Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Borongan and around
BORONGAN
has good surf at most times of year. The city was hit by Yolanda and
although there were no fatalities in Borongan itself, electricity wasn't restored for nearly
a month. If the surf 's not up, you could always hire a bangka at the wharf in Borongan
and take a trip along the coast or out to the pretty island of
Divinubo
. Divinubo's
Karawisan Eco-Tour Park Resort
was destroyed by Yolanda, meaning there's nowhere to
stay on the island, but it remains an idyllic day-trip destination for exploring and
snorkelling; make sure you take something to eat and drink.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
6
BORONGAN AND AROUND
By bus and jeepney
There are a few buses that ply the
mountain route between Borongan and Catbalogan (5hr), as
well as jeepneys and vans for Guiuan. The Duptours terminal is
on Real St and Van-Vans is on E. Cinco St. If you like long road
trips, Eagle Star runs once a day to Manila at 5.30am (21hr).
Tourist information
The small tourist
o
ce (Mon-Sat
8am-4pm;
T
055 330 1139) is in the Provincial Capitol
Building facing Borongan plaza.
Services
There's a Metrobank opposite the church, and a
PNB across from the Uptown Mall by
Hotel Dona Vicenta
,
both of which have ATMs. For internet head for Jah's
Internet Games near the
Domsowir Hotel
on Real St.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
GV Pension
Real St
T
055 261 2580,
W
gvhotels.com
.ph.
A short walk north of the centre of town,
G
V
has c
lean,
simple fan and a/c (P550) rooms with cable TV.
P350
Hotel Dona Vicenta
Real St
T
055 261 3585.
The most luxurious accommodation in the town itself
is to be found at this grand-looking hotel. Comfortable
a/c rooms have cable TV, although many suffer from
being
too c
lose to the noisy bar, which stays open until
2am.
P980
Kandaga Resto Grill
Real St
T
055 560 9154.
Aside
from the hotels, Borongan's dining options are limited,
but this place serves burger meals (P80), pizzas (P100-
120) and Filipino dishes including
lumpia
with rice (P69).
Daily 9am-midnight.
Pirate's Cove Beach & Surf Resort
Brgy Bato, on
a peninsula 1km east of town
T
0919 880 9157,
W
piratescovesurf.weebly.com.
An eclectic place right on
the ocean, run by amiable surfer Pete and his wife. As well
as having interesting rooms that range from a treehouse to
family cottages, all of which have kitchens, the resort also
has a pool, jacuzzi, wi-fi and of
ne of th
e most impressive
Scalextric setups you'll ever see.
P1500
Leyte
The east Visayan island of
LEYTE
(“LAY-tay”), separated from Samar to the north by a
mere slither of ocean, the San Juanico Strait, is another sizeable chunk of the
Philippines that has a great deal to offer visitors but is often overlooked. You could
spend months on Leyte and still only scratch the surface: the coastline is immense, the
interior rugged and there are lakes and mountains that are well off the tourist map,
known only to farmers who have tilled their shores and foothills for generations.
In the sixteenth century, Magellan passed through Leyte on his way to Cebu, making
a blood compact with the local chieftain as he did so. But to many Filipinos and war
historians, the island will always be associated with
World War II
, when its jungled
hinterlands became the base for a formidable force of guerrillas who fought a number
of bloody encounters with the Japanese. It was because of this loyalty among the
inhabitants that General Douglas MacArthur landed at Leyte on October 20, 1944,
fulfilling the famous promise he had made to Filipinos, “I shall return”.
Around the provincial capital of
Tacloban
, the usual arrival point, there are a number
of sights associated with the war, notably the
Leyte Landing Memorial
, marking the spot
where MacArthur waded ashore to liberate the archipelago. Tacloban is also now
remembered as the site of the worst of Typhoon Yolanda's devastation - as well as the
powerful winds and rain, a huge storm surge decimated large chunks of the city (see
box opposite). To the north of Tacloban is the beautiful island of
Biliran
and, a short
bangka ride away from Biliran, the islands of
Maripipi
and
Higatangan
, which both
have terrific beaches, rock formations and caves. To the south of the clean and
