Balinsasayaw Twin Lakes
The Balinsasayaw twin lake is one of the nature spots that has a sister lake on the other side of the mountain that would take you for about 30 minutes trek passing by a forest. Visitors can camp nearby both lakes…boating and fishing is allowed.
The two inland bodies of water, Lakes Balinsasayaw and Danao, are surrounded by lush tropical forests, with dense canopies, cool and refreshing air, crystal clear mineral waters with brushes and grasses in all hues of green.
The lakes are separated by a narrow ridge with no visible outlets to the sea. Biodiversity in the area is known to be one of the richest in the Philippines.
Getting to the Twin Lakes is easy enough, taking the Negros Oriental North National Highway through Sibulan, you turn off at a clearly marked path going up to Mt. Talinis.
Going up the path is a steep climb, with grades of 40 degrees or more in some sections. Newly-paved roads alternate with dirt paths. The more adventurous locals do take a motorcycle known as a “habal-habal”. On the other hand, going up with a mountain bike is a very tempting prospect as some people do.
Rough riding notwithstanding, the trip up the mountain is breathtaking. On either side of the road are deep valleys covered with dense forest greenery. It does go a fair bit up, about 1500 meters above sea level at the highest point of the trip.
The Twin Lakes are a bit lower down, around 1,047 meters above sea level.
Lake Balinsasayaw is small as far as lakes go, but it still boasts of a respectable 76-hectare surface and an impressive depth of 150 meters. The waters are serene and surrounded on all sides by mountains and hills.
Mabinay Odloman Cave
Mabinay can be found in the second district of the province of Negros Oriental in the Central Visayan Region of the Philippines.
Mabinay is an upland municipality located 87 kilometers north of Dumaguete City, near the boundary of Negros Oriental and Occidental. It has some of the best cave systems in the country. There are a hundred or more caves in this town, 45 of which are explored. Sixty percent of these have subterranean rivers.
The Odloman cave also considered the sixth deepest cave. The Cave System has a length of 8870 meters and vertical range of 82 meters. The cave was explored by the Dutch, Belgian and Philippine Caving expedition in 1989. It has five entrances that have been connected and the cave system comprises a mix of large and small galleries with some active stream way.
The largest cave Odloman is the biggest in the Philippines, but you need climbing gear, life jackets, an inflatable raft, and experienced local cave guide to explore it.
Dolphin and Whale Watching
A great one day or even overnight trip out of Dumaguete is Bais, Bais is a small city around 45 kilometers north of Dumaguete. It takes around 1 hour to get there.
Bais City is well known for its proximity to the protected marine sanctuary, the Tañon Strait. From the Capiñahan Wharf in the South Bay, the boat heads out to the Bais Bay and into the Tañon Strait where the dolphins frolic in the water, and the whales emerge from the deep. It is a fascinating to experience and behold these sea creatures up close. Other activities include swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and scuba diving in the nearby reefs.
Dolphin and Whale Watching is fast becoming a national attraction as well. It has gained popularity among travelers both local and foreign because of its appealing combination of activities.
Visits are ideal between May and September.
Apo Island
Apo Island is located just off the southeastern tip of the island of Negros, 30 km south of the Negros Oriental Capitol of Dumaguete.
The island is only 3 km in diameter and 120 m at it’s highest point, where a light house stands. There is a white stone beach, and an unusually vibrant coral reef, which has been protected as a fish sanctuary since 1982 offering extraordinary diving and snorkeling.
The other parts of Apo Island have rocky beaches which are a resource for all kinds of large fish species. There is a hiking trail to the lighthouse on the top of the island where you can see a variety of fruit trees. There is no motorized traffic like cars or motorbikes found on the Island.
APO is an outstanding place for those looking to dive or snorkel. However, it is probably not for those looking for night life and bars. Apo is more of an experience to be lived rather than a destination to be checked off a list of places to go. Here you can learn to get along with a simplified life and maybe realize how much you waste at home.
We live in harmony with the ocean, and do not destroy it. Therefore, you will see a rich world of underwater species.
They do offer the entertainments of clear starlit nights with no surface lights to diminish the brilliance, and a pleasant restaurant to sit in and enjoy a beer with your friends. They do have children who play dodge ball and tag each evening on the beach.
Do not feel pity for the APO community. It has something you may be missing in your home country, an intact natural community life with happy friendly people.
Balanan Lake
The 5th day of the 5th month of the 25th year of the 20th Century seemed like an ordinary day in the small town of Siaton , Negros Oriental. But, at exactly 5 o’clock p.m. of that day, dogs started howling, horses and caged birds became restless as if wanting to hastily escape. Their sixth sense was telling them that something unusual was about to happen.
Suddenly, right after an eerie silence, a strong earthquake registering 6.8 on the Richter Scale shook the town. It was followed by a frightening, thunderous sound which turned out to be a massive landslide felling centuries-old trees and house-sized boulders on both sides of the Balanan and Nasig-id ridges. That instant, the walls of the Roman Catholic Church of Siaton also collapsed. The landslide created a natural dam, now aptly called Sampong (meaning “to close”) across the Balanan River, causing the water to rise and create what is now called the Balanan Lake.
Lake Balanan is a freshwater lake found deep in the mountains of Barangay Sandulot in Siaton , a municipality in the southern portion of Negros Oriental province. The lake is bounded by mountain ranges and fed by three streams, the Lamarao Creek in the northeast, the Balanan creek in the middle and the Nasig-id in the northwestern end.
Silliman Hall
Silliman Hall is the first and oldest building on campus. It was built in 1903 and is treasured as a historical landmark in Dumaguete City. The metal sheets used as ceiling were taken from a theater in New York City. Imported timber from the United States West Coast made the rest of the upper floors.
Today, it serves as a museum and a venue for university dinner conferences and the like.
