The Rolet Hotel is probably the nicest place to stay in Catbalogan.
A clean double with air con and cable tv is 950 pesos per nite.
There are heaps of places to stay in this town with rates as low as 300 peso.
Most of the college students stay in boarding houses that charge around 1300 per month.
Samar isn't on the tourist trail but the occasional foreigner passes through. One of the biggest cave systems in the Philippines is nearby attracting spelunkers from Europe who spent a bit of time mapping and exploring.
Catbalogan itself is the hub for central Samar but there are no commercial flights to this place yet. Some planes fly into Calabayog to the north or to Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte to the south. Buses can then take you the rest of the way.
Boats to the surrounding islands leave from the pier hauling passengers and freight. They are informal operators with no ticket offices or set schedules.
The people here speak Waray Waray in the streets but Tagalog and English is used in the schools.
Catbalogan bustles with 3 wheeled pedi cabs keeping things clean and quiet. 3 pesos per person gets you anywhere in town.
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