Dumaguete... Land Of The Gentle People

Shortly after I left ADP, I helped a company set up their first international collection shop in their site in Negros Oriental.

I've never been to the Visayas region and I thought it was a good opportunity for me to see that part of our country and of course, I had the perfect excuse to mix business with pleasure.

Doing your thing, travelling and getting paid for it. It doesn't get any better than that!

I've heard a lot of great things about Dumaguete that I was really looking forward to getting there and exploring the place. The moment they gave me the "green light" for the project, I packed my things and went to the airport faster than Flash could.

Off to Dumaguete!!!

Dumaguete is a city located in the province of Negros Oriental. It is the capital and the most populous city in the province. It was also dubbed as the "Land of the Gentle People" or the "University City".

The city of Dumaguete houses four universities and a few other colleges where locals can enroll to get their college degrees. One of the most notable universities in the area is Siliman University. This institution is the country's first Protestant university and the first American university in Asia.

Dumaguete City is also a popular tourist destination in the Philippines for both local and foreign tourists due to its proximity to its neighboring cities like Cebu and Bacolod. The city was also listed in Forbes Magazine's "7 Best Places to Retire Around The World".

I guess, this explains why there are a lot of foreigners in the island.

The Pedicab

Now if you're a tourist, the first thing that you would want to check off your list would be transportation. You would want to do this for the simple reason that you will always be on the go while you're there and its nice to know how you will get from point A to point B.

If you're from Manila, then chances are you are used to jeepneys and buses. Maybe even Uber or Grab.

If you're in Dumaguete, you don't have Uber or Grab. They don't even have jeeps in that area. They do have buses but they are normally used to travel to and from neighboring towns and cities.

Now you may ask yourself, what the hell do they use?

Let me introduce to you the "Pedicab".

The Pedicab is a motorcycle that has a sidecar attached to it. Some of them could sit 5-7 people easy. This is the normal mode of transportation within the city.

If you plan to visit Dumaguete, this will be the vehicle that will get you from point A to point B within the city limits.

What amazed me was that the fare for some God given reason was always below Php15. Most of the time, I just paid Php8.

It's budget friendly and gets the job done.

Rizal Boulevard

Rizal Boulevard is a popular place in the city for both locals and tourists. It's a perfect spot if you want to take a look at the open sea or watch the sunrise during your stay in Dumaguete.

During the day, you will see people doing a lot of different things. I saw people doing yoga, jogging and people having picnics with their families under the shade of those huge trees that are lined up along the boulevard.

It's a family-friendly venue that sits right across different establishments were you can grab something to eat when you get tired of hoping that you'll see a mermaid while you're looking at the open sea.

And just when you think that's all Rizal Boulevard has to offer to any soul that visits it, then you are badly mistaken.

As the sun starts to set in Dumaguete City, the boulevard slowly transforms into a market place of street foods and lights.

I was truly amazed when I witnessed this transformation unfold before my very eyes. It was simply remarkable!

The street vendors are lined up along the street trying to sell their goods while a bunch of small tables and chairs were set up behind them ready to welcome customers with open arms.

And just in case eating street food in Negros is not your cup of tea, right across those busy food vendors is a long line of different restaurants that's ready to serve you with two things; Food and Booze.

Sans Rival Bistro

Sans Rival is a go to place for tourists for "pasalubong" and food souvenirs. This place offers an amazing array of tasty pastries and cakes.

The restaurant is located less than a block away from Rizal Boulevard. Personally, it was my go to place for breakfast and snacks. When you get to visit the place you will realize that in Dumaguete, good food doesn't have to be expensive.

It's an amazing place where you can chill out without worrying that the place would've drained your wallet and murdered your budget by the time you leave the establishment.

My backpacking adventure and tour of some of the places in the Visayas region started here, in Dumaguete.

A place worth visiting and going back to.

Travel. Eat. Relax.