⌛ 1st question (of many)

We are going to be staying at our resort for five or six nights. I am sure we will want to take one day off from diving and swimming so where would you recommend going to visit. It would be nice to see some of the town and the market but also the waterfalls.

We are staying at the El Dorado resort, so any suggestions would be very welcome. Is the market only open on certain days, any intersting places to visit in and around the town area? how far are the waterfalls away and is that going to be a day trip for us?

Thank you

M & D

 

Do not miss Siquijor Island. It is a small island so you can take a round trip in one day. I will not give more details about it, but it is worth visiting.

 

A day of from diving in Dauin

Which market are you talking about? There is a public market in Dumaguete, and this is open every day. It is hardly a turist attraction however, unless you are genuinly interested to see, how people really live in this part of the world. But you can go there to pick up some fruit and other items, if you like.

Then there is also a market in Malatapay, this is - as far as I know - only on wednesdays. This is often quoted as a turist attraction, but I am not sure it is that interesting really.

With only one day off it will be impossible for you to see everything, there is to see, in Negros Oriental.

The most obvious choises are probably to either take a day of city walking / shopping in Dumaguete or to wisit Twin Lakes and/or Casaroro Water falls. The latter can been done as a combined whole-day trip, and most resorts can arrange this for you.

Best regards, Lars

 

Hi M&D,
depending on your age and how much traveling you want in one day, here a suggestion. The Market you probably mean is a tourist attraction (specially the live-stock market) and it is only on Wednesday. I am living here and I go there for my shopping. Many farmers from the surrounding areas are going there and you find stuff you don't get on the daily market in Duma, nice to see but 1.5 hours then its done. Make it in a combination with the twin-lakes or the Casororo waterfalls, or all 3 together, but than you are tired in the evening, really tired.
If you are adventures, go on a ATV-tour. that is BIG fun and they offer different tours, between 3 and 8 hours. You can drive (after a introduction) by yourself, or have a driver.
If you wanna see something of Dumaguete, make it before 11:30 or after 17:00. The time between is hot and you can "cut" the air. Next to that there is not soo much to see, unless you have a guide who shows you some secrets.
The Island of Siquijor is way to big for a day trip (would be like Europe in 10 days, I know some big countries in the world thinking its a great thing), If you don't have the time to stay 1 or 2 nights there, just skip it.

just drop a line for further questions

Rhoody

 

Dumaguete by day/night

I agree with Rhoody. In general Dumaguete is more interesting to visit in the evening than in the daytime, although its nice to see the boulevard in daylight also.

Take a daytrip to Apo, skip the night dive and go to town late in the afternoon after you have taken a shower and changed your clothes. Most shops are still open until 7 p.m. Then have dinner in one of the many good restaurants, that are situated mainly on Rizal Boulevard, continue with a drink or two in one of the bars, and end the evening in Why Not Disco like most people do.

Alternative head out to the Hayahay - La-Bas - El Camino Bianco - Barefoot complex also situated along the coast, but about 1 km north of Rizal Bldv. This area is more quiet than the boulevard and mostly visited by locals.

Whatever you do, you will need to take a tricycle back to your resort, and it is properly best to skip the morning dive the following day and get a good nights sleep. Needless to say, heavy drinking and diving also do not mix well. But it is sad to spend an entire vacation just only diving and not seeing anything of the country, that you have traveled many 1000´s of km to reach. So let yourself loose in the evenings a little bit also, and then just cut back on the amount of diving you do. It is not so healthy anyway to dive 3-4 times a day constantly for maybe 2 or even 3 weeks, and it is certainly not cheap either.

Two daytrips to Apo Island would be sufficient for most people, and the relatively few dive sites along the east coast of Negros can easily be seen in the remaining 3 or 4 days, that you have. There is no need really to visit any of these sites more than once on the same vacation - better to spend your time and money to do something else instead.

If you want to dive in Siquijor or places around Bohol, then do this while staying in resorts on those islands, not by making day trips from Dauin.

 

Hello M & D,

If you stay in Dauin (El Dorado) it's only 9 km from there to go to Malatapay market (as mentioned already: ONLY on Wednesdays).
It's a tourist attraction for many. I live there at less then 1 km and go nearly every week for our shopping.
If you want to show your relatives at home how different things are in the Philippines...then you have to go together with your camera and get amased.
It's as Rhoody pointed easily to be combined with Casaroro waterfalls in Valencia when returning back from Malatapay.
Then even also Twin Lakes is an option (north of Dumaguete) but it's quite tiring if at least you want to see more of it than only the road to it and the view on the water. The 'TWIN' of the 2 lakes you have to visit by feet !!!
Better stay in Dumaguete and walk around in the city to smell a bit of this nice little town and don't forget the boulevard.
Take your dinner there and get a free drive home to El Dorado (make it known before you go on your daytrip !) after you take your last drink or food at Why Not (owner is the same as from El Dorado).

Good luck.

 

The more I

read this forum, the more I realise that 5 nights will not be long enough to stay in the area.

There seems to be a wealth of other things to do apart from the diving which was originally our main reason for coming to the area. I had been looking at Malapascua, Borocay and Bantayan (which I later found out had no scuba diving). Dumaguete appealed to me because of it's closeness to Apo Island which others had informed me was great for diving. We had already visited Bohol and Moal Boal which we both liked but wanted to try somewhere different each time.

I enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of different areas and don't believe in hiding out in the resort. My g/f has also not seen much outside her home village so each new place is an adventure for us both.

So, looking at a maximum of 4 days for Donesa to pass her Open water dive course, maybe less as she has already studied the online e-course. One day diving/snorkeling together at Apo Island. A day with the dolphins/whales if there are any around, and the Sand bar!!

I would also like to look around the residential areas as we are both looking for somewhere that we could maybe retire to, and I was not aware that Dumaguete was a possibility before reading this forum.

So it looks like at least 1 extra night, maybe 2 will be needed at the resort to cover all this, and as you are all responsable for making us stay I feel you should all pay for the extra nights at El Dorado!!! :p

M & D

 

What about an invitation to all DI advisors for a free dinner at El Dorado with some nice cool beers ?? As thanks for your guided decision to come to this nice area ?

 

let me come too. promise I'll behave and be a good little boy...HAHAHA! :D juz kidding!

Good day and God Bless!

 

... you have to qualify first in joining one of the DI social events...

Rhoody