04 April 2016

A For April, B For Bacolod

Started the month enjoying the rice fields on our way to the City of Smiles at a faster speed because my boyfriend thought we were on a race track.

Before enjoying the scenery, I initially thought I'd only end up picturing out how Bacolod looks like in my bed since it was reported that Mt. Kanlaon started to make some volcanic movement again. Good thing it wasn't as bad as it sounded like on the news, though.

Anyway, we left the city at around 2 in the morning in order to catch the first trip going to San Carlos City. We opted to ride via boat since my boyfriend's classmate brought with him his car, making our stay in Bacolod less hassle and time-saving.

** My cousin, boyfriend, and I contributed Php. 400.00 each for the gas.

The boat started to leave for San Carlos City at around 4 in the morning. Since it was still dark, I took the opportunity to take a nap.

** Boat fare from Toledo Port to San Carlos City Port and back: Approx. Php. 150.00-190.00.


Before the boat docked in the port, we were greeted by this beautiful view of Mt. Kanlaon. My cousin immediately remarked the volcano as Philippines' Mt. Fuji, haha. It does have a slight resemblance of Mt. Fuji due to the clouds surrounding it.

We arrived in San Carlos City at around 6 AM and had breakfast at Mowgli's. I'm not sure where this café is exactly located, but I'm sure it's no longer part of San Carlos City.

Malatan-og Falls (literally) from afar.

While heading to Bacolod, we've managed to drop by to places like the viewpoint of Malatan-og Falls...


...and the beautiful pine trees in Don Salvador.

DAY 1

I shall mark this point as the official start of our first day in Bacolod.

After spending almost the entire morning on the road, we've finally reached the city proper and stayed at Regency Plaza Tourist Inn. The room looks presentable enough for you to get some good night sleep after a long day trip.

We booked a room that's good for three (3) at a rate of Php. 980.00 per night. If you're on a strict budget, perhaps this inn is suitable for you.

Back ribs: Php. 150.00

We had back ribs at Lord Byron's for lunch. I had mine poured with spicy sauce. Delicious, yes, but fatty; like 60% of the ribs were comprised of fats. Still worth trying, though.

After lunch, we headed straight to Campuestuhan Highland Resort.

** Entrance fee: Php. 150.00


Walking through the hanging bridge was our first (and only) activity in the resort since it was humid and crowded to do other fun and challenging activities like their obstacle course. 

Instead of doing extraneous activities that can sweat us out, we just had a quick tour around the place.


If you wish to spend your night here, you can either pretend to be a hobbit with their The Hobbit-inspired rooms...


...or be part of the Indians at Indian Village. For more information, you can check out their official webpage.


There's so much to experience in Campuestuhan, but I don't think it was the perfect time for us to try things out due to the weather and the countless number of guests coming in.

Since there was not much left to do there, we just left the resort and headed straight to The Ruins. Sadly, someone rented the entire place that day, so we didn't get to see the mansion up close.

Without any other options left, my boyfriend's classmate just drove us to the nearby mall (The District North Point). It's a cute version of Ayala Mall in Cebu.


After having snacks at The District North Point, we went to Bacolod Baywalk to watch the beautiful sunset, but of course, you can't get into the place without paying Php. 20.00 each. My boyfriend's friend insisted to pay the entrance fee since he was eager to bring us there.

We had dinner at Nena's Chicken Barbeque (Php. 80.00 for the leg part + Php. 25.00 for the garlic rice) and had a bottle of stallion beer (Php. 45.00) at Bypass Bistro afterwards.

DAY 2

Day two or should I say, our last day in Bacolod began by having breakfast at Manokan Country, then to The Ruins.


When you're off to Bacolod, make sure to include this lovely skeletal house in your checklist. I mean, who wants to miss this beauty up close?

This mansion, owned by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, was built out of love for his wife, Maria Braga Lacson, and burnt years after to prevent the Japanese soldiers from infiltrating the place and using it as their headquarters.

** Entrance fee: Php. 95.00 for adults


We only had a quick tour around the mansion since we still had to buy pasalubongs and catch the 1:30 PM trip to Cebu.

Despite the boyfriend driving at a higher speed, we still missed our 1:30 trip back to Cebu. We didn't have any other choice but to wait for the next trip, which is at 3:00 PM. 

I'm fully aware of the fact that there are still places worth visiting in Bacolod, but since we didn't have enough time, we just visited the ones near the city proper.


That's it for our weekend trip in Bacolod. I hope we can visit those places we've missed during our stay in the city soon, in God's will.

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