Our Bicol Itinerary and Travel Tips

Travelling via air (especially if you plan to go abroad) can be bit worrisome at the moment, given all the pandemic fuss.   But being natural born wanderers (makati ang mga paa sa Tagalog), my husband and I, we simply can't say "no" to travelling.  So we did the next best thing ~ we decided on taking Luzon road trips. 

So, here comes in our Bicol adventure.  

Bicolandia is a huge region, encompassing the southern part of Luzon and nearby provinces.  It is composed of six provinces: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon.  The nearest province Camarines Norte is roughly 340 kilometers from Manila (which translates to 8 hours of continuous driving).

Knowing how big the region is and with limited time at our disposal, we decided to focus on Albay ~ the home of the magnificent Mayon Volcano and one of country's popular attractions, gracing our Isang Daang Piso (P100.00).

If you are planning a long drive to Albay, here are some tips on how to get the most of your vacation.

WHAT TO BRING

1. Pack light clothes.  Bicol gets pretty humid especially mid-afternoon.  Always pack an extra shirt for changing.

2. Bring mosquito repellant and sunscreen. 

3. Weather could get unpredictable so you might want to bring a light jacket, a cap (or if you may mini-umbrella).  The jacket would also come is handy against the scorching sun if you intend to do ATV.

4. Bring loose change for tipping.  

5. Wear comfortable shoes, hiking shoes or shoes with tractions that you don't mind getting wet or dirty.  Most of the attractions require a bit (or a lot) of walking dirt pathways/roads.  

6. Bring a water bottle and keep yourself hydrated.

DRIVING ALL THE WAY

1. Ensure your driver gets enough sleep before the long drive.  Albay is about 465 kilometers from Manila and total driving hours will take roughly 10 hours.  Assign a navigator who will stay up together with your designated driver.  If there is  another driver in the travel group to switch with though this would be better. 

2. Come up with a Spotify playlist. Travel is long and a nice well planed background music will be appreciated by all.   

3. Leave Manila at 4:00 to 4:30am.  Depending on traffic, you are likely to reach San Pablo in Quezon in an hour or two.  This will a good place to have breakfast and do some stretching.

4. Do pitstops, stretch your muscles and have bathroom breaks at least every 2-3 hours.  Even if you don't feel tired, don't push it and do the breaks. 

5. Here is a tip you might want to consider,  get a local tour guide/travel agency.  Depending on your budget, you can join a group or hire a van exclusive for your use.  

• We opted to hire our own van, since we wanted a customized trip. 
• With a local guide driving for us, my husband also gets to relax and enjoy the trip.
• Internet connection is spotty in many areas and I doubt we would make it to most of our stops without getting lost.
• We got tips on where to eat and shop.

OUR TOP TO DO AND TRY LIST

1. Must visit:

• Do the ATV.  We tried the Green Lava Trail and it was well worth our money. 
• Camalig Ruins 
• Lignon Hills
• Daraga Church (one of the oldest churches in Bicol) 
• Solong Eco Park if you are into hiking trails and spelunking
• Sumlang Lake with a nice view of the Mayon across a lake  
• If time permits, squeeze in  a day trip to Sorsogon or Naga

 2. Must try:

• Skip the fast food and get a fixing of Bicol local delicacies. 

3. Must buy:

• Handicrafts (the Legazpi to Sorsogon roadside handicrafts were pretty good value)
• Ceramics at the PhilCeramic in Tiwi Albay 
• Pili Sweets at the House of Pili in SM Legazpi OR Ibalong Pasalubong Center.  
• Check out cottage industries. If you are in Tobaco City area they make very good "bolos (tabak)".

   

Check the links below for more trip inspirations:

Legazpi - Day 1

Legazpi - Day 2

Legazpi - Day 3

Sorsogon Day tour - Day 4

I found my Honey in Sorsogon - Day 4

Time travels faster when you are having fun :P

Can't believe, this is our last full day in Bicolandia.  With a day left to our Bicol holiday, we tried to squeeze in a day tour to Sorsogon.  Sorsogon is famous for its stunning sceneries and emerald blue beachlines.

Posing right next to a giant pili-nut at Sorsogon Baywalk :D 

Barcelona, Sorsogon

The town was named after Barcelona, Cartonia (Spain) after a Spanish official saw some similarities between the two.  

The Ruins

Across the Ruins is the century old Barcelona Church, which is one of the oldest in the Bicol province.  

Next stop is the Paguriran Beach

A rock islet with a natural pool formation.  During low tide, you can literally walk towards the island.

I was a bit disappointed that we were not able to dive and get ourselves wet, but promised to come back soon and spend at least 3 days in Sorsogon just to enjoy the beach and the crystal clear water.

Lunch was at Balay Buhay sa Uma Bee Farm

Bulay Buhay is an agri-tourism farm-site with lodging facilities.  This is the place to stay if you wish for peace and quiet.

