A longer road trip this time
Inspired from our previous road trip to Sipalay we decided to go for an even longer one this time. So why not make it big and go roughly 600 km back and forth, like from Dumaguete to Bantayan island!
The need of travel light
When you are two persons on a regular scooter you need to travel light. There are many considerations you need to think about and one thing is not to bring too much clothes.
Go with the flow
We hadn’t made any detailed plan for our route. Our motto was to be spontaneous and go with the flow. We took the ferry from Tampi over to Bato to Cebu island.
Overnight in Malboal
Our first stretch was not that far. We arrived in Malboal when it started to be dark so we realized we had to stay there for the night. Some consultations among the booking sites and we ended up at the T Breeze Coastal Resort which was nicely located by the sea.
Hit the road again
The T Breeze Coastal Resort was really a nice place but we were bound for Bantayan island after all, so we had to hit the road early the next day.
Buko juice
Aside from dogs, buko juice is the man’s best friend when it comes to drinks. Refreshing and healthy at least if it’s fresh and comes without sugar. Strangely enough it’s sometimes hard to find fresh buko juice... despite there are so many coconut trees everywhere here.
The last stretch to Bantayan island and our first lunch at the Bantayan Island Nature Park and Resort
Tuburan city
It took longer than expected to drive so we had to stay overnight at Tuburan city. Still around 80 km from where we would take the ferry over to Bantayan island. Tuburan hadn’t much to offer but we found a hotel and a 7/11. That’s all we needed!
Tired of driving
The next day we started early after breakfast. This last stretch up to Hagnaya port went fairly smooth. But I started to feel tired of driving so I wanted us to reach the ferry as soon as possible.
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Something special
Since we had two friends from Sweden visiting us here in the Philippines we wanted to show them something special. So we decided to go to Pamilacan island.
Boat from Baclayon
At Baclayon we met with Mam Elvie who had arranged our stay at Enas cottages. The weather was good and the sea looked calm. Mam Elvie told us that it normally takes 45-60 min to go by the boat to Pamilacan.
Going from Baclayon to Pamilacan island
I wanted to extend
After an hour or so we reached Pamilacan. The sea was calm in the beginning but later on it became quite rough. Nevertheless we made it and as soon as I sat my foot on stable ground I realized I wanted to extend our stay to two nights instead of only one night. Hey, it’s not everyday you pay a visit to the paradise, right?
Accomodation
The accomdation at Enas cottages was simple but nice. No AC, tv or hot water. But a fan, a mosquito net and a private toilet with a bucket of cold water were available. This accommodation is not for everyone but it was good enough for us. Three meals per day were included in the price.
Snorkeling
The main activity here at Pamilacan is snorkeling aside for just unwinding and contemplateing about how good life is after all. You have at least two beaches where you can swim and snorkel freely. Then you have the Coral garden and the Marine sanctuary where you need a guide to accompany you. We did both the Coral garden and the Marine sanctuary. We were more lucky with the Coral garden since the weather was better and the sea was more clear.
Highlights
We also did dolphin watching in the morning. It was a long ride with the boat but the only thing we managed to see were the tails of a couple of dolphins. We were also supposed to see sea turtles just outside Enas cottages but we didn’t see any. My highlights were the spectacular sceneries of the island specially under the water and the quietness at night time.
The highlights of our trip to Pamilacan island
Facts
Boats are available from Baclayon on Bohol. Expect 60 min to go with the boat to Pamilacan. We paid 300 PHP per head one way. Inquire at the pier in Baclayon.
Accommodation was 850 PHP per head and night with three meals included at Enas cottages. Snorkeling guides 250 PHP per hour. 150 PHP for renting snorkeling gears.
Related links:
Snorkeling at Pamilacan island Alona Beach, Panglao Where to stay in Tagbilaran, Bohol Day trip to Isola de Francesco The Hills Where to eat in Tagbilaran? Find a house for rent in Panglao Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines) Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines) The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common? Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines) Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines) One night became two nights
At first we were supposed to spend just one night here at Pamilacan but I immediately felt that I at least needed two nights to satisfy my cravings for the touch of paradise. Pamilacan island is the perfect getaway from the bustling city to ease down and just enjoy life to the fullest.
Snorkeling
Obviously you can do snorkeling here. There are the Coral garden and the marine sanctuary where you need a guide to accompany you. We paid 250 PHP per head and hour for the guide. We went out in a small paddle boat and did the snorkeling from the boat. There are other beaches also where you can do the snorkeling for free and with easy access from the shore. If you are lucky you can see sea turtles here but we didn’t.
This our experiences from the snorkeling. The clips are mainly from the Coral garden.
Related links:
Pamilacan island Philippines Alona Beach, Panglao Where to stay in Tagbilaran, Bohol Day trip to Isola de Francesco The Hills Where to eat in Tagbilaran? Find a house for rent in Panglao Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines) Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines) The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common? Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines) Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines) Alona Beach where everything happens
Alona beach together with Chocolate hills and the Tarsiers might be the most popular tourist attractions here in Bohol. If you come to Alona beach you can expect many restaurants, lively nightlife and many other tourists to bond with... and of course a white sand beach.
