Exploring Guimaras and Baras Island: Beautiful Beach Resorts, Land Of Mangoes
By: Nayz
The name Guimaras brings to mind two things – mangoes and beaches. Considered as the mango capital of the Philippines, the place boasts of the sweetest mangoes in the country. In fact, its mangoes are of export quality. But, other than this, Guimaras is also one of the most popular destination spots in the Philippines, all thanks to its lovely beaches.
The first time I’ve seen Guimaras during a travel with some friends, it was its roads that first attracted me. They were long and unwinding, and they open up like they were headed to the clouds far ahead.
Guimaras is a small community that’s accessible only by water – there’s no airport in the area. You will need to fly to Ilo-ilo and then board a boat to take you to the place. There’s a small center in the port from which you can inquire about your destination. The staff in the center even offers a free map for visitors to help you get around. A word of caution: upon arrival, be prepared to deal with a whole lot of drivers offering their services to tour you around or bring you to your destination for a considerable amount. During our visit, we hired a tricycle (three-wheeled automobile) to bring us to the Puyo Wharf, at the rate of P250.
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The roads in Guimaras offer a refreshing sight, far from the traffic-plagued roads of the city. There are only very few houses in the area, as well as very few vehicles. So, the roads are very open – all you’ll see from afar are grasses and trees. You’ll also see hectares of mango trees, with their fruits wrapped in paper to protect them from pest and keep the skin smooth and blemish-free.
Somewhere in Ravina, the tricycle driver stopped at the side of the road to show us the Turtle Island from afar. The island is called by that name because it’s a breeding ground for turtles. It’s accessible by boat, too bad we weren’t able to visit the area during our stay.
The island-resort that we visited was Baras, a family-managed resort that is known for the privacy that it offers to visitors. It’s a place of relaxation. If you want to forget the monotony of your daily routines, your problems at work, or the stress of family life, then Baras Beach Resort is for you. The said resort is an island surrounded by many other islands. Because of this, the water on its beach is very calm and unmoving – there are no waves to fear. The beach, though, isn’t sandy – it’s composed of small stones and corals. But, the water is so clear you’ll even see small fishes swimming by your feet when you stand in the water. The water’s very salty, though, it’s almost irritating to the eyes.
There are different cottages in Baras situated in different parts of the island. Our cottage was overlooking the sea. It was located in one of the protruding cliffs, the edge of which drops sharply down to the water – being there felt extra special. The rate of the cottages starts at P950 (good for three people). There is an additional entrance fee of P50, for the use of such amenities as the volleyball court, pool table, and even a boat for rowing. The latter activity was so much fun – we were able to reach the nearby islands and were able to look closely at the corals surrounding the resort.
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Food was not a problem as well. The resort offers a wide range of dishes that includes seafood, veggies, and meat. They offer these per kilogram, and you can request the staff to cook them the way you want. For dinner, we had a half kilo of chicken (fried) for P200, a half kilo of shrimp (sweet and spicy) for P250, a half kilo of squid (stuffed) for P250, mixed vegetables (stir-fried) for P120, a pot of steaming rice for P100, and a one-liter bottle of soda for P75. According to the manager, guests can also call in advance should they have special needs, like wine, so that they can prepare them prior to the guests’ arrival. One thing you need to know, though – there’s no electricity in Baras islands. They have generator, which is only used from 6PM to 10PM, after which they distribute candles for use by guests. So, have all your batteries fully charged or bring extra lighting with you. You may also want to bring mosquito repellents as protection – although the resort provides mosquito net for use at night.
After our stay in Guimaras, we checked out the souvenir shops and “pasalubong” centers (places where you can purchase local pastries and goods to bring to your loved ones back home). One of the most popular in Guimaras is the Trappist Monastery, a monastery that produces goods like mango bars (P75 per pack, 10 bars), mango biscocho (P35), piaya (P35), and other candies. Another is the Guimaras Trade and Information Center, which offers not only goods but as well as stuff like printed T-shirts (around P200), customized ballpens (P30), and accessories (starting at P20). Of course, we didn’t miss the local market for mangoes. They have very big mangoes, one kilo of which would only consist of three pieces. During our visit, the mangoes were a little expensive, P90 per kilo. But, they were indeed very sweet.
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There are still a lot of places to visit in Guimaras, but we were not able to check them out because there wasn’t enough time – we only stayed there for one day and one night. If you’re going to Guimaras island, allot enough time to check out places like the Guisi Lighthouse and the many other islands in the area. It’s a good option if you’re looking for a cheap vacation in the Philippines. The place oozes with simplicity, and it’s a perfect getaway if you want to unwind by going back to the basics of life.