Dumaguete | Philippines
previous stop: hinoba-an, philippines
where i stayed: harold’s backpacker ($15/night for private aircon room)
where i ate: sans rivival cafe
highlights: walking along the water, the old church and bell tower lit up at night
next stop: siquior island
After an amazing beach party in Hinoba-an with my friend Dinny, I made my way, upon her suggestion, to the coastal university town of Dumaguete. Since I basically did no research before my trip to the Philippines, I had no expectations. When I first arrived in Dumaguete, I thought it was a quiet little town with not to much to see and do. But the more I walked around, the more I started to fall in love with this place. It’s a super laid back town, with students everywhere, coffee shops with wifi (wifi was unreliable at Harold’s), and some beautiful historical structures such as the church and old bell tower, which look other-wordily when lit up at night (great for photography). I can’t count the number of times I walked up and down the promenade (Rizal Ave) along the water. It’s perfect spot for people watching, and I enjoyed observing Filipino families on vacation, interacting, and taking photos by the water. There seemed to be some magic in the water and the sky, which created truly dramatic and extraordinary scenes each evening.
Many people use Dumaguete as a base to explore the islands of Apo, Simunol, and Siquijor, and that’s just what I did. After a few days in Dumaguete, I headed to the island of Siquijor, which is just a few hours away by boat.
