Trips and Treats

Welcome to Bacolod City, the City of Smiles!

From Dumaguete we travelled five hours via land trip heading for Bacolod an overnight side trip from the Oriental Negros. We left Dumaguete at exactly 6am and settled at one of the city’s pension house just before noon. After settling our things we took our lunch in one of the restaurants offering the famous Bacolod chicken inasal so delicious and very affordable. We then headed to our place of destination, that is the Mambukal Resort, a mountain resort famous for its 7 waterfalls. The place is a one-hour drive from the city center.

The resort offers lots of activities, they have several swimming pools of different variety - hot spring, children’s, cold pool - they also have the mud pack activity. Adding to the attraction of the resort are the schools of flying foxes, whatever they call it.

The resort is located at the foot of the Kanlaon Volcano, it has 7 water falls, they do not allow visitors to swim in the first 4 waterfalls as it has became dangerous due to the many earthquakes that has struck the place. In the 5th and 6th falls, where visitors are now allowed to simmer the water, that if you have gotten that far as you have to climb higher for each fall, are not really that enticing, that you’d rather have the first waterfall or go futher and climb more for almost an hour to get to the peak or on the 7th waterfall.

That we did, and its really worth the travel by foot, the track which we have to take is somewhat scary for there might be unwanted animals, mammals and holes that were dangerous, that is why, a guide is really a must when you wanted to climb or go that far. Upon reaching the 7th falls, oh wow, you’ll really love the serenity of the place, the looks, the ambience, the water-very cold-, everything is beautiful, how i loved nature! Truly God’s wondrous deed!

Thanks to Cebupacific’s P1 fare for this trip great savings on our part!

Dumaguete as a well known province was only one of the city of Oriental Negros before this trip i actually thought that Dumaguete is like Iloilo a province in a whole that comprises many municipalities. I was told by a native there that even their place is Sibulan still when asked where they live they tend to answer “from Dumaguete.” This because, Dumaguete is much more known to us than other places in Oriental Negros, therefore saves them from further inquiry.

Our trip to Oriental Negros was coincidentally in time for Sibulan’s Fiesta - where we stayed - therefore we were surprised by the event that we have not prepared ourselves that we are visiting 6 houses for a day’s meal, at first we actually felt challenged and excited, but upon reaching the fourth house, we almost begged our host to take us home, that we’re so full and cannot take to have another house visit. :)
The houses we visited were so hospitable that you will really feel at home.

On our 2nd day here, we went to one of the beaches in San Jose, full of fun, we go boating and funny here is that we got overloaded in a small banca that it turns upsidedown, lucky for us we havent gone far from the shore, full of laughter and good food. The beach is somewhat exclusive, we have it all by ourselves.

We have not fully maximized our stay here as the weather prohibits us, we were not allowed to visit Apo Island as it rains heavily, same with the famous waterfall of the province :(

Im glad i have been here!