Dumaguete

Charming, chilled-out and laced with colonial wonders, the city of Dumaguete remains one of the most popular tourist stop-offs on the circuit around the Central Philippines. Found strewn out elegantly along the southeastern coastline of Negros Island, the city is kissed by the rolling breezes of the Bohol Sea and concealed under lush blankets of blooming balate trees and date palms. At its heart stands the prestigious Silliman University, a lauded centre of learning in the country that supplies a palpable burst of youthfulness to the city’s Rizal Boulevard and all the adjoining bars that thread their way through the parks there. The city is hence unsurprisingly a gastronomic delight too; street side stalls of ihaw ihaw, quaint cafes and artsy restaurants provide the whole gamut of good yet economical food; don’t leave without trying the famous Silvanas of Sans Rival. Dumaguete tour guides are also on the quick to point out heritage monuments such as the famous 18th century Campanario belfry and the exquisite St Catherine Cathedral, along with the popular local haunt of Quezon Park nearby. Further afield the town’s peripheries, the mighty Casaroro Falls claim the height record for the whole Visayas Region, the diving at Apo Island tantalises with its corals, and majestic dolphins frolic in the waters off Bais.