And hey, don’t forget to watch video at the bottom!
An afternoon when we visited Alona Beach
Related links:
Pamilacan island Philippines Snorkeling at Pamilacan island Where to stay in Tagbilaran, Bohol Day trip to Isola de Francesco The Hills Where to eat in Tagbilaran? Find a house for rent in Panglao Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines) Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines) The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common? Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines) Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines) Going to Apo island
When you get visitors all the way from Sweden, what can be better than show them the little pearl of the Visayas, Apo island. Apo island is probably most famous for its sea turtles. Wednesdays is a good day to go there because it's market day at the Malatapay market just near the port for Apo island. There will be many locals going back and forth Apo island and the market so it will be easy to get seats on a boat. Facts about how to get there, fees etc see here >>>
A short clip showing the lively livestock market
Never sit under a coconut tree!
Instead of hiring a boat we had arranged a transfer through Liberty lodge where we were going to stay. We shared the boat with two other tourists and some locals. We were waiting over an hour for the boat to show up and get ready for the trip back. When we patiently were sitting there waiting we suddenly heard big THUMP! A big vicious coconut had fall from the palm tree and hit the woman in the striped t-shirt. She was very lucky since she wasn't hit in the head. The woman fainted by the shock and was carried away by some helpful people. Obviously she missed the boat but I guess, at least she survived the incident with just the fright and some minor bruises.
We were lucky, we swam with the sea turtles
We arrived at lunch time so we had the afternoon for snorkeling with the famous sea turtles. At first we didn't see any of them but later on we were lucky. That time of the day it was relatively many tourists and the snorkeling guides were busy towing around tourists who were not able to swim and snorkel by themselves.
A video clip showing the sea turtles
Life is wonderful
In the afternoon most of the tourists went back to mainland and only those who would stay over night were still on Apo island. After dinner we went up to the lighthouse at the top of the island and enjoyed the sunset. At 10 PM the electricity was shut down in order to conserve energy and the whole island got totally quiet. It was an almost surreal feeling to sit there on our balcony star gazing and contemplate about the all the wonderful things in life.
A compilation of pictures from our trip
Don't expect to sleep long in the morning
At roughly 4 AM the first rooster was calling good morning. Even the dogs were still sleeping at that time. 30 minutes later all roosters on the whole of Apo island were calling good morning together with the dogs which were barking. I guess they were also awakened by the roosters. 6 AM the boatsmen started up their boats. The good thing was that we took an early breakfast and plunged in the sea snorkeling before all the tourists were coming from the mainland. Time goes fast when you enjoy so already at 1 PM it was time to take to boat back again.
The budget
The budget for us on this trip was:
A double room with an extra bed at the Liberty lodge 3700 PHP with three meals included. 600 PHP per head back and forth with the boat, ask Liberty for the transfer. 100 PHP an environmental fee upon arriving to Apo island. 28 PHP with bus from South Terminal in Dumaguete going there. 20 PHP with jeepney going back to Dumaguete. Not included in our budget, but available if you need it: Rent of life vests (when snorkeling), renting a table ( to put your stuff), snorkeling gear and snorkeling guides. Going there:
Take a jeepney from Dumaguete city centre, around 20 PHP. Tell the driver to let you off at the Malatapay Market in the town of Zamboanguita, around 40 min from Dumaguete. Go down to the shore and rent a motorized boat that will take you to Apo island. The round-trip boat ride costs 2500 PHP (good for 4 passengers), 3000 (good for 6 passengers) or 3500 PHP (good for 8 passengers). Solo travelers may join other groups, and share the costs for the boat rental.
Or you can let the lodge arrange with the transfer as we did on this trip.
Related links:
Outing with the girls Baslay Hot Spring in Dauin Road trip to Sipalay A day of exercise The fine art of eating an ice cream Review of GK Coffee shop in Dumaguete Review of The Tres Bistro in Dumaguete Review of Chapters Café in Dumaguete The Christmas House in Dumaguete Tarbush, a story of love The boulevard in Dumaguete Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines An afternoon at Sans Rival in Dumaguete
At a Sunday afternoon, what can be better than taking the girls for an outing. Bonding, having a nice time and relaxing... oups maybe someone will not agree about the last statement hehe. Well check out the short video clip at the end and you will see what I mean...
Related links:
Apo island the pearl of the Visayas Baslay Hot Spring in Dauin Road trip to Sipalay A day of exercise The fine art of eating an ice cream Review of GK Coffee shop in Dumaguete Review of The Tres Bistro in Dumaguete Review of Chapters Café in Dumaguete The Christmas House in Dumaguete Tarbush, a story of love The boulevard in Dumaguete Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines The unknown pearl
This is one of the more unknown hot sulphur springs in the area around Dumaguete. The place is located remotely in the rainforest so expect no shops, changing rooms or comfort rooms here. The hot spring basically consists of five pools where one of the pools is not suitable for bathing due to no maintenance. So that leaves us four pools, where another one is by far too hot, more suitable for boiling egg. So what remains are three pools with hot, medium and a little bit cooler water. The water is not clear but I guess it depends on the minerals... hey this water is volcanic and comes directly out from the mountain after all! The area is quiet and peaceful and if you are resonable fit and are not dependent of shops and changing rooms this is the place for you!
