From Dumaguete City, me and Joel (my boyfriend) rode a jeep to Amlan. The jeep waits for people before it eventually starts the journey. It is important to tell the driver that you'd like to be dropped off at the junction of La-laan because you'd like to go to the Twin Lakes. The fare per person is 15 PHP (0.29 USD) and the trip took about 20 minutes
At the junction, we were immediately swarmed by (habal-habal) motorcycle drivers. As the road was steep and uphill, the driver said it is best to only have one passenger per vehicle. We had to pay a total of 800 PHP (15.36 USD) for the 2 motorcycle drivers.
The road was mostly cemented but still it was uphill and winding and steep. I observed that there were a lot of dogs sleeping in the middle of the street. They would immediately scamper off when they hear that the vehicles are near. During the trip, I can't help but be amazed with the view of the town below and the many trees surrounding me. The entire ride took about 15-20 minutes until we reached the Visitor Center wherein we had to pay for the parking fee and entrance fees.
Tip: If you have a Government Identification card that details your address, you can get a discount from the Local Resident fee.
Joel is a foreigner so we had to pay 100 PHP (1.92 USD) for his entrance. But looking at the receipt now, I (as a local/ Filipino resident) am paying 90 PHP (1.73 USD) which is not far from his fee. LOL!
The staff of the Visitor Center also controls how many vehicles can go up or down at the same time. This is good for the safety of the visitors. Joel had to go up first.
While I was waiting for him, I had the time to look around the visitor center.
It was then my turn to go up. When I arrived, Joel and I were then guided by the driver to the short down hill trek towards the lake. It was a bit dangerous because of the slippery road but at least there was a hand rail.
The lake looked so serene and there were a few people ahead of us in there. It looked deep and huge at the same time. However there is not much to do other than stare at the vastness of the lake. There is, however, a row boat that one can hire for 350 pesos an hour to take people to see the other lake named Danao. There is also a trail hike which we did not go to because of the slippery path.
As part of the deal with the motorcycle drivers, they dropped us off at Dumaguete City. Now I can say that I have seen the lake with my own eyes and is now ticked off my bucket list.
Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!
