Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Butuan
The bustling capital of Agusan del Norte province,
BUTUAN
lies around 200km east of
Cagayan de Oro. Butuan is thought to have been the first coastal trading settlement in
the Philippines; in 1976 a carefully crafted and ornate oceangoing outrigger (
balangay
)
was unearthed on the banks of the Agusan River and carbon-dated, astonishingly, to
320 AD. Of nine boats since discovered in the mud, two more have been excavated,
dating from 1215 and 1250 and adding to the growing wealth of evidence that the
Philippines was actively trading with Asia long before the Spanish arrived. The original
“Butuan boat” is now in the small
Balangay Shrine
(Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; free) around
5km west of the city, along with the remains of a number of other ancient boats and
various archeological and ethnological treasures such as ceramics and co
ns.
Butuan National Museum
City Hall compound, 1km north of the city centre • Mon-Sat 9am-noon & 1-4.30pm • P20 •
T
085 527 4192
he
Butuan National Museum
is home to a small but intriguing collection including
cooking implements and jewellery from pre-Hispanic Butuan. There are two galleries:
the Archaeological Hall, which exhibits stone crafts, metal objects, pots, gold and
burial co
ns; and the Ethnological Hall, which focuses on the culture of the Manobo,
Mamanua, Higaonon and lowland Butuanons.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
BUTUAN
By plane
The airport, served by Philippine Airlines from
Manila (5 daily; 1hr 25min) and Cebu Pacific from Cebu City
(3 daily; 45min), is 10km west of the city. Taxis (P200) and
tricycles (P150) are on hand to take you into town.
By bus
Frequent buses connect with Cagayan de Oro
(hourly; 4hr), Davao (5-6 hr) and Surigao (hourly; 2hr). The
terminal is on the northern outskirts of Butuan off Montilla
Blvd; there are plenty of tricycles to take you into the centre.
By boat
Ferries dock at the port town of Nasipit, 24km
west of Butuan, from where it's a 30min jeepney ride into
the city. 2Go has one weekly service on Sun to Manila
(34hr) via Cebu (9hr).
Tourist information
The provincial Department of
Tourism o
ce is at the Grateful Realty Corp Building, on
Pili Drive (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm;
T
085 341 8413).
8
ACCOMMODATION
Almont City Hotel
San José St, Rizal Park
T
085 342
05263,
W
almont.com.ph.
Spacious, airy rooms, all with
a/c, private bathroom and cable TV; those at the front have
city views. The coffee shop, with its
tinkling
indoor water-
falls, offers light meals and pastries.
P1500
Hotel Karaga
Montilla Blvd
T
085 225 3888,
W
hotel
karaga.com.
Well located but a bit past its prime, the
Karaga
has bargain a/c rooms with cable TV and free internet (though
signal is sketchy). Things are a little
better
if you opt for one
of the rooms with balconies (P1300).
P900
EATING
Caraga Square
J.C. Aquino Ave.
Your best bet for night-
life is this open-air place in the centre of town, which
features local live bands most nights.
Daily 10am-1am.
Red Apple Restaurant
A.D. Curato St.
The cakes and
pastries are hard to resist, but this cafeteria-style place is also
good for Filipino food and breakfasts.
Daily 7am-10pm.
Rosario's
J.C. Aquino Ave.
Butuan's top restaurant is best
known for its tasty Chinese dishes. There's a fine dining
section (mains from P200) and cheaper fast-food area.
Daily 10am-2pm & 5-10pm.
Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary
About 70km south of Butuan on the road to Davao, the
Agusan Marsh Wildlife
Sanctuary
is a giant maze of interconnecting rivers, channels and lakes, with dramatic
areas of
swamp forest
consisting largely of sago trees and inhabited by parrots, purple
herons, serpent eagles and a good number of saltwater and Philippine
crocodiles
. he
biggest-ever recorded crocodile, over 6m long, was captured here in in 2011, having
allegedly killed and eaten several carabao and two people.
