LAS VISAYAS CENTRALES

NEGROS

Well, you've now arrived at the first of the Central Visayas.

If you're looking for a beach with fine sand, a perfect sunset, few people, and lots of diving, you're in luck: that paradise exists, and it's called Sipalay, más concretamente Sugar Beach (se llama así porque la arena es del color del azúcar moreno)

There is absolutely nothing to do here except go diving in the morning and lie on the beach in the afternoon.

A long snorkeling tour (3 hours, 3 stops) costs 600 pesos; I don't know how much diving costs.

The accommodations are good and inexpensive for what is usually a resort on a stunning beach (about 750-800 pesos for a nice double room) and there is hardly anyone there ☺️

Por las tardes la playa es ocupada por los niños que vuelven del cole o los pescadores que se aprestan a aprovechar la noche iluminada por la luna llena para conseguir una buena captura.

How to get there? From Sipalay town, you have to take a tricycle to the river (price for tourists: 100 pesos 😡) and then ask a fisherman to help you cross the river (another 20 pesos).

Conclusion: a place for couples (curiously, all the ones I saw there were mixed—European + Filipino) and to rest up for what lies ahead in Dumaguete...

Dumaguete

For about 300 pesos and a 5-hour bus ride, you can get from Sipalay to Dumaguete.

Dumaguete is one of the favorite cities for Europeans and Americans to live as expats (the average age is 80 😛), and it's easy to see why: cheap prices, a city that's more or less European—for the Philippines, at least—and stunning surroundings...! Let's explore them!

Cascada de Casaroro

This is definitely a must-visit in the Philippines—a little bit of adventure ending with a beautiful waterfall and a dip included.

How to get there? From Dumaguete (Sta Rosa Street corner Real Street, south of the main square) take a jeepney to the city of Valencia (here they pronounce it “Valenchsa” – 12 pesos and 15 minutes). Once in Valencia, you have to take a tricycle to the entrance of the waterfall (100 pesos one way or 200 pesos round trip, with the driver waiting for you for 90 minutes at the entrance).

From here begins a short odyssey to reach the waterfall itself.

It is assumed that it used to be simple, since the Filipinos had built a concrete bridge that takes you almost there, but now...

...well, now it's time to hop from rock to rock along the stream bed that flows from the waterfall and, on occasion, wade through it with the water up to your knees (so it's a good idea to wear sandals and a swimsuit).

But the final reward is worth the effort, especially because a natural pool forms that is delightful to dip into after the walk.

In case you haven't had enough of jumping across the river on the road between Valencia and the waterfall, there is a detour that takes you to the Japanese Shrine.

Since it sounds pretty cool, here I go.

I hitchhike to the turnoff and from there it's a hellish climb for about 3-4 km to the top of the hill. You arrive dripping with sweat and walk through the gate of the complex... This looks promising!

But... what a disappointment. I was expecting to see a beautiful Japanese Zen temple, but instead you find a small column commemorating the surrender of some Japanese soldiers. The views from the hill are nice, but they're not worth the effort.

Valencia

Well, nothing, down again... just in time to “harass” the lady who has her house on the detour and convince her to take me back to Valencia (Filipinos are such nice people that it wasn't difficult, to be honest ☺️)

Once back in Valencia, stop by the World War II Museum (Calle Luzuriaga, two blocks down from the jeepney station).

It is actually an impressive collection of weapons, equipment, medals, etc., left behind by American and Japanese soldiers and patiently unearthed by the owner over the years. He clearly loves having visitors, as he will give you a highly entertaining guided tour in exchange for a donation to the museum.

You can use the free time left over from your exploration to relax in Dumaguete. In its central square, as is to be expected in the Philippines, you will find the church.

Next to it is an old stone tower where the locals have set up a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Interestingly, Filipinos don't just place one candle in front of the Virgin Mary, no... they place whole bunches of them!

