The first time I visited Dumaguete was almost a decade ago when I attended the wedding anniversary of a friend. It was a very short trip - I think it was only from Friday to Sunday - and because my friends and I were asked to perform some songs during the church ceremony and at the reception, most of our time that weekend was spent rehearsing. As such, I didn't really get to go around the city as much as I wanted. I told myself then that I would return but I never got around to it. That is, until recently when I went on a business trip to Dumaguete.
Unfortunately for me, the schedule of my trip was not ideal. I had a weekend engagement prior to my trip so I needed to take the latest flight on Sunday. I then had an event on Friday night so I had to take the late afternoon flight from Dumaguete back to Manila. I would have wanted to spend an extra day or two before and/or after my business trip but there wasn't time to do it this trip. Still, I did get to experience the city a bit more this time around. This included a long walk along Rizal Boulevard, one of the main streets in Dumaguete which runs right next to the sea.
This lovely view of the sea, or Tañon Strait to be exact, gives Dumaguete a lot of its charm and appeal. Tañon Strait is the expanse of seascape between Dumaguete and Cebu and it is the largest marine protected area in the country.
I also got to revisit Silliman University, which is one of the oldest in the Philippines. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in the country. I wasn't able to take good pictures of the school since we could only visit it after work, during which time the sun was already about to set, but I did manage to take a couple of photos of the very beautiful Silliman Hall before sunset...
...and after.
Our co-worker John took us inside Silliman one night and brought us to Bossing's Tempura, which I think is kikiam fried in batter. It was actually quite good and addictive and if I wasn't going to have dinner that night, I would have ordered a lot more. There are five different sauces, ranging in spiciness for 1 (not spicy) to 5 (very spicy). I didn't want to cause any stomach problems so I only tried up to level 3. :)
Speaking of dinner, while I was in Dumaguete, I got to eat in a lot of good restaurants that offered a variety of cuisines. I had a team dinner in Lab-as, where we feasted on very good Filipino food and a bounty of fresh seafood. I also had a Mexican meal in Mooon Cafe. My co-worker John also pointed out a lot of restaurants that he said were good. He also mentioned about some places where we can get good lechon. I guess Dumaguete is a really good place to go on a food trip. I didn't really take a lot of pictures of the restaurants we visited apart from Sans Rival (which I will write about separately) and Casablanca, which is just a stones throw away from Sans Rival along Rizal Boulevard. Casablanca serves European fare and while I was initially thinking of getting either the schnitzel or the cordon bleu, the waitress recommended the Hunter's Platter, which includes pork medallions, chicken, and sausage and is served with a side of potatoes. All this for only P360. Wow! I ended up ordering it and I gotta say, I absolutely loved it. (I reckon a similar dish in Manila will cost at least P600).
If I had more time, I would have loved to explore Silliman University and the rest of the city center on foot. I would also love to visit Red Rock or Pulangbato Falls and maybe even nearby Siquijor. While I did miss a chance to see more of the natural wonders in the area, I did get to see some great views from the mountains of Negros.
There's really a lot that one can do in this beautiful city. If I get to go on another business trip here, I hope I can spend a few days during the weekend to experience more of Dumaguete.
Unfortunately for me, the schedule of my trip was not ideal. I had a weekend engagement prior to my trip so I needed to take the latest flight on Sunday. I then had an event on Friday night so I had to take the late afternoon flight from Dumaguete back to Manila. I would have wanted to spend an extra day or two before and/or after my business trip but there wasn't time to do it this trip. Still, I did get to experience the city a bit more this time around. This included a long walk along Rizal Boulevard, one of the main streets in Dumaguete which runs right next to the sea.
Rizal Boulevard
This lovely view of the sea, or Tañon Strait to be exact, gives Dumaguete a lot of its charm and appeal. Tañon Strait is the expanse of seascape between Dumaguete and Cebu and it is the largest marine protected area in the country.
Tañon Strait
I also got to revisit Silliman University, which is one of the oldest in the Philippines. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in the country. I wasn't able to take good pictures of the school since we could only visit it after work, during which time the sun was already about to set, but I did manage to take a couple of photos of the very beautiful Silliman Hall before sunset...
Silliman Hall in Silliman University
...and after.
Silliman University at night
Our co-worker John took us inside Silliman one night and brought us to Bossing's Tempura, which I think is kikiam fried in batter. It was actually quite good and addictive and if I wasn't going to have dinner that night, I would have ordered a lot more. There are five different sauces, ranging in spiciness for 1 (not spicy) to 5 (very spicy). I didn't want to cause any stomach problems so I only tried up to level 3. :)
Bossing's Tempura in Silliman
Speaking of dinner, while I was in Dumaguete, I got to eat in a lot of good restaurants that offered a variety of cuisines. I had a team dinner in Lab-as, where we feasted on very good Filipino food and a bounty of fresh seafood. I also had a Mexican meal in Mooon Cafe. My co-worker John also pointed out a lot of restaurants that he said were good. He also mentioned about some places where we can get good lechon. I guess Dumaguete is a really good place to go on a food trip. I didn't really take a lot of pictures of the restaurants we visited apart from Sans Rival (which I will write about separately) and Casablanca, which is just a stones throw away from Sans Rival along Rizal Boulevard. Casablanca serves European fare and while I was initially thinking of getting either the schnitzel or the cordon bleu, the waitress recommended the Hunter's Platter, which includes pork medallions, chicken, and sausage and is served with a side of potatoes. All this for only P360. Wow! I ended up ordering it and I gotta say, I absolutely loved it. (I reckon a similar dish in Manila will cost at least P600).
Hunter's Platter in Casablanca
If I had more time, I would have loved to explore Silliman University and the rest of the city center on foot. I would also love to visit Red Rock or Pulangbato Falls and maybe even nearby Siquijor. While I did miss a chance to see more of the natural wonders in the area, I did get to see some great views from the mountains of Negros.
There's really a lot that one can do in this beautiful city. If I get to go on another business trip here, I hope I can spend a few days during the weekend to experience more of Dumaguete.
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