Dauin Coconut Belt
Description
Coconut groves used for vinegar and copra. In Dauin, the dive town south of Dumaguete, better known underwater than above. Bananas here are several distinct varieties — saba for cooking into banana cue, turon and ginanggang; lakatan and latundan for eating fresh. Coconut groves feed three chains at once: copra, sap for tuba and vinegar, and fresh buko. Roadside stalls beside the groves are the cheapest place to buy either.
Tips
The roadside vegetable stalls between Dauin and Dumaguete are cheaper than either town"s market and worth stopping at on the way past. Access roads to the beachfront restaurants and brewery are rough and easy to miss from the highway — watch for small signs rather than expecting a clear turn.
Stops
Southern Uplands & Coastal Food Chain
How to get there
Jeepney or bus south from Dumaguete, around 30-40 minutes; tricycle for the last stretch to the resorts and roadside stalls.
Best Times
Early morning — markets, landings and roadside stalls all run hardest before 8am.