Southern Luzon - The Rough Guide to the Philippines - page 218

By van From Legazpi there are vans to Bacacay (for Sogod
Beach; hourly; 45min; P35).
By tricycle You can get a tricycle from Santo Domingo to

Calayucay Beach (10min; P8) or Sogod Beach (30min;
P100). A tricycle from Bacacay to Sogod Beach is P60
(10min).

ACCOMMODATION
Coastal View Beach Resort Calayucay Beach T 0999
994 1099, E [e-mail]. The first resort
you come to on Calayucay Beach is also one of the best
on this strip, albeit on slightly overbuilt grounds with a
concrete promenade by the sea. The standard rooms are
spacious, with poolside or Mt Mayon vie ws, wh ile the
executive rooms have more attractive decor. P2000
Costa Palmera Calayucay Beach T 052 822 3550 or
T 0922 874 0287, W costapalmeraresort.com. This is a
decent option with great-value a/c economy rooms at
bargain prices; the more expensive standards also have
fridge. Best of all are probably the two poolside rooms
(P3060) - guests who rent out both have e xclusive access
to the pool. There's wi-fi at reception. P880
Misisbis Bay Misisbis Bay T 02 661 8888, W misisbisbay

.com. This large high-end resort, set in five hectares, offers
37 luxurious villas with prices to match. Facilities include
seven swimming pools, three ziplines, a luge run, ball-
painting field, dune buggies, mountain bikes, a casino and
various watersports. At the time of research, a separate
complex nearby was u nder construction to house “back-
packer rooms” (P2000). $570
Mullner Beach Resort Sogod Beach T 0928 450
3185, E [e-mail]. Set in pleasant grounds
dotted with palm trees, this resort offers simply furnished
cottages and more spacious family rooms; the “private
room” sleeping three (P2500) is the best value, with a
living area and chintzy bedroom. There's cold water only,
and no restaurant so you'll ha ve to br ing your own food or
eat at one of the other resorts. P1500

Tabaco
TABACO , 26km northeast of Legazpi, is a busy little port that functions as the gateway
to Catanduanes (see p.233). The town itself doesn't offer much to visitors, although it
has a couple of surprisingly decent hotels if you happen to get stuck here for the night
to catch the early ferry to Catanduanes.

4

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TABACO

By bus Buses arrive at the bus terminal 1.5km outside the
centre; a pedicab to the centre of Tabaco is P10 (10min),
while a tricycle costs P25 (5min). A/c PLTB buses travel to
Manila (daily 7.30am & 5.30pm; 10-12hr); plenty of local
buses also make the journey, with most leaving around
5pm (15 daily; 10-12hr).
By jeepney The jeepney terminal is on the main street
just by the Tabaco City mall and market.
Destinations Bacacay (for Sogod Beach; every 30min;
30min; P21); Legazpi (every 15min; 40min; P25); Santo
Domingo (every 30min; 30min; P24).

By boat The port is a 10min walk from the jeepney
terminal down the road running next to the market. There
are ferries to Virac (daily 6.30am) and San Andres (daily
7am & 1pm) on the southwest coast of Catanduanes,
which can be a rough crossing particularly from October to
December. You can reach the barangay of San Antonio on
Cagraray by boat (3 daily; 1hr 30min; P50).
By van Vans to and from Legazpi (every 30min; 40min;
P50) and Naga (every 1-2hr; 2hr 30min; P180) use the
bus terminal.

ACCOMMODATION
HCG Residence Mansion Hotel Ziga Ave T 052 487
7333, W residencemansion.webs.com. In the centre of
town, opposite the jeepney terminal, this is a good, safe
option with clean tiled a/c rooms and wi-fi throughout. The
spacious suites (P2690) have fridge, cable TV, DVD player
and kettle, and the in-hous e resta urant serves Chinese,
Japanese and Spanish dishes. P1225

JJ Midcity Inn Herrera St T 052 487 4158, W jjmidcity
inn.com. Above a small shopping complex, this place is a
pleasant surprise - rooms are clean and modern, although
the standard single (P800) is a bit of a squeeze. There's a
karaoke bar within the hotel, so it can be quite noisy until
it clo ses at m idnight. Rates are cheaper for stays of up to
12hr. P1000

EATING
Amore Coffee Arellano St T 0998 978 7986. This
little café with wooden stools, a couple of armchairs
and a sofa offers eight varieties of coffee beans including

the prized civet coffee (P180); desserts include Belgian
waffles (P65) and coffee brownies (P20), and there are
savoury snacks too, such as sandwiches (P315) and