We visit Silliman University – aprestigious private school boasting
a small anthropology museum with a
magnificent gem collection – and the
oldest bell tower in the Visayas.
Driving along the coastal boulevard,
we sample silvanas, a tasty frozen
meringue-like cookies with layers of
buttercream, coated with crumbs.
This Dumaguete specialty is the gift
of choice Filipinos take home from
Negros, and so the airport’s departure
terminal is peppered with people
carrying the signature blue-and-white
cookie cartons.
The Philippines consists ofsix unique biogeographical areas –
groups of islands once connected.
During the last Ice Age, a 120-metre
drop in ocean levels led to their
separation, isolating various species
such as the now-endangered Visayan
spotted deer and the Visayan warty
pig, as well as various small birds.
It’s heaven for Nature enthusiasts,
and avid ornithologists can get their
binoculars out at Twin Lakes – two
crater lakes at the foot of Mount
Talinis – with over 114 bird species
indigenous to this area, including the
endangered Negros bleeding-heart
and the Visayan wrinkled hornbill.
Our incredibly knowledgeable guide,
Jake, from the Negros Oriental Tourism
Office, identifies all variety of whistles
emanating from the canopy branches.If you’re lucky enough to be visiting
at the time of the full moon, visit the
Manjuyod sandbar, a pristine strip of
white sand that is only exposed during
extremely low tides in the Tañon Strait.
If you’d like to rent one of the basic
stilted structures for the day (or the
night), you’ll need to coordinate your
trip in advance with the municipality.
Otherwise, rent a private boat for the
day from the nearby town of Bais,
and combine your trip with a dolphin
watching excursion.
A 30-minute drive from Dumaguete
takes us to the town of Dauin, from
where you take an exquisite muck
diving trip. Here, an abundance of
cool critters can be found, such as
frogfish and ornate ghost pipefish.
Offering easy dive conditions, this is
a perfect spot to learn to dive, but it’s
also an underwater photographer’s
haven, with excellent conditions to
capture unique marine critters, such as
flamboyant cuttlefish eggs hatching.IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCKDriving along the coastal boulevard, we sample
silvanas, tasty frozen meringue-like cookies with
layers of buttercream, coated with crumbs