Going down to the hot springs. Indeed we saw many people at the turnback, but they were there for cock fights not for the hot springs.
Going there
The sulphur Baslay hot springs are accessed along a bumpy road 10 km off the main highway, best accessed by motorcycle or habal-habal (motorcycle taxi). When you drive south from Dumaguete, pass Dauin proper and when you see the Blue Pearl Minimart you turn the next available road to the right. Then go the bumpy road 10 km until it ends in a turnback. From there follow a cemented path with steep stairs down to the river for about additional 10 min. Expect it to be steep and slippery at some points.
Related links:
Apo island the pearl of the Visayas Outing with the girls Road trip to Sipalay A day of exercise The fine art of eating an ice cream Review of GK Coffee shop in Dumaguete Review of The Tres Bistro in Dumaguete Review of Chapters Café in Dumaguete The Christmas House in Dumaguete Tarbush, a story of love The boulevard in Dumaguete Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines Going by scooter to Sipalay
We decided to make a road trip on the scooter to Sipalay. The distance is roughly 180 km from Dumaguete to Sipalay one way. Either you can go along the coast which is a little bit longer and with more traffic or you can take the way through the mountains and Pamplona. We decided for traversing the mountains. The road was in very good condition, incredible beautiful and not much traffic.
The video shows the first stretch going from Dumaguete to Bayawan. We ended up having a huge barbecue dinner at Maricel's place.
We stayed in Bayawan, coming halfway
On our way we were surprised by heavy rainfall so we decided to stay overnight in Bayawan. We arrived like drenched cats at the sleepy little C & L Top View Inn centrally located. It was a nice budget hotel with a simple filipino breakfast included.
The video shows glimpses on our way to Sipalay and from the Jamont hotel. We also tried to get to the Sugar Beach but instead we ended up in the beach next to it.
Sipalay
We stayed at Jamont hotel downtown. It was near to the market and near to the beach. We had a nice spacious room and they served good coffee in the restaurant. Later we went out to look for the Sugar Beach that we heard so much about. The road going there was a little bit tricky so eventually we ended up at the beach next to the Sugar Beach. It turned out we had to take a boat the last bit to get there. But time was late and it was beginning to be dark so we skipped it, for this time.
Tinagong Dagat Island Resort and Perth Beach Resort
The next day we went on beach resorts safari. First we visited Tinagong Dagat Island Resort and then Perth Beach Resort. Both are located south of Sipalay, easy accessible if you have a scooter. Perth Beach Resort is famous for its pool with an incredible beautiful view overlooking the archipelago of islands. Both of these resort offer nice and simple accommodation to very reasonable rates.
The video shows our beach resorts safari with clips from the beautiful Tinagong Dagat Island Resort and from the pool of Perth Beach Resort with the totally astonishing view (!) overlooking the whole archipelago of islands.
Downtown Sipalay. The Sugar Beach is located north and the resorts we visited are located south of downtown.
Related links:
Apo island the pearl of the Visayas Outing with the girls Baslay Hot Spring in Dauin A day of exercise The fine art of eating an ice cream Review of GK Coffee shop in Dumaguete Review of The Tres Bistro in Dumaguete Review of Chapters Café in Dumaguete The Christmas House in Dumaguete Tarbush, a story of love The boulevard in Dumaguete Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines
With more than 30 degrees and a distance of totally roughly 8 km back and forth, where some stretches were pretty steep uphill, would probably be considered as a good exercise. Right? Yes, for sure! We went to Puncak Tanawan today. The purpose was to get some kilometers in our legs. A real bonus was that this place is incredible beautiful and quiet coz it's far from the bustling city of Dumaguete. I really enjoyed it here today. The technical details of hiking Puncak Tanawan is covered in an earlier post: Hike the Puncak Tanawan
Hey! Don't forget to check the video clip at the end!
A short compilation of our exercise up to Puncak Tanawan
Related links:
Apo island the pearl of the Visayas Outing with the girls Baslay Hot Spring in Dauin Road trip to Sipalay The fine art of eating an ice cream Review of GK Coffee shop in Dumaguete Review of The Tres Bistro in Dumaguete Review of Chapters Café in Dumaguete The Christmas House in Dumaguete Tarbush, a story of love The boulevard in Dumaguete Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines
A little girl's own way to enjoy an ice cream, that's happiness to see. But for the mom in charge I guess the feeling is somewhat double-edged. The happiness is mixed with trying to avoid a total mess which is of course often is inevitable! But for me as a photographer, I could just sit, relax and observe.
Hey! Don't forget to watch the short video clip at the end!
Related links:
Apo island the pearl of the Visayas Outing with the girls Baslay Hot Spring in Dauin Road trip to Sipalay A day of exercise Review of GK Coffee shop in Dumaguete Review of The Tres Bistro in Dumaguete Review of Chapters Café in Dumaguete The Christmas House in Dumaguete Tarbush, a story of love The boulevard in Dumaguete Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines) Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines |
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