Drew Arellano goes on a road trip in Negros Oriental: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary

Muni-muni while walking along Lake Balinsasayao.

What comes to your mind when you think of Negros Oriental? There’s probably the famous Rizal Boulevard along the bay, Siliman University, and its famous diving spots that are home to whales that merited the province the moniker “City of Gentle Giants,” among a host of others.

But Negros Oriental is more than just that. What you probably don’t know yet is that the province is also a perfect place for bird watching, muck diving, skateboarding, and trying out local and foreign dishes!

Yep, that’s right: Negros Oriental is really the place to be. So hop in, Biyaheros, because this is going to be a long, fun road trip!

How to get there

If you’re coming from Manila, you need to ride an airplane for an hour and a half to Dumaguete. You read that right, Biyahero! Dumaguete is just an hour and a half away from the bustling city of Manila--almost the same amount of travel time from Cubao to Megamall on a rush hour! Hahaha!

But kidding aside, reaching Sibulan Airport, also known locally as Dumaguete Airport, is already an allegory of what your tour in Dumaguete would be like as you’ll be faced with so many options on where to start your city tour!

Where to go

Apo Island

You may be asking, "WTH is muck diving"? So because Drew loves you so much, he tried the new water activity to experience it for himself! Fortunately, he survived to tell you the tale.

Nature lovers shouldn’t be fooled. Not just because Dumaguete is a city, that doesn’t mean that it’s all just urbanized. In fact, Dumaguete is known among local and foreign tourists for its world-class diving site in Apo Island.

But we won’t just snorkel and play all cute here. Rather, we’ll do muck diving!

Have you heard of it? Well, it’s a sea activity that’s starting to become a hit among tourists here, where you dive and rummage through the seafloor to meet and greet the cute little sea creatures! But be careful, Biyaheros, because though they appear all pretty and harmless, they can actually harm you with their poisonous stings. Yikes! So #BiyaheroTip: Look, but don’t touch!

“Hindi ganu’n kadali makakita ng sea creature sa muck diving,” narrates Drew Arellano about the experience. “Kaya kapag sinuwerte ka, masasabi mo na lang, ‘Amazing!’”

Twin Lakes

Sibulan, Negros Oriental

Twin Lakes has a perfect spot for bird enthusiasts, nature photographers, or even just for anybody who wants to relax. Hashtag livingthelife. Oh yeah.

Just a 45-minute drive from Sibulan Airport is Twin Lakes. By the name itself, you can easily tell that this welcomes nature lovers with a warm embrace. Awww!

But why is this named “Twin Lakes”? Well, to state the obvious, there are two lakes situated beside each other: Lake Balinsasayao and Lake Danao. The former is in a 76-hectare lot and is 830 meters above sea level. The latter, meanwhile, is in a relatively smaller lot (just 36 hectares) but is way more above sea level (840 meters).

Because of Twin Lakes’ elevation, and because it is shrouded by endemic trees, a lot of birds migrate here because of their healthy ecosystem, making this place a haven for bird watchers and nature photographers.

Lake Balinsasayao is perfect for families, too, because aside from bird watching, there are other several outdoor activities for everybody such as boating, trekking, and even simply just enjoying the scenery from the view deck. You just sit, put your palms at the back of your head, and listen to chirping birds and swaying twigs. Sweet!

“When you’re here, dapat hindi ka nagra-rush. You’re here to appreciate nature [and] go bird-watching,” says Drew. “Dami mo puwede puntahan!”

So when you go here, take this #BiyaheroTip in mind: Make sure that you have a digital camera, zoom lens, and binoculars as this place subtly encourages #SarapNgLife selfies! And hey, there’s no need for filters and fancy captions when here because Twin Lakes is, really, just naturally beeeeeautiful!

Valencia Forest Camp

Taft Street, Valencia, Negros Oriental

The Valencia Skate Bowl offers something new for those who are seeking out for a new hobby to try out.

Valencia Forest Camp is the first eco-friendly adventure resort in the Negros region. And by “adventure,” we mean a helluva adventure! There’s a zipline, bike trails, and rock pools, among many other thrilling activities here!

On top of all these extremities is Valencia’s skate bowl, a bowl-shaped and smooth exhibition arena for skating enthusiasts to play with their skateboard. Quite unsurprisingly, this venue has been warmly accepted in Dumaguete.

