Travel: Experience Negros and the 'sweet life'
by Pauline Cala-or, LopezLink | 10/25/2009 5:25 AM
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MANILA - This October, join the Bacolod fiesta called "Masskara", which celebrates the affluence and abundance brought by the sugar industry.
The celebration's name alone - "the festival of a thousand smiles per minute" - suggests a lot of fun and excitement.
If you decide to be part of this event, try to also explore the nearby cities and towns of Negros Occidental that boast both man-made and natural monuments.
The Ruins, for example, are the remains of the mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson from the early 1900s. The 903-square-meter structure stands in the middle of a sugar plantation and offers a glimpse of what the life of a Spanish- era "haciendero" must have been like.
Another worthy site is the Gaston Mansion, popularly called the Balay Negrense in Silay City, Negros Occidental. The museum charges an entrance fee of P40.
The Gaston Mansion is the old family house that was converted and restored for public viewing. The museum houses the furniture and hierloom pieces of the Gaston family, headed by French-born sugar baron Yves Leopold Germain Gaston.
A staple in many a tourist's travel to the area is Mt. Kanlaon, an active volcano that straddles the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. It is a favorite among mountain climbers and is surrounded by the Mt. Kanlaon National Park.
An unhurried, quite walk with a small group of 10 to 12 persons lets the visitors absorb and appreciate this unique environment.
The nearby Mambucal Mountain Resort at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon serves as a cool tourist destination with unparalleled scenic features. A stay at the hotel costs around P2,400 or ($50), giving guests access to therapeutic dipping pools, swimming pools and a food court.
It is a government-owned piece of paradise and was developed by a Japanese architect in 1927 as a bath house and picnic garden.
Whether you want a taste of luxury or to relax in a warm, natural setting - then Negros offers all of these and more. Photo from www.bacolodcity.gov.ph.
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