As an archipelago, the Philippines have been blessed with so many beautiful beaches and pristine bodies of water. Some of these islands and beaches have become so popular among local and foreign tourists. These places are the perfect party place if you love the crowd, the music, and the water.
However, there are still a lot of beautiful places in the Philippines which have not been touched by commercialization or for someone who loves to be on a beach yet to be explored by the crowd. Moreover, among this hidden gem is Bais City in Negros Oriental.
Narrow gauge steam locomotive manufactured by Baldwin in the US on display opposite the sugar mill Central Azucarera de Bais and formerly used for hauling wagons loaded with sugar cane throughout the fields of the City of Bais in the Philippines: Alice Delgado Chew [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Bais City is also the take-off point if you want to go and see the place known as the ‘Maldives of the Philippines’ or the Manjuyod Sandbar. You have to catch the morning low tide, which takes place between 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, for a chance to see the entire stretch of the sandbar. You can also go snorkeling and swimming at the beach. Moreover, if you go hungry, the friendly fishermen in the area would only be happy to grill fresh seafood for you.
Talabong Mangrove Park is another natural attraction that can be found in Bais City. A 400-hectare protected mangrove forest; one can get there by riding a boat and walking through a split-bamboo boardwalk.
The city is also home to the first sugar mill in the country, the Central Azucarera de Bais. Established in the early 1900s by the Tabacalera of Spain, it is one of the pioneers of the sugar industry in the Philippines.
So, if you want to be more adventurous and explore places less traveled, why not see Bais City?