Guimaras Island - Itinerary Part 1

Prior to shelving 2011 to memory lane, I strongly made resolution to travel more and be bolder enough to experience life. Dinagyang Festival came first in consideration, thus, promptly made me book flight to Iloilo City. However, such festivities needs more time allotment enable to perfectly execute and squeeze oneself in such celebration. In other words, airlines were all yet but fully booked for the whole week of Dinagyang. My persistence made me secure seat flight still at Iloilo City, but this time with complete revision of itineraries and focused researching about this little exotic island of Guimaras.

Guimaras Island province is blessed with picturesque beaches, falls, springs and offshore islets, which attract both foreign and domestic visitors. The province composed of five municipalities namely: Beunavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, Sibunag and San Lazaro spread in an area approximately 60,457 hectares. Each of the five municipalities has its own share of points of interest all guaranteed to make visitor’s trip memorable.

            After days of discussion, my partner and I decided to stay at Raymen Beach Resort at Poblacion, Nueva Valencia. Like other municipalities in Guimaras, Nueva Valencia delights an innumerable nature’s blessings. Not only are there a myriad for swimming, excursion, picnic, boating sites but some of the places are outstanding destinations. Water is calm at Alubihod bay. White sand beach, multi-colored corals, fish and other marine life are found in Igang and Tando Bays and Taklong Islets.

            Day 1 - Before sunrise, we are on foot at Iloilo City airport with much admiration of its cleanliness, facilities and maintenance. As advised, we looked for terminal of vans going to Iloilo city, the ride cost 50 php each. Iloilo housed five SM establishments and we dropped off at the first SM mall we saw, this mistake had turned as blessing in disguised leading us to Jaro Cathedral. It was Sunday morning and the Cathedral literally packed with devotees of Our Lady of Candelaria, but these not stopped us to scrutinize its history, architecture, photograph its picturesque value and said our own prayer of safety for this trip. It is an ordinary Sunday morning and yet we spotted a dozen of men in uniforms and we approached one to ask for assistance going to Guimaras. The conversation we had with the police officers, to our cab driver who by then turned into impromptu tourist guide and boatmen who decided to sail off even with just the two of us as passengers led us to conclusion that Ilonggos are indeed the sweetest.