The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 626

EATING AND DRINKING
Cheap street stalls line Rosario Street in Albany District.
The studenty Green Leaf bar on Rizal Street and Silver Bucks
and Chick 'In at the Capitol Annex Building form the bulk of
Legaspi nightlife.
La Mia Tazza Rizal St, Albay District. Cosy little café with
delicious cakes (P45), mu ns (P80) and cookies (P45) to
enjoy with a cup of pili coffee or with one of the exotic teas
(P90), such as peach ginger or ginseng peppermint. Free
wi-fi. There's a second branch in the Embarcadero. Daily
8am-midnight.
★

claim and the clouds roll in and obscure
the view of the volcano. Take a jeepney
bound for Camalig and ask the driver to
let you off near the ruins.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The airport is in the Albay district, about 3km
west of the town centre; a tricycle will take you into town
for P30.
Destinations Cebu Pacific flies to Cebu (3 weekly, Thurs,

Sat and Sun; 1hr 5min); PAL and Cebu Pacific fly to Manila
(daily; 55min).
By bus The bus terminal on Tahao Road, which minivans
also use, is 1.5km west of the town centre.
Destinations Donsol (every 30mins; 1hr); Naga (every
30min; 2hr); Sorsogon (every 30mins; 1hr 30min). Most
Manila-bound buses depart in the evening (daily; 10hr).
Philtranco goes all the way from Manila to Davao, using
ferries where it has to. It stops at Daet, Naga and Legaspi,
before heading on to the port of Matnog, at the southern-
most tip of South Luzon, for the Samar ferry.

Small Talk Café 51 D. Aurora St, Albay District.
Homely café with old curios and 1950s Bicol photos,
serving an exotic range of fusion dishes such as their
famous Bicol-inspired pastas (P105). Try the pili pie (P50)
and buco pandana (coconut) smoothie (P60). Daily
11am-10pm.
Waway Peñaranda St, Albay District. Renowned for its
tasty seafood and native Bicol specialities served in a large
dining room. Allow enough time for dinner as it closes
early. A meal will set you back P150-200. Daily 7am-8pm.

INFORMATION
Tourist information The Legaspi City Tourism O ce is in
the City Hall (daily 7am-7pm; T 052 481 0250, E legazpi
[e-mail]). Enquire here about
arranging a guide for Mount Mayon. Call the Regional
Tourism O ce in Rawis (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; T 052 482
5593) to check conditions before you set off to see the
whale sharks.
Tour operators Bicol Adventure and Tours, second floor,
V&O Bldg, downstairs from the Legaspi Tourist Inn , Quezon
Ave ( T 0918 910 2185, W bicoladventure.com), is the best
company to organize a trip up Mayon.

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange There are a number of banks with
ATMs on Quezon Ave and upper Rizal St.
Internet All three malls have internet cafés (daily
10am-9pm; P30/hr).
Post o ce At the northern end of Lapu-Lapu St cnr.
Quezon Ave.
Shopping LCC Mall is on Lapu-Lapu St cnr. Quezon Ave.
Gaisano Mall and Embarcadero are in the harbour area.

8

MOUNT MAYON
he perfectly triangular cone of Mount
Mayon (2421m) in Albay province makes
it look, from a distance, like a child's
drawing of a mountain, but don't be
deceived, Mayon has claimed many lives
over the years. It is the most active
volcano in the country and has erupted
more than 47 times in the last four
centuries - 1984 and 1993 saw significant
eruptions, and in 2006 hundreds were
killed by mudslides of volcanic ash
loosened by typhoon Durian. In
December 2009 ash and incandescent
lava shot for weeks from the crater and
the alert level crept up to 4. After a mass
evacuation, thousands spent Christmas
and the New Year in emergency shelters,
but the expected devastating full-scale
eruption didn't happen. Most recently, in
May 2013, a minute-long eruption caused

ACCOMMODATION
Legazpi Tourist Inn 3rd Floor, V&O Bldg, Quezon Ave
cnr. Lapu-Lapu St, Legazpi Port District T 052 480 6147,
E [e-mail]. Friendly staff and a
secure central location; rooms have c able TV although only
those with a/c have hot water. P700
Magayon Hotel Peñaranda St, Legazpi Port District
T 052 480 7770, E [e-mail]. There are
helpful staff at this hotel which has 74 pretty, clean rooms;
all doubles have a/c and cable TV, and the rates fo r sing le
travellers (P200) don't get much better. Free wi-fi. P800
Mayon Backpackers Hostel Barangay Maoyod T 052
480 0365, W mayonbackpackers.wordpress.com. Legaspi's
only hostel offers a decent collection of brightly painted
fan and a/c dorms (P250-350) and doubles. There's a
small selection of books and board games, and the rooftop
terrace café has Mt Mayon views. The hostel can also
arrange local tours, including ATV rides to the lava front.
P1000