The following guide will also list out the best places for first timers to visit in the island where the sweetest mangoes lie.

Mango plantation

Why you should visit Guimaras

Guimaras island is famous for producing the sweetest mangoes in the world. Located in the Panay Gulf, between the islands of Panay and Negros, there are over 50,000 mango trees planted in this island and its mangoes are reportedly served at the White House and Buckingham Palace.

Getting there

There is no direct flight to Guimaras. If you’re coming from Manila, take a direct flight to Iloilo. From Iloilo, ride a jeepney or a taxi going to Iloilo City harbor (Ortiz Wharf), and then take a 15-minute pump boat ride going to Jordan Wharf, Guimaras which is the main port of entry in Guimaras.

A pump boat ride costs PHP 14 (around $0.35 or less) as of 2013. Buenavista is another port of entry to Guimaras, although some said it’s quite expensive to tour around there and not recommended for first timers.

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I knew you are planning a trip to Guimaras and you stumbled upon this page. Getting to Guimaras is pretty easy. There is no direct flight to Guimaras, you will need to fly to Iloilo to get to Guimaras.

Ride a jeepney or a taxi going to Iloilo City harbor, then take a 15-minute pump boat ride going to Jordan Wharf, Guimaras which is the main port of entry in Guimaras. A pump boat ride costs P13 (around $0.35 or less) as of 2010.

From Jordan Wharf, sign up their logbook — which I think for the purpose of recording the number of tourists visiting Guimaras. The office also holds all the information about Guimaras including, guide maps, contact to all Guimaras Travel and Tours, beach resorts, etc. So don’t forget to grab one brochure.
Read more…

This is the second part of our day trip travel to Guimaras, the island hopping experience.

Sneak sunset photo from Baras

We availed the Island Hopping tour at Raymen’s Beach Resort. The tour costs P400 ($10) for the first hour and P150 ($4) for succeeding hour. If you’re on a tight budget, I recommend you to travel in group to divide the cost of this tour.

When we hopped on the boat, our tour guide suggested the must-experience places in our island hopping tour. Due to excitedness, we just told Kuya to bring us to wherever that must-experience places are. Locals know better!!! (Not applicable to some places).

So, he and the two other boatmen then introduced us the Lawi Marine Turtle Rescue Center as our first stop. This is one my favorite spots where I got the chance to lift a pawikan (sea turtle). I took extra care to avoid dropping her. Remember, we are in a rescue center and not harming center.

It’s quite scary at first as she’s big, heavy, and was trying to swim in the air making it hard to grab her shell. I have to mention that any amount of donation is accepted in this center to help rescue more sea turtles.

With other sea turtles Hawksbill and Olive Ridley

Next destination is the Ave Maria Island. Ave Maria Island is surrounded by big rock formations and ruined rocks nearby that was from the typhoon Frank last 2008. There are no cottages in this island but you can spend your time in snorkeling, swimming, or just lie down and relax breathing the sea breeze while viewing the opposite side of the island.

I found a kitten in this island. Poor kitten

Out of the blue on our way to next destination, I suddenly remembered the oil spill incident which happened way back in 2006. OH YEAH, that oil spill is here Guimaras!

This happened when an oil tank carrying two million liters of bunker fuel sank at the Guimaras Strait damaging marine sanctuaries, breeding ground for fish, as well as killing a villager after inhaling the fumes of the oil causing him to have cardiorespiratory disease.

Locals said Guimaras has fully recovered after three years with combined cleaning powers from nearby countries. Yes, Guimaras has now fully recovered. Since I’m a curious daughter of nature, I tried tasting the water and it is salty and not oily.

Going back, our next destination would be the cave (I forgot what cave is this, if you happen to know, please drop a comment).

This cave has two entrance but the boat cannot fit in the other entrance so we have to exit again where we entered.

I have to say this cave is lovely. Even though stalactites and stalagmites were already dead, its crystals shines brighter than the star.

The first thing I noticed here in Guimaras while island hopping is that, it has many caves. According to legend, some of these caves were used as a secret hideaway by an ancient lovers and to have their romantic affair. The lovers were known as Guim (the lady) and Aras (the guy).

We’re headed now to the place we’ve been waiting for, the Baras Beach Resort. Okay, the special thing about this beach is that, it has pathway to heaven!!

A family going home

But I don’t want to go home

My tummy itching when this was taken.

Instant models of Baras

Mica and our tour guide

I want to jump off this cliff but the water is not clear

I cannot describe this one

Will go back to this place? Definitely YES! I must say Guimaras is the perfect hideaway for people seeking peace of mind.

Our journey ends here. While I am writing this, memories of the view are still fresh. I miss my FB and BF (full-time buddy and best friend), Mica. She’s in the other side of the world right now.

