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Home , Balay Negrense, Dinagyang, Guimaras, Iloilo, Iloilo City, Iloilo River

City is a 50min fl ight from and For more information please All You Need a 30min fl ight from , or you can catch a scan the QR-code below to Know ferry from Manila, taking 18hrs. There are also & fast ferries to Bacolod from . occidental Located on the island of in the Western , the province of Iloilo and its buzzy Jordan in is 20-25mins from capital Iloilo City are linked by the Guimaras Ortiz Wharf in Iloilo City by pump boat, or Strait to the independent island-province there are local ferries from Parola Wharf of Guimaras and to , the in Iloilo City to Buenavista. northwestern half of the island of Negros. Negros Occidental’s capital is Bacolod City. Where Follow us for more As well as being a great base for exploring the information on Philippine natural attractions that dot the surrounding to Stay tourism destinations province of the same name, Iloilo City is one of • MANILA the main access points for Island Most of Iloilo City’s longer-established hotels  @PhilippinesinUK with its powdery white beaches. are clustered in City Proper, but it is compact  @Philippines_UK and uncongested enough for you to explore  @Philippines_UK easily wherever you stay. Upmarket hotels Getting to are opening in ’s burgeoning #itsmorefuninthephilippines business parks, while Jaro and La Paz are #bepartofthefun and around popular with budget travellers, and Molo #morefunforever IloIlo and Villa Arevalo have larger beach resorts. Guimaras is also known for its relaxed beach NEGROS OCCIDENTAL Iloilo has easy fl ight connections to ILOILO CITY • • BACOLOD CITY Download our Manila (75mins), Cebu (55mins), Hong Kong resorts, as is in Negros Occidental. GUIMARAS ISLAND • Visit app from • (2hrs 40mins) and (3hrs 35mins). Bacolod has plenty of good-value, comfortable your mobile app store SIPALAY CITY • Jeepneys, tricycles (motorised taxis) and buses accommodation around the cathedral, Public & negros are the most common ways of getting around Plaza and general central area. the city and province as a whole. OCCIDENTAL

Climate

Tropical, with an average annual temperature of 27°C. February and August are the driest and wettest months respectively. Department of Tourism Embassy of the Philippines 2nd Floor, 10 Suffolk Street London SW1Y 4HG United Kingdom

Regional Offi ce Tel: +44 (0)20 7321 0668 Department of Tourism Region VI (), Ground Floor, Casa Real de Iloilo (Old Iloilo Provincial Capitol), Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City, Philippines [email protected] Tel: +63 33 337 5411, [email protected] www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.co.uk MassKara Festival, Bacolod

Gamay Island, and nightlife scene. But it’s Negros Occidental WELCOME TO ILOILO Why It's More Fun that is the region’s true cultural highlight, with & NEGROS OCCIDENTAL in Iloilo & Negros splendid architecture – including the Palacio Occidental Episcopal, San Sebastian Cathedral, the Capitol Dubbed the ‘City of Love’ for its friendly, gentle Relatively wealthy for its sugar production, Building, and Spanish and other churches – plus and soft-spoken inhabitants, Iloilo City is large Negros Occidental is a centre of arts and steam locomotives bearing witness to the the There are plenty of opportunities for activity- but has a human face: its seven all culture, with City north of the capital of province’s affl uent golden age. packed day-trips and short breaks within Iloilo have their own character thanks to colonial Bacolod City dubbed ‘the of Negros’ for province: hiking in forests and to waterfalls, infl uences, and their own town centre with its heritage houses. But it has its own beautiful Eating here is a joy. Don’t miss the local classics The UNESCO World Heritage snorkelling or scuba-diving in the Kuliatan Tarsier, a plaza, Roman and public pristine beaches: the seaside city of Sipalay is of (pork and noodle soup), lechon listed Miag-ao Church, Iloilo Marine Sanctuary, and sailing to caves and a market. Its newer business Mandurriao seen by some as an alternative to Boracay and manok (chicken spit-roast over charcoal), talaba saltwater lagoon. Guimaras is renowned for its has an array of dining and nightlife options, is renowned for its diving as well. (oysters), pancit molo (pork soup), water sports and island-hopping, while diving is while Villa Arevalo has a beach vibe and lots ‘Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka’ or KBL (pork, pigeon a big draw of Sipalay in Negros Occidental. of seafood restaurants. “Iloilo is a hidden gem, full of history and pea and jackfruit stew) and laswa (a clear Festival, Iloilo nature [and] a less-crowded alternative vegetable soup). Then of course there are the The rest of the province is a mecca for outdoors to a big city like Manila.” sweet mangoes for which Guimaras is known. activities, including hiking and diving. The – National Geographic Cult ure island of in the north, accessible by & Food bus and then boat from Iloilo City, is being developed as an eco-destination. Iloilo City Dubbed the ‘Province of Festivals’, Iloilo has is also the access point to the beach paradise plenty to entertain, divert and educate, whether of Guimaras with its water sports and boat- it be museums of local history or the lively bar hopping to outlying islands.

Bucari pine forest, Leon, Iloilo

Tangke saltwater lagoon, Carles, Iloilo Top 10 Activities

• Tour the UNESCO-listed • Snorkel or scuba dive in the • Discover the friendly, Kuliatan Marine Sanctuary rapidly modernising Negros Fresh mangoes, Guimaras Miag-ao Church in Miag-ao 45mins from Iloilo City. with its gigantic rock Occidental capital of • In Iloilo City, visit the Museo formations, two hours from Bacolod, voted among the Iloilo, the Nelly Garden Iloilo City. best places to live in the Nelly Garden, Iloilo City Top Events • Manggahan Festival ( Festival) Island, heritage mansion and Jaro • From Iloilo City, sail to Isla de Philippines, with a vibrant Art Francisco Guerrero Guimaras, May – a showcase of the famous Cathedral, and wander along Gigantes to discover Pawikan District, sporting scene and & Festivals food, with street dancing and dance and the lloilo River . Cave and the Tangke museums. drama competitions • Venture to the pilgrimage, saltwater lagoon. • Visit Silay City, nicknamed • Dinagyang Festival, Iloilo City, January • MassKara Festival, Bacolod, October – one of agricultural and leisure site • Discover the water sports and ‘the Paris of Negros’ for its Waterfront Hotel Cebu City – parades and street dances in honour the biggest festivals in the Philippines, with of Garin Farm an hour from beach paradise of Guimaras, 29 heritage houses including of Santo Niño. sporting events, music concerts, food festivals, the city. then go island-hopping from . • Panaad sa Negros Festival, Bacolod, April garden shows, agriculture-trade fairs and • Hike in Bucari Pine Forest in Guimaras to Inampulugan, • Dive to see whale sharks, – the ‘Festival of Festivals’, showcasing the more. Leon and Nadsadjan Falls in Guiwanon, Panobolon, turtles and other marine life region’s history, arts and culture, tourism, • Haw-As Festival, , Iloilo province, , both 90mins from Natunga, Nadulao and other at Sipalay and Danjugan trade, games and sports. October – a celebration of the local fi shing Iloilo City. surrounding islets; don’t miss Island for its protected reefs • Pasundayag Festival, all towns in Iloilo industry, with performances and displays of the fascinating Igang Marine and rich marine life. The Ruins, Talisay City, Negros Occidental province, April – traditional dances, parades, the regional marine bounty including milkfi sh, Station of the Southeast singing and displays of tribal clothes. crabs and tiger prawns. Asian Fisheries Development Center.

Iloilo River, Iloilo City