Off
the northern coast of Cadiz City in Negros Occidental lies this slice of
paradise which is becoming a part of the bucket list of many weekend warriors
searching for something secluded yet spectacular, a summery sanctuary offering
the right dose of reclusion, relaxation, and recreation that’s guaranteed to
delight even the most discriminating pleasure seekers–the surreal hideaway
called Lakawon Island.
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A glimpse of Lakawon Island
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Dubbed
as the “Boracay of Negros”, Lakawon, a 16-hectare, banana-shaped island found
in the northern portion of the province, is fast becoming one of Negros Occidental's tourist magnets because of its pristine white sand that calls to mind that of
Aklan’s world-famous island.
Technically,
Lakawon, whose name means “to walk” in the vernacular, is more of a sandbar
whose white-sand beach faces Negros Occidental, billed as the "Sugar Bowl
of the Philippines”, while its rugged and undeveloped side faces the deep blue
waters of the Visayan Sea.
Time
was when the hidden sanctuary was frequented by locals seeking serenity over
the weekend. Although it’s also been explored by seasoned weekend warriors,
Lakawon has remained one of the province’s precious secrets, especially among
beach bums who want to keep the unspoiled hideaway all to themselves—until
recently.
Roughly
48 km away from Bacolod City, Lakawon can be reached by land via a
one-and-a-half hour trip aboard any of the buses bound for Cadiz. Upon reaching
the Martesan Bus Terminal in the village of Burgos, guests should disembark and
hail a tricycle to take them to the port at Cadiz Viejo, the jump-off point for
a 20-minute boat ride to the island.
Still
a work in progress, this plush island resort offers guests the much-needed
respite from the rat race and rampage of the quotidian life by exposing them to
the perks and pleasures of island life. It also boasts of having TawHai, a
floating bar that’s touted to be Asia’s biggest.
Before
going to the City of Smiles for an official event, I was bent on conquering
Lakawon Island over the long weekend. It was my first time to go there and the
thought of doing it on my own gave me restless nights. To my delight, Jim and Minnie, two of my Bacolod-based friends, offered to fete me with an escapade in the island after learning I was in town.
Jim, however, couldn't make it on the day we were supposed to go to Lakawon due to some urgent concern. So, Minnie, along with rest of her fambam, picked me up at Planta Centro Hotel in Bacolod and took me to the island. We got stuck several times along the way though. Blame the traffic
going northward out of the city, which has become horrendous what with all the
road widening projects here and there!
Almost
two hours down the road, we finally reached the port of Cadiz Viejo. The resort
has a small booking/ticketing office and lounge there for visitors where Minnie
made reservations and foot the bill herself—she said it was her way of
welcoming me back to Bacolod!
After
she paid, we waited for the resort’s motor boat to ferry us to the island. I
walked towards the port to while away time. A day tour in Lakawon Island would
cost about Php280 per person, broken down as follows: entrance fee, Php110 per
person; two-way boat ride, Php150; and terminal fee, Php20.
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A glimpse of the island from the port at Cadiz Viejo
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From where I stood, I caught a rather hazy view of the island which I captured on my phone’s cam. Moments later, the boat arrived. We were soon aboard the vessel and began sailing towards the island. The tide was low that time so the waters were generally calm and smooth. We reached the island faster than I had imagined. From the shore, we were ushered in by the staff into an umbrella cottage near the beach which could accommodate six people.
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We rented one of these umbrella cottages
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For
those who want to stay in any of the resort’s cottages, LIRS charges the
following: umbrella hut (Php600 good for six persons); family cottage (Php1,200
good for up to 10 persons); small-sized canopy tent (Php600 maximum of six
persons); medium-sized canopy tent (Php800 maximum of eight persons); and large
canopy tent (Php1,000 maximum of ten persons). Additional fee of Php100 will be
charged for every person exceeding the allowable number for each type of
cottage.
Weekend
wanderers who opt to spend the night can also choose from a variety of
well-appointed suites and rooms that the resort offers. The choices include the
following: premier suite (Php8,950 per night good for four persons); junior
suite (Php4,500 per night good for two persons); pearl’s place (Php3,500 per
night good for four persons); and bamboo huts (Php2,500 per night good for four
persons).
Additional
fees will be charged in excess of the allowable number of guests per type of
accommodation. For more about accommodations and rates, you may visit their
website at https://lakawon.com.ph.
Wasting
no time, we ordered lunch at the restaurant while the rest of our companions,
except for Minnie and her driver, changed into their swimwear and took a dip.
While waiting for our food, we spent the next several minutes catching up on
each other’s goings-on.
As
we bantered, I kept throwing occasional glances at the emerald waters. Geez,
they looked so inviting! Too bad, I forgot to bring along extra clothing—and my
flipflops as well! To my chagrin, I ended up like some wallflower lost in a
crowd of beach bums who were having fun with the sun, sea and sand!
Perhaps
noticing my frustration, Minnie suggested that I explore the resort and take
some snaps of anything that caught my fancy while she finished some of the work
she brought along. I didn’t tell my friend though about the one thing that had
fueled my desire to see Lakawon—what else but the chance to laze around TawHai
floating bar! Juju, our mutual friend, once said it’s a must-try when you’re
there.
I
kept looking for TawHai. To my dismay, I found out from the resort’s staff that
the floating bar has been grounded for maintenance work! Hmmm, bad luck for me?
Nah, I didn’t think about it that way. For me, it meant one thing—that a second
coming to the island is in the offing! It’s just a question of when.
