Getting Around Naga City

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Since all the other taxis have gone, I asked an airport employee where else we could get a ride. "Ms. Nitz" of the Baggage Section of the airport helped us find a car which could bring us to Naga City. Actually, it was an old car owned by another airport personnel, but since we do not know the driver personally, we had reservations whether we could trust him or not (aside from our cash, hubby had expensive photography gear with him)...It seemed we had no choice, however, since the taxis come around only when there are airplanes arriving, and that meant we had to wait for 2 more hours.

Talking further with Ms. Nitz, I asked her if she could guarantee our safety as tourists to the driver. She vouched for the driver's character. We were still a bit hesitant, and I was about to call up my aunt to ask her if someone from her relatives could fetch us, but prudence dictated that I don't bother her with such triviality...Anyhow, we dared hire the car and arrived at Naga City safe and sound. The driver had good public relations and positive attitude; we paid him P300, more than the amount he asked for; anyway, it was the same amount we would have spent on the services of the arrogant taxi driver.

The Philippine jeepney is very much in sight in Naga City, plying the national road into the business district. In fact, from the Pili Airport, one can take a "padyak" to the highway, then take a jeepney to Naga City. I saw a lot of jeepneys as I took pictures at the Plaza.

"Padyak" is an alternative ride for short distances. Unlike the tricycle driver who drives a motorcycle attached to a sidecar, the "padyak" driver pedals his way to move the sidecar attached to his bike. Fare is P5/pax.

Going around Naga City is easy. You just have to hail a tricycle and tell the driver where you'd like to go. Minimum fare is P7/pax. For special trips like when we hired one to bring us to the Basilica, we paid P20 total. Going back to the Plaza downtown, we paid the same amount. What is nice about Naga, they have a very big sign at the Plaza indicating the minimum fare for tricycle ride. This is the only place I've been to in Bicol where no tricycle driver dared to overprice.

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We went to Naga City via Cebu Pacific; we availed of their promo price. From Manila, the flight is only about 45-50 minutes. Manila-Naga-Manila route is serviced by Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific and Zest Air.

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This little vehicle can hold up to eight people (depending on size); four inside, plus a child (5), then three outside (including the driver). ---the lesser the people the better. ;D It's safer that way. =)

The minimum fare is 6 pesos and you can go almost anywhere Naga.

Naga is practically a safe city to bike around. Yes, there are those hoodlums here and there, but they are only few...very, very few. The traffic is also good (well, except at night) so it's okay to bike around...most especially during dawn to early morning (before 8am).

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Going to Naga, Pia and I rode the Lazy Boy tourist bus. As the name implies, the seats are wide, leaving lots of elbow room. You can really recline the chair and you've got lots of space to move.

Going back to Manila, we rode the single seater (because every lazy boy bus was fully booked), which was good enough. The seats were comfortable and when I go back to Bicol next quarter (if I'm not going abroad), I'll definitely use Isarog Bus Lines again.

(Isarog Line Express Transport, Inc. was named after Mt. Isarog, an inactive volcano that rises in the heart of the province of Camarines Sur, the central part of the Bicol Peninsula about 450 kilometers south of Manila. It is the highest forested peak in Southern Luzon.)

Lazy boy bus one way: 700 pesos
Single seater bus one way: 620 pesos

Main office address in Naga: #77 Concepcion Pequena , Naga City +63(54)4738946 look for Roma or Engine