Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
from the little town of
San José
, nearly midway between Dumaguete and Bais. The
hike takes you past a couple of waterfalls where you can swim and through settlements
of the indigenous Bukidnon people who inhabit the area. Once at the lakes it's
possible to rent a kayak and head out onto the water, and to hire a pair of binoculars to
check out the wildlife, which includes tarictic hornbills, monkeys and eagles; there's
also a café.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
BAIS AND AROUND
6
By bus and jeepney
Bais lies on the main coastal road
and is well served by buses and jeepneys from
Dumaguete (1hr).
Tourist information
The tourist
o
ce (Mon-Fri 8am-
5pm;
T
035 402 8338) is in the public plaza in the centre
of town.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Campuyo Aroma Beach Resort
Manjuyod
T
0928
407 2999.
A few kilometres north of Bais and right on the
beach,
Aroma
has clean, a/c rooms with cable TV. They also
have a restaura
nt and
free wi-fi and can arrange dolphin-
watching trips.
P850
La Planta Hotel
Mabini St
T
035 402 8321,
W
laplanta
.com.ph.
Clean and comfortable twin rooms in a quaint
and cosy place that used t
o be th
e city's power plant. Also
has a pool and restaurant.
P1540
Dumaguete
DUMAGUETE
(“dum-a-get-eh”), known in the Philippines as the City of Gentle People,
is capital of Negros Oriental and lies on the southeast coast of Negros, within sight of
the southernmost tip of Cebu Island. With its attractive architecture, laidback
university town ambience and lovely
seafront promenade
, shaded by acacia trees and
coconut palms and lined with lively bars and restaurants, it's easy to see why the town
is increasingly becoming a mainstream tourist destination.
While Dumaguete doesn't possess major sights, it is a great base from which to explore
the region. Day-trips include the Twin Lakes of Balinsasayao and Danao (see opposite)
and dolphin- and whale-watching at Bais (see box opposite), while scuba diving can be
arranged from the affordable resort accommodation around Dauin (see p.319).
St Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral
Governor Perdices St, Quezon Park
Dumaguete is centred on the grand
St Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral
, which
dominates Quezon Park. The cathedral was originally built in 1754, although the
current version dates from 1957. Standing next to the cathedral, the
belfry
was
completed in 1867, and its statue of the Lady of Lourdes is a popular site of worship
in its own right.
Silliman University
Anthropological Museum
Assembly Hall (go through the university gate on Hibbard Ave and past the fountain) • Mon-Fri
9am-4pm • Free
The oldest Protestant university in the Philippines,
Silliman University
's strong
reputation has largely been built on the work of its marine laboratory which has
spearheaded efforts to protect the island's mangroves and stop illegal fishing. The
university also has an interesting
Anthropological Museum
housing some Song and
Ming dynasty porcelain and relics from minority tribes in the Philippines.
Centrop
Near the Silliman Medical Centre • Daily 9am-5pm • P10
On the far side of Silliman University campus, close to the hospital, the
Centre for
Tropical Studies (Centrop)
offers a rare glimpse of Negros wildlife, including a
reticulated python, long-tailed macaques and warty pigs, and is worth a quick visit.
