The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 628

clutch of internet places but no ATM so
bring enough cash.

TREAT YOURSELF
Donsoleña Capobres St T 0928 508
3415, W donsolena.com. Rest up in
comfort in between boat trips at this
wonderful ancestral home, decked out in
native narra wood. The five spacious
rooms are tastefully styled, and there's a
terrace overlooking the r ice pa ddies, plus
a kitchen for guests' use. P2000

★

The Visayas
No one seems entirely sure how many
islands there are in the Visayas , but it
certainly runs into the thousands.
Everywhere you turn there's a patch of
tropical sand or coral reef, with a ferry
or bangka to take you there. here are
nine main islands - Cebu, Bohol,
Guimaras, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros,
Romblon and Siquijor - but it's the
hundreds of others in between that
make this part of the archipelago so
irresistible. Even on the main islands,
vast areas are relatively undiscovered.
No one can accuse the Visayans of
being a uniform lot, and a huge variety of
dialects are spoken, including Cebuano,
Ilonggo, Waray Waray and Aklan. While
English is less readily understood in some
places, visitors won't find a warmer
welcome anywhere.
Getting around is fairly easy. he major
islands are accessible by air from Manila,
and, increasingly, from Cebu City, but
the ferry network is also extensive. he
beauty of the Visayas is that there's no
need to make formal plans. here's always
another beach, another place to stay,
another island lost in its own little world.

P3500 for up to six people, and there's
also a registration fee of P300 per
person for foreigners and P100 for
Filipinos. Each boat has a crew of three
- the captain, the BIO and the spotter
- each of whom will expect a token of
your appreciation (at least P100 to each
person) at the end of a successful day
(and even an unsuccessful one). Renting
snorkelling equipment costs P300. All
this makes it an expensive day out by
Philippine standards, but take heart
from the fact that your money is
helping the conservation effort.
Hour-long firefly-spotting boat trips can
also be arranged along the mangroves of
the Donsol River from 6.30pm (P1250
per boat of five).
If you want to stay overnight in
Donsol, try the cozy Aguluz Homestay
(P700) on San Jose Street, or the
Santiago Tourist Inn , a P15 tricycle ride
from the Visitors' Center which has
decent rooms starting at P500. here's a

8

TYPHOON YOLANDA
On November 8, 2013 Typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as “Haiyan”) hit the southeastern
tip of Samar with windspeeds of up to 315km/h. The superstorm left a broad band of
destruction through northern Leyte, northern Cebu, northeastern Panay and finally Busuanga
before leaving the archipelago. Yolanda made landfall near Guiuan , and the town was almost
completely destroyed, while storm surges of more then 2m wreaked havoc in Tacloban . In
spite of a huge international relief effort, many of the worst affected areas remained without
power, clean water and supplies for weeks. Looting became a major problem, while in
unaffected regions local businesses and individuals rallied to raise funds and support.
Economically and aesthetically the recovery period will be counted in years, but for the
families of the 6000 dead the losses are clearly irreparable. Aid groups are camped out in
Tacloban until at least 2014, but sustained support is needed to help rebuild. Tourism can have
a role here, and in popular areas (Malapascua, for example), tourist dollars have catalysed
recovery. However, the worst hit areas in Samar and Leyte are still reeling from the effects of
Yolanda and principal tourist sights including Sohoton National Park remain closed. We have
removed Samar and Leyte from this edition of the guide, but hope to be able to include full
details in the next edition.