Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SAMAR UNDERGROUND
Of the many caves in Samar,
Jiabong
, just 12km from Catbalogan, is the easiest to visit, and
has plenty of weird and wonderful features including a ceiling carpeted with miniature
stalactites. A little further away,
Langun Gobingob
, in Calbiga, stretches 7km through twelve
different chambers, and is one of the largest cave systems in Southeast Asia. This utterly dark
environment is home to blind crabs and fish, and of course bats. Both caves offer extreme
caving -plenty of wading, swimming and squeezing through narrow spaces, with only your
guide's lantern (or your torch) to guide you.
Permits
are required.
CAVING TRIPS
Trexplore
Allen Ave, Catbalogan
T
055 251 2301,
W
trexplore.weebly.com.
The best way to get under-
ground is to arrange a guided trip through Joni
Bonifacio at the Trexplore outdoor shop. He can arrange
6
day- (P3000) or overnight (P6000-7000) trips to the
caves including meals, permits, equipment and transport
(minimum of two people).
bus-ferry-bus services run to Manila (18hr): the first
(ordinary) service (P1090) is at 9am, and the second
(a/c) bus is at 10.30am.
By van
A quicker alternative to the buses around the
island is to take a Duptours, Grand Tours or Van-Vans van.
All three companies have regular services for Calbayog,
Catarman and Tacloban, which leave from their private
terminals - Grand Tours and Van-Vans on San Bartoleme
St, and Duptours just around the corner on Allen Ave.
Services
Practically speaking, Catbalogan has most things
a traveller should need: there are branches of RCBC, BDO
and Allied Bank, all with ATMs, on Del Rosario St, and
plenty of internet cafés scattered around the city - try
Movies n' Magic or Cyber Surf, both on San Roque St.
ACCOMMODATION
Casa Cristina
San Roque St
T
0921 660 6665,
W
casa
cristinahotel.com.ph.
A cheap-and-cheerful option with
clean, brightly painted rooms which share communal
bathrooms, or for P80 more you can get an en suite with
cold shower. A/c rooms (P700) ar
e mor
e comfortable, but
none of the rooms have windows.
P300
New Maqueda Bay Hotel
Del Rosario St
T
055 251
2386,
W
newmaquedabayhotel.com
. On the edge of
town, the refurbished
New Maqueda Bay
enjoys a quiet
location and looks straight out to sea. There are twin-
bedded deluxe rooms, or bigger double suites
(P105
0),
both of which have a/c, cable TV and hot showers.
P950
Rolet Hotel
Mabini Ave
T
055 251 5512.
The best
option in town, with a/c rooms, cable TV and good bath-
rooms. The friendly proprietors, Odie and Lolit Letaba, can
answer most travel-related qu
estion
s on the area, and
there's free wi-fi in the canteen.
P950
Rose Scent Pensionne House
Curry Ave
T
055 251
5785.
It's hard to resist the name, and once inside, this
friendly family pension has clean and functional fan and
a/c (P650) rooms with powerful cold showers, although
many don't
have
windows. Meals are available if ordered
in advance.
P400
EATING
Pizza Factory
San Roque St
T
055 251 5512.
Modern
café-restaurant which turns out half-decent pizzas (P135-
160) and also does delivery.
Daily 9am-10pm.
Tony's Kitchen
Next to Pizza Factory on San Roque St.
Friendly and deservedly popular place which does a
good line in fried dishes - the whole chicken (P260) is
particularly tasty. Other specialities include crab omelette
(P125).
Daily 7am-10pm.
Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park
Best known for a natural rock formation that forms a bridge across a gorge, the
Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park
includes some remarkable limestone caves and
gorges, and lowland rainforest where you can see, even around the park's picnic areas,
monitor lizards, macaques and wild boar. The national park lay directly in the path of
Typhoon Yolanda, however, and while the natural bridge escaped damage, almost all of
the boats used to ferry visitors into the park were destroyed, meaning that access at the
time of writing was very limited. We have included practical details in the hope that
the park will be fully operational again soon.
