Davao: at the foot of the Philippines' highest peak

Considered among Southeast Asia's safest cities, Davao remains the most convenient starting point for climbing Mount Apo, the Philippines' highest peak.

A car or motor tricycle remains the most common way to get around.

The Sanctuary of Philippine Eagles protects specimens of the Philippine eagle, among the largest and rarest in the world, facing critical extinction risk.

A few minutes away, the Durian Market of Davao sells the famous fruit with an intense odor, abundantly cultivated in the region and a base ingredient of many local sweets.

In the afternoon, an excursion leads to the slopes of Mount Apo, an extinct volcano that at almost three thousand meters remains the highest peak in the entire Philippine archipelago.

Toward evening, People's Park in the city center displays sculptures dedicated to the eighteen indigenous tribes of the Mindanao region.

The durian, whose intense smell is often banned in hotels and public transportation across much of Southeast Asia, remains in Davao a symbol of local pride, celebrated with an annual festival dedicated to the fruit.

The Philippine eagle, with a wingspan that can exceed two meters, remains among the world's largest raptors and the national symbol of the Philippines, today protected by strict conservation laws.