Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
Naomi's Botanical Garden and Tourist Inn
Bañadero
Hwy
T
088 521 2441.
A little west of the city and easy
to reach by tricycle (P20), this gem of a place has pretty
rooms, in various shapes and sizes, looki
ng ou
t onto a
beautiful garden. All have a/c and cable TV.
P800
Royal Garden Hotel
Burgos St at Zamora St
T
088
521 2888,
W
royalgardenozamiz.com.
Newly renovated
rooms and good rates make this a solid downtown option.
Rooms are decorated in muted tones and have 32” flat-
screen TVs, wi-fi and rain-showers. T
he hote
l also houses
some of the city's best dining options.
P1195
Sky Lodge
Rizal Ave
T
088 521 1425.
On the main street,
this is a homely, spick-and-span opt
ion w
ith pleasant a/c
rooms with clean showers and toilet.
P350
EATING
Dewberry Coffee
Don Anselmo Bernad Ave.
Near City
Hall, this is the place to get your coffee fix, plus a range of
sandwiches, beers and spirits.
Daily 10am-10pm.
Hukad
Royal Garden Hotel,
Burgos St at Zamora St
T
088 521 2888.
This Cebuano institution has made its
way to Mindanao and dishes up excellent Filipino cuisine
including green mango salad (P65), blue marlin (P167) and
pork Bicol (P129).
Daily 10am-9pm.
Mooon Café
Rizal Ave
T
088 564 2622.
This popular
Mexican chain restaurant offers
gambas a la luna
(P159),
chimichangas
(P79) and the odd Filipino dish.
Daily
11am-9pm.
Mount Malindang National Park
Little known and little explored,
Mount Malindang National Park
is a densely forested
region that offers some tough trekking and the opportunity to see rare species such as
the tarsier and flying lemur.
Of the four main peaks in the park, Mount Malindang itself is the tallest, at
2404m. The area was extensively logged before being declared a national park in
1971, so most of the forest growth today is relatively new. There's a long-established
tribal group living here, the
Subanon
, whom you may well encounter at their Lake
Duminagat settlement. They consider Mount Malindang their tribal homeland and
source of strength. The best time to visit is between January and April when the
trails are dry.
8
INFORMATION
MOUNT MALINDANG NATIONAL PARK
Permits
Permits (P200) to enter the park are available
from the Protected Area O
ce (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm;
T
088
531 2184) at the back of the Provincial Capitol Building in
Orquieta, a 1hr bus ride north of Ozamiz.
Guides
A guide is essential; arrange at the Protected Area
O
ce (P1500/day).
Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) and Dolphin Island
Fifteen kilometres north of Ozamiz, in the village of Sinacaban, the
Misamis
Occidental Aquamarine Park
(MOAP) is an ambitious ecotourism project that
features dolphins, fish ponds and mangrove restoration and offers chalet-style
accommodation.
The real attraction is
Dolphin Island
, a series of man-made stilt huts over a sand
bar 2km offshore. It's principally a dolphin rescue centre, with fenced-in seawater
pens providing a safe haven for animals trapped or injured by fishermen - after
rehabilitation they are released into nearby dolphin communities. At the time
of writing the island was home to three spotted dolphins and one green turtle.
You can
swim with the dolphins
here for just P250 - an incredible bargain - and
you can rent snorkelling gear (P50/hr) and kayaks (P100/hr) or organize dive
trips (P2300).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
MOAP AND DOLPHIN ISLAND
By tricycle and boat
Tricycles to MOAP from the Ozamiz
ferry charge around P200 (30min). The 15min boat ride to
the island plus entry fee (P10) costs P300/person return
(daily: hourly 8am-4pm; last boat back 5.30pm).
