Dumaguete

A gentle university town with boat trips to Apo Island to snorkel with turtles, macro diving in Dauin, the Twin Lakes rainforest, Casaroro Falls and dolphin watching in Bais.

Dumaguete is the capital of Negros Oriental province in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It sits on the southeastern tip of Negros Island, facing Siquijor and southern Cebu across the water, and is famous for Silliman University, the oldest Protestant university in the Philippines; it is known as the "City of Gentle People". The compact centre lets you walk between the seafront Rizal Boulevard, the bell tower and cathedral, and the Silliman campus, with a relaxed scene of street food and cafés. The low cost of living makes it a base for long-stay visitors and divers. Excursions follow three routes: south along the coast via Dauin (a macro-diving hotspot) to the Malatapay market, then by boat to Apo Island to snorkel with turtles; west into the hills to Valencia, with Casaroro Falls, Pulangbato Falls, Red Rock Hot Spring and the Twin Lakes rainforest; and north about 45 km to Bais, for dolphin-watching boat trips and the stilt houses on Manjuyod Sandbar. The best season is the December–May dry season, when seas are calm; the June–November rainy season brings occasional typhoons, and boat trips may be cancelled. Getting there: flights from Manila and Cebu land at Dumaguete Airport in Sibulan (about 5 km from town); ferries from Liloan port in southern Cebu take about 30 minutes, and fast boats from Siquijor about 1 hour. Tricycles are the main way around town; for sights further afield, hire a car or rent a motorbike. Plan on 3–5 days, which can be combined with Siquijor or Oslob in Cebu.

Top sights

• Rizal Boulevard – Dumaguete's seaside promenade, lined with coconut palms and old-style street lamps. Go for a morning walk, watch the sunset in the evening…
• Apo Island – A model of community-run marine protection in the Philippines. Snorkel right off the shore alongside green sea turtles, with healthy coral…
• Dauin Marine Sanctuaries – A world-famous macro diving paradise where seahorses, frogfish, octopuses and other unusual creatures live on black sand seabeds. You can d…
• Silliman University – Founded in 1901 by American missionaries, one of Asia's first Protestant universities. Its seaside campus is shaded by trees, and Silliman…
• Silliman University Anthropology Museum – A museum housed in Silliman Hall, with prehistoric pottery, Song and Ming trade ceramics and artifacts from Negros' ethnic minorities.
• Dumaguete Belfry & St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral – A stone belfry built in the 18th century to guard against pirates, alongside the oldest Catholic church in Eastern Negros. A city landmark.
• Sans Rival Cakes & Pastries – Dumaguete's most famous dessert shop, known for its signature cashew meringue and buttercream layer cake, 'sans rival,' and its small 'silv…
• Malatapay Market – A weekly seaside village market on Wednesdays, where you can watch water buffalo trading and eat roast suckling pig ('lechon'). It is also…
• Casaroro Falls – A waterfall about 30 meters high, hidden deep in a canyon. You descend about 350 steps and then wade along the river valley to reach it.
• Pulangbato Falls – The red rocks beneath the falls give them their name, 'Red Stone.' The pool is clear for swimming, and there are natural sulfur hot springs…
• Red Rock Hot Spring – A natural sulfur hot spring in the Valencia hills, where hot water flows over red rocks into small pools and can be alternated with cool st…
• Forest Camp Valencia – A long-established mountain valley resort camp, with natural swimming pools fed by stream water hidden among the trees. A summer retreat fo…
• Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park – Two high-mountain lakes in an extinct volcanic crater, surrounded by primeval rainforest. You can paddle kayaks and walk lakeside trails to…
• Mount Talinis (Cuernos de Negros) – A volcano behind Dumaguete rising to 1,903 meters. The climb passes through mossy forest and reaches a campsite at Lake Naylig.
• Bais Dolphin & Whale Watching – Boat trips from Bais into the Tañon Strait, where spinner dolphins and bottlenose dolphin pods often appear, with the occasional pilot whal…
• Manjuyod Sandbar – A white sandbar about 7 km long in Bais Bay. At high tide, stilt houses over the shallow sea make it look like the 'Maldives of the Philipp…
• Tambobo Bay – A natural harbor at the southern tip of Negros, with sailboats at anchor, mangroves and quiet beaches. Divesites lie just outside the bay.
• Lake Balanan – A mountain lake formed when an earthquake in 1925 blocked the river valley, with dead trees standing in the water. You can ride bamboo raft…

Where to eat

• Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries (Main Branch) – Dumaguete's best-known old dessert shop. The main branch on San Jose Street sells its signature silvanas and Sans Rival…
• Jo's Chicken Inato – Old grilled chicken shop that started in Dumaguete. Its charcoal-grilled chicken inato, with a sweet-and-sour marinade…
• Lantaw Native Restaurant – Traditional Filipino restaurant along the seafront boulevard, with a terrace facing the sea. Crispy pork leg and garlic…
• Casablanca Restaurant – Continental restaurant on Rizal Boulevard run by an Austrian head chef, famous for its Wiener schnitzel and German beer.

Itineraries

• Central Visayas Island Hopping Slow Route – A backpacking island-hopping route heading south from Cebu, passing through Dumaguete, Apo Island, and Siquijor to Boho…