On our fourth and last day in Iloilo, we originally planned to do both Southern Iloilo and Iloilo City tour, but due to time constraints we weren't able to push through with the latter. It was Monday, and we did not expect the traffic to be as terrible as Manila's. Not that sure if the traffic situation is always like that on weekdays (most especially during rush hour). Maybe the bad weather condition was also a factor.
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| Southern Iloilo Tour |
7:00AM to 9:00AM Breakfast and Check-out at Urban Inn
We had breakfast at Urban Inn and checked out at around 9AM. Good thing the receptionist allowed us to leave our bags/ luggage at the reception area of the hotel, and just pick it up after we're done with our tour. For our own peace of mind, we just made sure to bring our valuables with us.
For our accommodation, it was really a good thing that I asked for recommendations from an Ilongga friend. I like how most places that we planned to visit are accessible from Urban Inn - e.g., La Paz Market is just walking distance from the hotel, Esplanade and Smallville are 15-20 minutes away via cab, Ortiz/ Parola Wharf is just one jeepney ride away, etc.
From Urban Inn, walk to La Paz Market. Madge Cafe is located within the market.
Address: La Paz Public Market, Cor. Rizal-Huervana Street, La Paz, Iloilo City
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| Madge Cafe |
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| Their coffee price ranges from 40-45 |
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| I really love coffee, but my doctor advised me to refrain from drinking one (so sad, right?). So I ordered Cafe Madge's mildest - Media Tab-ang. PJ tried Puro Regular. According to sources, the coffee beans are sourced out from the northern parts of Iloilo and from the province of Guimaras. |
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| Although it isn't a fancy cafe (no aircon, they just have monobloc chairs and tables, no wifi, etc.), we enjoyed sipping a cup of coffee here. We felt like we've really experienced Iloilo. This one's definitely a must-try! The cafe manager/ staff is also accommodating. He even willingly took a picture of us. |
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| Enjoying my cup of coffee. Too bad I can only order the mild one. |
9:30AM to 10:45AM Madge Cafe to San Joaquin Cemetery
The first stop for our Southern Iloilo tour is at San Joaquin Cemetery. Built during the Spanish-colonial period, the San Joaquin cemetery is probably the grandest and best preserved cemetery in Iloilo. Alongside San Joaquin Church, it was designated as a National Culture Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.
For this tour, we followed detourista's itinerary. From La Paz Market, ride a "Jaro Liko" jeep to University of San Agustin, then ride a "Villa/ Arevalo" jeep, and alight at the jeepney stop near Iloilo Supermart Molo. To get to San Joaquin town, ride a "San Joaquin" jeepney. It will take around 45 minutes. Fare is around Php 60.
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| San Joaquin Cemetery |
10:45AM to 11:00AM San Joaquin Cemetery to San Joaquin Church
From San Joaquin Cemetery, we rode a tricycle to San Joaquin Church. Fare costs around Php 20 for 2 pax, and travel time is around 5 minutes. Like San Joaquin Cemetery, it was also designated as a National Culture Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines
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| San Joaquin Church |
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| Selfieee! |
11:00AM to 12:00NN Lunch
We had lunch at a restaurant near San Joaquin Church. Too bad I didn't remember the name of the restaurant. I won't recommend it anyway, sorry.
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| Beef Mami? |
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| Beef Steak |
1:00PM to 2:30PM From San Joaquin to Miag-ao Church
From the restaurant, we rode a tricycle to the highway intersection. We rode "Miag-ao Jeepney" to Miag-ao town, and asked the driver to drop us off at Miag-ao Church. We expected 20-30 minutes travel time, but it felt like we traveled for about an hour going to Miag-ao.
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| Jeepney ride to Miag-ao |
Miag-ao Church is an Augustinian-built baroque church and a UNESCO world heritage site. This is a must-visit!
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| Miag-ao Church |
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| Inside Miag-ao Church |
2:30PM onwards Travel back to hotel, Pack-up, travel to Iloilo International Airport
We did not anticipate that it will take us so long to finish our Southern Iloilo tour. I blame it to the heavy traffic and bad weather condition. We were so tensed that we won't be able to go back to the hotel in time to pick up our things and catch our evening flight back to Manila. The traffic was really terrible, and it was so hard to get a ride. I really thought we would miss our flight. ššš
Anyway, If you still have time and energy to do the city tour, I would recommend to follow Detourista's itinerary (click here).
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