I was scrolling through my phone and saw some of our old photos on the last trip I had with my closest workmates just before the pandemic start. It was a spontaneous night that started over a cup of coffee and ended up booking a flight to Bacolod, the hometown of our friend, Emman.
Emman, was born and raised in Bacolod - and as generous as he is he offered that we stay in their house through out the duration of our trip. We spend the next two days exploring the city and trying out all the different delicacies the place has to offer.
First stop was at Campuestohan, Highland Resort.
The place is perfect for family gatherings and barkada get aways. It's suitable for guest of all ages. The resort also offers different activities such as the Sky Bicycle, Cable Hamster Wheel, Hang Glider Zipline and many more. Unfortunately during our stay, we weren't able to try any of those activities.
The resort also has a foam pool and a wave pool. It's just instagram worthy shots anywhere. We definitely enjoyed the whole afternoon exploring the place. You could see how much fun we had in our pictures.
The resort is open from Monday - Saturday from 9am - 5pm and on Sunday from 9am - 12nn.
You can also spend the night on the resort, they have available rooms and cabins. You can check out their FB page for additional info including the updated rates and entrance fees.
Location : Sitio Campuestohan, Brgy. Cabatangan, Talisay City, 6115 Negros Occidental
Next stop was the Ruins.
The Ruins is the ancestral home of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson. It's an Italian Architecture style mansion that was built in the 1900s.
I just love places that has a rich history and stories to tell. And just like any other old places, this one also has it's fair share of history. During the WW2 the place was set aflame by the Filipino Guerilla Fighters in order to prevent the invading Japanese from using it as a military headquarters. The placed burned for three days and leaving it's current empty cement shell which we see today hence - The Ruins.
Stories have it that the mansion was built in memory of Doña Maria, who died while giving birth to her 11th child. Don Mariano who was so devastated at that moment built an equally beautiful mansion near their ancestral house as his way of remembering the loss of her beloved wife. They said that the mansion symbolizes his undying love for her. That story gain the place it's title as the Taj Mahal of the Philippines.
I'm happy I was able to capture this moments with the people I care about. #friendsforkeep
Although the story is quite tragic, the beauty of the place is incredible. The place is well maintained and they also have a cafe that serves food which is overlooking the mansion.
You can check out The Gazeboo Restaurant. The food there was good and I also loved their coffee. The cuisine was a range of Italian-Spanish-Ilonggo and the price was surprisingly at mid range, not so cheap but not too expensive.
I'm sure you will have a great dining experience here. Next time your in Bacolod, try their alfresco dining with the view of the Ruins.
You can check out their website for additional info and rates including entrance fees here or their Official FB page
Location : Don Mariano L. Lacson Highway, Brgy. Zone 15, Talisay City, 6115 Negros Occidental
It's Chow Time
After spending the afternoon at the Ruins, we head back to Bacolod City. We spend the evening on a walking tour to their plaza and municipal building.
At dinnertime, we tried the famous Bacolod Dish called Cansi.
Cansi is made from beef shank and bone marrow. It's like the version of Bulalo and Sinigang combined but minus the veggies. Just writing this down makes my mouth water. Yum! The soup is sour just like sinigang, but instead of the powder mix or the Tamarind they use fresh batwan fruit. This is what gives that unique sour taste flavor of the dish.
Batwan is a native fruit that is found in South East Asia. It super duper maasim! We had our Cansi at Eron's.
The price was at ₱390 pesos for the small bone and ₱420 for the larger one when we had ours, not sure if the price already increased this days. If you know, send me a reply on the comment so we can update the blog.
You can also get free refills of the batwan soup. Eron's Cansi is definitely a good value for your money. You should try and check this out for yourself.
Location : Capitol Shopping Center, Narra Ave., Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100
The next day, we head to Lakawon Island.
Lakawon Island Resort is in Cadiz, it's approximately an hour and a half ride from Bacolod City.
The island is has a cash less payment system. Amazing right? You need to buy a Lakawon Island Cash Card at the Reception on the port and just load it. The card will be used if you want to buy drinks or food in the Island. It's also super cute and serves as a great souvenir. Even if our group can use just one cash card, we opted to buy individual cards as our little souvenir.
You will need to take 15-20 minute pump boat ride to get to Lakawon Island from Cadiz Viejo Port
The view at the island is just perfect. Starting from it's long walkway bridge which will welcome you upon arrival down to the pristine powdery white sand beach and the deep blue clear ocean. It's a piece of heaven here on Earth.
They also have swings located below the walkway bridge where you can take amazing pictures. Although it's quite a cloudy day when we had our trip but still the experience was worth it.
The food in the island is quite pricey but you can bring your own food. Emman's parents cooked a lot of delicious food for us and the best one was the baked spaghetti.
We really had a fun day in the island. We even bought souvenir shirts before we went home. This is one of the places that I will sure come back to.
Location : Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City 6121 Negros Occidental
We head back to Bacolod City in the afternoon. To end our perfect day, We went to a famous, must visit pastry shop in Bacolod called Calea.
Calea - The cake Paradise.
They offer mouth watering cakes in generous serving. If you have a sweet tooth then this shop should be on your checklist next time you visit Bacolod.
Best seller is their Imported Chocolate Cake, The Choco Mud Pie, The Pecan Caramel Cheesecake and the Pecan Pie Ala Mode. If only we can try all cakes on the menu. Lol
The place is also cozy but it can get crowded. Indeed, Bacolod has some of the best Food and Restaurants and Calea's cakes makes it even better.
Location : Lacson St, Bacolod, 6100 Negros Occidental
On the Third day, we head back to Cebu City and bid goodbye to Bacolod but with us were the memories that we will always look back to. I hope I'll get another chance to visit the place and explore more of it's places. Two days was just not enough - I'll be back soon.
Special thanks to Tito and Tita for making us feel at home and to Emman's friends for touring us around. 😘
What about you? Have you been to Bacolod? What are the places you have visited? Any favorites and recommendations? Let's talk more on the comments section. ❤️
Ma. Morena is a nature enthusiast, an optimist and outgoing person who loves writing about her experiences and adventures.
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