03/05/2025
3 months in the Philippines have given us a real appreciation for the varying energy and culture of each island. Dumaguete is a fairly big city on the southern coast of Negros Island. Given we'd already had long stays in nearby Islands of Bohol and Siquijor, Dumaguete was near enough that we were curious to visit. But honestly, it took forgetting to extend our stay in Siquijor during Easter holiday, for us to need to commit to a 10-day stay in Dumaguete.
But pretty soon our research left us second guessing the choice. It's hard to find much in terms of positive reviews of the city from travelers. For most it just seems like a stop on their way to Dauin and Apo Island, popular spots for divers.
On arrival, the port is nice, and immediately you're met by Silliman University. It has a funny name and is the oldest American-founded university in Asia, at 120+ years old. If you enjoy older architecture, you'll appreciate it. But unfortunately, it's not very visitor-friendly. It seems only a small sector of the university which houses the anthropology museum is open to the public, which is a shame, because the campus does look really nice from the outside.
On our way to our hotel, we were met by dusty, broken, and trashed sidewalks, which also gave us strong doubts about our decision. But we did pass by a colorful truck with a band in the back, and they suddenly began playing for us. That was really fun and it gave us hope that Dumaguete was a city with energy. We later saw a whole group of these trucks passing, which seemed to have been part of a political rally.
Nearby our hotel the streets started to look nicer; flowers blooming on walls, creative graffiti, and modern cafes. Our hotel was really nice too, at just $19/night, Luis Miguel's place was clean, comfortable, and had much-needed air conditioning. We later moved to perhaps Luis's brother, Calo's place, a comfy apartment for again only $19/night.
We had heard good things about Dumaguete's food and that did not disappoint. Neva's Pizza, is a must. It doesn't look particularly special on the outside, but has really nice indoor seating, live music on weekends, and some of the best pizza we've ever had, including their vegetarian pizza without cheese (vegan style). There's also Green Chef, with really well-balanced vegan meals, and Buglas Islas, limited vegan options, but in a really beautiful, classic historical building. I think if you're willing to put the time in, Dumaguete has a lot of beautiful fun hidden surprises.
But the main really accessible attraction in Dumaguete, is Rizal Boulevard. It's the main boulevard, and it's constantly full of people and energy. There are groups of all ages, performing Karaoke, singing, dancing, jogging, playing, we even saw some kind of martial arts class for kids, a full blown concert, that was apparently also a political rally, and there's one of the most epic sunset views on display. Really fun vibe and classic architecture, which I think sums up a lot of what Dumaguete has going for it.
Beyond the city, there are also nice day trips within a 30-min drive or scooter ride. Dauin felt a bit overhyped, but I imagine it's better if you're a diver. The depth and clarity of the water made it lousy for snorkeling. However, the mountains are where Negros Island really shines. Casaroro Falls is popular and worth the trip, and going on a weekday meant it wasn't too crowded. Fair warning there are a lot of steps up and down to the falls, and if not well-experienced in climbing a lot of steps, you could get lightheaded as my partner, Nika found out. Luckily our required guide (around $5 for the two of us), was very helpful in instructing us to slow down and getting Nika to lay down and raise her legs to get blood flow rebalanced. The guide, Dennis, reassured us it was common and we are very grateful for his help
Beyond the steps up and down, sandals are recommended since there are a few shallow crossings. But there are epic views and the falls are breathtaking. There are also a couple pools for taking a dip and plenty of opportunity for photo shoots. Once back up the steps, there's also a nice cafe for rest.
After the falls, we also visited the red rock hot springs, and got an amazing view of steam rising from the hillsides. The hot spring pools were almost empty when we arrived in the late afternoon and it was really relaxing being able to enjoy that together.
In all, I absolutely recommend visiting Dumaguete if you're in the area. 10 days was a bit much, but I think 2-4 over the weekend would be perfect. There's also a fairly big mall, with plenty of big names, and large supermarkets. So, if coming from a smaller Island like Siquijor it can be useful and fun shopping spree.
Each Philippine Island I visit makes me want to visit more.
Thanks for reading. Hope you're well,
Naser
