Davao City & Mindanao INFORMATION FOR GUESTS
I have put this information together during the past 15 years of experience about Philippines and specially Davao, and also from recommendations of guests staying at Mamy Baby house .
(If you would like to contribute to, or  change anything in this guide please let me know)

Bus’s

These are for ‘out of the city’ travel, the terminal is in Ecoland, south of the city, and buses go all over Mindanao and also travel to Manila (three days and two ferry crossings).
Fares are very low by western standards, the standard of the buses is very good if you take the better ones, that is air-conditioned and the ones run by the larger companies  i.e. Bachelor, Rural Tours, Weena,  Philtranco.

Banks & Money
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from nine in the morning until about four in the afternoon.
Preferred currency for exchange are US$. Other currencies you may have trouble changing especially the exotic ones.
Even US$ are a problem if they are damaged in any way, no tears, no creases, no writing otherwise they will be refused or you will get a lower rate.
Travelers checks are exchangeable, but again the preferred currency is US$.
Credit cards are accepted at some establishments, and most have a special counter for checking authorization.
Personal checks drawn on overseas banks take about one month to clear, those drawn on Manila banks about one week and local checks about three days.
Cash can be drawn on Credit cards at the Equitable bank but the minimum is around US$200 below that there are additional charges.
Remitting money from an overseas bank to your local bank account in Davao normally takes three days, but if there are problems it can take much longer.
If your card carries the Cirus logo then you can draw money direct from your account overseas via an ATM.
Western Union have transfer agents in Davao, although the service charge of Western Union is high.
Moneychangers operate in the Aldevinco Shopping Center and normally give a slightly higher rate than Banks.

Golf

Lanang Golf & Country Club – Five minutes away by taxi. Green fees P1,000 + Caddy P250 + if needed Umbrella girl P200. A par 72, 18-hole course with lots of water.
Food and drinks are available at the 19th.   
The course also has a Driving range.  
Course is normally busy especially early morning and late afternoon.
Although the closest not the friendliest or best.

Beaches

Samal Island

Paradise Beach – Ten minutes by taxi, and a ten minutes boat crossing  (P7.5)
and you will arrive at a white sand beach of the island of Samal.
Entrance to the beach is P60 each; this includes use of sun beds, table & chairs together with use of changing rooms and fresh water showers.
Restaurant service on the beach is provided for both drinks and food.
Small boats are available for hire, snorkeling off shore is good, and at the back of the beach is an extensive lawned area with a selection of native birds and animals. Sunday is the busy day; Saturday can also be busy.
Best to visit weekdays, boats run from 6AM, last boat back is approx. 5PM.
The boats run all day as required, they leave when they have 10 people, or if you want a special trip it will cost P60.
Rooms are available at approx. P1,250 per night, at night there is very little to do, and no boats to the city.
Taxis are always available at the ferry terminal on Davao side. (Recommended)

Talikud Island
Forty-five minutes away by special hire boat. 
Approx. P4,500 for the day for a boat taking 40 people or approx. P3,500 for one taking 12.
Alternatively there are public boats leaving Santa Anna Warf at hourly’ish intervals, to Samal Island from where you can take a local hire boat to Talikud.
Local boats are not recommended unless you have lots of time to spend waiting around.

Shopping

Victoria Plaza – ten minutes away by taxi. Grocery store, department store, plus many other smaller stores, banks, and food hall, including Macdonald’s plus six cinemas.
Gaisano Mall – Ten minutes away by taxi, Grocery store, department store, plus many other smaller stores, banks, eateries including McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Kenny Rogers. Plus six cinemas.
Gaisano South – Fifteen minutes away by taxi, Grocery store, department store, plus other small stores, banks, eateries including McDonalds, plus six cinemas.
SM Mall – Twenty minutes away by taxi, Grocery store, department store, plus many other smaller stares, banks, eateries including McDonalds, Pizza Hut, plus six cinemas.
NCCC – ten minutes away by taxi, Old store but selling just about everything. A must to visit if you want to experience a little of the old Asia.
NCCC (Matina) – A New store recently opened including grocery, department store, eating places and a “proper” ten pin bowling alley!

Other shops worthy of note are

Eating / Drinking Entertainment

Filipino Food

Italian Food

French Food

Japaneses Food

Thai Food
Next to Venue (Recommended)
Vietnamese Food
next to the Casa Leticia Hotel

European Food / Local food

O’Flanagans - Irish pub, also serves European food (Recommended) run by a jovial Irishman ‘Maurice’

Hagars – Five minutes away in Insular Village I 
Blue Post I & II – Five minutes away, also has many Pool tables.
Swiss Deli – Five minutes away serving European deli type dishes plus bread.
Mamy Baby house – Guadalupe Village, Lanang.