Summer
may have been long over but these days when climate in these parts has become
changeable than ever—imagine dark clouds and drizzles suddenly ruining what you
thought would be a sunny weekend faster than the blink of an eye!—still brings
a craving for crazy and lazy moments at the beach, with or without the sun,
featuring sea breezes and soothing reclining seats.
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A floating cottage
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Good
for those who live near the beach. Sometimes, however, you need to go far if
only to stake out your place in the sand where you can laze around to your
heart’s content. Just like what I did. Lakawon Island is definitely one
hideaway you’d never mind going the extra mile if only to experience what it
offers. Short as it was, my sweet escape in the island was well worth the
hassles of the travel.
So,
weekend warrior, what are you waiting for? Start planning a quick escapade to
this new tourist magnet in Cadiz City before everyone else gets there ahead of
you. Relax, unwind, take a plunge and find time to enjoy the beauty of the
seascape and the grandeur of beach life that this fast-rising hideaway offers
to those yearning for the life aquatic. 🤣🤣🤣
Mind you, I’d get so wistful whenever I think of any of them. Having travelled extensively around the Philippines all these years, I’ve been struggling to overcome my feelings of nostalgia for all the places I’ve visited. One of those I’ve grown so fond of is Negros Occidental, the “Sugar Bowl of the Philippines.”
Perhaps this has something to do with culture, the umbilical cord that connects Neg Occ, as I like to call it for short, with its closest neighbor, the island of Panay, where both my parents hail from. These two islands share so many things in common—language, food, customs, religion, temperament, among others. 
Stepping back into the amazing province in the Western Visayas Region this year, however, never crossed my mind—until I got an invite to attend a work-related event in Bacolod City. For weeks, I kept praying that my bosses would allow me to push through with trip. Imagine my ineffable joy when they gave me and my two coworkers the green light!
Bacolod. First stop, of course, is the City of Smiles. I first made it there
about a decade ago so this recent sojourn to Bacolod is a milestone year of
sorts for me. Whenever I’m in town, I make it a point to go on a food trip,
dropping by a new resto, café and eatery or return to a popular one which
offers some of the best eats in town if only to give my tummy a treat of the
best-tasting chow.
So, it was take two for me as far as three food hubs are concerned:
Aida’s in Manokan Country, L’ Kaisei Japanese Restaurant and Felicia’s Cakes
and Pastries. As always, they didn’t disappoint me. The famous chicken inasal of
Aida’s remains delectable to the bone. The ebi tempura and sukiyaki at L’
Kaisei not only pleased my palate but also pampered my psyche. Of course, the
sinfully delish cakes of Felicia’s are still as toothsome as the day I first
tasted them!
That week in Bacolod also had me sampling the best of Sandok’s comfort
food—pochero, chorizo kagkag and adobong pusit.
Next time I’m back, I’ll make sure to sample their KBL-kadyos (pigeon
peas), baboy (pork) and langka (green jackfruit)—the
Negrenses as well as the Ilonggos’ mouth-watering pork-and-veggie stew!
I also got to taste some of Bob’s popular fare—pancit luglug and
fruit punch. My friends said the resto is an institution in Bacolod and
visitors shouldn’t leave without having a meal there. My hosts also took me to
this new block in the city, Villa Angela Arcade, where I got to savor some of
my favorite Asian treats—pad thai and laksa—at a street
food-style joint called East Bite.
Silay. Nostalgia caught up on me once again as I, along with two of my
coworkers, Heidy and Maliz, stepped into the Museum City of Silay, roughly 28
km away from Bacolod. A visit to this old, quaint place in Neg Occ will surely
take first-timers and frequenters alike on an unusual trip to a bygone era that
says a lot of the Negrenses’ rich and awe-inspiring history, culture and arts. 
I've been to Silay on several occasions in the past so it was but
natural for me to play the role of a tour guide to my companions. Arriving in
the city via a forty-five minute taxi ride, we headed for the most popular
ancestral house in town—Balay Negrense a.k.a. Don Victor Fernandez Gaston
Ancestral House—the quintessential landmark that best captures that bygone era
of pomp and pageantry in Negros.
It felt nostalgic as I stepped anew into the once stately home of the
Gastons for a revisit. A peek into this house, which has been converted into a
museum under the aegis of the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA),
would give visitors that rare chance to be vicariously transported into a
glorious time of grace and grandiosity. 
Talisay. From Silay, we headed for the neighboring city of Talisay, about 16 km
away from Bacolod, to catch a glimpse of one of its popular tourist magnets.
Hidden in the vastness of the city’s sugarcane fields are the remains of what
used to be a mansion owned by one of Negros Occidental’s sugar barons that has
turned in recent years into one of the province’s amazing attractions—aptly
called The Ruins.
Built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in memory of his Portuguese wife,
the century-old house—or what’s left of it—is considered as the Philippines’
answer to India’s Taj Majal. Revisited after some time, the magnificence of The
Ruins seems to have grown well with time. There were a few structures that had
been added to the main attraction—an al fresco café and a rocky monument that
looked like a modern-day version of the prehistoric Stonehenge!
Six years ago, I stood amidst the Lacson mansion’s ruins in the company of good friends from Manila, Bacolod and Davao, brimming with joy and excitement as we roamed around the now-famous tourist magnet. Recently, I came back, accompanying my coworkers who wanted to see for themselves the old house’s ruins. 
