If you want some outdoor adventure this summer but the coasts and the beaches are too hot and sticky for you, look up and yonder – the hills and mountains are a cooler  and more daring option.

One of the mountain routes taken by those who need just a day’s relaxing trip is the road to Don Salvador Benedicto, the northern mountain town of Negros Occidental, which is a nice 45-minute drive from Bacolod City.

The town, located 47 kms. away, offers endless attractions for those who love nature. On its hills and forests are springs, rivers and waterfalls where one can take a splash to cool the summer heat off.

The town, which was established 25 years ago from portions of Murcia, Calatrava and San Carlos City, is also a fertile ground for the raising of crops,  fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants, which are  among the attractions it showcases during the annual Panaad Festival in Bacolod City.

Another town attraction is the annual November festival known as Kali-Kalihan, the rituals of the mountain folk highlighted by dance steps on embers.