There’s something comforting about traditions—the kind that don’t need much planning because they’ve already found their place in your heart. For our family, one of those traditions is traveling to Dumaguete City after Christmas to do our holiday shopping together.
We left home early in the morning, excited as always, and arrived in Dumaguete just about an hour later. Before diving into our errands, we made a quick stop at San Antonio de Padua Church in Sibulan. It was a short but meaningful pause—one of those quiet moments you’re grateful for before the city buzz takes over.
From there, we headed straight to Lee Plaza in downtown Dumaguete. We’ve learned through experience to do all our shopping first, so we made sure to complete everything we needed before rewarding ourselves with lunch.
Our next stop was the ever-popular Sans Rival Restaurant. As expected, the place was full, and we waited around 30 minutes before getting seated. By the time our food arrived, it was already past 1:00 PM—but honestly, good food is always worth the wait.
After lunch, we finally made our way to our home for the night, Rovira Suites. This hotel has always been our go-to whenever we’re in Dumaguete. The rooms are cozy, the ambiance feels homey, and the pool is consistently clean—perfect for families.
We checked in, settled into our rooms, and wasted no time heading straight to the pool. We swam for about an hour, just enough to relax without getting too tired, then rested for a bit before heading out for dinner.
For dinner, we decided to keep things simple and close by. We walked just a minute to Dumaguete Royal Suites Inn restaurant to try their famous sizzling bulalo. It was hearty, comforting, and exactly what we needed after a long day.
After dinner, we returned to the hotel to rest for about an hour, then headed out again—this time for a body massage. We checked at least two massage spas, both fully booked, before finally finding one with an available masseuse somewhere near the port. It was worth the search. By the time we were done, all we wanted was sleep.
Back at the hotel, we ordered a few McDonald’s snacks for those who were still awake, and the rest of us called it a night.
The next day, we woke up at around 7:30 AM and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Before checking out, we took one last quick dip in the pool—because why not? Afterward, we went back to downtown Dumaguete to finish a few remaining errands, then returned to the hotel to check out.
Before heading home, we stopped by CityMall Dumaguete for lunch and grocery shopping. On the way home, we made one final stop at a fruit stall to buy fruits for New Year—our little way of closing the trip on a fresh and healthy note.
It wasn’t a grand vacation, but it was full of familiar places, good food, simple joys, and time spent together. And honestly, that’s what makes this yearly Dumaguete trip so special for us. Life goes on – and so do the traditions we hold close.