The tranquility of nine degrees north latitude-Dumaguete, an island that perfectly combines human fireworks and paradise, this is the only place for island hopping in the Philippines. Regarding Dumaguete, the issues you are concerned about are all in this guide.
Things to know before going to Dumaguete
Q1. Where is Dumaguete?
Dumaguete is on Negros Island, the fifth largest island in the Philippines. It is the capital of Negros East Province. The city is small, but it has a strong sense of literature and freshness. Known as the "University City", Dumaguete City not only has Siliman University, the oldest American university in Asia, but also universities such as Negros East State University. It is also the hub of island-hopping tours for tourists. You can directly take a boat to APO Island, Sumulong Island and Oslob Island where you can "dance" with whale sharks.
Q2. Do I need a visa to go to "Dumaguete City"?
"Dumaguete City" requires a Philippine visa, usually a sticker visa;
After you have prepared the information, you can send it to the consulate for processing. If it is a local household registration, you need to provide a photo, a copy of the ID card and the original passport. If it is issued in a foreign country, you need to consult the company that handled the visa or the local consulate.
The general processing time is 7-9 working days, and the local stay time is up to 30 days (1 entry)
Note: If you are accompanied by a child, you must have a father or mother who is the child. If not, you must provide a certificate of entrustment. (Valid notarization required)
Q3. Where can I exchange pesos? Is it possible with domestic banks?
The local currency in the Philippines is the peso (abbreviated as P), and banknotes have denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 pesos. Coins have face values of 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 1 peso and 5 pesos.
1 RMB=8.1509 Philippine pesos (real-time exchange rate adjustment, for reference only). There are very few banks in China that can directly exchange pesos. There are two ways to choose from.
- Directly convert into U.S. dollars at domestic banks, and then go to local banks or exchange companies to exchange U.S. dollars and pesos;
1 US dollar = 51.860 pesos (real-time exchange rate adjustment, for reference only).
Note: Please exchange the cash according to the actual itinerary, not too much, please pay attention to the safety of your property when you go to the local area; - When arriving at the local area, directly go to the local bank and ATM machine to withdraw money. (ATM must have the UnionPay logo before it can be used)
Q4. How to get to "Dumaguete City"? Is there a direct flight?
There is no direct flight, and usually arrive at Manila or Cebu and then transfer to "Dumaguete City". You can choose the following transportation methods:
- By plane: You can take Philippine Airlines or Cebu Air directly to Manila or Cebu, and then fly to Dumaguete City.
Direct flight from Shanghai to Manila for 2 hours;
Direct flight from Guangzhou to Manila for 2.5 hours;
Direct flight from Beijing to Manila for 4.5 hours;
Direct flights from Manila to Dumaguete for 1.5-2 hours.
Reminder: Philippine Airlines and Cebu Airlines have many discounts, so everyone can choose by themselves.
- Airplane + car or boat
Starting from the Mainland or Hong Kong and Macau, you can choose Cebu transit. From Cebu, you can reach Dumaguete City by plane and car + boat. The flight takes about 40 minutes, while the car + boat takes about 4-5 hours. Longer, but you can see the scenery that is difficult to appreciate by the plane, you can choose your own way according to personal needs.
Q5. How is the internal traffic in Dumaguete?
As a hub for island hopping, Dumaguete City has a small urban area and convenient transportation. Tutu cars are generally used for travel, and the price is very low. It is about 100P from the Robinson supermarket in the city to the airport. The premise is to know how to bargain, not to give the driver as much as the price.
Q6. How many days do you usually play in Dumaguete?
Many tourists will choose 4-6 days to visit the surrounding islands using Dumaguete as the medium. Go to apo island to see clown fish and sayhello to sea turtles. With very little money, go to Sumilon Island to experience the Madai star configuration of one island and one hotel, and watch the sunset on the black beach. Go to the small town of tan-awan and get in touch with the huge whale sharks, and have a marvel and adventure for your own travel.
In addition to the above island tours, you can also go to the local indigenous people to experience the humanities and history. Like the stairs in the Dumaguete with a history of more than two centuries, couples must go to the seaside promenade, Siquijor Island with the mysterious and primitive witchcraft rituals, and the Humanities Museum of Siliman University.
Q7. How to arrange the itinerary for Dumaguete?
My friends who go to Dumaguete City for the first time may feel confused. Where should I start playing? playing what?
In Dumaguete, snorkeling is indispensable. It doesn't matter if you can't swim or dive. Under the guidance and leadership of the instructor, wear your diving equipment and get a glimpse of the wonders of the sea. If you go to a small partner of 6 days and 4 nights, you can refer to the itinerary of the editor below. If you have enough time, you can adjust it yourself.
