Where to Stay in Mati, Davao Oriental, Philippines

by Regin Reyno

One of the surfing spots in the Philippines is Mati in the province of Davao Oriental in Mindanao. It is already at the Pacific Ocean. Huge waves, white sand, and it is still not saturated with tourists. 

Together with

1. Siargao, Surigao del Norte
2. Baler, Aurora
3. San Juan, La Union
4. San Narciso, Zambales

Mati is one of the famous surfing spots in the Philippines. If you are based in Mindanao, you don’t have to go to Playa Grande, Costa Rica, Bali, Indonesia, California, USA, Oahu, Hawaii, or Torquay, Australia, or even in Luzon, to surf.

It is a 4-hour, scenic drive from Davao City, across coastlines and mountains.

The main surfing area is at Dahican beach in barangay Dahican.

Dahican beach is a long beach, lined with coconut trees, white sand, with a view of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mount Hamiguitan. It has still that local vibe, where you still encounter fishermen and fishing boats.

My family and I had a road trip to Mati from Bukidnon to relax, swim, and surf, last week.

We had a great time. Sunrise watching every morning, swimming, relaxing at the beach, and of course, the main point of being there, surfing!

One of the reasons we enjoyed our time there was our accommodation, We stayed at Bungalow Vacation Rentals at Dahican beach.

This bungalow accommodation is situated near the beach. What I like about its location, is, it is not built exactly at the beach, but across the road from the beach, which makes the beach in front of it wide and vacated.

Unlike some resorts in Dahican where they build their infrastructure right there at the beach, (Shame on you. Beach area is supposed to be public property. You just destroyed the beauty of the beach) this bungalow’s location is responsible, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

They have a space for parking your vehicle, fenced and gated space for safety, and because of its location, it is more safe against possible storm surge compared to other resorts in Dahican.

The bungalows are nicely built. Traditional nipa-hut like bungalows for 2 people, and they have modern bungalows for 4 people.

The bungalows are clean, so as the whole area. They also have a kitchen. This is a great addition as there are only few restaurants at Dahican. They have a grill, too where you can grill fresh, newly caught fish from the waters of the Pacific. Fresh fish has sweet undertones when eaten (tam-is ang ilang isda didto).

The staff are friendly and kind.

But what I like the most about this accommodation is its location. It is not located at the main Dahican beach where the tourists, locals, and events are, which makes it a perfect spot for relaxation. They don’t allow the ever annoying videoke/karaoke, too. So when you’re there, you can just relax, lay in the hammock, talk to each other, with just the sound of ocean waves as your background. Lovely.

So, when staying here, you can have your own, peaceful beach away from the crowd.

Oh, they have a generator, too, and water is uninterrupted. If ever I’m at Dahican in Mati again, I know I have a home, there.

Amenities: 

cable TV, WiFi, fresh towels, basic toiletries, kitchen, hammock, parking space, shower, terrace

Points for improvement: They don’t have hot shower, yet.

Price: 2,500 Php/night for 1 bungalow good for 4 people

          1,500 Php/night for 1 bungalow good for 2 people

          Extra mattress: 300 Php


Location: Just type Bungalow Vacation Rentals Dahican on Google Map. We are now in the 21st century.

I highly recommend Bungalow Vacation Rentals when in Mati, Davao Oriental, Philippines.