48 Hours in Bacolod: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary

 

Where to buy pasalubong
Merci: The Bacolod Pasalubong Store
Araneta Avenue, Bacolod City
Travelers enjoy an automatic 10 percent discount at this bakeshop—just show your plane ticket or booking confirmation. Even without the discount, prices here are affordable: a pack of piaya costs just P39. Grab a pack of the original piaya and a pack of the newer, more adventurous mango piaya.

Drew’s favorite from Merci are napoleones (flaky square pastries with a dollop of cream inside) and butterscotch squares.

Bacolod Showroom
Bacolod City Hall
If your loved ones back home aren’t into sweets, you can get them replica masks from Bacolod’s Masskara Festival. The wearable, hand-painted ones can cost up to P1,000, but keychain versions are available for under P100.

Where to stay


Drew’s pick: Go! Hotels
Lacson St., Bacolod City
Where else can you get queen-sized bed, private bathroom and cold air-conditioning for just P688 a night? Here, room prices mimic those of airlines; book early for a better price.

Sweet City Captel
Gatuslao St., Bacolod City
With a name fitting for the sugar-producing city, this hostel is actually owned and operated by the local government. Solo travelers can spend a night in a non-air-conditioned, dorm-type common room for P100 a head, or book a solo room with private bathroom for P600 a night.

If you’re traveling as a group, we suggest the air-conditioned family room, good for five people and with a private bathroom. That second option will cost you an easy P200 per person.

What to do
Campuestohan Highlands Resort
Bacolod City and Silay City boundary

Snap your obligatory “wish you were here” photos with Campuestohan’s panoramic view as your background. For the P150 entrance fee, you can stroll around and picnic in a mini-Tagaytay, complete with Tagaytay-like cool weather that goes as low at 10 degrees Celsius.

Kids will enjoy their large playground and superhero exhibit. You’ll have to pay extra if you choose to spend the night, but their “Bonita huts,” or wooden igloo-like accommodations are worth a try.

Side Trip #1: Silay City
Museum-hopping
Along with Ilocos’ Vigan, Silay is one of two “Museum Cities” recognized by the National Historical Institute. Silay City is the cultural and intellectual hub of Negros Island, and you can see over 30 heritage houses preserved from the Spanish colonial era.

For example, Balay Negrense is the 1897 ancestral house of the Gaston family, one of Negros’ pioneering sugar plantation owners. Along Rizal Street, you’ll see the Bernardino-Jalandoni House Museum. Painted light pink, this house depicts the life of the elite during the early 1900s.

Some heritage houses are still being used as homes, such as the Hofileña Museum along Cinco de Noviembre street. “This is the first house in Silay to be opened to the public,” shares its friendly, soft-spoken owner, Ramon Hofileña. “It was opened 30 years before the next house opened.”

The ground floor features an antique toy collection, including a set of dolls smaller than grains of rice; as well as some of the world’s first pocket books. Hofileña Museum’s second floor is lined with numerous rare artworks of Filipino national artists, including some by Juan Luna and even Jose Rizal.

Where to eat in Silay
Kapehan Sang Silay (New City Café)
Rizal St., Silay City
This heritage house-turned-café serves brewed native coffee for just P14 a cup. Pair it with local kakanin-like but-ong (suman sa gata) for P6 a piece and you’re all set for a great merienda.

El Ideal Bakery
118 Rizal St., Silay City
Pass by El Ideal for Negros Occidental’s most famous sweets. On the sugar-laden menu are traditional cookies, mango tarts and their Filipino take on the American apple pie: the Guapple Pie! Nope, this isn’t a mix of guava and apple; “guapple” is the name of an extra-large, apple-sized guava grown in Negros.

Side Trip #2: Murcia
Murcia is a municipality about 20 kilometers outside metro Bacolod. Here, you can find eco-adventure parks to quench your thirst for the great outdoors.

Mambukal Mountain Resort
Barangay Minoyan, Murcia
“If nature and eco-tripping are your thing, this is the place to be—take it from me,” says Drew. This resort is 1200 feet above sea level and is popular among tourists for their seven-waterfall hike. Day trip entrance fee is just P50.

There is also a bat-watching area where you can spot the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox, the largest species of bat in the whole world. Did you know that its wingspan could reach up to five feet and six inches?

Balaring Mangrove Canopy
Barangay Balaring, Murcia

Don’t be fooled by the concrete alleys you’ll pass by upon entering the park—once you round the corner, you’ll be able to walk amongst the mangroves with the help of the longest bamboo bridge in Western Visayas.

You also can pack your lunch and picnic in one of the canopy’s cottages. For the entrance fee of P20 for adults or P10 for children and senior citizens, you’re not just enjoying the view. Proceeds go towards protecting the forest and planting new mangroves.

Side Trip #3: Talisay City
The Ruins
Hacienda Sta. Maria, Talisay City

Talisay’s famous ruins used to be a grand mansion built in 1912. It was razed to the ground by American soldiers during World War 2 so that the Japanese troops would not be able to use it. However, the large frame and outer decorations of the house survived.

After being abandoned for over 60 years, “The Ruins” opened as a tourist spot and Italian-Mediterranean restaurant.

Drew’s Budget
Excluding airfare
Accommodation P688
Food P484
Activity P505
Pasalubong P300
Estimated local transportation P1000
Total P2977

–Cristina Tantengco/PF, GMA News