Visayas Traverse: Guimaras Island

Day2: Guimaras Island

Date of Travel: 14 October 2013

All geared up!

For a different kind of Guimaras experience, we decided to do a mountain bike tour. We would be visiting a lot of other beaches so I'm not really keen on seeing Guimaras ones plus, I heard that Guimaras is a great destination for mountain biking. We actually have no experience in the sport and were very unfit on the day but, oh well.

Road lined with endless Mango trees

Oro Verde owns the largest mango plantation in the island. This road was in front of their main gate. Because it wasn't mango season, we didn't see a lot of mangoes but the ones we had in the island were still top quality.
According to our guide, only Guimaras mangoes are allowed for export. And those from other places are consumed and traded locally.

A wild caterpillar appears!

While resting after a "challenging" bike trail, I saw a big caterpillar hanging just beside us. It was as green as grass and as large as a swollen finger. That was one of the few times I actually saw a wildlife along the trail.

Sadsad Falls

After powering through 10kms of uphill and downhill biking, our guide led us to a final trail to Sadsad falls. It was steep so we only rode our bikes half of the way and trekked the other half. The trail reminded me of Tarak and Maculot and I was happily hopping through the stones and steps.

The falls itself was worth the long trip. We took a refreshing dip in the pool and sat beneath the falls for a free water massage. I am usually afraid to swim in natural pools because I am afraid of what's underneath and of not being able to float. But I guess I was able to lighten up after the first swim.

How We Did It

I contacted the Guimaras Tourism Office to ask for someone who offers mountain bike tours. They only had one contact, Sir Tommy Martir. I gave him a call and we settled on an arrangement. A few days before our trip, I contacted him again to confirm our deal. He agreed to meet us at the Hoskyn Port and also offered food and accommodations.

Guimaras Tourism Office: PHONE (033) 581 2021

Tommy Martir: GLOBE 0927 553 7575

Bike Rental: P500

Guide Fee: P500

Room: P500

Food: P100

Promotion 

Mr. Martir is a passionate bicycle enthusiast. He has been featured in various articles and write-ups including Lonely Planet. He is an excellent tour guide who definitely knows what he's doing. He knows how to keep his guests entertained and how to make the best out of their visit.

As he is now becoming more renowned as a biking tour guide, he is looking for fellow bicycle enthusiasts who are as passionate as him to help in his business. Benefits include meeting and hanging out with male and female tourists from all over the world, travelling with pay, and living out your passion.

Bonus Story

We were in Guimaras when the recent Bohol earthquake happened. I was packing up my things while he was brushing his teeth when I felt the ground moving. I stayed still to make sure what it was and then rushed to his side and held his hand just because. We stood still and waited around 5 seconds until the movements stopped.

That was the first among many of our earthquake encounters in Visayas. It wasn't that strong and it didn't feel frightening. My brain said I should be scared because an earthquake is supposed to be dangerous but I didn't feel any imminent danger at all. It was amusing, actually -- an extraordinary experience.

The Hardworking Traveller is a collection of travel guides and travel accounts that aim to help the DIY tourist with travel planning. The author is a generation-y kid struggling between her reality of needing a corporate job and her dream of becoming a hermit.

For questions, reactions and itinerary requests, please contact her here. She will also gladly customize a trip for you in exchange for coffee (or milk tea).