- Hot Springs and Cold Pools

We like swimming. Not only is it good exercise and helps us deal with the heat, but it’s quite enjoyable. We try to swim at least once a week.

Besides swimming at the beach which we have done several times, there are five swimming places we have visited at least once near here in Dumaguete. Actually all of these are resorts in and around Valencia, a mountain town close to our home.

Tejero Highland Resort and Adventure Park

We paid to swim – 80 php per person (about $1.60 usd)

This is the first water park we went to, and we’ve been to this one about as much as any. Tejero (te hair o) has two very large pools along with several kiddie pools across the road. One pool has two water slides, one slide open and the other enclosed. They also have hotel rooms, a zip line which we did not try, covered tables for rent, and a restaurant. The restaurant has a fairly good selection of tasty food at reasonable prices. Our only complaint was a long wait before the food was ready. We all like Tejero and continue to go back.

Looking down on one of the Tejero pools from the park entrance

The two water slides

Ready to eat lunch at the restaurant after swimming

 Lo Kadyo’s Hot and Cool Pools

We paid to swim – 50 php per person

This is the second one we tried, and we’ve been to it a number of times. They have three “cool” pools, one smaller one with a fountain waterfall and two larger ones. They also have two hot spring pools ranging from mildly warm to very hot, the hottest I’ve ever felt. When you first stick your toe in, you think, “I couldn’t possibly swim in this hot water.” But after you get into the water, it’s not too bad. All these pools are in the mountains, so the cool pools are actually quite chilly. The cool pools are clear; the hot pools are more cloudy like lake water. Lo Kadyo's also has a restaurant and covered tables for rent.

A beautiful pool with a waterfall

Wendie looks all alone
We often arrive before anyone else

The Forest Camp Nature Resort

We paid to swim – 120 php per person

Their website says they have 9 cold spring pools. I didn’t count them. We only swam in one, but this is a very beautiful resort. They have rooms for rent. We overheard the owner say that the rooms will accommodate 10 people for 3500 php per night. They also have a nice restaurant, covered tables, and a climbing wall. It’s located about 100 meters up the mountain from Tejero.

The Forest Camp is beautifully landscaped

As with other resorts, beautiful mountain streams
 flow through the property

                                             

Ocean 24 Resort

We paid to swim – 60 php per person

They have about four adult pools including one hot spring and two kiddie pools. It was nice.

Red Rock Hot Spring

We paid to swim – 70 php per person

Very small compared to the others, one pool for adults and one for kids. They said they have another pool, but it’s being cleaned. This is the only pool we’ve been to that has an uneven bottom made up of rocks carefully sealed and painted black. It is called a hot spring pool but is only lukewarm. The pool is small, but it has a phenomenal view of the mountains.

The water looks black because the bottom
is painted black

Nestled on the side of a mountain,
Red Rock Hot Spring has magnificent views

Of all these resorts, Lyn and Wendie like The Forest Camp the best. I think I still prefer Lo Kadyo's.

The closest to us are Tejero and The Forest Camp. The most distant is Red Rock Hot Spring.

Postscript:  These are all freshwater pools. The Philippines is known for incredibly beautiful ocean beaches. As I noted above, we have been to several beaches. But the beaches near Dumaguete, with the exception of Siquijor, are not the most beautiful beaches (darker sand and not clear, beautiful water). Here we just enjoy the pools more.