DAY1. Arrive in Dumaguete, after finishing and rest, you can go to Binhai Avenue to play, you can check in the Love Dumaguete colorful sign to take photos with the Internet celebrities, and then go to taste the local food
DAY2. APO island one-day tour (apo lsland)
DAY3. One day trip to Oslob Island (oslob lsland)
DAY4. City attractions tour+shopping+Nature spa
Q8. How to choose a hotel that suits you?
In "Dumaguete City", accommodation is a diverse and affordable option. You can choose to stay in the urban area with convenient transportation, or you can choose to stay away from the noisy villages, private villas, star hotels, budget inns, etc. Each accommodation option will have a different experience.
- Cost-effective choice-Coco Grand Hotel is located in the urban area, with a Spanish-inspired design. It only takes about 10 minutes to get to the airport by car. There are many supermarkets and restaurants nearby, and the boulevards and beaches are relatively close. This is your first choice for those who like to go shopping.
- The choice for food lovers-Kasana Hotel is located in the north of Dumaguete City, next to Binhai Avenue Food Street. It only takes 5 minutes to drive to famous Binhai restaurants [La-bas] [Lantaw] and Tree House Hotel [Hayahay] And there is also a wine house carefully built by the owner on the first floor of the hotel. When you are not going out, you can sit in it and taste the wine and think about how to play the next itinerary.
- Family/honeymoon choice-Santa Monica Resort is the resort closest to the city. The hotel has a beautiful environment with swimming pools and functional swimming pools. You can spend a day at the hotel without going out to sea. Many tourists will hold weddings here, which is also a good choice for family travel and friends to have fun. The resort is only 10 minutes away from Robinson Shopping Plaza.
Q9. What do you eat in Dumaguete City?
In addition to local specialty restaurants, "Dumaguete City" has also opened many new international cuisine restaurants, with affordable prices, and there is always one that suits your taste buds. Seafood is the product of "Dumaguete Land". There are many varieties. A sumptuous seafood meal does not exceed RMB 100 per person. When you come here, you must eat enough seafood. I recommend everyone to go to Lab-as Seafood Restaurant. It is a seafood restaurant with a high reputation in the local area. There are many kinds of seafood. In addition, I also recommend Mooon Cafe, an Internet celebrity restaurant, which specializes in Mexican cuisine. One of the must-have restaurants for foodies, recommended delicacies: grilled pork ribs, mango smoothies, creamy shrimps, mushroom pasta. If you don’t want to wait too long, come in early in the afternoon.
Are there any islands that must be visited in Dumaguete?
① Recommended by friends-Apo Island
Daoin Apo Island is one of the highest diving islands in the area, and the island’s facilities are relatively complete. You can rent fins, diving shoes, underwater cameras and other equipment here. It’s best to see the cute turtles up close
Popularity index: ★★★★★
Per capita consumption: 250-400/person
How to play: If you want to play easily, you can choose a day trip. In addition to diving, meals will also be included, which is more worry-free. In APO, you can go to different dive sites to see different underwater creatures, cute sea turtles, clown fish unlike nemo, and a lot of sea urchins.
Remember: You cannot feed or touch turtles, otherwise you will be fined 5500 pesos.
②Visual shock-Oslob Whaleshark Watching
A great spot for intimate contact with whale sharks, you can choose to go snorkeling and deep diving, swim with whale sharks, or you can choose to take a boat tour. An underwater camera can be set up on the island.
Popularity index: ★★★★★
Per capita consumption: 180-300/person
How to play: You can go to the local registration point to buy tickets or you can choose to participate in a day trip. If you go by yourself, you usually need to get up and queue at around 5:30 in the morning. The group will depart from Bohol Island.
Remember: You can’t use the flash to take pictures while floating with a whale shark. You can’t apply sunscreen or touch the whale shark. The offender is fined 2500 pesos.
③Luxury enjoyment-Sumilon Island
The nearby marine nature reserve has the best diving spots and white sandy beaches. The island also belongs to the configuration of one island and one hotel
Popularity index: ★★★★
Per capita consumption: 250-400/person
How to play: You can stay in the sumilon bluewater island resort-the only luxury holiday villa on the island, and enjoy the beauty of the sun and sand again. Non-residents can also take a day trip on the holiday. You can enjoy the hotel by paying 600P admission fee Bicycles, swimming pools and snorkeling equipment
Tips: Staying in the hotel is about RMB 800-900 per day.
