Sugarland Bacolod!

Bacolod is famous for Masskara Festival, a Mardi-Gras of painted faces and masks that attempted to reverse the lull in this sugarland when the industry was down. I hate the crowd of festivals, thus Bacolod was not in my radar until work brought me there, and boy to say I fell in love is now an understatement. Let me name the reasons:

Nostalgic Silay, where the old meets the new and the high-so.goes eco. What am I talking about? For one, the new airport is in Silay, while downtown is lined with a lot of beautiful ‘bahay na bato’ (some loosely translate this to ‘old Spanish houses’). One of which is Balay Negrense, a house fit for a sugarcane plantation landlord, now turned into a museum. The church and its rich history is also quite an attraction. If you have time and stamina, climb your way up the mountainous Patag (not flat at all) where there are beautiful waterfalls and a mysterious lake. Visit the tourism office in front of the church for more information. My favorite nook, however, is not in the city proper but in the outskirts called Balaring, where a 700-meter bamboo bridge takes you into a dense mangrove forest. Balaring is synonymous to seafood feast, too!

Going to Bacolod from Silay, you might as well drop by the hidden treasure of Talisay: the Ruins. This skeleton of a house is getting more and more popular these days. It is hidden deep inside a vast sugarcane plantation (which residences are slowly eating up). The building is as intriguing as its romantic story and tragic ending.

Bacolod City is the capital of Negros Occidental. Like any metropolis, it has shopping malls, call centers, posh hotels and traffic. But what I love the most about Bacolod is the food!! And the people, classy, friendly. Don’t miss the museum and the organic market in the city.

Tucked away in the mountainous region of Negros is a place called Mambukal where hot sulfuric water springs eternal. Take a dip, while communing with nature in this lush park. Aside from the hot springs, the place offers overnight cottages, too, as well as other attractions like butterfly garden and kayaking lagoon.

And what’s Negros without going to the beach? Go to Carbon Reef or down south to Sipalay.

Visit OISCA Bago Center to shop for silk and mulberry jam; and

Squeeze in a trip to a sugar mill, too, I tell you, it’s unforgettable!

www.cebupacificair.com flies 7-8 times daily from Manila (and Cebu), while www.philippineairlines.com flies 4 times daily from Manila.