Melo Villareal
If there’s an Island Souvenir store that sells a statement shirt with “I love Guimaras Island” on it, I probably have one already. I just love collecting souvenir shirts from different local and international destinations.
In a country with more than 7,000 islands, it’s almost impossible to pick the ‘best’ one, but Guimaras Island is definitely in the running. With so many destinations I have been to, Why do I have less than two dozen souvenir shirts? It’s simply because I don’t want to buy just for the sake of having one; I want quality shirts with beautiful prints on them. That’s the reason why I don’t have a Guimaras shirt:(
In case you don’t know, Guimaras became more popular in 2006 when an oil tanker carrying bunker fuel sank off the province’s coast and spilled over 500,000 liters of oil. I was so disappointed when that happened, and I thought I would never see the beauty of this island. With the help of various non-profit organizations, local and international environmental organizations, and the national government, Guimaras is back on its feet as if nothing happened.
One of the things that makes Guimaras a great destination is that if you like island hopping, there aren’t many better bases. You can catch a day trip or day tour in Guimaras Island to dozens of places by renting a van or a jeep in one of the two port areas in Guimaras.
There’s something genuinely astounding about stepping onto a small island and knowing (or should I say pretending) that you are the only one there. I wanted to check out Isla Naburot, which looks incredibly swanky and posh in some photos I saw online, but I heard that it’s a forbidden place unless you are invited as a guest or have a reservation there. Too bad for me, I lost my invitation LOL.
The highlights of my day tour of Guimaras Island were the turtle Dagsaan Ecopark, Roca Encantada, and San Isidro Labrador Church in Navalas. I know there are so many things to visit in Guimaras, but all three tourist spots I’ve been to were incredible.
Guimaras is the perfect place to island hop. There are so many day trips and day tours to choose from that I will probably be here for a couple of weeks and still not see everything I’d like to.
With so little time, I missed so many sweet fruits, enchanting shores, and interesting people, but I promise…. I’ll find myself on the island soon.
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Also read: The Ultimate List of the Best Hotels and Resorts in Guimaras Island
