Beyond the City: Davao by Land, Hills, and Sea

Davao occupies a wide stretch of southeastern Mindanao, bordered by agricultural lowlands, forested highlands, and the Davao Gulf. The scale is immediately apparent: distances are long and the urban core is spacious. To the west, Mount Apo anchors the landscape. To the east, the water leads directly to Davao del Norte, where Samal Island sits just offshore. Davao City is the largest city in the Philippines.

Geography informs how Davao is best experienced. When traveling its expanse, move through the city roads first, then its highlands, followed by its seas. Our itinerary followed that logic. The trip was part of an ASEAN Travex post-event tour, with close to 50 participants, which made logistics and pacing especially important. Davao accommodated the scale and allowed the experience to remain grounded.

Our first stop was the Malagos Garden Resort. The property combines wildlife enclosures and cacao production. Malagos is best known for its chocolate, but the broader experience highlights how agriculture, tourism, and conservation intersect in Davao City. Walking through the grounds, the emphasis is on cultivation of plants and systems that are meant to last. Educational elements are woven into the experience, from learning how cacao moves from tree to finished product to understanding how native species are protected within the property. The layout encourages unhurried exploration, allowing visitors to observe how different components such as farming and habitat management function together. 

As an opening stop, Malagos provided useful context for the days ahead, grounding the trip in the idea that Davao’s strengths are closely tied to how it manages and values its natural resources.

by Ria de Borja

Published on Feb 14, 2026