Day 1: Dumaguete City – Valencia home stay
Meals: lunch and dinner
Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. We’ll drive to Valencia. Continue You will trek down going to Casororo Falls. Drive to Valencia, located in the foothills of Mount Talinis. Continue to the Casororo Falls. You will descend by steep stairs to the falls rock walls where a single column of sparkling water plunges into a chilly swimming pool. Enjoy time at the falls. The trek to Casaroro falls is not that easy because of the steepness of the way to the falls. If you feel you are not comfortable with that, the guide will bring you to an alternative trek route inside the lush forest of Mt. Talinis, an inactive volcano. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the falls. After lunch we will proceed to your home stay.
You will meet your host family; settle your things at the homestay and do a short introduction and tour at the house and its neighborhood.
Visit Celestino´s farm, learn about good agricultural practices with the local farmers. Celestino is one of the beneficiaries of OURFood, a project of AFOS Foundation, a German NGO working.
Pick fresh vegetables from the farms and try them out together with other local cuisine. Learn the local way of living by helping your host family in doing chores like feeding the pig/chicken or harvesting fruits and preparing food.
Dinner with your host family. After dinner, you may have the option to go to a nearby karaoke place with your guide, that is one of the favorite socialization activities of the locals.
Overnight at the home stay.
Day 2: Valencia home stay
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Today you will trek up to Mount Talinis aka Cuernos de Negros (Horns of Negros), a potentially active volcano and the second highest mountain in Negros Island. The hike will take about 5-6 hours. Good trekking shoes, gloves and comfortable clothing is necessary for this adventure.
The sometimes steep trail leads through the forest to a sulfuric vent. Along the way, you pass several waterfalls and the views of Dumaguete and Siquijor Island are just stunning. There are many different species of ferns along the trail.This hike is a great workout and can be done by everyone who is in reasonable good condition. There are a couple of waterfalls where you can take a dip and it is also possible to bathe in a river has a mixture of water and sulfur. This water has medicinal properties. Lunch will be along the way.
Please note that authorities might close the trail due to adverse weather conditions, either too wet or too hot.
After a day’s activity take a break at your host family’s house, relax and enjoy the local life. Enjoy dinner with the family.
Overnight at the home stay.
Day 3: Valencia – Dumaguete
Meals: breakfast and lunch
Start your day with a little walk in the neighborhood, and join your host family in doing morning chores and have local breakfast.
After breakfast, your guide will take you to where the locals usually do their laundry or take a bath. The river is a about 15-20 – minute downhill walk from the homestay. Along the way, you will see fruit-bearing trees, if you are lucky to be in season, you may join the locals in harvesting or just asking for some to munch on. The water is clean in the river, you may have the option to take a bath or just be with the locals observing their usual chores.
Your host family will be preparing an early picnic lunch for you at the riverbank. While they are preparing, if you are in the mood to do some uphill trekking, you may go with your guide and get some morning exercise by trekking your way to up to see Mt. Talinis from a different view. The road is rough so make sure to bring a good walking shoes.
After the morning’s activity, take a break at your host family’s house, relax and freshen up.
It’s time to say goodbye to your host family. When you are ready, you will be transferred back to Dumaguete City.
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