Davao or Manila?

Davao has a real beach option and Manila does not. Davao's own shoreline is a working port, but Samal Island lies just across the strait, a short boat ride from the wharves. It has white and golden sand, coral within snorkelling distance and sheltered, surf-free water, and Talikud is quieter still.

Manila's bay is only good for watching the sunset from Roxas Boulevard, because the water is too polluted for swimming. The beaches at Nasugbu, Anilao or on the Bataan coast need an overnight stay, and most beach-goers just fly on to Palawan or Boracay.

Manila is the better place to eat, mainly because of its range. Binondo's dumpling houses, hopia bakeries and noodle shops make a food walk worth crossing the city for. Poblacion, Makati and Bonifacio Global City add modern Filipino cooking along with Japanese, Korean and Spanish kitchens.

Davao's table is narrower but has its own character. It is built on Mindanao's fruit and the gulf's tuna: durian and mangosteen from the late-night stalls on Magsaysay Avenue, grilled tuna jaw, kinilaw, and chocolate made from local cacao. Beyond that, there is little fine dining or international food.

There is much more to see in Manila. Intramuros has its Spanish ramparts, Fort Santiago and the UNESCO-listed San Agustin Church, and the National Museum next door holds Juan Luna's Spoliarium. Binondo, Quiapo and the art deco buildings of Escolta can fill two or three days.

Davao has San Pedro Cathedral, the Museo Dabawenyo's account of Lumad, Moro and Japanese settlement, the Lon Wa temple and wartime tunnels. That is enough for an afternoon, not a reason to visit.

If going out matters, choose Manila. Poblacion's old grid of small cocktail bars, rooftops and dive bars stays busy well past midnight. Bonifacio Global City has the big clubs, and karaoke is taken seriously all over the city. Just stay in one district, because getting between them is slow.

Davao keeps strict rules on drinking and smoking in public, and its nights are short. Expect a cover band and a beer in Matina or Lanang after dinner, then bed.

Davao is surrounded by wild country. Mount Apo, at 2,954m, takes two or three days to climb through mossy forest to its sulphur vents. The Malagos and Marilog uplands have cooler trails and cacao farms, and the gulf adds reef diving off Samal, the Monfort fruit bats and rafting on the Davao River.

Manila's nature starts only once you are out of the sprawl. The view over Taal volcano from Tagaytay, the limestone trails at Masungi and dawn hikes up Pico de Loro all mean leaving early to beat the traffic. Anilao's reefs are the strongest draw for divers.

Manila makes the better base for excursions. You can take the ferry to Corregidor's batteries and the Malinta Tunnel, eat bulalo above Taal Lake, visit the old Laguna towns and the springs at Los Baños, or go north to Pampanga for Kapampangan cooking. An early start or a driver turns several of these into easy days.

Around Davao there is less to choose from. Samal is the obvious outing, Digos and Tagum are ordinary towns, and the surf at Mati or the forests of Mount Hamiguitan are far enough away to need an overnight stay.

Davao is the easier city with children. It is calm and clean, and it has outings built for kids: seeing the Philippine eagle up close at Malagos, the Crocodile Park, and the zip lines and horse rides at Eden Nature Park. Samal's shallow, warm water suits young swimmers.

Manila welcomes children just as warmly, but family days there mostly happen indoors, at Manila Ocean Park, the mall ice rinks and the natural history museum. Broken pavements, stressful road crossings and long traffic jams make a pram more trouble than help.

Neither city is easy on foot, but Davao asks less of a visitor. It is large and spread out too, with no rail line and jeepney routes a newcomer struggles to read, yet its metered taxis solve most of that. They are plentiful and have a long reputation for using the meter honestly. Samal is a short boat crossing from the wharves, while the highland parks and the Mount Apo trailheads need a hired driver or a tour.

Manila has more transport but more trouble with it. Its elevated rail lines are crowded, do not link up neatly and miss many sights, and the roads jam for much of the day, so most visitors use ride-hailing cars and plan one district per day. Makati, BGC and Intramuros are pleasant to walk within, often along covered walkways, but walking between them is not realistic.

Manila wins on scale and choice. Its bayfront and Ortigas megamalls, the Ayala Center and the open-air streets of BGC have luxury wings and department stores. For bargains there are Divisoria's wholesale lanes, Greenhills for pearls and gadgets, and the handicraft stalls under Quiapo's bridge.

Davao's malls cover the chains and little more, but its souvenirs are more distinctive. Look for malong and abaca dagmay cloth, T'boli brass and beadwork, gulf pearls, and chocolate made from local cacao.

Both cities are cheap for everyday spending, and Davao is only slightly cheaper. The difference is in where the money goes. In Davao, the bigger costs are the trip's extras: a good Samal resort, dive trips, a guided Apo climb or a driver for the highlands. In Manila, they are your choice of neighbourhood. Carinderias and the free National Museum cost almost nothing, while staying and drinking in Makati or BGC costs noticeably more.

Manila is the place to see a performance. The Cultural Center of the Philippines is home to the Philharmonic and Ballet Philippines, folk companies perform the tinikling, and local casts stage Broadway musicals. Skilled bands also play in bars across Makati and Quezon City most nights.

Davao has almost no formal stage. Its one big moment is Kadayawan each August, when Lumad and Muslim communities fill the streets with dances and costumes you will rarely see anywhere else.

The two are evenly matched for relaxation. In both, a cheap hilot or other massage is the usual way to unwind, and neither has a bathing tradition. The difference is the setting. Davao itself is quieter, and the restful stays are resort spas on Samal or lodges in the cool Marilog highlands.

Manila is loud and draining, so the calm is inside the full hotel spas of Makati and BGC, or a couple of hours away at the Los Baños hot springs and on Tagaytay's breezy ridge.