Sabaidee Travel

This is the second blog post in a series that covers the time I spent in the Philippines between December 2017 and January 2018. It’s been a while since I went on this trip, but travel restrictions have provided some inspiration to revisit the places I went to in the past. Much of these destinations will remain tourist favourites for years to come. The first blog post covered the time I spent in Bohol (see here). This time, I’ll be writing about my first day in Dumaguete, a city bordered by the ocean and dormant volcanoes.

Dumaguete is home to Apo island, a stunningly well-preserved sanctuary for several species of turtles. It remains one of the Philippines’ most successful conservation efforts in the country’s history. Apo island was the main purpose for my visit to Dumaguete, but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of places to explore around the area. These places will be the focus of this blog.

My three-week Philippines itinerary

• Day 1: from Australia to Bohol (via Cebu City)
• Day 2-4: Bohol
• Day 5: from Bohol to Dumaguete
• Day 6-8: Dumaguete
• Day 9: Dumaguete to Moalboal
• Day 10:  Moalboal
• Day 11: Moalboal to Cebu City
• Day 12: Cebu City to Boracay
• Day 13-16: Boracay
• Day 17: Boracay to Siargao
• Day 18-22: Siargao
• Day 23: from Siargao to Cebu City
• Day 24: from Cebu City to Manila
• Day 25: end of trip, back to Australia

Day 5: Getting from Bohol to Dumaguete

My last day in Bohol saw the end of heavy rains which had previously blanketed the island for two days.

A typhoon had passed near the island, bringing with it rough seas and relatively cold weather. I left the hostel shortly after breakfast to return my bike.  An hour-long tricycle ride later, I arrived back at the Tagbilaran City tourist port.

Crowds of people were gathered in front of the ticket booths. I remember being worried about tickets selling out or not getting the ferry on time. People had previously been unable to leave the island due to the passing typhoon. Fortunately, the ferry wasn’t booked out, and due to the weather conditions, it wasn’t on time either. So here’s a tip if you plan to take the ferry to Dumaguete from Bohol (or Cebu): make sure you have snacks with you or a book to pass the time! Ferry schedules in the Philippines (and other island countries) can change quite often due to weather conditions, so the schedule provided by ferry companies should only be used as a rough guide.

In quiet seas and a couple of hours later, the ferry reached Dumaguete, the capital of the province of Negros Oriental.

The small city centre was bustling with activity and traffic. Everyone in town seemed to get ready for busy Christmas family reunions and festivities.

One amongst many, I headed straight to the Flying Fish hostel where I would stay the following three nights.

Day 6: Exploring the mountains of Dumaguete

The next morning I met a German traveller who was also keen to explore the outskirts of the city and the surrounding mountains. After breakfast, we rented two scooters from the hostel and set out for a morning of sightseeing and exploring.

The main attraction I was excited to see was Casaroro Falls, a powerful waterfall tucked away in the mountains towering over the city of Dumaguete.

Driving through the streets of Dumaguete we came across a cockfighting stadium where hundreds of men had come for entertainment, fun, and gambling. Men were shouting and placing bets on roosters before each fight. The atmosphere was almost electric. You could feel the adrenaline pumping through each person’s body. The intensity of the betting was matched by the gory spectacle taking place at the centre of the stadium.

It was my first time experiencing this, and I quickly saw why cockfighting is banned in most countries. Roosters in the arena had to fight to the death. From what I could see, draws could not be accepted. Either one rooster managed to kill the other, or both had to die of exhaustion. On one occasion, both roosters had managed to exhaust themselves to death with no clear winner.

I’m happy to say that neither of us placed any bets that morning.

Half an hour later, we made our way up to Casaroro Falls. Unfortunately, heavy rains had made it impossible to reach the waterfall safely. One local kindly let us know that it wasn’t safe to reach the waterfall. As we couldn’t see the river from the car park, we told him we would go down the hundred or so steps to the river, letting him know that we wouldn’t do anything crazy.

We made our way down the stairs, reaching a torrent of water which would normally be a few puddles and sand. At the bottom of the canyon we couldn’t see the waterfall, but a bend further upstream seemed to suggest it could be within sight with a little more effort. Disappointed that I couldn’t see the waterfall, I attempted to make my way up the river, jumping from rock to rock and wading through the water in some areas. Despite the warning we had received earlier, I couldn’t accept the reality that I wouldn’t be able to see the waterfall. It seemed so close to us.

I was fully aware that I was putting myself in danger so I encouraged Matze to stay away from the water in case something went wrong. I’d like to think that I took every precaution to avoid getting swept up by the water, but with hindsight, it definitely wasn’t the best decision.

As I reached the first bend in the canyon, I realised that the waterfall was much further away than I expected. I made my way back to safety shortly after.

The rest of the morning we drove further inland, driving along the Okoy river all the way up to Palinpinon Geothermal Power Plant.

There was clear evidence of volcanic activity. We could see that the river and the valley we were driving in were created by previous eruptions. Mt Talinis, a volcano which has long been dormant, wasn’t far away. One section of road was literally paved over a hot spring, with steam and sulphur coming out of the ground on each side. The pungent smell of egg wafted in the air.

Run-off from heavy rain had also created waterfalls at several points along the road. They could almost be used for a shower if someone really wanted to. But that might not have been such a great idea, as rocks had fallen on the road in several areas. Better to keep driving in case the side of the mountain started breaking apart.

Surprisingly, the geothermal power station was the main attraction. Pools of boiling water and steam made for a dramatic scene. The front gates of the plant reminded us of Stephen Spielberg’s classic movie Jurassic Park.

With the movie’s unforgettable music playing inside my head, we made our way down to Dumaguete, making another stop at Valencia’s Pulangbato Falls. The waterfall wasn’t much to rave about, but it was nice to relax in the cold springs and eat a few Filipino snacks before making our back to the city.

When we arrived in Dumaguete, I thought our trip up to the mountains had taken the whole day. But I had lost track of time, and I was surprised to see that we still had the whole afternoon to do other activities. The city traffic was getting worse though, and conscious of the upcoming Christmas Eve celebrations later that evening, I decided to get myself some rest.

Conclusion

I think one of the reasons why I remember this day so well was because of how wild the place felt. I wasn’t far from the city, but I could feel how untamed this place was. It offered a glimpse of what most of the Philippines used to look like hundreds of years ago: mysterious volcanic islands surrounded by unruly oceans. If you plan on visiting the Philippines I would highly recommend you explore this area!

Stay tuned for my next blog post which will cover my trip to Apo island.