Network signal issues

Globe signal is very weak here compared to Smart. We have been able browse the internet with the use of Sun broadband, but very weak and disconnects from time to time. I am not promoting anything here just giving you some info. I am a Globe subscriber by the way.

How to Get to Guimaras?

You can read this post on how to get to Guimaras

I’ve known Guimaras for its sweet mangoes. A friend of mine occasionally goes there for relaxation and unload the heavy feelings in this busy place. She always tells me I should go there some time but I once told her, ‘anu na naman gagawin ko dun?’ (what the hell am I gonna do there?) LOL, I broke her emo moments, I didn’t know Guimaras is such a beautiful place that time.

Where in Guimaras?

Searching from Google, “Guimaras is an exotic island province blessed with picturesque beaches, flass, springs, and offshore islates, which attracts both foreign and domestic visitors.” – Guimaras Tourism

From Iloilo City harbor, we took a 15-minute pump boat ride going to Jordan Wharf, Guimaras. A pump boat ride costs P13 (around $0.35 or less). Thanks to Marcos for the instructions!

Right after we stepped out of the boat, we saw their Tourism Office. We signed up their logbook which I think for the purpose of recording the number of tourists visiting Guimaras. The office also holds all the information about Guimaras including, guide maps, contact to all Guimaras Travel and Tours, beach resorts, etc. but we chose to have our own itinerary as we were on a tight budget. So, we took the guide map and hired a tricycle driver who happened to be our tour guide as well.

Note that there are lots of tricycle drivers who will offer you their services. The good thing about this place is that tricycle drivers have fix amount of P250 ($6), to get you to the popular Alubihod beach. You just have to choose which driver you feel like riding to. Lucky you if the tricycle driver is hot and single.

We end up hiring Kuya Gerald as our tricycle driver and tour guide. From the starting price of P250, we asked him if he can tour us to Guisi lighthouse, Trappist Monastery, and Valle Verde while we are on our way to Alubihod beach. He said those landmarks are quite far from each other especially the Guisi Lighthouse, and if we really want to go, we have to add additional P250 so that makes P500. We agreed to his price.

It’s P250 each in our case because we were two people but if you’re in a group, you will save big time and P500 is already cheap. Let’s say you are traveling in group with five people: 500 divided by 5 is P100 each (one tricycle fits five people).

Before starting our land tour, he introduced us his own itinerary. Oh, this driver rocks. Originally, our itinerary only had Guisi lighthouse, Trappist Monastery, and Valle Verde, but he had Pasalubong house, Plantation, Museo De Guimaras, and Guisi beach to add in our itinerary. The original P500 amount for the tour is still fixed. Our first stop was Museo De Guimaras. It was closed that time so we just took pictures.

My camera sucks big time having problems with auto-focus and exposures, so my photos are and not-so-good photos, poor me.

Trappist Temple

The Monastic Enclosure. Am I still in the Philippines?

Temple’s interior

We have talked to one of the monks there. He blessed us after we put our prayers in a piece of paper. This whole thing is very serene. We leave the temple with full of insightful thoughts and peace in our hearts. Man, this place is really relaxing.

Overlooking view of Plantation

Overlooking view at Valle Verde Mountain Resort

Guisi Lighthouse built in 1894 to 1896.
Translation to that written thing: Do not climb dangerous.

Rocks at Guisi Beach ruined by typhoon Frank last 2008

On our way to Alubihod

At last, we reached the very serene Alubihod beach. Say bye bye to our tricycle driver. We treated him lunch because we really find him nice. He carried our bags all the way from Guisi lighthouse to Guisi beach which is oh-so-far.

Alubihod beach

With Mica

Since we’re already here, we availed the Raymen’s Island Hopping tour. Should you wish to get Kuya Gerald’s number, here it is 09084748122. Tell him you know me (Ada). We gave him a P100-tip by the way! Some of our friends were fooled by other tricycle drivers charging them P800 or more for this kind of trip. We highly recommend Kuya Gerald.

Update (February 27, 2012): Heard from Kuya Gerald and according to him, price rates for land tour has now changed. Not sure how much. But I’m sure it’s still the cheapest!

Want to know where is this breathtaking place in Guimaras?

Read the second part of my post, Island Hopping in Guimaras.

How to Get to Guimaras?

You can read this post on how to get to Guimaras

Photos without watermark belong to Mica of micamyx.com.

I have many backlogs to be posted soon. It’s 3:50 in the morning, I haven’t blogged this December, I can only show some of my stock photos which I haven’t published here, my sunset shots.

Hundred Islands, Alaminos City Pangasinan

Calaguas Islands, Camarines Norte

Zorb Park, Davao City

Anda, Pangasinan

San Juan, La Union

Hundred Islands