Dumaguete Escapade (Day 1)

Dumaguete Escapade Day 1 (June 3, 2008)

The Philippines is a country filled with popular destinations, and these are the destinations that are usually seen in postcards and travel books. There are however those destinations that aren't as popular. These are the destinations that only a few people know about, and as such, they're not yet as commercialized. I knew that if I truly wanted to discover everything that the Philippines has to offer, I had to go not only to the popular tourist spots but also to those that are only popular within a certain locality.

I decided to go to Negros not only because of its proximity to Cebu but also because I knew that Negros holds many of the Philippines' best kept secrets when it comes to beautiful nature spots. In fact, I believe that if you're the ultimate nature lover, you should do yourself a favor and go to Negros. I was ready for an adventure trip, so I dragged Adel to go to Dumaguete with me and visit the craziest of us all, Bulay. It was a good thing Bulay’s family was as crazy, adventurous, and nature-hungry as we were. 

G O I N G   T O   N E G R O S

On the boat going to Negros

There are many ways to go to Negros from Cebu, but this being our first time to go on a Negros trip together, we used the easiest way. We left Cebu on board the MV Zamboanga (of the George and Peter Lines). We just had to go to the Cebu port, buy our tickets, and board the ship to go on a 6-hour trip to Dumaguete.

Dumaguete breakfast

Having left Cebu at 10PM, we arrived in Dumaguete at around 4AM. Bulay greeted us with a proper Dumaguete breakfast by taking us to the Dumaguete public market, where we had hot puto and sikwate. We settled in at Bulay's house and slept for a bit, preparing for our trip to Sibulan.

S I B U L A N

Our view of Cebu

At around 8:30AM, we went on a road trip all the way to Sibulan, which is another town in Negros Oriental. We were driving along the coast, and on the way we had a view of the glistening blue (and i mean BLUE) sea. We also saw the southernmost tip of Cebu. When we reached Sibulan from the highway, we had to turn left and drive 4 kilometers inland. We were already on the rocky unpaved roads of a mountain, and it was another adventure altogether. We passed by a few cliffs and the flora that surrounded us was just beautiful. 

B A L I N S A S A Y A O

The trek going down

When we reached the Balinsasayao Lake complex, we found out that it was actually maintained by the local government as an eco-tourism site. To get to the two lakes, we had to park our car in the designated parking space, then go on a long trek going down on manmade stone steps. We arrived at the mouth of the lake and this is where we rented a boat. We needed a boat because the Balinsasayao Lake is huge, and we had to cross over to the other mountain.

Boating in Lake Balinsasayao

As soon as we reached the other side, we got off the boat and walked a long hike up to the "cottage in the sky." The trek was a bit tiring, but it was a challenge that we were very willing to do because we couldn't wait to see the view from the cottage. Once we reached the cottage, we got a spectacular view of the two lakes. This is where our guide told us the story. 

T H E  T A L E  O F  T H E  T W I N  L A K E S

Lake Balinsasayao

The twin lakes of Balinsasayao are separated by a mountain. The bigger lake (where we went boating) is the “good lake,” and is pretty safe. You can swim in it, but only near the shore. The lake is HUGE. And DEEP. No camera can capture it in its entirety. Boating around the perimeter took us about an hour, because there are hidden spots of the lake that can't be seen from the cottage in the sky.

Lake Danao

The lake on the other side of the mountain is the “bad lake.” It’s totally off limits and much more enclosed. for some reason it’s more still, and it has a mysterious (bordering on creepy) aura to it. No one goes to this lake to fish or to go boating or to do whatever. I don’t know why. I don’t wanna know why.

But of course that’s just what the legend says. On the more factual note, the “good lake” is called Lake Balinsasayao and the “bad lake” is called Lake Danao. The lakes are actually separated by a mountain ridge and the hollow can be found between four mountains. To the south is Mount Mahungot, to the north is Mount Kalbasan, to the east is Mount Balinsasayao, and to the west is Mount Guidabon.

It looks like an elephant

When we went boating around the perimeter of Lake Balinsasayao, it was just such a relaxing experience. Lakes are so still and so peaceful, and we had nothing but the cool and fresh mountain air surrounding us. It was just the perfect way to take all of nature’s beauty in. As we were marveling at the beauty of nature, we couldn't help but think of how amazing God is. How can you look at amazing places like this and not know that there’s a God who designed it all so perfectly? Nature is amazing, but even more amazing is the Creator who made everything happen. Pictures truly cannot capture the beauty of this place. You have to go and see it for yourself.

S I L L I M A N   T O U R

Silliman Church

After our little adventure in Lake Balinsasayao, we went on a mini city tour around Dumaguete. Dumaguete City is small enough to explore in just a short period of time. We first went to Silliman University, which is almost synonymous to Dumaguete. The university is so big that the inside joke has always been "Silliman is not in Dumaguete. Dumaguete is in Silliman."

Silliman University was established in 1901 by Dr. Horace B. Silliman. The Americans were the ones who instituted this university in this charming little seaside city, but today it has risen in status as one of the premier universities in the Visayas. We did a walking tour around Silliman but we didn't get to explore the entire vicinity, because soon it was already dusk.

Dessert at Sans Rival

D E S S E R T   B E F O R E   D I N N E R

We were pretty tired from the activities of the day, and we decided to have dessert before dinner. When you think about dessert in Dumaguete, no other name rings louder than Sans Rival. It's a charming little bakery/cafe in the city, and they had such delectable cakes and pastries. We ordered so many desserts because they were all so cheap and too tempting to resist. 

H A Y A H A Y

Walking along Rizal Boulevard

After dessert we walked around Dumaguete a bit, particularly along Rizal Boulevard. We walked the length of the boulevard and just enjoyed the sea breeze, as well as the slow pace of life in Dumaguete. We then took a peddicab to a seaside restaurant called Hayahay, where we had pizza and drinks while an acoustic band was serenading us. It was so relaxing and so laid back, and it was the perfect way to end our first day in Dumaguete.