Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By van
Vans arrive and leave from opposite the Central Bus
Terminal in Central Business District 2.
Departures
Daraga (hourly; 2hr; P130); Legazpi (every
30min; 2hr; P140); San José (for Sabang port on the Caramoan
Peninsula; hourly; 1hr 30min; P100); Tabaco (every 30min;
2hr; P180).
Tourist information
The Naga City Arts, Culture and
Tourism O
ce is in the DOLE Building, City Hall Complex,
J. Miranda Ave (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm;
T
054 478 3987,
W
nagax.com). Staff can provide city maps and organize
traditional Bicolano cooking courses (P1000/day), as well
as help organize guides for Mt Isarog (see p.213).
ACCOMMODATION
Many hotels, particularly the budget ones, are fully booked during the
Peñafrancia festival
so make sure to plan ahead
if you're coming at this time. For the rest of the year, finding a room shouldn't be a problem.
Avenue Plaza
Magsaysay Ave
T
054 473 9999,
W
theAveplazahotel.com.
In a class of its own in Naga,
with rooms of an international standard, along with a
swimming pool, gym and sauna, and an excellent restau-
rant featuring fusion and international cuisine. The hotel is
on Naga's entertainment strip, with plenty of restaurants
and bars on its doorstep, a
nd there
's low-key piano music in
the lobby in the evenings.
P5400
CBD Plaza
Ninoy and Cory Ave, Brgy Triangulo
T
054 472
0318,
W
cbdplazahotel.com.
Just opposite the Central Bus
Terminal, this hotel offers good value; the cheaper economy
singles (P600) and doubles are located in an annexe and all
feature cold showers, while the larger singles (P1000) and
doubles (P130
0) with
a/c, hot shower and cable TV are in the
main building.
P1000
Crown Hotel
P. Burgos St
T
054 473 1845,
W
crown
hotel-naga.com.
A decent option right in the noisy centre
of Naga, with a range of rooms. The standard rooms (with
a double bed) have slightly shoddy furniture, while the
deluxe rooms (P2500) are more spacious and in better
shape. Suite A (P6000) is a big jump up with a comfortable
living area and king-size bed. There are a co
uple of
24hr
restaurants offering a range of Chinese dishes.
P1500
Eurotel
Dinaga St
T
054 472 5321,
W
eurotel-hotel.com.
This new hotel features a series of oddly furnished rooms, each
featuring a blown-up image of a European landmark - some-
what out of place in central Naga. The rooms are comfortable
nonetheless, with hot water, a/c an
d privat
e bath. Rates are
either on a 12- (P1050) or 24hr basis.
P1500
Moraville Hotel
Caceres St
T
054 473 1247,
W
moraville
.com.ph.
A very reasonable option with appealing rooms
at bargain prices. The rock walls and chintz may be a bit too
much in some rooms, but overall the a/c accommodation
is clean and comfortable - if you're on a budget and only in
town f
for a ni
ght you might want to opt for the 12hr rate at
P900.
P1400
4
EATING, DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
For budget
eats
, visit the small Bora Hut Temple food court, in an alleyway off Peñafrancia Ave, 500m east of San Francisco
church. Local specialities include
log-log kinalas
(noodle soup with pork, liver sauce and roasted garlic) often served
with toasted
siopao
(a pork bun). The nearby stretch of
Magsaysay Ave
is the centre of the city's nightlife, with scores of
restaurants and bars.
Bob Marlin
Magsaysay Ave
T
054 473 1339,
W
bobmarlin.ph.
This popular restaurant has an atmos-
pheric outdoor seating area with colourful low lighting and
a roof of native reed and reclaimed wooden palates; there's
also an indoor area with wall-mounted plates signed by
famous visitors, praising the restaurant's award-winning
crispy
pata
(deep-fried pork leg; P429 for five people). As
the name suggests, the music is laidback, with lots of
reggae and ska.
Daily 11am-midnight.
Chef Doy's
Cereza Compound, Magsaysay Ave
T
054
478 2519.
Doy rustles up imaginative Filipino fusion dishes
that include sautéed baby squid with garlic, bay leaves and
black pepper (P199) and boneless milkfish with vegetables
in guava broth (P212). Dishes are large enough to share,
and you can either eat alfresco on the patio or in the dark
interior with walls plastered with customers' notes and
scribbles.
Daily 10am-10.30pm.
Green Earth Café
4km east of Naga, 3rd turning on
the right off Soriano Ave, Villa Sorabella Subdivision,
Concepcion Grande
T
054 475 5018.
A truly unusual find
in this country of meat-lovers, this excellent vegetarian
health-food café serves creative dishes prepared with
freshly harvested local ingredients; the bread (P40) is
home-made, as is the excellent dairy-free banana mango
ice cream (P55). The wide menu includes rice noodle
pad
thai
(P185),
pako
salad (P165) and the bestselling club
sandwich of home-made tofu, grilled vegetables and
veggie burger (P175). To get here catch a jeepney heading
for “Centro Concepcion” (every 30min; 20min; P8).
Sun-
Thurs 10am-9pm.
Mudbugs
DMG Compound, Peñafrancia Ave
T
054 472
5432.
This well-established, airy sports bar attracts a
young clientele for the billiards table, the major sporting
events screened on the four TVs, the 3-litre beer towers
★
FROM TOP
BOAC, MARINDUQUE
P.199
; GOTA BEACH, CARAMOAN
P.214
>
