Dumaguete | Detailed Travel Guide

Our next Philippine destination is Dumaguete - the capital of Negros Oriental. Situated on the southern coast of the Negros Island in Visayas. We rented a van for this trip, considering we have seniors in the group. This way it is easier to explore The City of Gentle People.

We arrived past 7am and our van picked us up at the airport. From there, we went straight to Sans Rival for breakfast. The travel time is around 10 to 15 minutes. Unfortunately, Sans Rival's opening is at 10am.

To maximize the time, we went and explore Dumaguete's famed Boulevard.

After taking pictures, we decided to eat breakfast at Honeycomb Tourist Inn. This is near Sans Rival.

For day 1, we spent a day in Salaya Beach Houses. This is a luxury boutique resort hidden in Dauin, Negros Oriental - a town south of Dumaguete. We availed of their Day Room Package and enjoy its luxury private penthouse, infinity pool and the amazing marine life in the area.

For food, we tried Dahon Restaurant of Salaya Beach Houses.

After dinner, we went back to Dumaguete City and checked in at PVL Suites. Situated in the middle of the city, PVL Suites is perfect for tourist who are looking for a budget friendly accommodation.

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The next day, our plan was to do the Apo Island tour to swim with the turtles. We’ve availed a tour package for this activity. It includes boat transfers, lunch and entrance fees. I also covered a DIY Guide to Apo Island.

Our van picked us up in PVL Suites and went straight to to Malatapay port in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental. From there, we transferred to a private tour boat to Apo Island.

Apo Island is a volcanic island, a marine sanctuary and a popular dive site near Dumaguete City. It has a coral sand and rocky beach.

Here we spent most of our time swimming with the turtles.

Tried to visit Apo Island Beach Resort but it was closed and under renovation. Our guide also told me that the marine sanctuary at the other side of the island is closed as well.

That night, we’ve tried Lantaw Native Restaurant. Perfect for Family or group because dishes here are for sharing and at an affordable price. We ordered around 6 dishes plus rice and drinks and only paid less than 2,000.00.

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On our third day, we went to Canibol Wharf in Bais to experience the famous Manjuyod Sandbar.  We also availed a tour service for this activity.

Part of the package is dolphin watching in the middle of Tañon Straight. Dolphin watching activity is by chance only. Luckily, we’ve seen several pods circling the area but failed to take photos. Captured several clips though :D

When we arrived in Manjuyod Sandbar, I can’t help but noticed that it is way different compared to my first visit. The shallow area has full of boats, vendors and water activities.

As soon as our boat anchored near the famous over the water bungalows, several small motorized bangka went near our boat. Some were selling fresh buko, alcohol and everything you need for a Philippine inuman. Bought a bucket of sea urchin and oysters for 300.00 per bucket and partnered it with a local beer.

We ate lunch and spent most of the day in Manjuyod Sandbar, swimming and drinking.

Then, we moved our boat further away from the over the water bungalow to the area where water fully receded.  Here, the sand is fine with cream to white color. Again no photos, the patch of sand was too crowded :D

That night, we celebrated our ate’s birthday at La Mensa. - The first Italian Steakhouse in Dumaguete.

After the sumptuous and delicious dinner, we went to the other side of the Boulevard.

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On our last day, we went to Sibulan to explore Twin Lakes. 2 fresh water lakes situated in the mountains. At the entrance of Twin Lakes, there’s a small lake called Lake Kabalin-an. What’s interesting about this lake is that the water is very still.

At the viewpoint, you’ll see the bigger half of Twin Lakes, Lake Balinsasayaw. The lake is surrounded by a mountainous terrain and a dense flora and fauna.

The trail going to Lake Balinsasayaw has a mossy pathway, roofed by a thick forest.

From the lake dock, you can hop on a wooden boat to cross Lake Balinsasayaw to the Lake Danao view point. I get the creeps every time I visit this place. Maybe because the water is dark and deep.

