THERE are lots of hotels in Davao and Cagayan de Oro. Both are the largest cities in Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippine archipelago. Between the two cities , Davao is the larger city than Cagayan de Oro. But both cities offer less expensive five-star hotels for tourists who want to stay here and be practical, there are also less expensive ones.

Another great hotel here is Hotel Koresco. It is located uptown far away from the bustle of traffic and near a suburb so the quality of air that you breathe here is definitely excellent. Hotel Koresco is a South Korean-inspired hotel so there’s a taste of South Korean food.

Of course, Davao City has its own share of pleasurable places of stay. The most recognizable one which dots the city skyline is the Marco Polo Hotel. Marco Polo’s reputation in Davao City is so stamped that it has its own branch in Cebu City .

I’ve been to Dakak last weekend and it was a totally exhilarating experience. Of course, I’ve been there more than once already but going there time and again still seems to be the first time. The beach was indeed full of happy people as it is the first of summer. Many ladies strip down to their bikinis without inhibition and I gamely joined them of course with my super friends (there were five of us and we go a long way back.

We did not just enjoy sunbathing, we also had the fun of our lives as I tried both kayaking and jet-skiing for the first time. At first, I was a little bit nervous as all first-timers do but when my super friends prodded me along, excitement took over and I vroomed the jet ski as I enjoyed the waves attempting to splash my already tanned body. Later, I tried the more subdued kayaking with my ever trusted chum Carol riding shotgun and we awkwardly paddled away but of course we stayed close to shore because we were quite nervous.

As we retreated towards the evening after dinner, I tried their sauna. Emerging from it, I felt totally refresh and I enjoyed dancing the night away.