Easter 2014: Bacolod Part 2

On our second day in Bacolod, we visited the Mambukal Resort which is known for its sulfur hot springs and the waterfall hike. It was a long drive from Campuestuhan which meant more naps. Haha!

The resort is relatively basic as compared to the amenities of Campuestuhan. There are swimming pools, hot springs, the pavilions, zip lines, and of course, the waterfalls.

We started out with the hike to the waterfalls. We had a guide from the resort go with us, and from there we started to make our way to the first waterfall.

The trail is tricky and kind of scary. At first, its relatively flat with steps here and there, but as you go up, it becomes all the more unsafe. Tripping somewhere along the way could be incredibly scary so it is absolutely essential that you take slow solid steps.

It was a good 15-20 minute walk to the first waterfall and from there it takes about 10 minutes to get to the succeeding waterfalls. In total, there are actually 7 of them in the mountain.

Soon enough, we reached the vicinity of the first waterfall.

If you want to, you can actually take a dip in the waterfall of your choice. Just be careful when bathing in the higher waterfalls because there aren't any safety measures to prevent you from falling down the waterfall. From the third waterfall, there's actually a trail to the last waterfall which we took because it all looked the same anyway, so it made sense to just finish the entire trail.

The last waterfall. Obviously where everyone decided to take a dip. Unfortunately, we didn't swim as there were way to many people and we already had to go. :(

By then, all of us were pretty sweaty and gross. It was a pretty nerve-wracking hike! Thank goodness there wasn't much sunlight at the time.

When we got down, we decided to try out the hot springs because it would be a waste if we didn't! Because of the sulfur, the odor wasn't all that pleasant. The water's temperature is 37 degrees Celsius  which takes getting used to at first but shouldn't bother you when you've dipped in it for a few minutes.

We moved on to the pier after a quick shower and were already on our way to the ports. We took the boat to Iloilo which was freezing. I was unlucky enough to sit directly where the air conditioner blew.

The trip to Iloilo is about 45 minutes to an hour and we got off the bus, it literally felt like the air came from a blowdryer. It was unbelievably hot.

Since it wasn't our time to tour Iloilo yet, we rode on a jeep to the connecting pier bound for the Guimaras island.

From there, it was a 20-minute boat ride and then a one-hour drive to the next port.

The last boat ride takes about 10 minutes to reach the resort in Guimaras. Thankfully, it was the last of all of the traveling for one day.

According to the guide, during low tide, you can actually just walk from the shore to the resort and it'd take less than hour to get there.

Then we arrived at the Cabugan Resort which I'll talk about it in the next post! :D

'Til next time!