Thanksgiving Holiday in Guimaras

Costa Aguada

Due to a long weekend, thanks to the Thanksgiving Holiday in the US, my friend and I planned a weekend trip at Guimaras. Originally, I was planning to go to Sorsogon but since I wasn't able to make reservations at the resort I wanted to stay at, I stumbled on Costa Aguada's ad in the yellow pages. I payed the total amount of the stay at a local BDO near our place the day before we were there which was convenient. The resort is located in its own island from the main island of Guimaras just near Negros Occidental. Instead of going through Iloilo, we decided to go through Bacolod instead since it was much closer there. From the new Bacolod Silay airport, it took us an hour and a half to arrive at the resort's own port. From there it took an hour to arrive at the resort. The trip going to island was little scary (thank God there were life vests) since we were riding a small boat and the waves are kinda big. To top it off, our propeller broke so we were just at the mercy of the waves. After almost 2 hours, we met land thanks to another boat the pulled us to shore. We landed at the back side of the island, were they made copra, so it was quite makalat. We rode the resort's tram where we passed by the local baranggay in the island.

Us usan island

When we arrived, the staff greeted us with a song, a welcome lei and a glass of cold buko juice. To our surprise, we were the only guest at the resort that day (we arrived Friday). We booked a fan only room, which was OK thinking that it will be cool anyway since we're by the beach. The rooms are bahay kubo inspired and I feel needs a little updating since they are quite old. Just a reminder too, the resort doesn't have electricity during the day, so its best to do all your charging at night. The place is also limited when it comes to network signal so be prepared. Another thing to remember is that they only provide soap and towels, so make sure you bring your toiletries although they have a little shop where you can purchase stuff. The staff was very attentive, I guess the more since they just had 2 guest for that day. The food is OK, and portions not that big, not really what I expected. I expected the food to be much cheaper and bigger servings since I'm in the province but I felt like I'm eating at a restaurant in the city. The resort had nice amenities, they had a pool that was clean, so we tried that out after lunch. Near the pool they had a game hall where they had pool tables, dart boards and other games. It was boring on our first day to say the least so we decided to eat dinner early. We had dinner served in our room and tried sea food dishes. Again small portions and quite pricey for a place surrounded by water. The air was cool and the place was quiet, except for the sound of the waves and critters ofcourse. We hit the sack early since we had nothing else to do. The night was quiet and breezy, very relaxing. It was raining that night and I remembered praying while asleep for a sunny day tomorrow.

Us usan island

After a good nights rest, we woke up a little early and thankfully, it was sunny. We scheduled an island hopping trip at the front desk to take us around the nearby islands. We only went to 2 island though, 1st one was another island resort which we just checked out but left immediately and Us usan island where we stayed for most of the time. I felt like a celebrity, our private resort, now a private island, since we were the only people there. The sand was white, not as fine as the one in Boracay or Palawan, and the water very clear. It was what I was looking forward to in this trip, to enjoy the beach. Sunny skies, white sand and clear water, it made the trip very worthwhile. You can walk a few meters from the shore and the water wasn't that deep yet so it was nice for snorkeling especially for the ones who do not know how to swim. You can see some fishes as well as starfish on the sea bed. Be careful though of the current, it might take you to a deep part of the beach. It was so relaxing and beautiful that my friend and I didn't notice the time already. I didn't even realize that i was already hungry. After hours of just swimming, wading and just talking, we headed back to the resort, although I didn't feel like it yet.

Biking around the island

Once we got back, to our surprise, we met up with a college friend who was also in Guimaras for a vacation. We had lunch together and tried to use the resorts amenities. They tried kayaking while I tried mountain biking and exploring parts of the island. My friend and I went as far as checking the local elementary school of the baranggay in the island and the pawikan sanctuary, although we didn't see a pawikan that time that made me doubt there is one there. I had a major work out with all that biking and it added that the bikes they had there weren't really that new, so its either it had rust in it or the tires flat or in my case, a little rusty with a busted gear. That night, before getting dinner, we checked out the game room and played some pool and darts. Another thing to remember is to bring a lot of insect/mosquito repellent since there's a lot especial during the night. It wasn't long before we went back to the restaurant to eat, other than the mosquitoes, the stuff were a little old and not really well maintained and it just smelled old. After a hearty dinner, it wasn't long before it was lights out again, I guess everyone was tired with all the activities. Alas it was our last day and the vacation is ending.

Having a hike at the island

After eating breakfast, we had one more activity and that was to do the jungle trek. This activity was physically challenging, other than the steep climb, the trail was quite muddy. After 30 minutes we were able to reach the top. Going down took us an hour but it gave us views of the island from the top which was nice. We came down where the pawikan sanctuary was so we decided to check out out one more time. It was our lucky day since we were able to see this big pawikan from the murky water. That was a nice cap to our trip. Just like coming in to the island, getting out of it was also an adventure. We hitched a ride with a boat going back to Negros, which was a big one this time so we were at ease, and they handed us towels. Initially I didn't know what it was for until we were at sea already. We were battling the waves that everything in the boat was getting wet, yes including the crew in it and ofcourse us. For the duration of the trip, we were holding up towels to somehow protect us from getting much more wet. Arriving back at Negros was a relief and we were ready to eat and taste authentic inasal from Bacolod. After a hearty lunch of Inasal and leche flan, we bought our pasalubong at the center beside where we ate at. The items were very nice and there were a lot to choose from although he prices are for tourists as well. We arrived at the airport with just enough time to relax a little bfore boarding our plane back to Manila.

Bridge at the dock

Pros: The place was secluded and very relaxing, you have the place all to yourself which what I liked about it. The staff was very accommodating, very pleasant and nice and they made sure your needs were met. There are lot's of things do to, ride a bicycle and go around the island, go hike to the mountain, lounge in the pool, play pool/darts, kayak, or check out their big pawikan at the pawikan pool at the far end of the resort.

Pawikan

Cons: The beach front isn't really that nice, it was rocky and the water was murky not really inviting. Although the resort was loaded with facilities, maintenance of the facilities should be a priority as well. The rooms were dated and needs refurbishing, linens and towels need to be changed and the game room facilities need fixing or replacing. Also, boat transfers were a definite turn off.

Tips: There aren't a lot of Mangoes were we stayed at and we were told that the mangoes are located at the main island of Guimaras so if you wanna sample the mangoes, stay at the main island. Since the beach at the resort isn't really that nice, make sure to head immediately at Us usan island to make the trip worth while. Order lunch already at the resort so they can prepare it for you and you can eat it at the island to make the most of your stay there. There aren't any cabanas at the beach or pool, make sure to bring your beach mat. Make sure to bring a lot of insect/mosquito repellent.

beach side at Costa Aguada

Enjoying the sun and sand at Us usan island