Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Bernardino Strait between Matnog in Sorsogon
province and Samar in the Visayas. Masbate has ferry
links to several provinces including Romblon, Batangas
and Cebu.
Quezon province
Much of the northern part of
Quezon province
is mountainous and hard to reach,
although there are isolated communities on the coast. The southern portion of the
province serves mainly as a staging post on the road from Manila to the Bicol region,
though it does have attractions such as a couple of excellent climbs,
Mount Banahaw
and
Mount Cristobal
. Further east you can explore
Quezon National Park
, which has
some fairly easy marked trails. If you happen to be in Quezon in mid-May, check out
what is by far the biggest festival in the province, the
Pahiyas
, held in and around
Lucban
, near the very ordinary provincial capital,
Lucena
.
Lucena
The bustling town of
LUCENA
is worth considering for a stop on the route south, as a
useful base during the
Pahiyas
festival in nearby Lucban or for those on their way to
Marinduque via Dalahican port. The city itself doesn't offer much to visitors, and is
home to just one little
museum
.
Gintog Yaman ng Museo Quezon
Provincial Capitol Compound, Belen Drive • Mon-Fri 8am-5pm • By donation •
T
042 797 0024
he
Gintong Yaman ng Museo Quezon
displays memorabilia and photographs of
illustrious Quezonians, including the late President Manuel Quezon. You can also see
household implements and agricultural tools and crafts, along with a reproduction of
a former Spanish colonial dining room and bedroom.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
4
LUCENA
By bus
The Grand Central Terminal is on the northern
edge of the city on Diversion Rd. It's a 15min jeepney
ride (every 15min; 10min; P8) to Quezon Ave, the main
thoroughfare.
Destinations
Daet (DLTB: hourly; 4-5hr); Legazpi
(Raymond Transportation: hourly; 8hr); Manila (JAM,
Jac Liner, Lucena Lines & N. Dela Rosa: every 30-40min;
3-4hr); Naga (Raymond Transportation: hourly; 5-6hr);
Tabaco (Raymond Transportation: hourly; 9-10hr).
By jeepney
Regular jeepneys travel from the Grand
Central Terminal to Lucban (every 15min; 45min; P20).
Tourist information
The tourist o
ce is on the second
floor of the Quezon Convention Centre, Capitol Compound
(Mon-Fri 8am-5pm;
T
042 373 7510,
W
quezon.gov.ph).
ACCOMMODATION
Diamond Resort and Hotel
Maharlika Hwy, Brgy
Ibabang Dupay
T
042 710 7757,
W
diamondresortand
hotel.com.
A/c rooms with private bath, some set around the
pool. The main building houses some of the superior rooms
(P2900), which all vary considerably in size - make sure to
take a look at a few first. The restaurant serv
es good
food,
and there's free wi-fi in the lobby and café area.
P2600
Queen Margarette Hotel
1 People Square, M.L. Tagarao
St at Granja St
T
042 797 1881,
W
queenmargarettehotel
.com.
Accommodation set on the fourth and fifth floors of an
o
ce block; overall, the rooms are comfortable with modern
amenities, although they may have gone a bit overboard
with the sumptuously kitsch decor. There's free wi-fi in the
lobby, and rates include breakfast at the Chinese restaurant
within the same buildin
g. There
's also a sister hotel just
outside town, with a pool.
P2650
EATING
Giusseppe
Lot 2, Block 12, Doña Aurora Blvd, Gulang
Gulang
T
042 710 5557.
This restaurant and café serves
home-cooked Filipino meals, most of them cooked with
lambanog
, a local coconut wine. There's also a pretty
display of home-made cupcakes (P22) and an assortment
of cheesecakes, including the café's trademark
kamote
cheesecake (P108), made with sweet potatoes. Mains
P150.
Daily 10am-10pm.
Koffee Klatch
88 Quezon Ave
T
042 373 0053,
W
dealokoffeeklatch.com.
Established in 1958, this
