Travel Guide: Top Tourist Destination in Davao Oriental Road trip

Travel Guide: The Ultimate Davao Oriental Road trip

     Do you like the idea of highways, motorcycles and scenic views? How about a gorgeous panorama of green and blues while travelling around Davao in your vehicle of choice? Well, road trips is definitely one of my favorite activities specially during summer. Hitting the road and being lost in the wonders of the nature is literally heaven. So, if you are looking for your next travel destination, I suggest you try Davao Oriental and discover the hidden gems of nature just like what I did! First thing first? Where do you want to go when in Davao Oriental? What are the top tourist destinations?

    Hitting the road and getting to Davao Oriental from Manila is as easy as a fly because you can literally fly to and from the city as there are daily flights offered by major airlines carriers like Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia. Once you’ve landed in Davao City, take a jeep or a taxi going to Victoria Plaza Mall where you can find the busiest transport terminal in town. From then on, you can find a van that goes to Mati City. Be aware that the van won’t depart as long as it isn’t fully booked so prepare your mobile song playlist or a good book to read because it’s gonna be a long ride. 

     In our case, we brought a vehicle with us so we hit the road almost immediately. Travel time is about 3 to 4 hours. We passed by Governor Generoso City and then we proceeded to the only city of Davao Oriental Province—the Mati City.


Mati City

    Mati City is the capital of the Province of Davao Oriental which is located on the south-eastern side of Mindanao. The city has a population of 141,141 and the residents of Mati are called Matinians. I also learned that Mati comes from the Mandayan word Maa-ti which refers to the town's creek that easily dries up even after heavy rain. Pioneer settlers were tribes Kalagan, Mandayan, and Maranao which carried strong Arabic and Indo-Malayan influences. 

A Protected Home

    Mati is home to three protected areas, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mati Protected Landscape, and Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape. As such, locals and government alike take measures to preserve the diversity of marine life, protecting animals like lobsters, sea cows, bottle nose dolphins, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and different kinds of turtles.

   The whole region is linked to the markets of Mindanao, Malaysia and Indonesia and most of the local people rely on agriculture and agro-industries for a living. It was a relief to see some establishments and shopping malls when we arrived at Mati City. You can also grab your lunch at the downtown because there are restaurants and small canteens scattered around the area. Before we took the road going to our main destination—Caraga, Davao Oriental, we grabbed some junk foods and bread at the supermarket first.

Sleeping Dinosaur Island, Mati City

     I was about to doze off when my Aunt told me that we were approaching The Provincial Capitol building and park. And the most pleasant surprise is that the Capitol building sits atop the hill commanding a fantastic view of the Pujada Bay and the Sleeping Dinosaur island. And as cliche' as it sounds, words cannot describe how magnificent the view was. I immediately jump out of the car and took a lot of pictures of the stunning island. Although we didn’t have a chance to explore the island, you maybe luckier than me and you can just tell the bus or van driver to drop you off at Badas Point in Barangay Dawan and from then on, you are free to explore the island.

Dahican Beach Resort

    Dahican is one of the most popular destinations in Mati with its 17-kilometer pure, fine white sand shore. It has recently become a prime destination for surfers and skim boarders. Pujada Bay boasts 15,700 species of sea life and has been considered as among the richest bays in Southeast Asia. If you want to stay longer at Mati City. They offer accommodations good for 4 persons for only Php 1,800 per night. 

Aliwagwag Falls Eco Park

   True enough, early in the morning we went to Aliwagwag Falls. It is recognized as the tallest falls in the Philippines located at Cateel, Davao Oriental. Do not worry about getting there because there are a lot of habal-habal drivers who are willing to take you to the falls. Fare is around Php600 for a round trip. Upon arrival, there were gigantic surge of water continuously dropping from 130 cascading waterfalls. 

     The falls is about 1,110 feet and it is 20 meters in width. Due to safety reasons, you cannot trek up to the top of the falls even if you want to. Entrance fee is Php50 for adults and Php10 for kids. They also offer zip line for Php200 per head and monkey bridge for Php50 per head. 

    We enjoyed the cold water for the meantime, before heading to our next destination. There is also small souvenir shop just in front of Aliwagwag Falls Eco Park, I even bought a key chain before we left.

Balete Hot Spring

    Next is the Balete Hot Spring. Because it was striking 12 o’clock in the afternoon, the water is ridiculously hot I can barely soak my feet for a while. Entrance fee is only Php10 for both adult and kids. But if you plan on visiting the hot spring, I suggest you do it late in the afternoon or in the evening to enjoy the warm water.

Pusan Point

    After we have changed our clothes, we headed to Pusan Point. It is the easternmost point in the country located at the small town of Santiago in Caraga, Davao Oriental. The sun was starting to set and I was mesmerized by the beauty of the cliff’s edge, the railing, cemented steps and the large white Jubilee cross located at the left side of the point.

   Pusan Point is where the sun sets first in the country. Unfortunately, there are no portions there where you can swim and take a bath because it is facing the Pacific Ocean directly. The sun rises in all glory at the horizon of the wide ocean. There is also an old lighthouse that can be seen in the area but it was soon replaced by a modern version although it remained standing still. 

    When we’ve had our visit there, the Science Center is still under construction but now it is open to public. You can take some time to explore the center and take some pictures. There is also a swimming pool that is located right beside the building and a viewing deck that offers a clear and magnificent view of the ocean. The good thing is, you can enjoy all of it for free because there are no entrance fees.

     It started getting dark and we headed back to our grandmother’s house. It was such a long day, I immediately fell asleep. When I woke up, we started packing our bags and then we head back to Davao City. Another long ride in which I fall asleep until we finally arrive at Davao City. It was one of the road trips that I could never forget!

By: Hannah Mariam Singson
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