Believe it or not, with all the wonders and beauty that I've seen from this paradise called Guimaras, I, myself, cannot believe that our last stop, Guimaras Museum, would be the most disappointing part of them all. Taking the fact that this sad place holds the collection of this paradise's history - really, really sad to see.
FYI, I wrote this blog not because I wanna throw dirt on Guimaras, if you'll read my previous blogs about my first visit here, you'll feel how I enjoyed the province. I wrote this to call the attention of their local government or probably the national government to help the province preserve what's left for them - their rich culture, their simple yet colorful history.
When we visit Guimaras, one of the activities that we were looking forward to experience was the island hopping. We were lucky to meet this boatman , Kuya When who toured us to seven of the most amazing sights in Guimaras. And to start sharing to all of you the amazing trip that we had with Kuya When, I'll start it with the first destination where our motored boat took us - SEAFDEC.
SEAFDEC stands for South East Asian Fisheries Development Center. It is a government-owned facility that takes care and cultures fishes for the livelihood of the locals and at the same time a spot to visit here in Guimaras.
I'm honestly saying that I spent quite a huge amount of time looking for a nice place to stay in Guimaras. And even though, there's a handful of good choices, may it be a resort or just a plain pension house, Raymen Resort served to be the best choice for us - first-timers on the island.
I came across Raymen Resort way back in 2009 when I read news about the oil spill in Guimaras. The place was kinda affected by that spill, which I thought was really a grave threat to the people living there. But when I came across Raymen Resort again this year, and saw it on Pinoy Adventurista's site (btw, thanks for the great help!), I was amazed to see how they managed to gain back its glory!
Located at Alubihod, Nueva Valencia, Raymen Resort offers wide varieties of rooms and cottages that are perfect for a day trip or an over-night stay. And prices are really friendly despite the fact that it is "the best" resort for vacationists like us.
I've been dreaming to go to Guimaras for a long time, thank God, it was answered last June 30 when I and two of my superfriends decided to spend our post-summer trip there.
I have big expectations about this province, really, because after that oil spill thing, I've read how the province gained back its glory and I can't really wait to see it.
We flew from Manila to Bacolod via Cebu Pacific piso fare then we took to boat rides from Bacolod to Guimaras. The first boat ride was a SuperCat ferry ride, which is Php250.00 one-way and Php400.00 two-way. Since our return flight for this vacation was from Bacolod to Manila, we booked the two-way trip from Bacolod to Iloilo, Iloilo-Bacolod. Van drivers from the New Bacolod-Silay Airport were all familiar as to where the SuperCat Terminal, so you don't have to worry about that, you just have to inform them what terminal you are going. I believe there are also other ferry companies that offer rides from Bacolod to Iloilo and back, so it's really up to you which one suits you best.
The ride from the airport to the ferry terminal is roughly an hour, and the schedule of the ferry from Bacolod to Iloilo can be checked at their websites, so you can really plan your trip there. From the Supercat Terminal in Bacolod to the SuperCat Terminal in Iloilo is another one-hour ride. I suggest to have something for your tummy before taking the ferry.
