Tripping outside the box By Ruby de Vera
Publisher:Philippine Daily Inquirer - Publication Date: 31-03-2008

For a country composed of 7,107 islands, the Philippines will always have other beaches aside from the more popular destinations of Boracay and Palawan.
The city of Dumaguete and the island of Siquijor in Negros Oriental in western Philippines are slowly gaining attention from the beach lovers and travel bugs, but in spite of the steady influx of tourists these past few years, the two places are still not appreciated enough, in my opinion.
Sorcerer’s land
Siquijor has long been known as a sorcerer’s land, and perhaps this reputation serves as a double-edged sword for the island. On one hand the island is still pristine and free from the tourist traps; on the other hand, more tourists would mean more income for the residents.
Siquijor is roughly a 40-minute boat ride from Dumaguete. You don’t have to worry if a boat just left, there’s a trip almost every hour with about three major ferry operators.
We ditched the more touristy route of staying in San Juan where the chicer resorts can be found, and instead stayed at the Norwegian Dream Resort in Siquijor town, whose owner and resident chef worked and lived in Norway for 30 years. It was a steal at 800 pesos (US$19.16) for a twin-sharing room, and the food was delicious.
The island is small—we were told that we could actually go around the perimeter in less than two hours. We took the challenge and hired a tricycle for the day to take us around.
First stop is the century-old enchanted balete tree, and it was indeed huge. Baletes are believed to be home of the underworld. The pool below it, which they said used to be a fish pond, is now empty. Some students were eating their lunch in the shade, keeping the tree company.
We proceeded to the St Isidore Labradore Church and Convent in the town of Lazi, built in the late 1800’s. Both are declared National Historical Shrines by the government. I didn’t enter the church since there was a huge drawing of a lady wearing my outfit for the day and it had a big X on it, so I got the message and went to the convent building.
The convent is a massive hulk of stone, which now houses the parish office, the church museum and a school. The museum display consists of antique church artifacts, garments, religious icons and paintings.
From Lazi we went to Cambugahay falls, great for family picnics and swimming. From the main road we had to climb down rather steep stairs to get to the falls. I didn’t enjoy the climb up though; we had to take several breaks to catch our breath.
The beaches found in San Juan and Salagdoong can give Boracay’s beaches a run for its money, with its powdery white sand and clear blue waters. The resort staff advised us to go to the beach in Salagdoong, where the beach is calmer and there are less people.
When we got to Salagdoong, true enough we were the only people there except for the resort staff. The water was perfect; it was up to my chest already and I can still see my feet!
If this is the magic of the island they’re talking about, then I’m forever enchanted.
Sunset boulevard
Dumaguete is a quaint city, with the older Spanish-style houses standing their ground (pun intended) between newer buildings and night spots. Walking on some streets felt like I was in a time warp, then I turn around a corner and see a fastfood joint or an internet café.
Rizal Boulevard, or simply Boulevard, is the most visited place in the city. It’s a 780m beachfront walkway lined with huge acacia trees. People just love to hang out there, especially during sunset where the local tempura vendors bring out their carts and makeshift dining area. Local troubadours will sing their hearts out for some spare change, and while the performances are not recording materials, they definitely entertain.
We stayed at the Bethel Guest House, located right smack in the middle of the Boulevard. I loved the fact that we can simply cross the road to sit on the seawall, buy tempura and stare at the sunset.
The Silliman University, founded in 1901 by Dr Horace Brinsmade Silliman is one of the best and oldest universities in the country. The Silliman Hall, the oldest hall in the campus is currently being used as a museum for archaeological artifacts. There are several campuses, the most popular and iconic being the one facing the Boulevard.
Being city people we naturally looked for a place where we can down a few beers and enjoy some music. Friends recommended the Hayahay Bar and Restaurant, an open air venue located along the North National Highway. Wednesdays were reggae nights and apparently popular as it was packed with young people dancing to Rastafarian music. Their Hayahay Special pizza is a must-try, and beer is cheap.
The next day we rode a tricycle to the Ceres bus terminal bound for Malatapay port, the jump-off point to Apo Island. Actually, no buses bear the Malatapay signboard; just ask the dispatcher which bus leaves first, because all routes will pass Malatapay anyway.
In Malatapay port, we had an option of renting a whole boat to Apo Island for 2800 pesos ($67) for the whole day, but since there were only the two of us we took the cooperative-run boat for 250 pesos ($5.98) per passenger. The catch is we had to wait for other passengers, because there is only one trip in the morning which usually leaves at 8am. We caught the same boat back which left Apo Island at 3pm.
The boat ride from Malatapay to Apo Island takes about 30 minutes. Upon arriving on the island, we paid 100 pesos ($2.39) for the visitor’s fee upon registration and 50 pesos ($1.19) for snorkeling in the reef. Although there is an exclusive resort on the island, the reef is operated by the government. We did not bring any gear with us, so we had to rent life vests and snorkeling equipment.
The coral reef and marine life was impressive; we didn’t have to swim too far out to see the colourful fishes and different coral species. There were a few cottages along the shore and the coastguards watched our stuff while we were snorkeling. There was a small building that serves as a public high school extension for the students in the island.
For a change in atmosphere, our last day was spent at the Bahura Beach Resort in Dauin, just 25 minutes away from Dumaguete City. It’s supposedly a great dive spot like Apo Island, but since we don’t dive we just enjoyed their huge pool and their seafood buffet.
Gentle people
We consider ourselves lucky to have been able to experience Siquijor and Dumaguete. Before we left some people were doubtful about our decision to spend our precious vacation time there, but we never regretted one second of our trip.
Aside from the beautiful places, I can’t remember a single time when someone was rude to us, and if there were it was just another tourist. Whether they were resort or hotel staff, or just a random person off the street, people were always hospitable and never seemed annoyed that we make them repeat the directions they are patiently dictating.
I would like to go back someday to sit on the boulevard at sunset and eat tempura, and to see again the friends we’ve made in our short stay on this wonderful place.

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