Guimaras Travel

We continue with the travel tips of Reader Jan. We all know that the oil spill in Guimaras, Philippines has affected the tourism industry there but quite recently, in the newspapers, there were reports that the local government will promote other types of tours like mango plantation tours.

Anyway, here's some useful information from Jan:

You can go to Guimaras by using Iloilo as your take-off point. You can rent a jeep to bring you to the wharf where you can take a boat going to Guimaras. It's 15-20 minute boat ride from Iloilo to Guimaras. Upon arriving in Guimaras, you can rent a cab to take you to different tourist spots.

Be sure to visit the Trappist Monastery. Jan says that it is an ideal place for soul-searching and retreats. You can visit the chapel and buy fruit preserves and local handicraft made by the monks. Jan says that the monks start their day at 2am and end it at 8pm. That's one long day!

After the monastery, check out the Scented Candle Factory. There, they make all kinds of fruit candles -- watermelon, mango, banana, pineapple, guava, grapes, apple, strawberry, and even cashew. Is the cashew a fruit or a nut?

You may also want to drop by Raymen Beach Resort where Jan and her companions had lunch. She says they visited on a Monday and it was still packed with people.

Lastly, when in Guimaras, make sure you taste and eat their export-quality mangoes. Try and arrange to visit one of their mango plantations over there. Bring a kaing of mangoes home too!