NEGROS ORIENTAL (Enjoying Negros Oriental - Siquijor the Backpackers way)

Our tax team in Cebu planned to have our summer outing in Negros Oriental and Siquijor. Actually, they only agreed on the date but I made the whole planning process. Haha.

Anyway, as I have always been excited to explore new places, preparing the itinerary was never hard. I enjoyed searching the net for possible tourist attractions in the said provinces. Thank God, my teammates were really supportive 'cause I've always been telling them the experience travelling with me would be other than ordinary. They said it would be okay for them to travel the backpackers way. And so we did.

May 1, 2013 (Cebu City)

We bought tickets in advance. We were a group of 11 and our first stop was Dumaguete City ( 4 of us opted to board Cokaliong at 7 PM and the remainder was through GP Lines at 11 PM). It was a 6-hour journey but we spent it sleeping though. We need the energy for the next days' activities.

At Pier 3, Cebu City

while waiting for the shuttle bus

at GP Lines

May 2, 2013 (Dumaguete City - Apo Island)

We arrived around 4:00 AM. I was actually surprised to see a lot of vendors offering food just outside the ferry. I believe it's due to the ferry just stopping over before heading to Dapitan.

We met with the other groups outside the pier.

Reunited at Dumaguete port

And through a tricycle, we headed to Harold's Mansion. While on the way, I could really feel how peaceful Dumaguete City was. And I just realized how huge Silliman University's area. Okay, so we arrived at Harold's. We were kind of disappointed knowing that they have not noted our reservation just weeks ago. Luckily, there were rooms available and they agreed to letting us freshen up before starting our day.

At Harrold's information counter

We ate breakfast at Qyosko. It's a 24-hour diner. We ordered silog and coffee.

Qyosko coffee shop

Qyosko's facade

Breakfast!

Then, we headed to the Ceres Bus Terminal. They said it would just be a few blocks away from Qyosko but it was kinda far. We boarded a bus for Malatapay.

It was a 45-minute ride. We disembarked at a market (we just told the conductor) and just walked for around 5 minutes to the information station at Malatapay port.

On the way to the port

at the station

We rented two pump boats since we could not be accommodated in one.

a boat of 7

the other 4

They said that while inside the boat, you should prepare to be wet since the travel would mostly be wavy. However, in our case, the water was still though there were random waves.

We can see the island!

It was around 20 minutes before we finally arrived where we were greeted by stunning rock formations.

rock formation!

touchdown!

We waited for the other boat to arrive before paying for the entrance fee. The boat would just actually wait for you and take you back to the island. The entrance fee was P25 if you're coming from Negros only otherwise, it would be P100 (if I remember it right). One of the people who greeted us advised us to tell the office that we're from Negros only so that we can save. So, we did it.

In touring the island, you may need a guide. It would only cost P300 for the day. So, we hired one and our first stop was snorkeling. The snorkels cost P100 each and you can't borrow from each other. Life vests may also be rented at P100 each.

ready for the sea!

pawikans here we go!

There I saw, for the first time, 2 pawikans. Unforgettable! Too bad, we had no underwater cam. :(

Our next stop was the cave. It was not at all a cave. Just some rock formation where you can enter and exit at a different opening. But it was still nice as there was a shade if you don't want the sun.

going to the cave

the cave

at another opening

Just at the big opening, you can see the rock formation Apo Island is famous for.

Near the formation was one of the 2 beach resorts of the island, the Apo Island Beach Resort. We could not go nearer the resort as it was dangerous since the rocks may be too slippery. We went back instead, freshen up a bit and went to Liberty Lodge (the other resort) where we ate lunch.

Liberty's Lodge

while waiting

I was really glad to see foreigners in the area. Maybe they were really backpackers as the island does not have 24-hour electricity.

The food was served. It was not exceptional but it did satisfy my hunger. My cam's battery was drained so I wasn't able to take some pics of our food.

After some time in the restaurant, we looked for our guide that would take us to another part of the island with fine white sand. Mind you, it was not an easy journey. You can either go by the water or by the rocks. I opted for the rocks. You just have to be very careful since most of them are pointed and steep (you wouldn't know where to step).

