The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 610

coffees and drinks, plus Jack Daniels cupcakes! Wed-Mon
8am-3pm & 6-9pm.
Lola Nanny's Urbiztondo T 0915 725 9453, E l_nanny
@yahoo.com. The staff are friendly and welcoming at this
backpacker place with cute green nipa huts on the terrace
and a great r estaur ant giving onto the beach. Discounts for
longer stays. P500
Monaliza Urbiztondo T 072 888 4892. This surfer hang-
out offering basic accommodation in fan and a/c concrete
cottages (P1200), some with sea views, has been going
strong since the 1980s. Boa rd ren tal (P500/half-day) and
lessons (P200/hr) available. P900
Seanymph Café Urbiztondo. Sit back and watch the
surfers ride the waves at this beach restaurant serving a
selection of Western dishes, curries and stir-fries (P150).
Daily 6am-10pm.

BOLINAO
Punta Riviera T 075 696 9227, W villa-antolin.com.
Lovely resort right on the beach run by a frie ndly Sco t and
Filipina couple. Clean, airy rooms and a pool. P1800
Rockview Beach T 0919 8966 907. Simple bamboo and
nipa huts right on the beach, close to some picturesque
coastal rock formations. P1200

SAN FERNANDO LA UNION AND
SAN JUAN
SAN FERNANDO , the capital of La Union
province, is a shortish hop up the coast
from Hundred Islands. Quezon Avenue
runs through San Fernando from south
to north, and has a number of internet
cafés and ATMs. Outside the city limits,
Quezon Avenue becomes the National
Highway. he city itself is nothing out of
the ordinary, but in nearby San Juan ,
7km to the north, there are some
laidback little beach resorts stretched
along a marvellous crescent of a beach at
Urbiztondo. he pounding waves here
mean that from October to March this is
a prime destination on the Philippines'
surf scene; it's especially popular with
rookies, as it's an easy, and cheap, place to
learn - lessons average P400 per hour.

VIGAN
About 135km north of San Fernando in
La Union lies the old Spanish town of
VIGAN , an unmissable stop on a trip
through the far north for old-world
charm and a flavour of the pre-war
Philippines. It has become a bit of a
cliché to describe Vigan as a living
museum, but it does do some justice to
the tag. One of the country's oldest
towns, it was called Nueva Segovia in
Spanish times and was an important
political, military, cultural and religious
centre. Having narrowly escaped
bombing in World War II, it has retained
its pavements of cobbled stones and some
of the finest Spanish colonial architecture
in the country, including impressive
homes that once belonged to friars,
merchants and colonial o cials, now
preserved as “Heritage Homes”. Inscribed
onto the UNESCO World Heritage list
in 1999, it remains the best example of a
planned Spanish colonial city in Asia.

8

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Partas buses from Manila heading north to Vigan
stop along Quezon Ave, from where you can pick up a
jeepney to San Juan (20min; P18). Alternatively, stay on
the bus northbound and ask the driver to let you off at one
of the resorts, which are all signposted along the road.
Frequent buses to and from Baguio (1hr 30min) operate
from San Fernando Plaza.

INFORMATION
Tourist information DOT o ce (daily 8am-5pm; T 072
888 2411, W dotregion1.com), Oasis Country Resort , 3km
south of San Fernando.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Vigan's time-capsule ambience is
enhanced by the decision to allow only
pedestrians and calesas (one-pony,
two-seat traps) on some streets. A ride in
a calesa makes for a romantic tour of the
town (P150/hr). Vigan is one of the
easier Philippine towns to negotiate
because its streets follow a fairly regular
grid. Crisologo Street runs south from
Plaza Burgos and is lined with antique

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Circle Hostel Urbiztondo T 0917 832 6253, W launion
.thecirclehostel.com. Hip budget surf hostel offering basic,
cheap accommodation (including breakfast), just 200m back
from the beach. You sleep in one huge “dorm”, or in hammocks
or cushions on the floor of the communal living area. A sign
informs “No Strangers Here” and the relax ed nig httime vibe
makes this a great place to meet travellers. P350
El Union Coffee Opposite Seabay Surf Resort,
Urbiztondo. Cool little café serving an excellent variety of