Dumaguete is the gateway to Negros Oriental.  It is accessible by ship or plane from Manila.  A fast ferry travels to Dumaguete from Cebu on a regular daily schedule; travel is about one hour and a quarter.  Travel through the coastal roads of Negros Oriental is pleasant.

EXTRA:  Bais, Negros Oriental is the jump off point for the Tañon Strait, a deep sea through, known for its aquatic mammals.  Dolphin and whale watching tours can be arranged at the Municipality of Bais, where accommodations can be arranged at the local hotel "La Planta," so named because it was once a power plant.

Tour: Cebu City

Cebu City is divided into a downtown or the older part of the city, centering around the Santo Niño shrine and the cathedral; midtown around Fuente Osmeña and an uptown, around Jones Ave and the Provincial Capitol.

A heritage tour of Cebu City begins downtown. Visiting historic sites downtown can be a real walking tour as all the sites are near each other. To go from downtown to midtown and beyond, a vehicle is recommended. Unless you have your own vehicle you may ride any jeepney marked "Jones." Or you may take a cab, hire it the whole morning or the whole day, or contact any rent a car service in the city.

Although the Jesuits had established a foothold in the Camotes, it was Augustinians who consolidated the Christianization of the islands and built churches there.

Using Tagbilaran as a hub, you can continue traveling through the road that encircles Bohol, going beyond Loon (the terminus of the westward itinerary) passing towns like Calape and Inabangan and reaching Talibon, the seat of the northern diocese of Bohol.  Then you can continue eastward toward Ubay, Anda until you return to Jagna and Dimiao thereby completing the loop.  Or you can cut across the island through the road the passes through Loboc, but the road can get rough after Carmen famous for the Chocolate Hills.  Or you can continue on the eastward itinerary and reach Talibon in the north.

In Tagbilaran cars and vans can be rented that will bring you around Bohol. Air-conditioned tourist vans are also available from hotels. Or taxis can be hired for the whole day. Metered taxis charge extra to visit a site outside Tagbilaran, the rates are set by distance: 50% more than the metered fare for nearby places like Dauis and double for distant places like Loon. Phone for taxis; they usually don't cruise but are connected via radio. Taxi: Varescon (Tels: 411-2507; 411-2548; 411-5999). Buses and jeepneys travel all over Bohol. A new station is being set up for buses and jeepneys at the outskirts of Tagbilaran. Tricycles can bring you to the station.

Extras: Bohol's best known natural wonder are the Chocolate Hills. Low limestone mounds, covered with grass that turn chocolate brown in summer (hence the name), there are about two thousand of these candy drop shaped mounds. The hills straddle the interior towns of Sierra Bullones and Carmen. Add half a day to your stay in Bohol if you want to see this geological feature.

Another natural wonder of Bohol is the tarsier, the smallest primate in the world. Inhabiting primary and secondary forests, this shy nocturnal animal is protected and fragile in captivity. They do not breed and they die easily in captivity. Refuse to buy any of these endangered creatures from peddlers.

Bohol is known for its handicraft; the town of Antequera (45 minutes from Tagbilaran) has a Sunday market where baskets large and small, some as small as thimbles, are sold.  So are forest products like raffia and nito vine, and bamboo furniture.  Go early.  Be at Antequera before seven in the morning (even as early as four) to avail of choice pieces.  Some of these goods are available at Torralba Market near the Tagbilaran Plaza.

Bohol has unique delicacies, namely, Chocolate Hills kiss, a peanut and egg yolk sweet shaped like the mounds of the Chocolate Hills, torta a sweet and filling cake like ensaymada and the lady fingers found in a bakeshop behind the Baclayon church.

Note: Boholanos are very religious, proud of their heritage, and treat their churches with respect. Their ancient churches, however, have been victims to robberies. Please inform the churches and their museums of your intention to visit, otherwise you might find them locked.  Please visit the churches with sensitivity, especially if a religious service is going on, and ask permission from the parish office. It is also wise to coordinate with the bishops' office at Tagbilaran. Bohol has a very active Church heritage group.  Loboc's children's choir specializes in historic religious hymns, well known in its repertoire is the Misa Baclayana.

Tour: Siquijor Island

Located between Negros Island and Mindanao, Siquijor, which is 30 aerial miles from Negros, is easily reached through a fast ferry that connects with Dumaguete.  Travel time is a mere half an hour, yet the island remains very much rural, where natural beauty is its greater charm; this includes its 102 kilometer perimeter, marked by white sand beaches and Bandilaan Mountain in the island's center.  Spaniards called the island Isla del Fuego, probably after they had seen fires lighted along the coast.

Siquijor has the reputation of being an island of mambabarang (spell casters), who perform their secret rites during Holy Week.