Travel Guide Dumaguete

Dumaguete has lived up to its reputation! It's one of the Philippines' most peaceful, clean and livable cities. A coastal city of 135,000 inhabitants and capital of Negros Oriental, it is home to several schools and campuses, including Silliman University, one of the country's most prestigious and second largest after Manila. Founded in 1901, it was the first American university in Asia, and today its reputation has spread far and wide: many Japanese, Korean and Indian students come here to study. This constant influx of students gives the city a very pleasant, lively and dynamic atmosphere. Make no mistake about it, Dumaguete, beyond its charm, retains all the typical features of a Filipino city: tricycles, street-food stalls, exposed electric cables, a waterfront that's not very well developed, but here it's a little less chaotic and probably more prosperous. Dumaguete is popular with travellers on their way to Bohol or Siquijor, but also with diving enthusiasts, as there are dozens of highly reputed spots off the Dumaguete coast, and Dauin in particular. What's more, it's one of the best-served towns in the Visayas, so there's no excuse not to stop off!