Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
standard local food for about P75 per dish, as well as pizzas
(P70); there's also a Japanese corner featuring vegetable
tempura (P60).
Daily 6am-9pm.
Kusina sa Plaza
Mercader St
T
042 332 1699.
Popular
restaurant on Boac's main square, displaying a range of
Filipino dishes that will cost about P75 per meal. The
attached coffee shop (with free wi-fi) serves pizzas (P50)
and pasta (P44).
Daily 7am-7pm.
GASAN
Barbarossa
San José St
T
0908 377 6656.
This German-
owned place is where the island's handful of expats
regularly meet, gathering over refreshing ice-cold beer in
frozen mugs (P88). The menu features a range of inter-
national dishes including bockwurst sausage (P250), pizza
(P300) and spaghetti bolognaise (P175). There are
occasional live bands.
Daily 10am-9pm.
Daet and around
The capital of Camarines Norte,
DAET
, 200km southeast of Manila, is overrun with
tricycles, but the nearby coastline has more than its fair share of unspoiled beaches
and islands; the fickle waves at
Bagasbas Beach
and
San Miguel Bay
are particular
attractions for surfers.
Daet's busy little central plaza is a popular meeting place in the evenings. One block
north is the 1950s
Provincial Capitol
, in front of which Kalayaan (Freedom) Park
features the tallest statue of
José Rizal
outside Manila. Erected in 1899, this was the
first monument to Rizal in the country and set the trend for thousands of others in
plazas across the archipelago.
4
Bagasbas Beach
Lovely
Bagasbas Beach
, 4km northeast of Daet, is accessible by tricycle (10min; P40).
The waves that crash in from the Pacific are sometimes big enough for
surfing
(see box
below), particularly between November and March. In fact, the whole area of coast east
of Daet has become something of a surfers' hangout, though the shore can be pretty
much deserted by all but stray dogs on weekdays.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
DAET AND AROUND
By bus
Buses arriving in Daet stop at the edge of the
city on the National Highway, from where it's less than
2km into town; plenty of tricycles travel the route for P30.
Philtranco, DLTB and Superlines travel to Manila (roughly
hourly; 7-8hr), stopping off in Atimoan (4-5hr) and
Lucena (5-6hr).
By van
Regular vans connect Naga to Daet (every 30min;
2hr; P180).
Information
The municipal and provincial tourist o
ces
are both in Daet on J. Pimentel St at Magallanes Iraya St
(both Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; provincial
T
054 721 3087;
municipal
T
054 441 6163). There's also a tourist
information centre on Magalles Iraya St (Mon-Fri
8am-5pm, Sat 8am-noon; no phone). Offering surfing
and general information, the Bagasbas United Surfers'
Association (see box below) has an information point
on Bagasbas Beach, to the left of the public transport
drop-off point.
SURFING AND KITE
BOARDING ON BAGASBAS
Several places on
Bagasbas Beach
rent out surfboards and offer tuition.
Experienced
surfers
who want to look beyond Bagasbas should ask about the breaks in nearby San Miguel
Bay, which often has very good waves close to the town of Mercedes and around the seven
islands known as the Siete Pecados.
Bagasbas United Surfers' Association
T
0921
251 8747.
Tuition for around P200/hr along with board
rental (P200/hr).
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
Hang Loose
T
0921 251 8748.
Friendly outfit offering
surfboard rental for P200/hr and lessons for around
P200/hr.
Daily 6am-7pm.
Mike's Kites
W
mikes-kites.com.
Kiteboarding, starting
at $65 for a day's equipment rental or $60 for a 2hr intro-
ductory session. If the wind and waves are not cooperating,
they also rent out sea kayaks and organize island-hopping
trips.
Daily 5am-2am.
