It's vacation time! During this season, it's one of my goals, together with my friends, to travel to spectacular places in the country (Philippines), we've never been yet. We've been working hard the whole time in our careers and it's time to enjoy the summer vacation!
This time we picked Dumaguete City as our summer destination. It's the capital city of Negros Oriental, a province in Central Visayas. The city is more than 30 minutes from the Sibulan Port, if you wish to travel by the sea. It also has its own airport, making it accessible to tourist in and out of the country.
Since there is no direct ferry travel from our province to Negros Oriental, we'll have to pass through Cebu City. It took us more than 10 hours to reach the city, 6 hours on sea travel (to Cebu) and more than 4 hours ride to the port bound to Dumaguete City. It also took for the ferry to reach the city's closest port (Sibulan).
Our travel to reach the city was honestly exhausting but I was delighted as we reached there. The city is simply beautiful and safe at the same time.
Dumaguete rightfully deserves its title as the the country's "City of Gentle People". Dumagueteños are hospitable and amiable. In our two-day and two-night stay there, I literally have this feeling --- homey. I felt safer in this city compared to other few cities I've been.
The city doesn't even have traffic lights though it's highly urbanized. It was the first time I saw such street scenario in a big city. The people there were giving to other drivers and to the pedestrians. They follow street rules accordingly.
Moreover, you will not worry leaving your vehicle outside. A parking attendant is there to look after your vehicle and even help you park it properly. They official attendants in every parking area. How I wish we have them in our town, too.
At night, we freely strolled around. We didn't fear to be pickpocketed or being harmed by rude bystanders. Most of the Dumaguteños were friendly and accommodating.
We speak the same language with Dumagueteños which is Bisaya or Cebuano. It plays a big part in making us connected to them. It was way easier for us to converse and to transact with them.
My favorite place there at night is their famous boulevard. The atmosphere is superb--- very relaxing. It's a good place to bond with your loved ones. Souvenir items and street foods are also found alongside the area.
Tall buildings and varied establishments are surrounding the city. You won't panic as where to stay because inns and hotels are just around the corners. If you get hungry, you'll just choose from the arrays of restaurants and cafés. They have a lot of food outlets that offer savory dishes. And if you ran out of cash and fuel, banks and fuel stations are just along the streets.
We were also able to visit two of its known universities--- the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) and the Siliman University. NORSU has tree-covered hallways that would be perfect for hot weather. They also have tall buildings and laboratories for different courses offered. Next, we went to the panoramic Siliman University. Their buildings and landmarks show the university's rich cultural heritage. It was like I was brought back to the war era. It's one of the prestigious universities in the country so we not to miss it. It offers courses for local and international students.
We truly enjoyed our stay there. We were even able to roam around its neighboring town. We left the city and the province with beautiful memories to treasure. It may had took us long hours to reach the city but it was all worth the hassle.😊
Thank you for reading!💚