  

A natural spring pool comes as a bonus.

Bulusan Volcano Natural Park was supposed to be our last stop in Sorsogon, however it was still only partially operational due to Covid restrictions. They were only allowing limited guests at a time to enter and wait time is about 1-2 hours.  Another disappointment, still another reason to come back to Sorsogon.

There are still so many to discover in Bicol, 4-5 days is not enough to fully experience it beauty.  

With the country opening its ports and loosening travel restrictions, plus the reopening of Bicol railways, we will definitely start frequenting the beautiful Bicolandia!

If you missed Day 1-3, please check the links below:

Welcome to Legazpi Day 1

The Best of Albay Day 2

The Best of Albay Day 3

Welcome to Legazpi - The Best of Albay - Day 3

Day 3 of our Bicol vacation starts with a quick trip to 

Lignon Hills

It is the 2nd highest point in the city of Legazpi, rising about 512 feet overlooking the Mayon Volcano and the Albay Gulf.  The view on top (even after the 3km walk) was worth it.

Next stop is Daraga Church.

Our Lady of the Gate Church or more commonly known as the Daraga Church is located on a hilltop with a majestic view of the Mayon Volcano. The people of Cagsawa transferred their town center here to avoid the eruptions of Mayon Volcano and flooding of Yawa River.

Daraga Church is famous for its Baroque architecture.  Its façade and walls are made out of volcanic rocks, coated with lime for protection from deterioration.

From Daraga we travelled about 14kms to our next destination located in Camalig.

Solong Eco Park

It is 6.5 hectares eco-park known for its outdoor activities such as hill trekking and spelunking.  

We were assigned a park guide who helped us reach Solong Crystal Cave through a great deal of hiking.  The uphill climb was a real challenge, while the about 10 minutes stay inside the cave felt like you are inside a sauna. Must have lost 10lbs (or more).  

(Perfect end to all that climbing.... refreshing buko juice)

Farm Plate

Our next stop is the Farm Plate. It is huge Instagrammable farm for picnics and just to breath in fresh air.  

Socorro's Lakeside Restaurant

Hands down one of the best meals we have had in Bicol is here at Socorro's Lakeside Restaurant.  If not for the long wait (which we were not prepared for, otherwise we should have grabbed a bite at the Farm Plate) I would have rated it A++.  Two hours wait time for hungry people (after a hard day of hiking and spelunking at the Solong Eco-park) is an outrage (uhm, you know what I mean).

We ordered big time and finished everything... (What? We were hungry!)!

(Socorro's Fried Rice, Bagoong Fried Rice, Ginataang Laing, Crispy Bicol Express, Mixed Seafood in Chili Sauce, Honey Glazed Chicken)

Sumlang Lake

Must try activities at Sumlang Lake includes aqua activities such as balsa and kayaking.   

While in the area check out the Nappa Food and Craft Pasalubong Center.

If you missed our Bicol Trip Day 1 and Day 2, you may click on link below:

Welcome to Legazpi - Mayon Volcano (Front Seats) - Day 1

Welcome to Legazpi - The Best of Albay - Day 2

Welcome to Legazpi - The Best of Albay - Day 2

Day 2 started early with a plenty to do in our itinerary.

We travelled about 40kms to reach Tiwi, Albay.  This part of Bicol is well known for their hand made ceramics.  It has been the leading terracotta ceramic industry in the Bicol Region.

PhilCeramic at Putsan Tiwi

We are happy, we added this stop to our Bicol itinerary.  My sister and my brother-in-law went gaga over the hundreds of ceramics on display.  Prices were barely one third Manila's mall prices.  A set of three ceramic vases is sold for P600-P800 only.  I assume wholesale would be lower, but we did not bother haggle the cost. 

They were already so affordable.

Our haul filled half our luggage compartment.

 

ABR Cutlery

Tabaco Albay is known for its primary product "tobacco" where it got its name from. However, aside from tabaco this city is also known for its well crafted "tabak" or bolo.  My husband, a blade enthusiasts did not let his chance to buy Tabaco made bolo pass. He INSISTED on a side trip. 

Instead of going to the market, we went direct to a local producer ABR Cutlery and got his blade loots a lot cheaper.  The owner Madam Azucena Rodriguez was very accommodating.  She even gave my husband freebies. 

This time it was my husband who went crazy... he obviously can't decide what to buy...

Mayon Skyline

It was raining when we arrived at our next destination, the Mayon Skyline.  It was a real bummer... as we did not get a glimpse of the illusive Mayon.  Sadly, the view and weather was Baguio like (foggy and cold).

Kuyang's Bar and Restaurant Ligao 

Before heading to our next destination Kawa-Kawa Hills, which is a difficult uphill climb (or a downhill roll) we stuffed ourselves at the Kuyang's Bar and Restaurant.  I was initially sad as there were not much local Bicol delicacies in their menu (I was looking forward to more of laing and Bicol express), but when our orders came ~ we were delighted!  We love (and finished) everything we ordered. 