“Ang pinagkaiba nito (Valencia Skate Bowl), ‘yung ride dito ay hindi mo na kailangang mag-push tapos tuloy-tuloy lang ‘yung ride mo. Unlike [kung sa] park ka or street ka mag-skate, push ka nang push,” says a frequent visitor who’s also a skate enthusiast.

Another visitor comments, “Nagiging tourist destination na rin siya kasi rare siya sa Pilipinas. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay nag-iisa lang siya sa Visayas.”

So if you’re a guy and you happen to bring your bae here, we challenge you to try all these extreme activities and let’s see how much dagdag pogi points she will award to you! You go, Biyahero!

Pulang Bato Waterfalls and Hot Springs

Ocoy Valley, Valencia, Negros Oriental

It's said that the reddish color of this skin will make your skin red, too. So because Drew loves you so much, he goes on a dip to see if it's true. Can you guess how he looked when he got up?

From Sibulan Airport, you need to travel--either by bus or by van--for an hour to reach the town of Valencia. Then from the town proper, you go on a 30-minute ride to get to Pulang Bato Waterfalls.

Here’s a #BiyaheroTip first and foremost: You’ll experience a rocky road (literally) going to Pulang Bato Waterfalls, so Drew suggests that you ride a “habal-habal” instead, a kind of motorcycle ride used for public transport that’s pretty popular in rural communities.

If earlier we went to Twin Lakes, this time we’re in a twin falls! Hahaha! But seriously, Pulang Bato Waterfalls has two waterfalls; one is of cycled water while the other one is of natural spring water.

But why do the locals call this Pulang Bato Waterfalls? According to Drew, “Pulang bato raw ang tawag sa falls na ‘to dahil sa medyo mapulang tubig na nakikita rito. Galing daw ang kulay sa mga pulang bato na nakapaligid sa talon.”

Since locals also said that the color of the water can color your skin red, Drew goes on a dip to see if he’ll be red afterwards. But be careful, Drew, baka magmukha kang achuete!

Where to eat

KRI
53 Siliman Avenue, Bacong Road, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

When Drew thinks of Dumaguete, he says that what comes to his mind first is its laid-back vibe that transpires in the restaurants along the bay. That’s pretty cool, yes. But no, not everything in Dumaguete has this laid-back appeal. KRI, for one, is one of those eateries in the city the have a wide array of international dishes.

On top of Drew’s loooooooooong list of order is hummus, a Greek dish made of garbanzos or chickpeas. KRI also has other appetizers, most of which are seafood, such as dory-wrapped tuna and bacon-covered shrimp. They also offer edible ferns! Sounds weird, we know, but we promise that it’s really good!

If you’re coming here with your lovey-dovey, you can start your meals with P500.00 which is already enough for a basic meal good for two. That’s affordable already, if you ask us, as you can already call it a date without having to spend much. Hihi!

Gerry’s Lechon

Southroad Bagacay, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

Oh. My. God. Look at the juice of this lechon, Biyahero!

ATTACK!

Have you heard about a pig going on a milk bath?

That’s the secret in the mouth-watering and unique taste of Gerry’s Lechon, which started in the business in 1982 as one of the oldest litsonans in Dumaguete. And this roasting technique isn’t just any technique--this actually was acquired from the owner’s parents-in-law!

So when you order their lechon, you can be assured that the pork has undergone some sort of sweet pampering--by way of a milk bath! Wow!

But of course, Gerry’s Lechon stays true to the classic lechon that Filipinos already love by heart. The rib part is the tastiest and the skin is, of course, the crunchiest. Drew also learned about lechon de leche, which is also a roasted pig but is relatively smaller. Locals say that lechon de leche is somewhat tastier compared to the actual lechon.

But for Drew, whatever size the lechon comes in, it’s still good-ah!

“Ito na talaga ‘yun! Malasa at siyempre maraming taba! Ganu’n naman talaga ‘yun eh. Masarap ‘pag may taba!” he says. “‘Di naman araw-araw ka kakain ng lechon, kaya sulitin mo na!”
He’s right, Biyaheros. Satisfy your tulo-laway craving moments by feasting on Dumaguete’s lechon! Don’t deny it--we know you’re craving for a plateful of lechon right now just by reading this itinerary!

