, that is. The slower pace of Davao living drove my cousins nuts! The Davaoenos seem to move in an invisible field of molasses. :) No one rushes around... everybody seem to have learnt the lesson of taking it slow and savoring the moment.

This latest trip was made easier by friends from VT, most especially VT MEMBER DEBAY of Davao. Thanks Debbie, your help made my visit very special. VT tips and Davao Forum became the bases for my itinerary.

So nobody's perfect!

Mindanao postcard

Despite all the advance planning something still gets left out... The lesson I learnt this trip:

DO CONFIRM YOUR SCHEDULES. DO NOT RELY ON THE INFO THAT "YOU NEED NOT MAKE RESERVATIONS" ON PLACES OF INTEREST, CALL AHEAD!!!

BTW, this postcard is available to whoever asks for it. Just e-mail me your address and it's on its way!

Pros and Cons

Pros:A lot of fruits, cheap food, good beaches
Cons:Places of interest are spaced to far apart
In a nutshell:Laid-back, Lush and Luscious

Last visit to Davao City: Aug 2006
Intro Updated Mar 8, 2007
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Reviews (19)

Kadayawan: NOT TO BE MISSED!!! - Davao City

Kadayawan: NOT TO BE MISSED!!! Things to Do (8)

It's a crazy festival week in Davao City every third week of August. For an entire week all the indigenous tribes in... more travel advice

Relaxed Restaurants (3)

They serve local and international dishes. The resto is located on the Ground floor of Victoria Mall. The crew are nice... more travel advice

Zip City Things to Do (8)

I went to Zip City last Sunday and it was fun. The ticket costs P300 (P200 for the zip-lining & P100 consumable). The... more travel advice

Local Food Restaurants (3)

This is touted to be one of the best in local cuisine. They are reputed to serve the best grilled native chicken in the... more travel advice

Travelogues (4)

1 - 4 of 4

Comments (24)

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muguruki Jul 26, 2011 at 8:33 AM

Nice tips but mmmm not sure about snake kissing though!
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Faiza-Ifrah May 29, 2010 at 2:35 PM

i don't know how this excellent page on eagles escaped me. nice pictures and great information you shared on awesome work. i also liked a very colourful Kadayawan page.
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BruceDunning Aug 19, 2009 at 1:40 PM

You are right, this is laid back, lush and lots of fruits to eat. Good job of presenting this fine place.
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pattypoo Jun 5, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Hi Monina, We are fine and Ellie is now a year old..I just saw your egg dish fried in batter. It must be pancake batter made with flour egg and milk beaten together sound's yum yum.
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goutammitra May 28, 2009 at 6:30 PM

Another good place to visit. ow is it from Manila? The restaurant seems to be good one but I cant's stand chicken liver, rest is very tempting.
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airasia Mar 28, 2009 at 10:42 PM

happy birthday pal. hope you have a great time celebrating this special day. hey did you switch OFF the light yesterday ?
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stphn_mrk Mar 12, 2009 at 4:52 AM

HI im from Davao. you are right. the services here for tourist sucks. haha
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ainemesor Feb 13, 2009 at 2:56 PM

thanks for the welcome greeting monina, will be in Davao this week. Will be staying over at relatives in Tagum (abt 2-3 hrs away from the city). I have a very tight budget so I don't know what will happen yet haha. Thanks for the one-day-tour tips.
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OH_DK Dec 15, 2008 at 1:46 PM

Beautiful pages Monina! - and great informative tips. If I make it to The Philippines one day I have to check out all your tips.
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crewrower Dec 9, 2008 at 9:06 PM

cool page. I'm taking a baby step to Mindanao by going to Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin next month!