I've always wanted to visit Dumaguete City because my friend Dee, whom I originally met in Bacolod, raved endlessly about it during one of our travel conversations. The idea simply stuck in my mind like a fish bone desperately waiting to be plucked out. The undeniable charm of this University town and its famously laid-back environment perfectly fits my ideal description of a city for future residency.
It was also a massive plus when, even before I officially set foot in Dumaguete, a brand-new friend was already happily waiting for me at the airport—complete with a handwritten "Welcome Marky" sign scribbled boldly on a used COMELEC secret ballot folder.
Eat, Walk, and Ebb Along in Dumaguete
Her name is Tina. She grew up in the States but is now fiercely pursuing a Master's degree in Marine Biology at Silliman University. She randomly sent me a shout-out via my travel blog's contact page, enthusiastically telling me I SHOULD check out Dumaguete. It was absolutely perfect timing that a local airline had just announced a massive promo fare, and I had already successfully booked a cheap ticket to this laid-back city.
Cruising Like the Locals
We comfortably agreed to meet up, and straight from the airport, she excitedly fetched me using her motorbike, which happens to be the primary transportation of choice around Dumaguete. Cruising the busy streets instantly reminded me of my wild trip to Saigon, where almost everyone rides their motorcycles absolutely everywhere. Meanwhile, the famous coastal boulevard—with its long rows of trendy restaurants, budget hostels, and boutique hotels—strongly reminded me of a highly similar strip I once walked in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
There are significantly more foreign tourists to be seen casually walking here than in the busy streets of Manila. It greatly excites me to realize that Dumaguete could easily become a foremost international backpacking district in just a few short years, much like Khao San in Bangkok or Pham Ngu Lao in Vietnam.
The strategic location of Dumaguete City is also incredibly convenient. It serves as a flawless gateway to the entire island of Negros Oriental, and its bustling seaport reliably offers ferry routes going directly to Zamboanga, Bohol, Dipolog, Siquijor, and a few other key coastal locations. Meanwhile, heavily loaded RORO buses regularly make trips heading straight into the nearby province of Cebu. From the scenic Dumaguete coastline, you can easily see the southern tip of Santander (Cebu), which sits just a few minutes away via a quick ferry boat ride.
Food Trips and New Friends
This city visibly holds a lot of tourism potential, if it isn't already successfully living up to it right now. I stayed here for one relaxing night before my scheduled trip to the nearby magical island of Siquijor. But before that departure, Tina generously took me out to experience some of the city's absolute best food spots. I was also happily introduced to her Marine Bio classmates: Miles, Mark, Ting, and Jean.
My first true night in Dumaguete was heavily spent satisfying my intense gastronomical cravings and meeting awesome new friends. I had (trying my absolute best to remember correctly) a juicy Bacon Truffle Burger at KRI, sweet frozen treats from Panda Ice Cream, savory street-food kikiam at the bustling boulevard, and a cold bottle of San Mig Light at the famous Hayahay Tree House Bar.
I gladly went back to Dumaguete a few days later, immediately after my trip to the island of Siquijor, and successfully met up with another solo traveler who answers to the name Cindy. She's a self-proclaimed poker junkie who also passionately loves to travel. She had just arrived from Malapascua Island in northern Cebu, and I patiently waited for her at Rizal Boulevard while she completed her exhausting cross-island bus jaunt—traveling from north to south, passing through Carcar, Oslob, Boljoon, and Santander, before finally crossing the sea directly into Dumaguete.
I deeply know that for the many people reading this, that routing might sound like a very hectic and physically punishing travel itinerary. But for restless people like Cindy and me, that's exactly what makes backpacking so uniquely awesome.
In my personal case, long bus rides passing through highly scenic rural towns and quiet beach-side coastal roads are the absolute perfect moments to mentally analyze one's life and actively figure out whatever you truly want to experience moving forward. Cindy happily arrived at around 4:00 PM, and we simply hung out at the Boulevard—lounging around lazily, intensely people-watching, and talking briefly about all the incredible places we had just visited.
The Ease of Traveler Connections
Just like Tina, it was my very first time physically meeting Cindy as well. I'm naturally a very shy, introverted person, but solo traveling has fundamentally allowed me to open up significantly more. Now, I am more comfortable than ever in bravely meeting random people for the first time and instantly developing a meaningful connection on the fly. I'm pretty sure the shared physical weariness and the mutual wonders of surviving on the road contribute to that fact greatly. As a seasoned traveler, I am far more gregarious socially to my fellow wanderers.
Fellow backpackers also inherently understand the deep importance of practically sharing costs, especially when it strictly comes to overnight accommodations. So it wasn't a big deal to Cindy when she had to share a bare-bones room with me in order to safely save up a big percentage of our remaining travel budget.
We split a small room at this quirky place called the "Vintage Inn" right in the beating heart of the city. It was very conveniently located and featured a cool, overhead view of the chaotic Dumaguete Market. You could easily witness the noisy start of a new day directly from its veranda, and then casually walk half-awake into the magnificent golden sunrise at Rizal Boulevard in the morning.
The next day, our beautiful and incredibly smart host Tina met us up again for a heavy breakfast and eagerly took us directly to her University's specialized Marine Bio Lab, which is perfectly located right beside the beach and sitting dangerously near the airport runway. We spent the whole afternoon happily riding shotgun on her noisy motorbike. We peacefully walked along the ancient Acacia tree-covered paths of Silliman University and joyously ate our way through the rest of the city.
We effectively capped our exhausting day with a highly relaxing massage and a massive sweet-fest dessert binge at Gabby's Bistro. The next day, I sadly had to leave early to catch my flight back to Manila. Tina had to officially sit in for her Marine Bio classmate Mark's thesis defense (which he confidently passed easily), while Cindy excitedly had to catch a boat to her next destination, which was Bohol.
As I quietly walked toward the busy port on the day I was originally scheduled to go to Siquijor, I suddenly saw the massive schedule board of the ferry boats displaying distant places such as Zamboanga and Dipolog. I immediately entertained the vast, deeply underlying freedom of what traveling truly brings. I know I securely have a corporate job waiting back home—but I was suddenly settled with a powerful thought that, in the near future, I will undoubtedly find myself jumping blindly on random ships, buses, and even airplanes heading into absolute nowhere.
While I could not do that just yet this time, I have to feel incredibly lucky that I get to do so anytime I fiercely want—even on quick, fleeting long weekends. And along the way, I get to see brilliant new places, savor delicious new foods, do insanely awesome things, and most importantly, meet deeply wonderful new friends.
