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

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

Taiwan ~ More than just a Vibrant City

My husband has been suggesting a family vacation in Taiwan like for years now ~ but I just shrugged the suggestion as I don't see anything special nor exciting about it.  Well, his persistence paid off ~  we were visiting one of the regular travel fairs in SMX, when I spotted good Taiwan airfare promo via Eva Air.  

He was all smiles as I paid for the airfare. 

I was like, 8 days and 7 nights in Taiwan ~ what is there to do?
So I started my planning and research early to work on filling in our 8 days schedule. 

I was actually surprised, that while doing my planning 8 days seemed too short to really see and enjoy what Taiwan has to offer.  It may be a small country (imagine just 6 hours via  car from the top most to the bottom most part of Taiwan), but is gifted with so many beautiful places.  

So sorry to say there are no museums, Taipei 101 nor Chiang Kai-shek memorial in our Taiwan blog post.  For our Taiwan trip, we were definitely leaving Taipei City and touring its outskirts ~ Kaohsiung, Kenting, Taitung and Hualien!  We were determined to see Taiwan's beautiful coastlines and grand, towering mountains.  

Our 8 days in Taiwan allowed us 2 days in Taipei City and  5 days for a Taiwan Island Tour

Below is our itinerary (please click  below links to the separate blog post per day for more tips):

Day 1 (Arrival / Taipei City)
Maokong Gondola 
Huashan 1914 
Guanhua Digital
Taipeieye
We stayed at the Cityinn Plus Hotel in Ximen (very close to the Ximending Walking Street, so we were out and about "also reads as shopping and eating"  until the wee hours) while in Taipei City


Day 2 - Jiufen and Pinxi Tour
Yin Yang Sea
Golden Waterfalls
Jiufen Old Street
Pinxi (with Sky Lantern Making Activity)


 

Day 3 - Sun Moon Lake + Natural Spring
Sun Moon Lake bus tour
Ita Thao Village
Xuan Zang
Wenwu Temple 
Ci En Pagoda
Relaxing Spa Retreat at the Fleur De Chien Hotel


Day 4 - Sun Moon Lake / Foguangshan Monastery / Kaohsiung
Sun Moon Lake via the Xiangshan Visitors Center
Jiji Temple
Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Monastery
Love River
Liuhe Night Market
Rest at the Grand Hi-Lai Hotel

Day 5 - Kaohsiung / Kenting / Taitung (Zhiben Hot Spring)

Maobitu
Eluanbi Light House
Kenting Scenic Coastal Area
Longpan Park
Overnight at the Hotel Royal Chihpen


Day 6 - Taitung / East Coast National Scenic Area / Hualien
East Coast National Scenic Area
Xiaoyeliou
Sansientai
Stone Steps
Caves of the Eight Immortals
Marble factory
Taroko Gorge
Stay at Silk Place Taroko


Day 7 - Hualien / Taroko Gorge

Ci Mu Bridge
Qingshui Cliff

Changchun Temple

Buluowan Recreational Area
Swallow Grotto

Eternal Spring Shrine

Shakadang Trail
Last day shopping at Ximending

Day 8 - Departure

I originally planned 2/28 Peace Park and National Taiwan Museum for our last day. But we must have walked more than 70 kilometers in the duration of our Taiwan stay, we were too exhausted by Day 8. We just stayed in the hotel and slept! 

Take-aways:

1. Taiwan's weather is unpredictable and gets quite HUMID (in bold, don't tell me I didn't warn you). 
• Bring automatic sturdy umbrella (that easily opens and closes) ~ cheap umbrellas will not withstand the strong winds in the coastal areas. 
• Bring light jacket and a cap. 
• My son brought with him a handheld USB fan (it was such a blessing).
2. Wear loose/comfortable clothes. Wear your best walking shoes. 
3. Must bring sunscreen and insect repellants (they have humongous mosquitoes, and I am NOT kidding)
4. If you are touring via bus, you would want to sit in front and on the right side (facing front) for the best view. 
5. Bring water and hydrate.   
6. Don't miss the night markets. Try tiger prawn, oyster omelette, Taiwan sausage, chicken steak, cheesy potato, pork bun... And don't forget the bubble teas and in season fruits!  Oh, just try everything!
7. Shopping tips:
• Pastries seemed cheaper in the outskirts
• Bargaining is okay when shopping in the night markets (even in Ximending, example they would sell shirts at NTD200 - I bought 4 for only NTD600).  Remember to ask nicely though (always smile).
• Nice buys are sweets (pineapple tarts and nougats), thin pork crisp and jerkies, shoes (I got nice handmade sandals in Kaohsiung for NTD250) , computer and mobile phone peripherals (so cheap at the Guanghua Digital Mall - if you are buying electronics go here, imagine 6 floors of electronic equipment), cute t-shirts (buy the good quality ones), beaded bracelets (the cheapest we saw were at Ita Thao Village and Xuanzang Temple in Nantou).
• We got real nice leather key chains and wallets at Jiufen (they were personalized too) make wonderful souvenirs. 
• If you are running short of time - you may pre-order your "pasalubong" via Klook and pick-up your order at the airport before check-in.  Price difference in marginal and you get your items nicely packed (in boxes) for easier transport. If you are new to Klook, clink this link for extra discounts >>> KLOOK .
• I found electronics (PS4, mobile phones) a lot cheaper (for instance a Samsung A9 costs 28,000 pesos in TPE vs 35,000 pesos Samsung Store Manila price) at TPE. However, they only have Taiwan warranty (No international warranty).   

I never thought that 8 days in Taiwan will be too short. 

We missed a lot ~ we weren't able to try the Knife Massage, tour the North Coast of Taiwan and do farm tours/stay. I think another 3-4 days would have covered that.  

I must admit, my husband was right including Taiwan in our bucket list.  I guess a "We shall be back Taiwan" is in order!

Special Notes:

• For our Day 2 - Jiufen / Pinxi was made through MyTaiwanTour
• For our Day 3-7 - Taiwan Island Tour was made through Edison Tours

Both tours were worry free and allowed us to see and experience the most of Taiwan in under 8 days. 

Day 1 (Arrival / Taipei City)
Day 2 - Jiufen and Pinxi Tour
Day 4, 5 and 6 - Taiwan Island Excursion (Part 1)

Day 6 and 7 - Taiwan Island Excursion (Part 2)