BIG (Bacolod-Iloilo-Guimaras) Trip

Bacolod-Iloilo-Guimaras Trip

My BIG trip with Taty and Verjo  was one of the most spontaneous trips I ever had. We literally have no itineraries and scheduled plans. We opt to be as spontaneous as possible.

DAY 1

The first thing we did when we arrived at Bacolod was...eat haha. Chicken inasal in Bacolod is absolutely the best grilled chicken I ever tasted. It's best to eat at the Manokan Country. It is a  strip of karinderia styled restos across the parking lot of SM Bacolod. They offer original Chicken inasal Bacolod for only P75.

We would like to also visit the neighboring provinces of Bacolod City, Iloilo, and Guimaras. So after breakfast we went straight to Guimaras. Again, we don't have any detailed itinerary ,so all we did was just ask the locals how to get to Guimaras. From SM Bacolod ,we rode a trike going to Bredco Port. Every two hours there are ferries that travel from Bacolod to Iloilo. Travel time is 1.5 -2 hours.

From Dumangas Port, Iloilo, we rode a 30-minute jeepney ride to Iloilo City and from the city another 15-minute ride to Parola wharf.  Took us about 5 hours, land -sea travel  and waiting time combined. Entrance of Guimaras island province is only through Iloilo. From Parola wharf, Guimaras is just a 5-10 minute boat ride. Fare is only P14.

Guimaras

Guimaras is known for its sweet mangoes. I am from Zambales and I took pride that we produce the sweetest mangoes in the world haha ,kaya sweet lang yung sa kanila #bittersweet . Zambales and Guimaras are fighting for its title, pero syempre Zambales pa din ako hihi.

Kidding aside, we were overwhelmed by Guimaras Tourism program. You can not bring mangoes here from other provinces, it's against their law. When you set foot at Guimaras locals will immediately accompany you to their tourism office and they'd give you itineraries depending on which tourist spots you'd like to visit. The office secretary would arrange your schedule and the tricycle driver who'll be your tour guide as well. Day tour is worth P1500. You can tour the whole of Guimaras in 1-2 days, but of course it'd be better if you'd stay longer and get to know the locals more. I would say they're one of the most welcoming people I have met.

We arrived at Guimaras at around 4pm huhu, we spent almost half a day for travel alone. Funny how we almost got lost every time. Here's a tip for y'all, make sure to pronounce your words well and ask locals not just twice ,but at least four times. From the tourism office we went straight to Alibujod Beach and checked-in at Villa Igang Resort. We dropped off our bags, changed our clothes and rushed to the beach.

The moon smiling at us and seafood dinner by the beach, aahhh I can get used to this.

Vampire Shot

 

DAY 2

Waking up and seeing the beach and hearing the waves kissing the shore is indeed a breakfast of the soul. Meet Kuya Junar??? haha kinda sound like that, he is our driver/tour guide.  

Our first stop is at Guisi Lighthouse, which is by the way my favorite hihi.  

After our pictorial wanderlust at Guisi, we headed next to Trappist Mango Farm. Mangoes are off season during this time of the year (September, 2015), so sad huhu.

We went next to Pit Stop and had  mango pizza for lunch. Their dishes are must-tries, everything has mango twist on it, they even have mango sinigang. 

Gotta burn those calories, so we decided to climb Mt. Balaan Bukid, the highest peak in Guimaras. Trek is about 20-30 minutes only. From Guimaras mountain top, you can see Iloilo's landscape. There is also a chapel at the top, perfect spot to reflect and be at peace with nature and God. 

We passed by at Navalas Church before heading to Daliran Cave. Navalas Church is the oldest church in Guimaras and is known for its bell tower that also served as its gate.

 Daliran Cave is our last stop before heading back to Iloilo.We stopped by at Kuya Junar's??? place  to get his clothes, 'coz we invited (insisted) him to swim with us haha. Immersing at the cold falls while eating chico (got it direct from Kuya's backyard) and exchanging stories is a great way to end our Guimaras trip. 

 Iloilo

It was around 5pm when we got back at Iloilo City. We immediately looked for a hotel and checked-in. Then off we go food trippin'. Iloilo is the home of the original La Paz Batchoy, and where to eat best, of course at La Paz ( La Paz is a place in Iloilo City).

After having a delightful dinner we strolled around Iloilo River Esplanade. Luckily ,there's a firework show just across the river, such a wonderful night.

DAY 3

The next morning we went to Miag-ao Church. It is one of the four Barouque Churches here in Ph that is inscribed by the UNESCO as a heritage site. Miag-ao served as a watchtower and fortress of the town against Muslim raids. Miag-ao is only an hour jeep ride away from the city.

Since we had limited time we decided to go back to Bacolod after our visit in Miag-ao  Church. Again from Iloilo City, we went to Dumangas Port (20-30 minute jeep ride) and board bound to Bacolod.

Bacolod

From Bredco port, we rushed to Libertad Public Market and rode a mini-bus going to Mambukal. Travel time is 1-1.5 hour and fare is P30. Mambukal Mountain Resort's entrance fee is P50. There are a lot of activities and sight seeings in Mambukal, hence there are additional fees every activity.

We tried the Sulfur Hot Spring, entrance is P50.

Mambukal is also known for its natural seven waterfalls. There is no entrance fee, but you have to pay for your guide. Due to limited time, we were only able to trek up to Falls no. 3 ( the falls are named in numbers, easy as that haha). Last trip from Mambukal to the city is at 5:30 pm, luckily we were able to catch the last bus.

Falls 1

Falls 2

Falls 3

Together with Taty's friends, he worked at Negros twice so he gained few friends there, we had dinner at Diotay's Eatery. My gally, I still can remember how lovely that dining experience was , their seafood meals are one of the best that I've tasted. This may sound exaggerating but foods in Bacolod are must-tries.

We also stopped by at Calea , we are 12 in the group and we bought 12 different cakes, so we were able to taste almost all their cakes, aaahhhh heaven.

We also visited the century old San Sebastian Cathedral and Pope John Paul II Tower. We stayed at the top of the tower and exchanged stories there. The city-lights, fresh air, and their company made this day even lovelier.

San Sebastian Cathedral

DAY 4 

We only had a 15 minute glimpse of The Ruins at Talisay, because it opens at 8am and our flight back to MNL is 10:30 am haha. We literally just said hi-hello-oh-goodbye to her. 

I really enjoyed our BIG trip 'coz it was extra thrilling to be surprised by what these places offer. Yes it is advisable, a must actually, that you should do research and at least have a detailed itinerary. But it is also fun getting lost and not being enclosed by any schedule. Travel with freedom, yeah!