Mati: Surfing Capital of Davao

For the long weekend, my friends and me decided to explore the infamous Mati City.

Bachelor Bus Line ftw! 👍

If you’re coming from Davao City, you need to get to the Ecoland Bus Terminal. From there, you could take your pick between bus or van to get to Mati. We opted to go for the bus. It cost us Php 285 per person, one way. The trip lasted 5 long hours. I would personally recommend the Bachelor Bus line because it’s clean and have comfortable seats. The bus ride had several stops though. There were numerous terminals that they would pass through. This was probably one of the reasons why the bus took so long to get to Mati, but it was also good news for those who needed to use the comfort room frequently.

The bus driver was nice enough to let us stop over and take quick photos of the Sleeping Dinosaur. The island resembled the image of a huge dinosaur sleeping on top of the ocean. I don’t know if you’ll be able to see it in the shot that I took below though.

Sleeping Dinosaur

We left Davao at 12nn. We arrived in Mati City at approximately 5pm. From the bus terminal, we rode a pedicab that cost us Php 25 per person. The driver was kind enough to advise us that there were no restaurants around the beach. So, we passed by their market to buy some roasted chicken, liempo, rice and drinks for our dinner.

We headed to Dahican Beach to find ourselves a place to stay for the night. We wanted it to be an adventure, so we didn’t reserve any room beforehand. Besides, we wanted to discover a place that wasn’t yet ravaged by social media.

After having a struggling walk by the beach, we finally came upon this beautiful, affordable place called Dahican Surfer Resort.

At night, the place had a boho vibe to it. The colorful lights and the several tents that were arranged along the front side of the resort were really pretty.

We couldn’t stop ourselves from taking our blankets, drinking a few bottles of cold beer (you can buy from the resort shop), and enjoy the sound of the waves with the beautiful moon shining down on us. It was a perfect end to our long day of traveling.

In the morning, I was finally able to see the charming and quaint beauty of the resort. Everything in the place screamed Surfing. It was a haven for surfers and skim boarders, or of people who at least want to learn how to surf and skim. I wasn’t able to ask how much they charged for lessons though. They also had their beautiful surf and skim boards for rent. 

We opted to get a small hut, which could comfortably fit in 5 people. It cost Php 2,000 per night. There was no airconditioner, but you wouldn’t really need one because the hut was really cool during the evenings. They had an electric fan inside as well. There are no locks but they provide a locker with key for the storing of your valuables.

They had public toilets and shower rooms, which were fairly well-maintained and clean. The only problem I had there was when there were a lot of people who needed to use the toilet or who needed to shower. The line could get long. I hope they would add more comfort / shower rooms to accommodate their number of guests. But other than that, the place was beautiful. The caretakers were polite and very accommodating. They also allow their guests to bring their own food, or they can also use the resort’s kitchen to cook.

Dahican Surfer Resoet has a repuation for having the best sunrise view. I woke up at 5am to catch a glimpse of this, however the weather was not cooperating. It was still beautiful though.

Dahican Beach has officially become one of my most favorite beaches in Mindanao. The long stretch of soft, white sands would make you want to bury your feet in it all day. I wish a single photo could put justice to the beauty of this place. It was breathtaking.

Dahican Beach, Mati City

I wasn’t able to join my friends in swimming and learning how to surf and skim because it was my monthly period. I decided to lounge by the beach and explore the island instead.

My friends. 🙂

It was a great experience and a perfect holiday break for us. Mati City and its Dahican Beach were definitely worth the 5-hour bus ride. All of us swore to come back and bring our friends and loved-ones.

We Love Mati! 🙂

Thank you, Mati! 😍 See you again soon!

I’ll definitely be back, Mati! 😙