Davao City has greenlit this year’s celebration of the Kadayawan festival after the 2 years hiatus caused by the Covid19 pandemic.

The 37th inauguration of the festive celebration officially opened last August 15, and we are fortunate to witness it together with AirAsia.

As of August 18, AirAsia Philippines now offers 3x daily flights from Manila to Davao, and 4x daily flights from Cebu to Davao and plans to increase in the coming months.

The Kadayawan Festival – Origin

Apo Duwaling was the former name of the festival. In 1988, then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte officially renamed this as Kadayawan Festival.

The term is derived from Dabawenyo’s friendly greeting “Madayaw” from the word “dayaw”, meaning treasured, valuable, or beautiful. Since then, in the second or third week of the month of August locals use this time to give thanks for the season’s bountiful harvest making it one of the most celebrated & colorful festivals in the country.

Kadayawan Village

Good food, drinks, music, floral float parades to fun street dancing are some of the activities to experience during the festival.

In addition, the Kadayawan Village is an attraction you shouldn’t miss to visit during this time. Located at Davao’s Ramon Magsaysay Park, it is a hub of cultural peace created by the Davao City Tourism Office to protect and preserve the country’s beautiful and colorful culture of the eleven Indigenous and Moro groups for future generations to experience.

Journey to Davao’s nurturing tourist spots

Aside from experiencing the beautiful and captivating festival, we have also visited some of Davao’s culture-rich tourist spots courtesy of AirAsia.

Here are some of our recommended places you should put on your itinerary checklist while you are in the city.

Philippine Japanese Museum

Inaugurated on May 14, 1994, The Philippine-Japanese historical museum has a valuable collection of remnants and artifacts coming from various periods in Davao’s history. Moreover, It lets you travel back in time and discover the story of Japanese migration to the Philippines and how it becomes relevant to the transformation of the city. It is located along De Lara Street in Calinan District, Davao City.

Malagos Garden Resort

You should go to Malagos Garden Resort if you are touring with your family or friends. It is where you can experience nature while in the center of the urbanized city. You get to experience farm-fresh food and take part in a variety of recreational activities, such as animal encounters, Calesa rides, bird feeding, and more. Additionally, adding to more nature-refined activity in the resort are the Malagos Chocolate Museum and Museo de Mariposa.

Philippine National Eagle Center

Another tourist spot you should visit is the Philippine National Eagle Center, however, it is located to the far southwest of Davao’s main city center. It is an eight-hectare parcel of rainforest that now shelters the “King of the Birds” or the Philippine Eagle. Unfortunately, they are considered critically endangered with only 400 species in the wild as of February 2022.

Founded to save the Philippine Eagle from being extinct, The Philippine Eagle Foundation wishes to breed more of this species for future generations to still witness the world’s largest eagle.

Aside from housing “Pithecophaga jefferyi” which are considered faithful once they find their partner, the center also takes care of other bird species like owls, and other animals such as deer, monkeys, and crocodiles.

If you want to fully enjoy your journey in Davao, you must go to Samal Island which is 2 kilometers away from Davao City.

Monfort Bat Sanctuary

This bat sanctuary seats on a 24-hectare property owned by the Monfort family. It is located in Barangay Tambo on Samal Island in the province of Davao del Norte. It houses around 2.3 million Rousette fruit bats and holds a Guinness World Record for having the largest colony of its kind. 

Visitors are allowed to take photos of the fruit bats and have close look from outside of the five entrances.

Vanishing Island

A few minutes away from the Monfort Bat Sanctuary, the Vanishing Island is the next spot you should visit.

It is best to visit during low tide to enjoy its crystal clear water and enchanting view. True to its name, the island vanishes during high tides and is visible only during low tides the reason why many tourists visit this small island.

The Taste of Davao’s Delicacy

Furthermore, Touring Davao would be more exciting if you have the taste of some of its delightful delicacies.

Marituna Resto

If you wish to experience one of the best & fresh tuna dishes, MARINATUNA Seafood Restaurant is worth a visit. Known for its “Original Ten Way Tuna Menu Experience”, it offers 10 delicious dishes that utilize all the major choice parts of the tuna. If you are a seafood lover, then you will love the fusion of Japanese, Chinese and Filipino-Davao specialties in this restaurant.

Apo Ni Lola

The Davao experience wouldn’t be complete without having able to taste its famous durian fruit. Since it’s not advisable to hand carry the said fruit with you on the plane, then you must visit Apo ni Lola. They have been Durian Delicacies makers for over 22 years and are famous for their creamy and tasty delicacies made from Durian.

Balik Bukid

Meanwhile, if you are looking for organic, and fresh-farm harvested dishes, Balik Bukid Farm and Kitchen is a go-to place after the tiring yet meaningful tour.

They offer a farm-to-table experience through their natural farming advocacy. They use authentic ingredients from local farmers to cook their organic heirloom dishes.

Made with 80 percent recycled, making the interior of Balik Bukid more interesting, and nature friendly.

To sum up, we really enjoyed our travel to Davao City. It is cultivating to experience its culture-rich places, enjoy its delightful delicacy, and most importantly experience the outside world in general again. Together with AirAsia Philippines, we are in full support of our Department of Tourism for slowly yet surely opening more of the Philippines’ Tourist destinations.

Truly, It’s more fun in the Philippines!

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