Beyond the Masskara: 5 Things to Do in (and near) Bacolod City
Every third week of October, the streets of Bacolod ring with festivities and fill up with masked revelers in the festival aptly called the Masskara. Hundreds of tourists flock to this small city in the Visayas to witness and be part of one of the most colorful festivals in the Philippines.
A local joining in the parade.
Masskara participants during the presentation.
Masskara participants streetdancing during the parade.
When the festival is done, and the streets are empty of dancing revelers, what else is there to do in Bacolod? Plenty as it turned out, both in Bacolod itself and its neighboring cities.
Go to Palapala and order seafood to be cooked while you wait.
Bacolod is known as a foodie destination, if only for its chicken dishes (“inasal”) and seafood. As I’m not much of a meat eater, I would highly recommend going to Old Palapala for lunch. There are many “tulahan” there, which are small restaurants surrounding the wet market. You order your chosen seafood at the market and the tulahan will cook it according to your liking. There’s certainly nothing fresher (and cheaper!) than that!
Nope, this is not mine!
Savor the sweet cakes in Calea.
You have never been to Bacolod if you haven’t had a bite of Calea cakes. At less than P100 per slice, the cakes there are the ultimate in sugar rush. Every morsel is unforgettably sweet. I highly recommend the White Chocolate Cheesecake and the mud pie!
A slice of mud pie costs only P90.
There are three branches, so go to one nearest you. We’ve visited Calea in Lacson Street (beside L’Fisher Hotel) and the one inside Robinsons Place Bacolod.
Visit The Ruins in Talisay.
As its name suggests, it’s the ruins of what used to be a great house. But even reduced to bare bones, it still looks splendid, telling a story of a time long gone. From being the grand mansion of sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and his Portuguese wife, Maria Braga, it is now a very famous tourist attraction, and visitors who flock to it are awed by its timeless beauty. What would it have been like to stay in something as grand as this?
The splendid Ruins in Talisay City.
Seeing the Ruins is a must if you’re visiting Bacolod City.
To go to The Ruins, you can either commute or take a taxicab. Aside from just picture taking, you can also eat at the cafe inside; there’s a mini-exhibit as well where you can read the write-ups done on the place. Weddings, pre-nup sessions, and other events can also be held here. Just contact them for details:
The Ruins
Hacienda Sta. Maria, Talisay City
Contact: +63.34.476.4334, +63.917.832.6003
Visit Balay Negrense, an ancestral house in Silay.
Also called the Gaston ancestral house, Balay Negrense showcases the life of rich Bacolodnons in the early 19th century. You can commute there from Bacolod via jeepney, and for P40 as an entrance fee, you will get a feel of how the old rich lived.
The ancestral home Balay Negrense.
Victor Gaston—the patriarch—was actually the son of a French immigrant who married a Filipina. They and their one dozen children lived here until around the 60s, and the house was later donated to the Negros Cultural Foundation until it became inaugurated as a museum in 1990.
I would love to sleep on a bed like this!
When you’re there, admire the wooden central staircase, the wide living room in the second floor, the connecting bedrooms, and the dining area which still has the things and the furniture originally used by the family. I loved most the huge windows overlooking the city! You will never see houses built like this anymore these days.
Balay Negrense
Cinco de Noviembre Street
Silay City, Negros Occidental
+63.34.495.4916
Visit the Bernardino Jalandoni Ancestral House.
If you haven’t had enough yet of ancestral houses, there’s another one in Silay that’s very much worth checking out. The Jalandoni home was the first heritage house in the city to be opened to the public, and it’s easy accessibility make it a perfect site to visit for those who are short in time.
Facade of the Jalandoni ancestral home along Rizal Street.
Our family also used lamps like this until the 1980s.
Owned by another sugar baron in the early 1900s, Don Bernardino Jalandoni and his wife Ysabel Ledesma, the Jalandoni ancestral home is another example of the architectural style prevalent in that period. Aside from the foundation, the material used is mostly wood, giving the whole place a very cozy and homey feel. There are wood carvings all over the place, and their beds and furnishings make one wish they’d lived in those times too. Simply wonderful!
There are so much more you can do in Bacolod and nearby towns. Like many others who have been there, I, too, have vowed to be back in Bacolod City someday.
Have you ever been to Bacolod? What do you recommend there in the City of Smiles?
This is my entry to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ 23rd Blog Carnival for September 2012 with the theme “The Visayas Roundup” hosted by Ding Fuellos of The Pinoy Explorer.
