Dumaguete, Philippines: Humidity, Halo-Halo, and Questionable Karaoke
okay, so. dumaguete. i’m still peeling. i swear, my skin is actively rebelling against this place. i just checked and it's clinging to a damp hug of around twenty-three degrees, feels like twenty-four, and the humidity is… well, let’s just say my hair has achieved a new level of frizz that defies physics. pressure’s at a solid 1011, which means… something? i don’t know, i’m a drummer, not a meteorologist.
I was here for a gig, you know? A wedding. A beach wedding. Sounds idyllic, right? It was… sweaty. Very, very sweaty. The band was decent, a bunch of guys from Cebu, all surprisingly chill considering they had to lug their gear across sand. We played a mix of covers and originals - mostly stuff people could dance to after a few San Miguels. The bride’s dad kept requesting Journey. Every. Single. Night.
I spent most of my downtime wandering around. *Dumaguete itself is… small. In a good way. It’s got this low-key vibe, like everyone’s just trying to survive the heat and enjoy a decent cup of coffee. Which, by the way, is surprisingly good. I found this little place called Bean Scene - seriously, check it out if you’re ever here. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1034863-d1668887-Reviews-Bean_Scene_Cafe-Dumaguete_Negros_Oriental_Visayas.html - their iced latte was a lifesaver.
I did a little exploring outside the city center too. Took a tricycle to Twin Lakes - pretty touristy, but the scenery was nice. The water was… lukewarm. Someone told me that the best time to go is early morning before the crowds arrive and the sun really starts beating down. Drunk advice, probably, but worth considering.
And the food! Oh man, the food. I ate so much halo-halo. It’s like, a shaved ice dessert with all sorts of weird and wonderful things in it. Beans, jellies, fruit, leche flan… it’s a sugar rush in a cup. I also tried some grilled squid from a street vendor - surprisingly good. Yelp has some decent recommendations for street food, if you're feeling adventurous. https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=street+food&find_loc=Dumaguete,+Negros+Oriental,+Philippines
“Don’t go near the karaoke bars after 10 pm,” a local warned me, eyes wide. “Unless you want to hear Journey… badly.”
He wasn’t kidding. The karaoke scene here is… intense. Like, people really commit to it. I only ventured in for a few minutes. It was… an experience. I’m pretty sure I saw a guy try to sing Bohemian Rhapsody. It did not go well.
If you get bored, Siquijor and Zamboanguita are just a short drive away. Siquijor is supposed to be all mystical and spooky - apparently, it’s known for its traditional healers. I didn’t have time to check it out, but I’ve heard good things. Zamboanguita is quieter, more laid-back.
Honestly, Dumaguete* isn’t going to blow your mind. It’s not some exotic paradise. It’s just… a place. A humid, slightly chaotic, occasionally karaoke-filled place. But it has a charm, you know? A certain… grit. And the coffee is good. And the people are friendly. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a week to recover from the humidity. Check out some local forums for more tips: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dumaguete/
Oh, and one last thing. Someone told me that the best place to buy souvenirs is at the public market. Apparently, you can haggle for pretty much anything there. I didn’t have time to try it, but I’ll keep that in mind next time. Maybe. If I ever come back.
I'm already dreaming of air conditioning.
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