Next in our itinerary is Pulang Bato falls in Valencia. The falls has a 30ft drop and a deep enough basin where one can swim. The color of the rocky wall of the falls and the surrounding area of the basin is due to the sulfur deposit. What I don’t like about the place is that it is inside a resort and it was commercialized. I prefer to visit a place without development. Only nature in its natural state.

We made a quick stop at the main road (before the road going to Pulang Bato Falls} for the geothermal vents. Sulphuric smoke coming out of the side of the mountain. The smoke smelled like a hard-boiled egg :D

The last stop before going back to Manila is Lunch. We ate lunch at Sans Rival and bought the famous Silvanas and Sans Rival loaf for pasalubong.

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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT DUMAGUETE

The best time to visit Dumaguete is during dry season. This is from December to May. Expect this place to be busy during summer and holidays.

WHAT ARE THE THINGS TO PACK TO DUMAGUETE

• Comfortable clothes

• Beach wear

• Swimwear

• Sandals / Slippers

• Protection from the sun

• Snorkel

• Fins

• Tumbler

• Dry bag

• Camera / Action Cam

• Floaty / Bobber or Floating stick

• Toiletries

• Towel

• Beach Mat

HOW TO GET TO DUMAGUETE FROM MANILA

To most convenient way to get to Dumaguete from Manila is via a direct flight from Manila to Dumaguete. Most of the local carriers do have multiple flights daily. Departure will be from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.  Arrival is in Sibulan Airport (Dumaguete Airport). Flight time is 1 hour 30 minutes. From airport, hire a tricycle to city proper. Approximately 10 minutes.

DUMAGUETE BUDGET AND ITINERARY

The estimated budget for a 4 days 3 nights stay in Dumaguete is around Php13,000 per person. This is computed based on 7 pax, availed of tours and a van rental.

You can still lower the cost of food, accommodation, transportation and if you do a DIY instead of availing tours.

See costs details below:

NOTE: Rates indicated above may change.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN VISITING DUMAGUETE

• Travel Time to Dumaguete is around 1 hour and 30 minutes by plane.

• Dumaguete is accessible by plane and by ferry from nearby islands.

• Most resorts, restaurants and establishments accepts credit card but do bring cash.

• Plenty of banks and ATMs in the town proper.

• Weak or no signal in remote places.

• The main trasportation going around city proper is trike. If you plan to travel to nearby towns, then you can ride a provincial bus, habal-habal or rent-a-car.

• Sans Rrival

  • FB: @sansrivalcakesandpastries

  • Address: #3 San Jose Street 6200 Dumaguete City, Philippines

  • Tel Num: +63 918 943 5989

• Salaya Beach Houses

  • Website: http://www.salayabeachhouses.com/

  • FB: @SalayaBeachHouses

  • Address: Lipayo, Dauin 6217, Negros Oriental

  • eMail: info@salayabeachhouses.com

  • Tel Num: +63 917 792 6039

• PVL Suites

  • Website: http://pvlsuites.com/

  • eMail: pvlsuites@yahoo.com

  • Tel Num: +63 917 103 8946

• Lantaw Native Restaurant

  • FB: @lantawdumaguete  

  • Address: Ej Blanco Drive Corner Flores Avenue 6200 Dumaguete City, Philippines

  • Tel Num: +63 35 421 0473

• La Mensa Italian Chophouse

  • FB: @lamensa.ph

  • EJ Blanco Drive, Piapi 6200 Dumaguete City, Philippines

  • Tel Num: +63 917 500 3953

DUMAGUETE TRAVEL TIPS

• Sometimes, airfare to Dumaguete is expensive. One option is to fly to Cebu and ride a ferry to Dumaguete. There are more flight options to and from Cebu. Plus the ticket is cheaper.

• Best to rent a car when exploring tourist spots around Dumaguete. But it is easier to ride a trike going around town.

• Book your accommodation, rent-a-car and tours in advance if you are not going DIY.

• For tours, start as early as possible to avoid the crowd.

WATCH THE FULL VLOG HERE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Dumaguete Travel Requirements

  • As of July 2022, only vaccination card is required.

WHAT’S IN MY BAG?

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See you on my next adventure…. Peace!