We arrived in the place that he described. It was indeed the only area of the island which has fine white sands but it's not really that great (I had no cam to capture it). We went back after a few minutes of swimming and experiencing the sand.

We then freshened up and prepared to depart. They said that there's a well where someone can actually rinse but we opted to do it in the Malatapay port once we get back. A tourist should leave the island (if he/she does not check-in in any of the resorts) before 4 PM for safety purposes.

After rinsing in Malatapay port (10/head), we headed back to the hotel and rested. Our next stop would be Cafe Antonio for dinner!

We rode a tricycle to Cafe Antonio. It was an old house that was turned into a restaurant. We had some pics before ordering our food.

the entrance

while waiting

the counter

We ordered their bestseller, Ribs! It was indeed very delicious and I highly recommend it.

ribs!

crepe!

Gwiyomi at the Cafe

After filling our stomachs, we walked to the boulevard. I was really in love of the place. A lot of cafes and restaurants, side by side, facing the boulevard. It was a feast in my eyes. The place seems to be really lively at night.

one of the bars near the boulevard

We had a game in the boulevard and spent most of the time just taking pics.

Gentlemen?

just chillin'

We then walked to our hotel, chilled at the rooftop and called it a night.

cafe on the way to the hotel

May 3, 2013 (Dolphin watching and Manjuyod Sand Bar in Bais City - Casaroro Falls in Valencia - Dumaguete City)

We woke up around 5 AM and had our breakfast at the hotel (part of the accommodation).  We then headed back to the Ceres Bus Terminal as we would now be going to Bais City. So, what’s in Bais? DOLPHIN WATCHING, baby! And we would also be stopping by the Manjuyod Sandbar!

breakfast in the rooftop

It was 6:15 and it would be an hour travel. Being new to Negros, I really enjoyed the ride (though my companions were busy sleeping. Haha). Luckily, I was able to see the sign of LBC with Bais City on it. I immediately woke everyone up.

We boarded a tricycle going to Capinanhan Wharf. I was really shocked since we all fitted in one tricycle. The fare is 12 per person.

I contacted a boat in advance to take us to the dolphins and sandbar. Here’s Mr. Edgardo’s number:  0916-254-6360. The boat costs 4,000 for the day.

before boarding

before departure to see the amazing sea creatures!

We were really excited since according to Mr. Edgardo, yesterday was one of the great dolphin sightings. We ferried to the spot and after around 20 minutes, we were able to see them!

It was fun seeing dolphins in their natural habitat. Watching them glide and show-off freely was an unforgettable experience.

After filling ourselves with memories of the cute sea creatures, we proceeded to the Manjuyod Sandbar.

amazing view!

We took some time to dip in the waters and enjoyed the sand. That was fine what sand!

first sandbar experience!

Then, we went back to the wharf and hired a tricycle to CB Grill, a restaurant in Bais City. We had our lunch here.

Fortunately, the restaurant is very near the highway where we can see the Ceres buses going to Dumaguete City passing by. We boarded one to Dumaguete City. Our next stop would be Casaroro Falls in Valencia. According to the bus conductor, there’s no direct bus from Bais to Valencia. So, we have to stop by Dumaguete before going to our next stop.

Valencia is actually a town in Negros which is just adjacent to Dumaguete City. It is a dead end and very near that jeepneys serve as its main mode of transportation. We boarded in the jeepney terminal and was able to agree with the driver to take us to Casaroro Falls for 1,000. Normally, jeepneys would stop in the town proper and motorcycles would transport any person to other parts of the town including Casaroro Falls. Since, we made an agreement with the driver, we headed to the falls.

I never thought that the location we agreed was not the Casaroro itself. It was somewhat an intersection and the road to the left would lead you to the falls. He said that it would be around 2KM before we arrive at the exact entrance and if ever we need his service, we would pay an additional 500.

I didn’t know why everyone thought that 500 was that expensive and opted to walk instead. Mind you, I would have paid for it had I known how hard it would be. The road was cemented but it was not flat. It would take a lot of your energy because it’s kind of steep and the 2KM walk seemed to be forever.

when we had all the energy and not knowing what lies in front of us!

