The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 642

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The airport is 15km northeast of the city. A taxi
to the centre of town costs around P500. Regular shuttles
(P150) to SM and Robinson's malls.
Destinations Cebu Pacific and PAL fly daily to Cebu City
(30min), Davao (1hr 10min) and Manila (1hr).
By bus and jeepney Ceres Liner, which dominates
transport in the area, has two bus terminals, one for
northern destinations ( T 034 433 4993) located at
Barangay Bata and one for southern destinations,
located on Lopez Jaena St ( T 034 434 287). Jeepneys run
regularly to city plaza, from where you can catch a jeepney
uptown (P7).
Destinations

TREAT YOURSELF
L'Fisher Chalet 14th Lacson St T 034 433
3791, W lfisherhotelbacolod.com. You
don't have to spend too much extra to
buy a little sophisticated urban living at
L'Fisher's budget wing, Chalet . The
cheapest “budget” and “economy” rooms
are windowless, but the stylish standard
twins and doubles (P1795) have all mod
cons and balconies looking out over the
city. The real reason to stay though is for
free use of the hotel's trendy rooftop pool
with swim-up bar, plus there's a small but
well-equip ped g ym and a decent
restaurant. P1195

★

Cebu City (hourly; 10hr including ferry);
Dumaguete (every 40min; 5hr 30min); Sipalay (hourly;
5hr). For destinations north, including Cadiz (1hr) and
Sagay, from where you can take a boat to Bantayan, buses
run every 40min from 6am-6pm.
By ferry Bredco Port, 500m west of the plaza, is the
arrival and departure point for most major ferries.
Frequent Jeepneys into town from Bangko (P8).
Destinations

chips (P450), and lemon-herb roasted chicken (P400).
There's free wi-fi for customers. Daily 10.30am-9.30pm.
Calea 14th St and also in Robinson's Place mall. Hugely
popular with a young clientele, this café, decorated in
mellow blue and yellow tones, puts all the Negros sugar
to good use; dozens of cakes and sandwiches (P115-155)
as well as delectable coffees (P60-90). Mon-Thurs 8am-
10pm, Fri-Sun 9am-11pm.
Imay's 6th Lacson St. Traditional Filipino food in a large
outdoor aquarium-themed gazebo, popular for weekend
family lunch but also open for dinner. Probably Bacolod's
best seafood. Extensive menu with mains at around P200.
Daily 11am-2pm & 5.30-11pm.
Manokan Country Just outside SM Mall. The name
roughly translates as “where you find chicken” and so it is
- the dozens of chicken restaurants here are funded by the
city government, keeping the locals happy. A meal here
will set you back less than P100. Daily 10am-late.
Organic Market Restaurant Behind the Provincial
Capitol Building. Fruit and veg market with a great organic
restaurant serving all sorts of health foods from organic
rice meals (P40) to shakes (P35) and coffee. Meals for less
than P100. Daily 6am-6pm.

Iloilo City (24 daily; 1hr); Manila (3 weekly;

20hr).

8

INFORMATION
Tourist information Negros Occidental Tourism Center,
Provincial Capitol Building (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; T 034
432 2881, W negrosoccidentaltourism.com), is a good
source of information on exploring the region's sights.

ACCOMMODATION
11th Street Bed and Breakfast 11th St T 034 433
9191 or T 0922 843 3919, W bb11st.webeden.co.uk.
Rooms at this friendly little pension are set around a leafy
garden and parking area; shaded glass windows make the
rooms a little dark, but they all have cable TV and rates
include free wi-fi and breakfast. P550
Pension Bacolod 11th St T 034 433 3377 or T 034 434
7065. Not as welcoming as the 11th Street B&B along the
road, this popular cheapie feels secure and is g reat v alue,
though both the walls and mattresses are thin. P250

DIRECTORY
Banks PNB on Lacson St has an ATM and foreign exchange.
Internet There's no shortage of cheap internet cafés
around the university and in the malls. For a little more
comfort try Le Cafenet in Mayfair Plaza at 12th Lacson St
(Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-7pm; P25/hr).
Post o ce Gatuslao cnr. Burgos streets.

EATING, DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
Bacolod has a well-developed culinary scene and Lacson
Street is lined with top-notch restaurants serving local and
international food. It's also worth heading out to the The
Ruins (see opposite) for a meal. The city's main nightlife
entertainment zone, Goldenfields, is in the far south of the
city, and has a few decent clubs, along with a strip of girlie
bars. Lacson Street has a more sophisticated selection; the
best option is artsy lounge-bar Mushu near 20th Street.
Café Uma 15th Street & Lacson Street, next to L'Fisher .
This trendy little café serves delicious but expensive drinks,
snacks and meals including eggs Benedict (P450), fish and

Mount Kanlaon National Park
Mount Kanlaon , two hours from Bacolod
by jeepney, is the tallest peak and most
active volcano in the central Philippines.
Climbers have died scaling it, so don't