On our final week of vacation in my hometown in Negros Oriental, I dragged Ive for an early morning trip to a nearby city, across the adjacent Negros Occidental province, now all part of Region 18 or Negros Island Region (NIR). Our destination was Sipalay City, a young component city in the southernmost point of the province and Negros Island. The city is known for its underrated beaches and eco-tourism sites waiting to be discovered.

Although I was a local in a nearby town, I only managed to pass through this city when en route to Bacolod City. But from what we saw online, the city features stretches of white sand beaches and a fast becoming popular attraction called Perth Paradise Resort. Since we only have a day or so to spend in this unfamiliar area, we just set our sight on this piece of property set on top of a hill overlooking the sea.

The resort is actually a small, ordinary-looking gated resort nestled on top of a rocky hill bounded by several islets facing the sea. However, its location and the creative minds of the owners proved strategic and rewarding in many ways. Since a photo of this resort was first posted, the awesome view of the resort’s infinity pool set against the backdrop of islets and the vast Sulu Sea has become very popular especially among local travelers. Unfortunately, given our limited time, we only stayed at the resort for a few hours. Nevertheless, this particular attraction will surely be a big thing in the coming years.

Aside from swimming and sunbathing, spend your time shooting every nook in the resort — it’s all picture perfect for your selfies and groupies. Mobile signal (Globe) is quite strong in the area so you can fill your Instagram and Facebook timelines with #vacationgoals photos in real-time. The resort also offers other equally enjoyable activities like jetski, unlimited bamboo rafting and island hopping. The area has also the potential for bird watching.

Other Attractions

If you opt for a quick stay in the property, you can still explore other equally interesting and beautiful attractions in the city such has Tinagong Dagat and the Sugar Beach known for its sugary sand (this is Negros after all, the sugar capital of the Philippines). Sipalay City has about 42 dive sites which host rich and diverse marine resources as well as a shipwreck. You can also proceed to nearby Cauayan town and explore Punta Bulata or Danjugan Island.

Side Trips:

Bayawan City: This is our hometown. If you happen to drop by here on your way to Sipalay, grab a bite of our native version of espasol called baye-baye at the terminal. If you can stay a day or two, you can visit Niludhan Falls, Lourdes Falls and a couple of colds springs before catching some of the most beautiful sunsets at the City Boulevard, the longest of its kind elsewhere. You can also try spelunking in a day at the Habhaban Cave.

Dumaguete City: Visiting this city and nearby sites may take about two days or more. Some popular destinations include the Rizal Boulevard, St. Catherine of Alexandria or Dumaguete Cathedral and Silliman University. Down south is Apo Island and up north is the Balinsasayaw Twin Lakes, Bais Dolphin Watching and Manjuyod Sandbar which are all possible for day tours.

GETTING THERE

Due to its location, Sipalay City is little known for its tourist attractions. It is the southernmost city of Negros Occidental, near its southwestern border of Negros Oriental. The city is accessible from various transit points such as Bacolod City, Dumaguete City or Cebu City.

From Bacolod City. From the airport, proceed to the Ceres Southbound Terminal and take the direct bus going Sipalay City for about 5-6 hours. You can choose from ordinary or air-conditioned units. There are stops along the way, including a meal stop in Kabankalan City. The trip ends at Sipalay City Terminal. Fare: ~ Php 250.000

From Dumaguete City via Bayawan. From the airport, exit the gate and cross the street going to the city proper where you can take the Ceres Bus going to the Dumaguete Ceres terminal. Transfer to the bus going to Sipalay (by schedule). Another quick option is to take the bus to Bayawan City (leaves every 15 minutes) which takes about 2 hours. Upon reaching Bayawan, hop on a bus going to Hinobaan for another hour of road trip and, finally, another Ceres trip to Bacolod via Sipalay for one last hour on the road. This way (Dumaguete-Bayawan-Hinobaan-Sipalay) takes about 4-5 hours and maybe the quickest to get to Sipalay. Fare: ~ Php 250.00

Another option is to also take the Dumaguete-Kabankalan-Sipalay route for 4-5 hours depending on schedule.

From Cebu City via Dumaguete. From Cebu South Bus Terminal, take the trip going to Santander/Liloan via Oslob for 3-4 ours and transfer to a fast-craft to Sibulan Port (30 minutes). From the port, you can walk up to the highway where you can take the Ceres Bus to Bacolod (via Kabankalan) for 3 hours, then another two hours to Sipalay.

Going to Perth Resort. Tricycles are the most convenient and cheapest transport option to the resort. From the bus terminal, you can hale a tricycle to/fro the resort for a negotiated rate. But we highly recommend Mr. Diosdado Peralta (Kuya Dado) | 09217865615. During our trip, he charged us about Php 200.00/pax round-trip. Just shoot him a text ahead of your trip so he could pick you up at the terminal. If you’re on a private vehicle, just ask around the town proper for directions. Most of the road going to the property is paved but the final stretch to the resort is quite rough and sloping.

WHERE TO STAY

The resort offers in-house accommodations right beside the pool and offers instant view of the seascape below. See accommodations details below:

Family Room (Good for up to 4-6pax)
• Air conditioned room & With kitchen & LED TV
• Free breakfast for 2 persons
• Php 4,500.00 (peak season)
• Php 4,000.00 (low season)

Standard Room (Good for 2-4pax)
• Air conditioned room & LED TV
• Free Breakfast for 2 persons
• Php 2,000.00 (peak season)
• Php 1,800.00 (low season)

Cabana Room (Good for 2pax)
• Fan Room
• With Free Breakfast for 2
• Php 1,000.00

Facilities
• Cottages – Php 500.00 | Entrance fee is P80.00 ( Adults & Children above 5 yo)
• Use of Swimming Pool – P100.00 – Adult / Children (5-10 years old) – P50.00
• Jetski Rental – Php 2,500.00 -30 mins | Bamboo Rafting – Php 500.00 –unlimited
• Island hopping – Php 2,500 for 2 hours, Maximum of 15 pax
• Transportation Services
• Restaurant

Perth Paradise Resort
Brgy. 4 Sitio Sambulawan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Phone:+63 946 059 0076

For detailed reference about Sipalay City, check out there Facebook Page or the Tourism Office at Tourism Information Center: (034) 473–2101.