Hello, readers! Spending a few days in Davao? This 4-day Davao itinerary covers things to do (ultralight flying, bat cave adventure and more) and the best beaches to go!

Oh, Davao, Philippines’ resident tourist hotspot destination that packs a punch in terms of adventure, food, leisure and more. Truth to be told, I was anticipating a really chilled out, laze around by the seaside holiday but the adventure junkie in us excitedly agreed to many other activities and we ended up slotting mountain trekking and ultralight flying into the itinerary. Nonetheless, it was an amazing trip with a little bit of everything, great company and way too much food.

Getting There

Flights 🛫
Davao International Airport (Francisco Bangoy International Airport) received flights from a host of domestic and international destinations. We were very lucky to have AirAsia added the destination to DVO, Philippines. It took 4 hours from KLIA2 to Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao).

And the good news is, you can fly to Davao, 4 times weekly from Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia, fares from as low as RM 99* one-way.

Flight Schedule for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) – Davao, Philippines (DVO)
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Flight no   From    To      Departure   Arrival     Flight Schedule
AK590        KUL      DVO         1025            1425            M, Tue, Th, Sun
AK591        DVO      KUL         1455            1845            M, Tue, Th, Sun
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Getting Around

Jeepney / Tricycle 🚕🚎
Davao is a great city to explore. Jeepneys and tricycles are very convenient.

Money 💵
You may use Philippine Peso (PHP). Major credit cards are accepted in bigger business and hotels.

Time ⏰
Davao is GMT +8. no time difference between KL- DAVAO , however, the sunrise and sunset are slightly earlier, which is 5am & 530pm.

Best Time to visit ✈
Mid-January. The hottest months are April, May, and then October.

Power Source 🔌
flat blade plug, two round pins, and two parallel flat pins with ground pin.

Safety 👮🏻
Davao is somewhat safe.

Weather 🌦
Similar to Kuala Lumpur, it’s warm and humid, temperatures ranging from 21-35 Celsius. Bring along your sunscreen for sure!

Ready to explore? ✈

My 4d3n Davao Itinerary
Day 1
1010 Depart from KLIA2
1500 Malagos Farm
1700 AirAsia Santan in-flight new menu launch 

Day 2
0600 Depart to Mati City
0900 Breakfast at Panabo City
1100 Arrive at Mt. Hamiguitan World Heritage Park
1300 Lunch @ Billeting
1400 Visit Sleeping Dinosaur
1700 Check-in Dahican Cove
1900 Free and easy
2000 Dinner

Day 3
0600 Breakfast
0700 Ultralight Flying
0900 Paradise Island Resort Wharf (Samal Island)
1300 Lunch
1400 Bat Cave
1500 Free and Easy at Samal Island
1700 return to Dahican Cove
2100 dinner

Day 4
0700 Breakfast
1030 check out
1300 Arrive Davao Airport
1830 Arrive KLIA2

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Attraction Highlights🕍

There is something in Davao City that you won’t experience often in other areas of the Philippines, and that is a local experience. As Davao isn’t the number one rated tourist spot in the Philippines, you won’t bump into as many resorts, western restaurants, or high-priced tours, but what you will get is real Filipino food, experiences, prices and interactions.

Davao is only a boat ride away from some of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines where you can enjoy spectacular beaches with plenty of water activities for a day or two.

Samal Island

Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, Philippines.

For PHP 200, adults can enjoy the crystal clear seaside as you can see from the above photos. Set your inner child free on Samal Island, just a 20 minutes quick boat ride away from Davao City.

You can also experience the water activities here such as banana boat rides, snorkelling, jet skiing and kayaking. Dry off on the canopy walk with a suspended bridge that you can rappel down. It will be an adrenaline-filled day !

Ultralight Flying @Mindanao Saga Flying Club

Mati City is in the southeastern part of Mindanao. When in Mati, Ultralight flying is a must-try.

The best time to fly is early morning to catch the sunrise. From the Dahican Beach travel time is only 15 minutes. Buckle-up and sky your way to a breathtaking view of the whole island. Each passenger has a pilot to manage the whole flight. Once you are in the air, you can see the wondrous ocean and the jaw-dropping landscape of nature.

PHP 2,700 (around RM200) for a 15-minutes flight, very affordable and worth every penny you spend.

The Sleeping Dinosaur

This island depicts a little Dinosaur sleeping in the ocean. Can you spot the sleeping dinosaur? The tips are in the photo below :

Dahican Beach

The most beautiful beach on the mainland is hands down Dahican Beach where 7 kilometres of gorgeous sand and turquoise water awaits.

If you like a more adventurous beach experience, there are shacks along the beach renting boogie boards and surfboards perfect for catching some waves.

If you just want to enjoy the view from the beach, you may also cruise around Dahican with their local transport – Tricycle.

Monfort Bat Sanctuary

Recognized by the Guinness World Record in 2010 as the largest Single Colony of Geoffery’s Rousette Fruit Bats, Monfort Bat Sanctuary definitely is a recommended place to visit when in Samal Island.

read more here.

Malagos Farm House

Here you can get the best chocolate in the world.  Malagos Garden Resort is one of the most frequented destinations in Davao City. I wish I could be back here once again and spend a full day here to visit the flower farm, to watch the bird show and see the Philippine Hawk.

Luckily I have some me-time before the #AirAsiaSantan Launch to try out the best Chocolate milkshake in Davao.

read more here.

Mt. Hamiguitan World Heritage Park

Mt. Hamiguitan World Heritage Park showcases the wonders of the beautiful Unesco world heritage site. More than 6,000 hectares of nature’s wonder constitute the distinctiveness of Mt. Hamiguitan.

It is also home to 1,380 plant and animal species, 341 of which are endemic to the Philippines like the Philippine cockatoo, golden crown flying foxes, the Philippine tarsiers, the Philippine warty pigs, Philippine mossy-pygmy fruit bats and the iconic Philippine Eagle.

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Some local delicacies I have tried but couldn’t remember the names.

 

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Share it with your travel partners, friends and family if you like Davao as much as I do ~ Till then.

XOXO,
Flyingindance 🎠.

continue reading on Malagos Chocolate here.