The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 654

By bus There are two major integrated bus terminals in
the city, eastbound and westbound. A jeepney ride to
either of these from the town centre is P10-12, or you can
take a taxi for around P50.
Destinations Butuan (for Surigao; every 45min until
5pm; 4hr); Davao (every 30min; 8hr). The Butuan buses
also pass through Balingoan (1hr 30min), the departure
point for Camiguin.
By ferry Macabalan Wharf is 5km north of the centre,
with regular jeepneys back and forth. 2GO runs the
majority of services from CDO, with a few routes also
served by Transa Asia.
Destinations Bacolod (weekly; 21hr); Cebu City (3 weekly;
8hr); Dumaguete (weekly; 7hr); Iloilo (3 weekly; 14hr)
Manila (weekly; 32hr); and Tagbilaran (3 weekly; 8hr).

and pastas mostly under P150, as well as real coffee and
free wi-fi. Mon-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun noon-8pm.
Club Mojo Hayes St. The main nightspot in the area,
which has regular live bands and gets going late. Ralf 's
Bar , upstairs, has pool tables. Tues-Sun 9pm-2am.
★

Divisoria Market Golden Friendship Park. The best
place to hang out on weekend evenings, with buzzing
outdoor food stalls, cheap beer, live music and communal
tables. Fri & Sat nights 6pm-2am.

CAMIGUIN ISLAND
Sitting about 90km north of Cagayan de
Oro, the pear-shaped volcanic island of
Camiguin is one of the country's little
gems, offering ivory beaches, iridescent
lagoons and undulating scenery. It's a
peaceful, almost spiritual island, where
people are proud of their faith, though
there's no shortage of adventure either, with
reasonable scuba diving and tremendous
trekking and climbing in the rugged
interior, especially on volcanic Mount
Hibok-Hibok . Camiguin is home to six
other volcanoes, a multitude of hot springs,
a carbonated spring, and a submerged
cemetery for divers to explore near the
coastal town of Bonbon . Another major
draw is the hugely welcoming Lanzones
Festival , held in the third week of October
when everyone stomps and dances in the
streets as a tribute to this humble fruit, one
of Camiguin's major sources of income.
Mambajao is the bustling little capital
on the north coast of Camiguin, 17km
north of the port at Benoni.
It doesn't really matter where you stay
on the island because you can reach all
the sights from anywhere. he coastal
road is almost 70km long, making it
feasible to circle the island in a day, most
easily on a motorbike, which are widely
available to rent. Jeepneys and trikes also
pass frequently along the coastal road in
both directions. Most resorts can arrange
climbing, trekking, diving and other
adventurous excursions, but there are also
two good operators in Mambajao,
FunTrips ( T 0917 702 2278, W funtrips
travelandtours.com) on Rizal Street, and
Wow Camiguin ( T 088 310 0698,
W wowcamiguintandt.blogspot.com),
both of which can also organize ferry and
air tickets.

INFORMATION
Tourist o ce The regional tourist o ce (Mon-Fri
8.30am-5.30pm; T 088 856 4048, E dotr10_nm@yahoo
.com) is in the Pelaez Sports Centre on Velez St, a short walk
north of the city centre. The detailed website W cdoguide
.com is also helpful.
Amenities Besides a supermarket and the usual stores,
the Limketkai mall ( W limketkaicenter.com) is home to
several banks, internet cafés and a cinema.

8

ACCOMMODATION
★

Budgetel Coralles Extension St T 088 856 4200 or
T 0917 794 1010, E [e-mail]. Gleaming
modern backpacker facility with 34 rooms and several
dorms, all with a/c. Dorms have clean communal bath-
rooms with hot water, while the private rooms also have
flat-screen cable TV. Close to the wharf, the bus stati on and
Gaisano mall. Free wi-fi in the restau rant. Dorm P250 ,
double (with breakfast included) P900
Hotel Ramon Burgos St T 088 857 4804. The cheapest
rooms have private bathrooms, a/c and TV, but it's worth
paying extra for a garden or river view (P900). Free
in-room wi-fi. P700
Loft Inn Velez cnr. J.R. Borja streets T 088 2274 5010. All
rooms here have a/c, TVs, clean bat hroom s and free wi-fi.
Look at a couple before you decide. P600

EATING, DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
The centre of the action in town is around where Velez
crosses Hayes and Chavez streets. A couple of kilometres
east, the Limketkai mall has a good mix of restaurants, the
most bustling area being the Rosario Arcade outside the
main entrance. Catch a jeepney here from Velez St.
Bigby's Café Rosario Arcade, Limketkai mall. Bright, deli-
type place serving great coffee (P75) and light lunches P200-
300. Free wi-fi. Daily 11am-10pm, Fri & Sat until midnight.
BrewBerry Café Velez cnr. T. Chavez streets. Filipino
favourites including adobo , plus grills, sizzlers, sandwiches