Chinese Food

Arfat – Ten minutes away at the back of Victoria Plaza  (Recommended)
Mandarin Tea Garden
Davao Shanghai Restaurant
Stela Maris in SM Mall

Hotels

Marco Polo

Fifteen minutes by taxi.
The only five star hotel in Davao, Eagle Bar on ground floor, plus the lobby bar.
Restaurants include the Café Marco and Lotus Court.
Expensive but worth a visit, the Eagles Bar has a happy hour. (Recommended)

Insular – Five minutes by taxi, next to the sea with large gardens and pool. Chinese restaurant, Restaurant on the pier, plus Coffee shop, pool side bar, Vinta Bar, and open air restaurant, again pricey but worth a visit even just to wander around the seashore. (Recommended)

Grand Regent – Within walking distance of Mamy Baby house, houses the Casino Filipino, which is open twenty-four hours a day.
Champagne Bar, plus restaurant and a very good fitness club. In the Casino you will find all the normal gambling games, if you are really a big time gambler there are also exclusive rooms for you to spend big money.

Apo View – Twenty minutes by taxi in the center of the city, three restaurants, piano bar with nightly entertainment.
Plus a fitness center

Royal Mandaya – Twenty minutes by taxi, bar plus nightly entertainment in the Lobby Bar and also at the Bar at the top.

Grand Meng Seng – Twenty minutes by taxi, pool side Ihaw Ihaw.
Disco’s Dances and Shows

Venue – Fifteen minutes by taxi. A disco, come show, come entertainment center, The best place in the city for Dancing or just watching plus many pool tables a coffee shop and of course bar and food. Within the compound there are bars and restaurants offering a variety of different foods.
Just across the road is “Club Med” which is one of the better class of Kareoke bar.  (Recommended)

Damosa Gateway – Five minutes away and consists of bars and restaurants together with a convenience store, pharmacy, hairdresser, dentist etc., and bakery.

Matina Town Square – Twenty minutes by taxi.
A European style food street, with many restaurants and bars offering different food and drinks.
A live band is featured on most nights playing in a covered area, don’t worry about noise as you can choose a bar well away from the band.

Victoria Plaza Complex – Ten minutes away by taxi, lots of restaurants and karaoke bars

Square Circle – Ten minutes away by taxi.
A night club complex with girly shows, kareoke and massage parlors.

Stag – Fifteen minutes away by taxi.
Situated on San Pedro street, same as the Square Circle but not so well organized,

Videoke Bars

Many bars specializing in Kareoke.
Normally the set up is something like this… Each bar will have a common area where you can drink eat and sing, there will be lots of GRO’s around to assist you with singing, and they will want you to buy them ladies drinks (this is the way they earn a living by getting a percentage of the drink cost).
In the back or some other place will be VIP rooms, these you can hire for a price which includes consumables such as drinks and food. 
If you hire a room you may take the GRO in to assist with your singing!
Kareokan – Back of Victoria Plaza.
Visa – Back of Victoria Plaza.
Shanghi – Ten minutes in a taxi

Mountains Resorts
Eden Nature Trail – One hour taxi ride south of Mamy Baby House at approx. 2,500 feet above sea level.
Entrance is P330 each which includes an eat all you can buffet lunch and entrance to the swimming pool.
The views are spectacular over the city, Samal, Talikud island, the Gulf of Davao and into Davao Oriental.
There are many well-maintained trails winding there way through orchards, flower, vegetable gardens, and across rivers.
There are also play areas for the kids and fishing in the pond which is so well stocked with fish that you are guaranteed to catch one at least every few minutes. (Recommended)

Malagos Garden Resort

One-hour taxi ride, or take the local transport (jeepney) for approx P20 then a tricycle (P20).
Entrance charge is approx. P100, which includes use of the pool, and rides on the horse buggy around the gardens.
Lots of Orchids and fruit trees, plus a butterfly house.
Before going to Malagos Gardens visit the Philippine Eagle sanctuary which is just another kilometer up the road. 
Here you will see the magnificent Philippine Eagle (Monkey eating eagle) in large garden area with a small area of ‘rain forest’ (Recommended)

Seagull Mountain Resort – Two-hour bus ride away (P150) in the hinterland of Mindanao at approx. 3,500 feet.
Here the weather is cool and the nights cold, gone are the coconut trees to be replaced by Pines.
Wonderful views and lots of trails to walk.
The resort has a pool (cold) and basic amenities, The restaurant is pretty basic and local as are the food and drinks.
If you are into anything special take your own.
Wood cabin for the night approx. P1,800.