Joking aside, worship here is a serious matter, and you can see that the locals attend with tremendous devotion... the silence is striking and contrasts sharply with the maddening cacophony of traffic outside.

In the evenings, when the heat subsides, it seems like the whole city flocks to Rizal Boulevard to eat at the street stalls and enjoy the cool air.

The photo is a bit misleading, as it's a street crowded with cars, but once you get used to the smoke and noise, it's wonderful ☺️

Apo Island

Here's another must-see in the Philippines: if you like turtles, this is the place for you, and even if you don't, it's still worth a visit.

Beyond the beauty of Apo Island's beach—yet another in the Philippines—the island is special because turtles come to lay their eggs directly on the beach on its west coast, and you can enjoy the luxury of diving with them.

I suppose now I should show you the typical photo of me teasing a turtle, but since the guys who took it with their GoPro haven't sent it to me, I'm annoyed, and that's that.

Pros and cons of the visit

Pros: almost all of them.

You literally dive a meter away from the turtles in a shallow area, ideal for children. To top it all off, the northern part of the beach – at the top of the photo – is wonderful. And if you prefer walking, you can head to a viewpoint or, further uphill, to a lighthouse.

Cons: it's a bit crowded, so don't expect a romantic experience where it's just you and the turtles...; and secondly, they charge you for almost everything, even breathing 😓

Let's take a look at some prices:

If you take a fully organized tour, it's very expensive (1700 pesos if there are 4-5 of you).

If you go on your own, it's simple and inexpensive:

The bus to the port of departure (Malatapay) costs no more than 60 pesos.

Once at the port, the rates for renting a boat to take you to the island are as follows: 2,500 pesos to be shared between four people, or 3,000 pesos to be shared between five or six people (so if you are traveling alone, like me, you will need to join a group that is waiting to board).

Additional expenses: 100 pesos environmental tax.

If you want to rent fins or a diving mask, it's another 100 pesos each. They force you to go with a “guide” (supposedly so you don't disturb the turtles, an original excuse haha...) and it costs another 300 pesos to be shared between 4 people.

If you want to eat at the beach, renting a table at a restaurant costs another 300 pesos, and you pay for the food (which, by the way, is excellent) separately.

CEBU

Moalboal

As in so many other fishing villages along the coast of Southeast Asia, word spread among Westerners about its incredible marine life, corals, etc. The next day, the humble huts were replaced by diving centers, and the boats that used to collect fish now collect tourists.

You can stay in two different areas: the hostels and dive centers (Panagsama) or the slightly more expensive resorts (White Beach). The latter is the beach area, which, while not as magical as others, isn't bad either...

The distances are short: Moalboal – Panagsama, Panagsama – White Beach, and White Beach – Moalboal are each 5 km (riding a motorbike on each of these stretches costs no more than 50 pesos, or 100 if you go by tricycle); if you want to rent a motorbike, don't let them charge you more than 500 pesos.

So diving and cannoning (sliding down a natural slide in a waterfall, I'm sure I've spelled it wrong 😓) are the main attractions here. For the latter, they'll charge you a fortune (1000-1500 pesos); I didn't do it, although all the kids at the hostel thought it was “very funny.”

There are also activities for modest budgets ☺️

You can snorkel for free at both White Beach—not much to see—and Panagsama—here, if you venture out about 30-40 meters from any point along the coast, you'll enjoy coral reefs and lots of fish.

About 17 km south of Moalboal are the Kawasan Falls (21 pesos by bus, about 200 if you want to go by tricycle).

They are well worth it, and for the 40 pesos entrance fee, you can take a dip and enjoy a massage at the waterfall.

The concessionaires are rude, and if you just go swimming and don't rent any of the nonsense they offer (a table with a view of the waterfall, a small raft), they give you dirty looks the whole time... just ignore them.

Anexo : Oslob 

There are a number of controversial activities (to put it mildly) involving animals: the Tiger Temple or elephant rides in Thailand, or snorkeling with sharks in Oslob, here in the Central Visayas.

