Exploring the Philippines

Church in town square, Bacolod

Negros

After having spent longer than planned at the beach resort of Boracay, we decided to visit the island of Negros, hoping it would give us the opportunity to learn more about the true Filipino culture. We arrived by ferry in Bacolod, a transport hub city.

We stayed a few days, tasted some local delicacies, observed how churches are scattered around almost every neighborhood, met some locals out on the town and were warned about how unsafe it is to walk around at night. Indeed, most shops hire a security guard, armed with a rifle. It is quite shocking when you go in McDonalds and are greeted by an armed man in uniform! In the day time, we went around by Jeepneys, the local buses which run through town without a schedule. Simply stand on the side of the road, wave the truck over, and squeeze in the back!

   

Yummy corn flour cakes at the market

"The Taj Mahal of Negros" might be a bit a generous for this 20th century mansion called The Ruins 

After a few days, we made our way down South to Sipalay, described in the Lonely Planet as a “remote seaside town, surrounded by spectacular beaches, secluded coves, scattered islets and dive reefs”. Sounds appealing, right? We took many local buses, followed by a tricycle, then a motor canoe, and finally landed on deserted Sugar Beach, “one of Negro’s best-kept secrets”. Such a secret that we were literally the ONLY travelers there!

Luckily, we found a funky German-owned hostel called Takatuka Lodge. In high season, this must be an amazing spot, but we were out of luck as the rainy season made for a dirty beach and such waves that we weren’t able to swim.

Deserted Sugar Beach in Sipalay

Feeling like we were the only backpackers in the Philippines, we decided to head towards the funky college town of Dumaguete, looking forward to explore city life, and hoping to meet some people. We did have a good night out, met some locals and drank the famous Red Horse beer which logo reads “Extra Strong”.

Another exciting day was visiting the Twin Lakes National Park and getting a bit of exercise while trekking in the jungle.

Twin Lakes National Park, Dumaguete