We seemed to be really happy at first but our energy slowly deteriorated and we almost asked every person we passed by on how far the falls would still be. We already sweat a lot and would have really given up. But thankfully we didn’t. The fall’s caretaker (with a house near the road), was able to notice us. He actually would be going to the falls to close it as it would be very difficult at night. We actually pleaded and told him we’ve come this far just to see it and we’ll just be fast. He then agreed and joined us.

Mind you, it was a relief seeing the sign!

this is it!

There was a P10 entrance fee. We waited for the others before going 324 steps down. Actually from the moment we stepped down, we can hear the falls already but could not see it. Little did we know that what has been said in blogs I’ve read was indeed true. The trekking would not stop on the 324^th step as a 20-minute trek on the boulders awaits you.

going down

the BOULDERS!

Yes dear. Typhoon Sendong made it more difficult for tourists to see the beautiful falls. Before the typhoon, there used to be a footbridge going to the viewing deck. Though there’s still the walking part, but just imagine doing it on a bridge rather than on the boulders where you wouldn’t know where to step in. Kuya caretaker (I really forgot his name) made our journey easier as he tells us on what part of the rocks would we step on. There was even a time when he reprimanded us as we were resting on a very dangerous place (that rocks may fall any minute).

thanks kuya!

 It was not really an easy journey. People who plan to go there must expect a life-threatening trekking. Yes, any mistake may cause you to fall and injure your head in an instant. It was extremely dangerous.

But since we love adventure, we had a great time helping each other. It was a good team building activity and if you can see our pics, we seemed to be having fun though we’re super duper tired inside.

smiling though it already hurts!

Okay, after some minutes, you could hear the falls louder. The best thing was that it cannot be seen easily that when Kuya Caretaker told me to move forward, there I saw the hidden beauty. IT WAS WELL VERY WORTH THE LONG JOURNEY. I forgot all my complaints along the way. I forgot how many minutes it took us to get there. I simply stared at its beauty.

kinda short in pictures but it was really high!!!

It was high and very strong. Swimming in the falls is not allowed as there was a recent accident resulting to the death of 2 people. But you can take pictures near the falls like we did.

It was really memorable that I would stay if we just had time. But the sun was slowly setting down and we need to be back before it gets dark.

on our way back

the smiles were all genuine!!!

We could really agree that in whatever future trips we would be, the trek to Casaroro Falls would be our benchmark of a real adventure. It was both challenging and fulfilling. Hopefully, when I get to go back, the bridge would be repaired and the operation would be back to normal.

So, we headed back to the hotel. It was very exhausting that we really slept before going out again to eat dinner. This time, we didn’t ride a tricycle as ATONG KAMALIG is just 2 blocks away. Actually, we were already complaining since our feet were aching from the trek but still, we managed to go by foot.

There was actually a live band but we opted to rest our bodies out as tomorrow's another amazing destination, SIQUIJOR!

It was indeed a very memorable stay in Negros Oriental. I'm glad to have spent it with my officemates who never really turns down any challenges or adventure. :)

Continuation: May 3, 2013 - SIQUIJOR

  

From Siquijor, we went back to Dumaguete City. This time, no more trekking.. No more beach.. No more falls..

This day, all we wanted to do was REST. So, from the Port of Dumaguete, we went to Poppy  and had some coffee and cupcakes. ...

Then went to Lee Plaza to buy some souvenirs.

We then walked ourselves to Sans Rival Bistro. It's home to 2 most famous delicacies of Dumaguete City - Sans rival cake and Sylvanas. Though not yet really hungry, we settled in a long table and started to order our dinner. It was by far the most affordable yet quality restaurant I've been to. I even have a review here in TripAdvisor.

We ordered a lot. And we had the time of our lives. So, we stayed there for hours. Just ordered and ordered. Then if we wanted to buy souvenirs, we just went out and opposite the cafe, there were a lot of souvenirs (magnets, keychains, bracelets, voodoo dolls, etc.)

Around 9.30 PM, we finally ended our dinner. We then walked to the pier (yes, very near) and boarded Cokaliong back to Cebu.

This is one of the travels that I'm really proud of. Aside from being to new places with my colleagues, we had this trip for a very affordable one. Not a pain in the pocket. Haha.

We're planning another trip in Negros Occidental. Hopefully, this would really come to reality. Haha.