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.
- 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)".
