Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
café is run by a sprightly septuagenarian baker who has
written her own cookbook, on sale for P500, filled with
traditional recipes from the “Coconut Province” of Quezon.
The many savoury dishes include
hardinera
, pork cooked
in tomato sauce (P100), which is traditionally served on
special occasions. The real draw here, though, is the
selection of excellent home-made biscuits (P60).
Daily
7am-8pm.
Lucban
Quezon province's major tourist draw is the
Pahiyas thanksgiving festival
, held every year
on May 15 in
LUCBAN
, which sits at the foot of Mount Banahaw, 26km north of Lucena.
It's a quaint little town and a pleasant spot to have a stroll, but there's not too much to
see; it's worth taking a moment to visit the
St Louis Church
, which dates from the 1730s.
Kamay ni Hesus
Tricycle P8 (10min), jeepney P8 (every 15min; 5min)
You could join the faithful as they climb
Kamay ni Hesus
- a hill on the edge of Lucban
peppered with tableaux depicting the stations of the cross and topped with a large,
open-armed statue of Christ - in the hope of being cured of various ailments. The
route up is exposed, and can be tiring on a hot day, but it's worth it for the wonderful
views. Although a church stands at the base of the hill and masses are regularly held,
the whole site has something of a theme-park feel, with a children's playground and
replica Noah's ark.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
LUCBAN
4
By jeepney
Regular jeepneys connect Lucban with Lucena
(every 15min; 40min; P30).
By van
To get to Manila, you'll need to catch a van to
Calamba (hourly; 2hr; P120) and change there for an onward
bus (every 15min; 40min).
ACCOMMODATION
If you're coming to Lucban during the
Pahiyas festival
you should book well in advance - some places get their first
reservations a year ahead. Expect the prices to be inflated. There are surprisingly very few good options in the centre,
although staying in the colourful heart of town during festival time makes for a wonderful experience.
Batis Aramin Resort and Hotel
Brgy Malupak
T
042
540 4401,
W
aramin.ph.
About 1km from the town
proper, this large resort offers a range of rooms connected
by a hanging bridge; the fan-cooled attic rooms with
shared bath (P1500), with bright interiors and a little desk
in each, are much more appealing than the a/c standards
(P2000). There's a large pool with an artificial waterfall and
slide, a basketball court
and a l
little lake where guests can
boat with bamboo rafts.
P1000
Patio Rizal
77 Quezon Ave
T
042 540 2112,
E
patio
rizal@yahoo.com.
This centrally located hotel is the most
comfortable in town, offering decent rooms with carpet;
the deluxe (P2600) and premier suite (P3100) are substan-
tially larger and more welcoming. Each floor has a small
seating area with wooden chairs and old paintings of the
town centre, and there's a good restaurant with wi-fi on
the ground floor s
erving a
selection of Filipino dishes. Rates
include breakfast.
P1600
PAHIYAS FESTIVAL
Each May during the
Pahiyas festival
Lucban is transformed into something from a fairy tale,
the houses decorated in the most imaginative fashion with fruit, vegetables and brightly
coloured
kiping
(rice paper), which is formed into enormous chandeliers that cascade like
flames from the eaves. The winner of the best-decorated house wins a cash prize and is
blessed for twelve months by San Isidore (the patron saint of farmers). The festival starts with
a solemn Mass at dawn and goes on well into the night, with much drinking and dancing in
the streets. There is a parade, a beauty contest, a marching band and a carabao parade in
which enormous water buffalo, more used to rice fields and mud holes, are led through the
streets in outrageous costumes. It's open house for visitors during Pahiyas, and people are
especially honoured to have foreigners come in to admire their decorations.