 

We ordered tuna steak, crispy lechon, talong and pork sisig. 

Kawa-kawa Hills

Kawa-kawa Hills is a park with life size statues of the Passion of Christ.

I realized that a common thing about most Bicol attractions is ~ they are hard climbs.  The uphill climb was also slippery after a rain. I would give this attraction a pass if travelling with seniors or small kids.

 

From your uphill climb,  drop by the adjacent Carmelite Monastery and Shrine of the Divine Mercy.  

Cagsawa Ruins

Next to the Mayon Volcano, I think the Cagsawa Ruins is the 2nd most photographed.  The Cagsawa Ruins are the remnants of an 18th century Franciscan church destroyed by the 1814 Mayon Volcano eruption.

Happy Trail ATV

One of the highlights of our trip to Bicol 

We took the Green Lava Trail.  It is about 7kms, 2 hours drive from Cagsawa Ruins. The trail passes through the following standard trails (SkyDrive, Grassland, Snake, Forest, Cagsawa SkyDrive River & SkyDrive Combo), across  muddy cannals, curvy-steep hills, rock paths, rivers, forestry, quarry site.  It was an exhilarating ride and purely off road. 

Legazpi Four Seasons

We finished Day 2 with hefty meal at the Four Season's.  It is a Chinese restaurant, I know but it was the closest one from our hotel.  Beside it was highly recommended.

(We ordered steamed siomai, fried rice, Season's chicken (must order), 

pansit, shrimps and sizzling pork steak)

Food was expectedly sumptuous.  They have huge servings.  I think our order can feed eight.  Good place to go if you are with a big group.    

Day 2 ends here.  

If you missed our Day 1 and Day 3, you may click on link below:

Welcome to Legazpi - Mayon Volcano (Front Seats) - Day 1

Welcome to Legazpi - The Best of Albay - Day 3

Welcome to Legazpi - Mayon Volcano (Front Seats) - Day 1

My father's family hails from Bicol but they have long moved to Manila, even before I was born. 

I recall visiting my father's home town just once.  I was so young then about 10 and I only remember bits and pieces of our short vacation.   We never got to visit back,  due maybe to our busy schedule and well the fact that it more than 400km away.

So the land of Mayon Volcano has always been in bucketlist.  We actually started planning about 2 years ago, but planning was unfortunately halted by Covid19 Pandemic lockdowns.

Last February, we (my husband and I and my younger sister who was barely 5 when we went to Bicol) finally took off the road to Bicol.

Sharing with you our 5 days/4 nights DIY Bicol frolics.  

DAY 1 - MANILA TO BICOL 

We left Rizal at 4:30am and reached our first stop (breakfast) at around 630am.

Breakfast was at Taza Mia at Tagpuan Villa Escudero, San Pablo City.   

We ordered breakfast set meals which comes with brewed coffee. Food was very good and filling, perfect for a day on the road.  

There is a McDonalds across Taza Mia and before hitting the road again, we decided to get take out breakfast sandwiches in case we get hungry.  This was a good thing as we were not able to find much restaurant to our liking.  We ate our take outs on the way and skipped lunch.

Our First Glimpse of the Magnificent Mayon Volcano via Camalig By-Pass-Road.  We would be seeing more of her in this Mayon blog series...

Legazpi is only about 13kms from here.  We intended to dine at Balay Cena Una, but was disappointed learning it has been closed since the start of the pandemic.  Not sure if it has already opened as of writing.  

1st Colonial Grill

Famished (skipping lunch) and driving straight with just bathroom breaks wasn't such a good idea.... we are elated to find ourselves at 1st Colonial at SM Legazpi. 

We ordered (Top-Bottom/Left-Right) pancit bato, tuna sisig, bagoong fried rice, ginataang santol, bicol express and of course their not to be missed Sili Ice cream (that comes on different levels of spiciness)

Check-in at Lotus Blu Hotel

Our residence in Bicol for the next 4 days

We arrived at Lotus Blu at around 6pm.  There was a mishap on the room assigned to us and was too late to correct it on our first night since the hotel was apparently packed. They were apologetic though and moved us to our preferred room the next day.

The room is basic, but we rested well. There is no pool and we did not see any lounge except for the lobby seating at the ground floor.  Breakfast is set meal with very few options.  

Housekeeping was very efficient, they kept the room spic and span and replenished our supplies.  Location wise, Lotus Blu is spot on.  It is a short walking distance from SM Legazpi, outside but near the city center which means less traffic.   It was a good jump off point for tourists.

Got  this photo from TripAdvisor,
I was not able to get a picture of our actual room as we were too tired from our days travel.

Day 1 ends here. Follow our Bicol Holiday Day 2 by clicking on the link below.

Welcome to Legazpi - The Best of Albay - Day 2