Lokal Organic Cafe Restaurant

Plaza Dona Milagros Building, Pinili Street, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

In this coffee shop, all ingredients are organic and locally sourced! You should try out their organic dishes such as kamote fries and kamote pizza, among others!

Drew tries out some green and gooey food such as the garlic saluyot soup and green mango shake.

If you feel like your nape ached after feasting on lechon, that probably means you need some detoxifying! And Dumaguete makes sure they have a place for that for you! Just 10 minutes away from Gerry’s Lechon, you can already visit Lokal Organic Cafe Restaurant, which is known for their food and beverages made out of organic ingredients.

Artsy-fartsy coffee shops have been sprouting around in the country in the past years. But it’s a good thing that customers are also becoming more health-conscious so they’re now looking for cafes that have healthy coffee.

Tourists should be thankful to the coffee gods out there that cafes like Lokal Organic Cafe Restaurant are established. Here, their coffee doesn’t have MSG and their produce aren’t fertilized, making them super-duper healthy!

And hey, have we mentioned that their ingredients are locally sourced from Negros Oriental? Wow, that’s #coffeemazing!

When here, you should try out (just like Drew did, hihi!) their green and gooey food such as the garlic saluyot soup and green mango shake, as well as their dishes with a twist such as pancit with bamboo shoots, hashbrown chicken fillet, kamote fries, and kamote pizza. Sounds interesting, right? So pinky-swear, Biyahero, that you’ll visit organic cafes like Lokal Organic Cafe Restaurant more frequently from now on, okay? We don’t want you to just enjoy--we also want you to become healthier!

Pura Vida Beach & Dive Resort

Washington Street, District III, Dauin, Negros Oriental

This restaurant takes you around the world through their foreign dishes. Sushi, anyone?

Pura Vida Beach & Dive Resort has an eatery that serves foreign cuisine. Since this is owned by a Swiss national, expect that the dishes include food items that are iconic to Swiss cuisine such as schnitzel, sausages, and steaks.

And because there also happens to have quite a lot of Japanese and Korean tourists who eat here, their menu has been added with East Asian dishes later on.

But hep, hep, hep! Of course, there’s Filipino food here, too, most of which are seafood such as kinilaw and fried shrimp, given Dumaguete’s geographical location. Solve!

Where to stay

Admit it: You love sleep. We all do, anyway.

So sometimes, as much as we want to maximize our trip to a certain place, we still can’t help it but want to sleep. But hey, sleeping doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re wasting your time that could’ve been used for more trips! Because if you find a good place to sleep at, that’ll make your vacation even sweeter!

Here in Dumaguete, there’s plenty of hotels and resorts you can choose from. If you’re on a tight budget or if you’re in the mood to splurge, we’re pretty sure you’ll find a good deal here.

One of the budget-friendly accommodations that we discovered along the way is the backpackers resort Valencia Forest Camp. Prices start at P850.00 per head. We told yah it’s affordable!

But if the budget isn’t an issue, why not have a road trip for 45 minutes from Dumaguete city proper to the town of Dauin, where there’s a lot of accommodations to choose from? You can bring your family to Vida Homes Condo Resort (Washington Street, District III, Dauin, Negros Oriental), for instance, where you can book a fully-furnished house or even just a condominium-unit type of room for P10,000.00. Wow! So sosy!

But Drew Arellano opted to stay at Pura Vida Beach & Dive Resort, also in Dauin. His room has a holding area, bar, comfort room, jacuzzi, and balcony. It’s also fully-furnished as there’s a king-sized bed (wow!) and cabinet made out of bamboo. Of course, there are basic appliances to complete the #livingthelife stay, such as fridge and flat-screen TV. This, plus a free breakfast, is all good for two people for around P8,000.00. Huwaaaaaw!

There’s only two kinds of road trip. First is the kind that feels long, boring, and uneventful. All you want is to get to the destination already, sans the fun. We don’t like that.

Because the second kind is the one we always aspire for--a road trip that’s full of energy and excitement, a.k.a. the kind of road trip that we just had in Negros Oriental!

So if you’re up for some legit nature hopping, gastronomical adventures, and heart-pounding trips all in one place, then book a flight to Negros Oriental right now because, c’mon, where else should you be in, right? --Juju Z. Baluyot/BMS, GMA Public Affairs