Long Weekend in Davao

It was a 4-day weekend last August 18-21. A lot of people were either out of town or out of the country....including me!:)

It was my first time in Davao...and actually in Mindanao. But if only my bestfriend won't be there for work during the Kadayawan Festival, I won't push through with spending the long weekend there.  And I think it was also a sign to go when exactly a week before the long weekend, Tiger Airways by SEAIR offered a seat sale! I was able to convince my graduate school classmates to join us in Davao too. We got our roundtrip tickets for only Php1894!

Highlights of the trip:

Day 1 (Aug. 18, Saturday)

• Lunch at Liza's - it's a grill place by the beach and they serve yummy food (wasn't able to take a photo 'coz my tummy wasn't so good that time)

we weren't able to catch the parade due to my delayed flight

• Dinner at Toryano's (known for their native chicken)

• BluGre - We tried the Durian Cheesecake, Durian Coffee and Durian Frappucino haha! We also tried other cakes. They're all yummy!

• We ended the night at Starr Club. Because it's Kadayawan, the usual liquor ban of 2am was moved to 6am

 with my Davao-based friend

tequila shots!

Day 2 (Aug. 19, Sunday)

• Lunch at Chikaan Abreeza Mall
• Shopping at the Power Mac Center
• Milk Tea in SM Davao

 tired and sleepy

my BFF bought herself an iPod Nano while I got her a cute watch band for her birthday

Day 3 (Aug. 20, Monday)

• Mcdonald's breakfast in front of our hotel
• Isla Reta in Talicud Island behind Samal Island w/ my graduate school friends (1st and only trip of boat from Sta. Ana wharf that goes straight to Isla Reta is at 9am. But if you're late, there is another boat that leaves at 10am but just drops off passengers at Isla Reta. The same boat leaves Isla Reta back to the city at 3pm. Travel time is about an hour. The place was supposed to be paradise-ish but since it's a holiday, there were so many tourists at the island that time.)
• Buffet dinner at Let's Crab Eat (Buffet at Php 400/head)
• Drinks at Q Bar (just beside Microtel Inn)

I was so scared 'coz the life vests were still wrapped in plastic!

There's Isla Reta!

Welcome to the island!:)

Lunch! The worst part was waiting for our food for 1.5hrs. Better bring your own food.

got a nice view of the beach :)

back to the mainland (I was the 2nd to the youngest in this group haha PROUD!)

act like a lady, think like a man...and eat like a monster! LOL!

 graduate school classmates turned travel buddies turned friends!

 we're so full!

 Day 4 (Aug. 21, Tuesday)

• Buffet breakfast at the hotel
• Late lunch / Early dinner in Sushi Dito (Yummy and affordable Japanese food)
• Bought pasalubong at Gaisano Mall
• Drinks at The Deck (Pool Lounge) of Marco Polo (Really relaxing! We loved the food and drinks there!)
• Bought pomelo at a nearby stall (Kinda pricey at Php100/kilo and one piece of pomelo is more or less 1 Kilo also)

 our last day in Davao

 Japanese food will always be my favorite

 saying goodbye to my Davao-based friend

 very relaxing...

 haha vanity!:))))

 mozzarella sticks and sardines dip! yummy!

 Tuna Kinilaw! yum yum!

with friends from Tribal DDB...saying goodbye to Davao City

Here's my travel experience ratings:

Flight: 4 stars - SEAIR's plane is really new. Minus the delayed flight and the non-stop crying baby in the plane.

Hotel: 4 stars - Microtel Inn got good service. They made up our room almost everyday. Plus who wouldn't love the 2 queen-sized beds in our room? Although, their TV wasn't a flat screen! haha!
Food: 4 stars - Liza's, Toryano's, BluGre, Let's Crab Eat, SushiDito (Just some of the food places you gotta try)
Transportation: 5 stars - They got really kind cab drivers, plus not as expensive as that of Manila's. If there's something I liked the most the, it's their cab drivers and their cool cabs! "Maligaya" line has a TV while "Mabuhay" line has a debit card swiper.
Leisure: 4 stars - You can do ziplining, roll down a hill while in a zorb, see eagles and crocodiles, get to the beach in 15mins, go shopping, and more.
Nightlife: 3 stars - Didn't like much of the crowd, the music, the usual curfew (which I haven't experienced yet), and the boring weeknights (even if it's a holiday). Although drinks are a lot cheaper.
Overall Experience: 4 stars! It's not how nice or not a place you go to that matters the most, but the company you are with. Thank God for my BFF, graduate school friends, and some new friends who made the long weekend fun despite all the misfortunes (I need not go into detail. Just happy thoughts!)

with my BFF aka travel buddy! more adventures soon!:)

xoxo,

royciepoisie