Aleah Taboclaon is a freelance writer and editor. She likes running (completed one marathon, training for the next!), diving (PADI open water diver), and traveling with her Kindle. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. You can also email her; she would love to hear from you! Share and Enjoy
now i know kung ano ang Calea… naririnig ko yan eh… i have to try it if matuloy ako sa Bacolod next month… thanks for sharing Aleah…
mervz | pinoyadventurista.com recently posted..Pinoy Food : Longganisang Lucban, Quezon’s Famous Delicacy
The Ruins in Talisay is fantastic, we are going to Philippines by early next year, is this place far away from Manila? What is the recommended transportation to come to this place?
Thanks,
Simon Lee
Simon Lee recently posted..Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex – Explore the Wonder of Astronomy
@ Mervz: Sarap dun Mervz. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a sweet tooth, one whole slice is too much. Better to share with a friend hehe
@ Simon Lee: The Ruins is near Bacolod City. From Manila, you have to fly to Bacolod. Check out CebuPacificAir.com or PhilippineAirlines.com. Then from Bacolod, you can follow the tips I’d given in the post. There are a lot more places you can visit too, aside from the ones I listed here!
Aleah recently posted..Beyond the Masskara: Top 5 Things to Do in (and near) Bacolod City
Nice roundup of Bacolod, Aleah, especially the ‘Aleah Tulahan’… hehe! I was actually set in doing an overnight trip to Bacolod this October. But had to cancel na.
I really want to see the Ruins in Talisay.. But I’m sure naman na I’ll get to visit soon! 
Mai Flores recently posted..A 5-Day Adventure: Sites worth seeing in Cebu and Bohol
thanks for sharing Aleah, very timely as I’ll be attending the Masskara festival next month..Can’t wait!
nathalie recently posted..Tricked and Tell
@ Mai: The Ruins is beautiful, Mai, esp if it’s not the Masskara season since there won’t be a lot of people. Too bad your trip got postponed. Hopefully you’ll get to push thru someday!
@ Nathalie: Nice, nice! Wish I could back too, would like to go to Mambukal.
Aleah recently posted..Beyond the Masskara: Top 5 Things to Do in (and near) Bacolod City
HI Aleah, I love festivals and the Maskara festival is one event I certainly want to experience. Your festival photos are stunning. I also love ruins and old homes and I love reading and seeing the photos of those your featured. There’s something so deeply nostalgic about Filipino old homes. When I visited the Philippines last December, I visited Casa Filipinas de Azucar in Bataan and I marveled in the historic old homes. I loved the feeling of stepping back in the bygone era. Have you been there? If not, you should check it out. I’m yet to post it in my blog. Nice post and photos as usual.
Marisol@TravelingSolemates recently posted..Magical Prague – Part 2: The Left Bank
Let me know when you go back!
Just in case I’m home I’ll lend you my bed hehehe.
Haha as if nmn ang ganda ganda n bed ko. :p
apol recently posted..Train Journey to the Old Capital | Ayutthaya, Thailand
Waw. Napost mo na din! Hahaha. Fave ko talaga si Manong Davies Paint!
Ako, wala pa din yung Bacolod posts ko!!!! Magaaniversary na yung trip ko!
Eileen Campos / Possibly Pinay recently posted..Scandinavia Tours Via Memory Lane
@ Marisol: Haven’t been to the Casa Filipinas. I loved taking pics of old homes too. My grandparents’ house in the province was really old, complete with large balcony and capiz windows. Too bad it was destroyed in one of the typhoons.
@ Apol: I’m a backpacker, gurl. I can sleep anywhere! haha I don’t think I’ve been to Victorias. I hope I do get the chance to take you up on your offer!
@ Eileen: Almost one year delayed! That’s why I grabbed the chance when the blog carnival topic came up haha
Aleah recently posted..Top 10 Apps for the Solo Traveler
Thanks for this! I’ll be in Bacolod this December
@ Joann: Let me know how your trip goes
Aleah recently posted..Snapshot Sunday—St. Anthony de Padua, Italy
[...] Wondering what else to do in Bacolod after the Masskara? Check this out: Beyond the Masskara: 5 Things to Do in (and Near) Bacolod City. [...]
[...] (via The Poor Traveler) Eating! – Chicken Inasal, Palapala, and Calea (via Franny Wanny and Solitary Wanderer) Overnight at Ong Bun Pension House (via Juanderful [...]
Leave your response!
Follow Me
Subscribe Here for FREE!
Connect with Me on Facebook!
Buying at Amazon? Click Here!
AS SEEN IN
Find Cheap Rooms When You Travel
Other Wanderers
Important Notice!
Affiliations
Helpful Resource
Figures
Who’s Been Here?
Archives
Please Visit!
Adventuring Foodie
Traveling Freelancer
Running and Happiness
Most Commented
Most Viewed