Exploring the City of Smiles

Finding a place for your summer? Why do you need to explore and roam on other country, when you can explore your own country. I suggest you to wander on your country first before other countries, because who knows? Maybe the place you are looking for or the place your soul finds might be just around you.

This year, we decided to just stay in our country for summer. Summer is already ending and we spent it with both South and North Luzon. We've been planning a long time about this trip and when we had a chance to grab a lowered price plane tickets, we didn't miss it, and our long time plan happened.

Really Exciteeeed!!!

Since our flights is 3:25 AM, we left our home around 1:30 in the morning since traffic is not heavy during these hours. Around 2:15 AM, we already arrived at the airport so we decided to eat and consume time since we arrived earlier than expected. The plane took off around 4:15 AM and with God's guidance, we arrived at our destination at 5:15 in the morning.

The place welcomed us with a warm weather and the usual Filipino smiles offering different services. One of our church mates came with us and he's the one who invited us to take a vacation in there place (Follow him on his Instagram account: @juan_talentoso89). Before we leave, we talked about everything and set our itinerary. Our target place is the Sipalay City since that is his hometown. He contacted his brother-in-law for us to borrow their car and without a doubt, they lend it to us and let my father to drive around. By 6:26 AM, the car came to fetch us and so our adventure begins in the city filled with smiles.

Supposed, our first stop is The Ruins. But due to sudden changes in our flight, our itinerary didn't come up the way it supposed to be. We arrived at the ruins before 7 AM and it would be open at 8 AM so we decided to just go straight to the Bacolod City Hall (which is the original itinerary if our flight is at 6AM).

The city hall is the usual city hall of a province, the not crowded type. After a few shots, we decided to go back to The Ruins again since we don't want to miss the chance of not going to one of the tourist spots in Bacolod.

As said above, The Ruins will open at 8 AM and by that time, we arrived at the said place after eating at one of the fast food chains near the city hall. To maintain the place, it has entrance fee of:

• PHP 100 for Adults
• PHP 60 for Senior Citizens and PWDs
• PHP 50 for Students
• PHP 20 for Chilldren (below 8 years old)
• Note: Kindly present IDs to avail the discount rates of Senior Citizens / PWDs and/or Students.

And also some set of reminders such as:

• No flying of drones
• Smoke only in the parking lot
• No bringing of pets
• No bringing in of foods and drinks (they have a store beside the entrance in case you want to buy snacks)
• Souvenir shop is also available inside the place and a restaurant

• Make memories as much as you take pictures. The opportunity is rare, savor it and wander more. -wanderingpotatoes, 2018

The ruins is also called as The Taj Mahal of Negros (also in the Philippines). It is a place where you can enjoy the vintage type of the mansion and also their garden with its fishes in the pond, or their large farm; a place where you can shoot your 'IG worthy' pictures. Commercial shoot or filming is allowed but must be arranged in advance. Aside from commercial filming, Photo Shoot is also allowed with the fee of PHP 1,000 for the first 5 persons.

 (For photo shoot) "In excess of 5 persons, each will just pay the corresponding entrance fee. - The Ruins' Management
(For commercial filming) "Fees shall be determined by Management based on the nature and length of filming." - The Ruins' Management

        

             

             

 Credits to: 

@juan_talentoso89

for the nice shots

They also offer shuttle pick up and drop off area (just saw it inside The Ruins, not really sure if they have this since i wasn't able to ask about it). Trip schedule is below. 

By 9:30, we decided to travel again and headed to Sipalay City.


The Sipalay City is 3-4 hours drive from the Silay Airport. During the trip, you will see and enjoy the beauty of our nature. A surroundings filled with trees together with the beauty of the sky. At 12:20 noon we reached the view deck in Sojoton at Cauayan. It is a place where you can take a sneak peak of the sea with just a fee of PHP 5 from 6 AM-6PM. Alcoholic drinks and littering of cigarette butts are not allowed for the maintenance of the place. Also, only viewers are allowed to enter the viewing deck and the light house. 

After a few shots of the place which resembles the Greece for Kuya John, we headed to the Sipalay and got there safely before 2 PM. I didn't see any hotels or inns around  the city but I asked Kuya John, and he said, there are some inns around the city.

Hello Sipalay City!

Taking a rest is included in our itinerary. And by 6:35 PM,  we went to the market and bought some foods since we think that we could save more if we just buy foods and cook it ourselves. The public market is sectioned into the dry and wet parts. We bought all we need and headed back home. The city is not different in day and night time. It is still less crowded and you can still feel the "probinsya" feels.

We arranged everything we need and headed to the Public Beach since we decided to eat dinner along the seaside or their Food Park. The seaside is full of grilled food stores and we ate at La Anoba Restaurant and the food ranges from PHP 80- PHP 100. We only bought viands (specifically grilled chickens and a fish) and just brought rice to save from expenses. Not really a new experience but a nice memory filled with pure happiness. And that ends our day 1, Manila to Bacolod to Sipalay to more new adventures.

Sample Itinerary: Click this
I also posted a video on Youtube regarding the tour. So please check it out :)
Bacolod City x Sipalay City