Diving

There are many good dive sites around the island of Samal and Talikud, together with WWII Japanese wrecks.
Corals and fish are plentiful, but as the area is a natural park there is no fishing or taking of corals.
Many dive shops operate from Davao City,  plus from Pearl Farm. We recommend “Fish Tails” or ‘Wind & Waves” divers situated at Santa Anna Warf.
A two-dive excursion with boat and dive instructor is approx. P2,000 each (minimum of two people).

For those wishing to learn the art of diving courses start at approx. P6,000.
This will give you a PADI open water certificate on successful completion.
The course takes five days and covers both the practical and theory side of diving.
For the more adventuresome, both from a diving perspective and those wanting to explore new area’s overnight or three day tips can be arranged.
These will take you either to the uninhabited regions of Davao Oriental directly across the golf from Davao City, a distance of approx. Km100.
Or via small private bus to Mati in Davao Oriental to dive in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Pujada.

Other places of Interest

Mati – Provisional capital of Davao Oriental, a three hours bus ride away which takes you around the top of the Gulf, through banana plantations and through a large rice growing area.
Then over the mountains with a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean and the East Coast of Mindanao.
A few places to stay but the Menzies Guest-House just out of town is quiet and relaxing, and has a  swimming pool and set is set within gardens at the top of a hill. The ‘Hideaway’ Inn and Restaurant in the center of the town is owned and managed by Australians and is recommended.
Food in Mati is pretty basic, sea food is plentiful try the “Sea Side Restaurant”. 
For more western type food try “Shaun & Hazel”  or “Honeys” which is close by to Central Warehouse.

Dahican beach just outside of the town has a white sand beach with large breakers.
There is an elementary beach resort but take your own food and drinks.
A new resort is in the state of construction, and may at last provide a decent place to stay on the beach. 
Another resort is Mayo Bay, which is more, organized but on a black sand and pebble beach, however two small rivers have been dammed and the resulting ponds are excellent for swimming.
Very basic snack food and drinks are available and also small roofed shelters are available for rent, these can also be used for overnight accommodation, but be warned toilet facilities are primitive.
Also well worth a visit are the large Mangrove conservation area at Pajada bay.
Over 300 hectares of protected mangroves with an observation tower for viewing.
North of Mati the paved road runs out after twenty kilometers then it’s back to the old gravel road and fording rivers and passing over Bailey bridges.
The views are magnificent with mountains on one side and cliff and sea on the other.
The only overnight accommodation north of Mati is in primitive lodging houses and in private houses.
A visit to Mati to see all the above would mean a stay of two to three days.
An alternative route back to Davao is via Maragusan in the Compostela Valley to Nabunturan on the national highway north of Tagum.
The road is gravel (mud) and will take about four hours from Mati to Tagum.

General Santos - Gen-San is three and a half hours south of Davao by bus.
The road is good all the way and once in Gen-San the town is similar to Davao but smaller.
Good hotels are available if you stay overnight.
One which is outstanding is the Royale East Asia (P1,700 night), on entering the city fork right and its on the right by Gaisano Mall, another is the Sydney Hotel about P1,200 a night.
A beach resort with overnight stay is the Tropicana which also has a restaurant, another kilometer up the road is the London resort which has a better beach, but take your own food.
Much further out from the resorts is “South Point Divers”.
Run by Paul Partridge who can be contacted at (918) 917-2769 or email south_point_divers@yahoo.com. 
On the road to Glan you will find the “Isla  Parilla” which is about fifteen minutes drive from the city.
This is a small island in the middle of fish ponds.
Very clean and well run, rooms are available for P1,300 night, has boating, swimming pool and a nice restaurant.
For those into golf Gen-San has two courses, both of nine holes.
On the way into the city from Davao you will pass the Sarangani course about fifteen kilometers outside of the city.
On the other side of the city, on the road to Cotabato is the “Dole” course, this one you will need an introduction too if you want to play.

