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. 🤣🤣🤣
Home
is where the heart, so goes the cliché. That’s how I’d sum up my recent visits
to some of Negros Occidental’s cities. It felt as if I never really left home
as I basked in the warmth and generosity of its wonderful residents, a few of
whom I’ve made friends with for many years now, not to mention those new ones
who I came into contact with in the places I’ve been to.
Cadiz.
Located in the northern part of the province, Cadiz, some 65 km away from
Bacolod, can be reached through an hour-and-a-half ride by private car or any
of the public transportation going there. Facing the vastness of the Visayan
Sea, the city serves as the center of the agro-fishery resources of the island
of Negros. It is also one of Neg Occ’s sugarcane producing areas whose produce
are taken to the sugar refineries in nearby Victorias City.
Though
I never got the chance explore the poblacion itself, the sojourn offered me the
rare opportunity to see one more dream destination—the spectacular Lakawon
Island—the latest buzz among beach bums in that part of the country. Shaped
like a banana, the island is a 16-hectare slice of paradise located off the
coast of Cadiz Viejo, one of the city’s coastal villages.
Dubbed
as the “Boracay of Negros”, Lakawon is fast becoming one of Neg Occ’s promising
tourist magnets because of its pristine white sand, calling to mind that of
another world-famous destination in Aklan—what else but Boracay! 
Roughly
64 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. For more about the island, visit my post
at http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2017/09/lazing-around-lakawon-island.html.
I
heard there’s a longer route, which is the coastal road passing through the
northern part of the province, which is less winding—but then again, it’s quite
far. For commuters, there are buses shuttling between the two cities, with
travel time of almost two hours.
Owned
by an architect, La Vista, which was built on top of hill, boasts of a
breathtaking scenery of nearby mountains and valleys, including a panoramic
vista of Mt. Kanlaon and Mt. Marapara. The resort-hotel, donning a modern
Asian-inspired architecture, has nine rooms, including ridge villas overlooking
the pool area.
In
those brief moments at the mountain resort, I felt saucy, confident and full of
myself but in a good way. I got game before the cameras as I took in the beauty
of nature around me, posing here, there and everywhere. Uhm, must be the airy
ambience, not to mention the al-fresco dining experience, that lifted my
spirits to new heights of euphoria. Geez, I hope to return to San Carlos
someday and get to know more about it!
Victorias. I also had a chance to see anew the wonderful
city of Victorias. It's always nice to revisit this amazing place of sugarcane
fields and smoking silos, which I last saw in 2013. Victorias is home to the
Victorias Milling Company (VMC), said to be the world’s largest integrated
sugar mill. Located some 42 km away from Bacolod, VMC was founded by the Ossorio family and their associates way back in 1919. 
By 1921, its sugar factory started operations; its
refinery operations followed suit seven years later, said to be the second
sugar refinery to be established in the entire country. Today, VMC operates
today as one of the largest sugar refineries in the Philippines.
The
golf course, which opened in the 1950s to the delight of golf aficionados, is
just one of VMC's numerous subsidiaries which are engaged in food processing,
leisure, real estate, energy generation, and manufacturing and packaging.
Undoubtedly,
I left my heart in Neg Occ anew. In the six days that I spent going around some
of its wonderful cities, I fell in love once again with its distinctive sights,
smells and sounds. In that span of time, I’ve grown more rooted than ever to
this wonderful destination. As expected, the part when I bid goodbye was
heartbreaking.
It
wasn’t long before I started scribbling my thoughts about Neg Occ that I
learned about the psychology behind my affection for it, discovering that such
feeling matters in no small way to one’s physical and emotional well-being. And
there’s a jargon for it: place attachment.
