Dahican was almost five hours of road travel. Of course, we had to stop a few times (it felt like a million times!) to take care of business. First, there was brunch at one of the popular carinderia. It was almost ritual to stop at this place because we like their cuisine. Next, there a stop at a small farm to harvest some calamansi. We can never do without our calamansi. Then, there was the mandatory stop at the border of two neighboring Davao provinces. There was a rather large rest area in this place. A good place for the aching back and limbs.

The Political Role of Dahican in Davao

Dahican is a prominent barangay (a local administrative division) within the city of Mati. Mati serves as the provincial capital of Davao Oriental in the Philippines. Politically, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Davao Region (Region XI) on the island of Mindanao. This placement means Dahican is subject to the governance and policies set forth by both the Mati City local government and the provincial administration of Davao Oriental, as well as national Philippine laws. Its status as a barangay highlights its role as a fundamental community unit within the larger political structure.

The Geographical Location of Dahican in Davao

Dahican is geographically situated on the southeastern side of Mindanao. It is facing the Philippine sea which is also part of the Pacific Ocean. There is a 17 kilometer stretch of white sand beach. This feature is making Dahican a popular place for beach resort and even surfing resorts. We drove by some of the surfing resorts but never did check it out.

The Resort

Dahican Beach Resort and Spa was our final destination. A relatively new resort that has been gaining a lot of attention especially around my circle of friends.

We had a good initial impression of the resort when we checked in the front desk. The service was friendly and fast. The infinity pool was the first thing that you see as you make your way up the stairs. Each unit has access to the pool via a back patio. It was impressive! I left my party to finish checking in and I walked through the side pathway towards the beach. I saw the staff were busy cleaning up the rooms for occupancy. A lone lifeguard was keeping an eye on me on the deserted beach (a good thing!).

The rooms were spacious! It was well-appointed with two queen-sized beds, a spacious bathroom, and appliances for a comfortable experience. Sliding doors connects the room to a patio right next to the infinity pool. It was a looking good!

The Dining Experience

It was dining in their restaurant that was a different experience. The food choices and preparation could use a lot of improvement. It was not a lucky night for us. Mother’s day celebration had outside patrons packing the dining area. Our reserved long table for ten was competing with a high traffic space. The staff were serving cold food on the trays. The crowd was almost at the point of elbowing each other for the cold food. It was not a nice dining experience.

The last concern was that they did not accept credit card payment. We were lucky that we had enough cash then to pay for the stay.

It was still a wonderful experience. We ended up enjoying the excellent desk and room services, swimming in the infinity pool, idling at the beach, and the fun that we had while we were there. There no chance to explore the length of the beach. I was suspecting that it could have been fun. We could have discovered more interesting sites.

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Updated: April 16, 2026