Mount Apo

 – A three-hour bus ride from the city will take you to the town of Kidipawan.
This is the normal jumping off place for climber of Mount Apo, this being the highest mountain in the Philippines at a height of somewhere around 10,000 feet depending on what book you read.
Arrange to get to Kidipawan early in the day so as to arrange permits, (P750) guides (200’ish per day), and food for the trek.
Without someone who knows the tails you will get helplessly lost so it is strongly recommended that you get one.
With a guide the assent and descent will take four days.
If however if you are very fit and you can find a guide that is willing you can do the whole thing in one day for sun-up to sun-set, but will probably miss the view from the summit as it will be in cloud.
Take warm clothing as it gets cold at night, even on the lower slopes.
The mountain is normally covered in cloud later in the day, so the strategy is to be at the summit very early in the morning.
This entails climbing to Lake Venado and camping there overnight; you then rise very early for the final climb of 2,000 feet to see the sun rise over Mindanao.
More details are available at the bar including places to stay in Kidepawan, what to take, and recommended food and equipment.

Santa Cruz Fish Restaurants - Forty-five minutes south of the city, and situated next to the main highway.
Eat freshly caught fish at an amazingly low price while overlooking the sea.

Round trip tour Tagum / Nabunturan / Maragusan / Mati. – A three to four day trip. Day one travel from Davao to  Nabunturan, then on through Manat to the hot spring resort of Tuyuzo at Bukal.
Accommodation is basic but drinks are available and snacks, so take your own food to cook by Bar-B-Q.
There is also a hotel in Nabunturan called “Comval Hotel” situated on the main road just north of the town.
The place is very clean and the rates are low and the food is OK. 
Day two backtrack along the road to Manat their make a right turn over the river bridge to Marigusan, which is about 40Km away over a rough road. Just before reaching Maragusan there is a resort on the right called “Aguakan Cold Spring“.
Accommodation is again basic, but food and drinks are available.
They also have a fresh water pool feed from the springs (refreshingly cold).
On the way there the scenery is very good, and you will pass by many gold mining sites.
Day three travel from Maragusan to Mati which is about 100Km away over a very rough road, but the scenery more than makes up for the road, some of the best views I have come across in the Philippines.
The road is single track most of the way through the mountains and you have very little room for maneuvering and the drop is a few hundred feet to a raging river at the bottom.
The mountains seem untouched by logging and most are still covered in virgin forests.
The trip will take you two hours plus.
Get some local information if the road is passable before leaving Maragusan as when I traveled it appeared pretty impassable if there had been lots of rain.
Just outside of Maragusan is another place for an overnight stay at a monastery.
It looked OK but I never stopped to check it out, just near by they are constructing a swimming pool fed again by river water.
For Mati information see previous write up.
If you don’t fancy stopping off on the way the trip to / from Mati could be done in one day, but make sure you don’t get caught on the Maragusan / Mati route after dark as the road needs careful navigation.

Nabunturan – Tiozu Hot Springs Resort, boiling water springs, and a river. Approx. two and a half hours north of Davao in the mountains.
A nice resort with many man-made pools for bathing plus sauna’s.
Rooms can be rented, but weekends are busy as its fast becoming a health spar for those suffering from Arthritis etc.
Take your own food and drinks.

Fishing – Apart from the fish at the Eden Mountain resort the gulf has game fish such as Tuna and Marlin.
No specialized boats are available, however for those keen on fishing local outriggers can be hired with crew from about P3,500 per day.
If you are serious on fishing bring your own rod and tackle, alternatively you can buy basic tackle locally.

Hiking & Mountain Biking – Many, many trails, however not too many good maps showing them.
There are local mountain bike clubs that ride every Sunday who would only be to pleased to have you along.
Probably the best place for both walking and riding is Samal island as its only twenty miles by five so you cant get to lost!
Every Sunday morning a group of mountain bikers assemble at Babak for a Sunday ride to explore the island.
The ferry to Babak leaves regularly from Sasa Km12.

Hospitals & Medical – The closest hospital to Mamy Baby house is “Regional” which is public and ten minutes away.
Nevertheless it is a very good hospital, clean and organized and most of the specialists there also have clinics in the private hospitals in the city.
Other hospitals are “Davao Doctors” “Lim So” and “San Pedro” all offer good facilities.
Doctors also have daily clinics in all of the hospitals.
The latest innovation are ”Wellness” clinics which will give you a complete medical examination with all the various tests. 
Medicines are available at numerous pharmacies.
If you are taking medication bring enough for the duration of your stay as your particular brand may not be available here.
Dental clinics are also numerous and compared to the West very cheap and good, Near by at the Damosa Gateway complex there is a very good foreign trained dentist who is highly recommended. 
Maybe it’s a good time to get a check up on both the dental and medical side.