Completely ignorant, I headed there after an American recommended it to me... until a Filipino in a restaurant picked up a worn Lonely Planet guide and showed me this article.

I think it's quite expressive; however, I asked around to make sure, and another traveler told me that it was “like being in an aquarium,” that you were “surrounded by people” and only for about half an hour... In light of all this, I decided not to contribute to the circus...

Anexo II : Isla de Malapascua 

A five-hour bus ride from Cebu City (200 pesos) takes you to this small, undeveloped island, ideal for doing nothing except diving.

Its inhabitants still maintain the innocence of places that are not overly exploited by tourism: naked children splashing around in any irrigation ditch, adults showering in the village well (in the middle of the street), and affordable prices... for now.

It's a tiny island—you can easily walk around it—but that doesn't stop the locals from using motorcycles to get everywhere.

Los caminos son de tierra, sin señalizar y con poca visibilidad. La consecuencia de ella es que van tocando el claxon constantemente a cada curva para avisar al que viene en sentido contrario de su presencia; al principio te pone de los nervios pero luego te acostumbras….

Apart from its main beach (Bounty Beach, full of resorts), you can lose yourself in any of its many small coves.

At sunset, a visit to one of the beaches is a must, or better still, the lighthouse to the northwest. Once you reach the village next to it, you have to ask the locals for directions, as the path is hidden among the undergrowth... so much so that on the way back I took a wrong turn and ended up crossing the yard of a man who looked at me with a mixture of astonishment and amusement 😅 Well, the truth is that anywhere in western Malapascua, the sunset is beautiful.

BOHOL

From the island of Cebu, there are two ports you can use to reach Bohol (specifically its capital, Tagbilaran): Cebu City in the north and Talo-ot in the center.

These are the departure times from Talo-ot: 4 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, and 4 PM (3 hours and 200 pesos); well then, here I go!

We're here... what can we do around here?

The first thing to do is rent a motorcycle (a small one costs around 350 pesos). It's not that there isn't public transportation—there is, and it's very good—but the beauty of this island is getting lost on a motorcycle along its roads, through its villages and fields, in search of hidden treasures...

Very close to the capital, Tagbilaran, is the town of Baclayon (about 7-10 km away). It boasts the oldest church in the Philippines, and when I arrived, I could see that it was undergoing a little cosmetic surgery....

In front of the church there is a very ugly modern lighthouse and a breakwater that juts out into the sea.

It's a great place to study the behavior of the neighbors at sunset: everyone goes out to eat seafood!

It's no excuse to leave school perfectly dressed and in uniform...! Into the water too!

As you venture deeper into Bohol, you will encounter the Tarsier Conservation Center , a little north of the capital.

It costs 60 pesos, and during a short guided tour, you will learn about this distant relative of monkeys, which is about the size of a large frog. A nocturnal hunter and daytime sleeper, it is in danger of extinction. At the center, you can see a few of them during a short guided tour.

We continue driving. So far, I haven't run anyone over... Further north, towards the center of the island, the landscape becomes rural: fewer cities and more agriculture. Fields and rice paddies stretch as far as the eye can see; scarecrows, buffalo, and other animals graze peacefully, undisturbed by tourists.

The photo was taken in Batuan, very close to what is supposed to be the island's main attraction: the Chocolate Hills.

It is said that these rolling hills, when viewed in the right light, look as if they are made of chocolate... well, let's see...

Maybe the chocolate is a little stale or the lighting wasn't right 😓 Anyway, it's an interesting visit, especially because if you wander around the paths near the complex, you can get a similar view without having to put up with hordes of tourists with their selfie sticks...

And a month later, I leave the Visayas and the Philippines... too big for just one trip, so I'll have to come back ☺️

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If you want to read more about the Philippines: https://999millas.net/category/paises/filipinas/

Texto y fotos : Mike !