Adventures on the Sugar Island

It is a sock-shaped island of serpentine rivers, undulating hills and verdant plains split down the middle by a mountain range where sits the mighty Kanlaon, the country’s third most active volcano after Mayon and Taal. From the peak of Kanlaon to the gently rolling hills with sugarcane fields resembling a giant quilt in gradating shades of green and gold, to the coral-fringed shores, Negros is a great destination for a new adventure high on the sugar island.

“Adventure Negros” is the new marketing campaign launched last year by the Negros Island Tourism Inc. (NITI), a league of tourism practitioners from the private sector who have banded together to more forcefully market the province. As a tie-up event with the Provincial Tourism Office, “Adventure Negros” is highlighted at the 23rd Negros Trade Fair of the Association of Negros Producers from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5 at the Rockwell Tent in Makati. The annual trade fair features the finest and newest items of Negrense producers of furniture and furnishings, gifts and houseware, fashion accessories and food, and ANP’s newest event — the Corporate Lifestyle Gifts Showcase.

Mary Ann Colmenares, ANP president, believes that trade and tourism work together. “We realize the importance of collaboration as we move forward to show the world the best of what Negros has to offer,” she says. Featured in this year’s trade fair is a fresh new take on the sugar island itself. Going beyond the traditional tours of grand old ancestral mansions and sugar refineries, Sugarlandia is being presented as it has seldom been seen before: as a destination for adventure.

The campaign has identified a variety of outdoor activities that allows for the experiencing of the heights of the province’s mountain ranges and the depths of its coral reefs and everything in between.

The highs. Mt. Kanlaon at 2,465 meters above sea level is the highest peak in Central Visayas and is one of the country’s 13 active volcanoes. It dominates the 25,000-hectare Mt. Kanlaon National Park. This park has over 40 kilometers of foot trails through a lush triple-canopy forest that is home to many endemic species of birds, lizards, bats and other animals, and unique plant life. Climbing to the peak may take hours or days to do, depending on individual fitness levels, time constraints and choice of trail. The Ara-al and Mapot trails are a pleasant one-day trek to the summit, while the Wasay trail takes two days and goes through the most pristine wilderness of the park.

For those less inclined to do a serious mountain climb to the top of a volcano, a hike through the luxuriant vegetation surrounding the Mt. Guintubdan Visitor Center in Ara-al, La Carlota will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the Negrense plains and the Guimaras Strait, as well as several waterfalls and rare mountain plants and blooms.

The lows. Dive into its pristine waters off the southern municipalities of Hinobaan and Cauayan and the city of Sipalay where there is a shipwreck and over 40 dive sites on top of breathtakingly beautiful white-sand beaches, coves and azure blue waters. Resorts for all budgets dot the shoreline and dive shops can arrange for open water dives or beginner’s courses in scuba diving.

A short boat ride off Barangay Bulata in Cauayan is the 43-hectare Danjugan Island with its five inland lagoons, caves and biologically diverse forest and coral reefs. It is a marine and wildlife sanctuary managed by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. that is home to at least 72 species of birds, nine different kinds of bats, over 500 fish species, 235 hard corals and many other plants and animals. Instructive and entertaining day trips for a maximum of 24 visitors or overnight stays for a maximum of 16 in ecologically friendly facilities can be easily arranged. Youth marine and wildlife camps are organized for 13-16 year olds each summer.

Everything in between. The rolling countryside of Negros offers exhilarating trails for biking. Negros Occidental has a federation of 24 biking clubs, purportedly the biggest in the country. The bikers are passionate about their sport and some trails can get crowded on the weekends to the chagrin of motorists who are edged off the highways. Biking off road gives an unparalleled view and experience of the landscape. The biking federation can arrange for trail guides and bike rentals for those wishing an off-the-beaten-track experience of the province.

The two par-70 championship golf courses of Negros have played host to several prestigious national and international golf tournaments. Most hotels in Bacolod have in-house golf packages that include transfers to the golf courses. Swinging amid the gently swaying sugarcane fields can be a unique experience.

Going beyond sugar, beyond the dolce vita that Negros has always been known for, Negros is on its way to finding a strong niche in adventure tourism. Just as everything is done with flair and flourish among the Negrenses, be amazed at just how fantastic a visit to this island can be.