It has been 12 years since me, and my childhood friends, Iris, Jedai, Rachel, Nathalie and Geraldine haven't seen each other completely. There is a saying that there is always a right time for everything and I believe that it is about time that we all reunite and go on a trip. We decided as a group to go on a weekend trip to Bicol to see the active and beautiful Mount Mayon.

Watch our video to Bicol and don't forget to read my blog.

We took an early flight from Manila-Legazpi on September 10, 2016, via Cebu Pacific. A big tip for those taking Cebu Pacific flight, pick the seat on D, E or F to have a better view of the Mt. Mayon (If it's not foggy).

LEGAZPI

We landed Legazpi at 6:15 am, and the first thing we did was to take a selfie with Mt. Mayon in the background. There is transportation waiting for travellers as soon as you step out of the airport. We took two tricycles (7 people) for P60 each to bring us to our hotel.

EMBARCADERO HOTEL

We chose to stay at the Embarcadero Hotel because of its location, convenient for transportation and they have plenty of restaurants nearby. However, we also had plenty of unwanted experience in this hotel. The lobby is too hot, our rooms are not fully furnished, and we had holes below our air conditioner, there are too many black ants, they seem to come out whenever we're not looking. There are no windows in our room, and the aircon takes a long time to be cool. Please note that we are not very picky about hotels, but I think our complaints were entirely reasonable considering it is a "hotel". If you are not super tight on budget, might as well find other places to stay. I will not recommend this hotel to anyone at all.

CAGSAWA RUINS

Cagsawa Ruins is one of Philippines historical churches. During the Mayon eruption in 1814, the Cagsawa Church was ruined, and the belfry was the only one that was left behind surviving up to this day. It has become one of Albay's tourist destination. We were amazed to see the Cagsawa Ruins and its historical past. Please note that there is an entrance fee of P10 per person to enter Cagsawa Ruins.

Finally! We're finally here at Cagsawa Ruins and Mt. Mayon in the background

THE MAYON VOLCANO

Mayon Volcano is an active volcano located in Albay. Mt. Mayon is known for its perfect cone and stunning shape. Mt. Mayon has destroyed many people's houses during its 1814 eruption, about 2,500 people were killed, which has made Mt. Mayon remarkable. During our trip to Bicol, the Mt. Mayon was hoisted to Alert no. 1 and eruption may occur at any time. We were fortunate enough that there was no eruption during our trip, and we were able to see the Mayon.

From textbook to posters to reality, the active and beautiful Mt. Mayon.

It was my childhood dream to finally see Mt. Mayon!

ATV RIDE TO MT. MAYON (BICOL ATV ADVENTURE)

We head to Bicol ATV Adventure to ride ATV to Mt. Mayon, which is only 5 minutes away from Cagsawa Ruins. We took the 1-hour ATV ride that cost around P500 per head. We were given a discount as it is the non-peak season, though I think it's because of the Alert no. 1. That was my 3rd ATV ride and three of my friends, first time to ride ATV. The trip was a lot challenging than we expected. We have to go through rivers, rocks and hot water splashing on us. I got splashed once, and it was quite painful. We were so lucky that Mt. Mayon was not covered with fogs when we were taking plenty of pictures.

LIGNON HILL

We took two tricycles from Cagsawa Ruins to Lignon Hill, and it cost us P60 per tricycle. However, the tricycles were not allowed to ride up the hill. Some of us took a motorcycle ride P20 per person to get to the mountain, while the other half of the group decided to walk up the hill, which will take 15 minutes. Lignon Hill offers a 360-degree view of the Albay Gulf. There are various activities to do as well, such as Zipline, Rappelling, Paintball, Hanging Bridge, and many more. Beware of the red ants as they are everywhere and their bites are mad painful.

Amazing view of Mt. Mayon up in Lignon Hill

ZIPLINE

One of the favourite activities in Lignon Hill is the Zipline. There are two types of zip lines - Basic (P250) and Superman (P350). Four people chose the Basic while my friend, Jedai and I decided to do Superman, which is more advanced and fun!

JAPANESE TUNNEL

The Japanese Tunnel was built during World War 2. The Tunnel was used as their defensive line over the American and Filipino soldiers. The Japanese Tunnel can be found at the base of Lignon Hill with an entrance fee of P20 per head. You need a guide to bring you there, and a flashlight or you may also use your cellphone light inside the Tunnel. We saw three different statues of Japanese soldiers with their belongings such as a typewriter, luggage and gold. It is incredible how the Japanese were able to build this Tunnel during the WW2.

1ST COLONIAL GRILL

1st Colonial Grill is in Ayala Malls. It is a 20-minute walk from Embarcadero Hotel. It is famous for its Sili Ice Cream (Spicy Ice Cream).

There are three different levels - Level 1 (spicy), Level 2 (super spicy) and Level 3 (extremely spicy). We ordered a bunch of food as we are in the mood to try out the local cuisine in Bicol. The food is all delicious and they are all spicy but yummy! Three of my friends decided to take Level 2 of Sili Ice cream, and it was very spicy that they couldn't even finish it.

From Left Top - Sinigang na Hipon, Tinapa Fried Rice, Bagoong Fried Rice and Kandingga

From Left Top - Bicol Express, Tuna Sisig, Grilled Squid and Laing (very delicious)

From Left - Malunggay Ice Cream (sounds weird but it is actually pretty tasty) and the famous Sili Ice Cream

MATNOG (SORSOGON)

On our second day in Bicol, we have decided to go on an Island hopping trip in Matnog, Sorsogon. It takes around 2.5-3 hours car ride to get to Matnog and 30 minutes boat ride to the Islands. We booked our tour with Trevally Travel and Tours. We paid P1,665 per head including 1 gallon of water, pick up and drop off from the hotel, tourism and environmental fees, tour guides and boat rental fees. The lunch is not included as we prefer to pick our food and ask the locals to cook the food for us. We spend about P1,212 for food (two fish, one squid, one whole chicken, 1 kg Liempo, 1 kg pork meat for sinigang, vegetables for sinigang, condiments, charcoal, rice and sausages) and P300 to pay for the locals for helping us cook our meal.

TIKLING ISLAND

Our first Island trip is at Tikling Island. It is quiet Island with pink sands. There are no resorts or cottages in the Island as the Island is owned privately. Tikling Island is a very relaxing place to be.

CALINTAAN CAVE

Our second stop is Calintaan Cave. The rock formation is unique, and since it is still low tide, we were allowed to swim inside the cave. It is about 5-6 feet deep and eventually gets lower as you get closer inside the cave. It is not recommended to float inside the cave when it is high tide as the waves can cause hurdle and accidents.

SUBIC BEACH

Our last stop is the Subic Beach and it takes around 15 minutes from the Calintaan Cave. We have a cottage ready for us. Then, the locals quickly prepare our meal while we take some time to dip in and swim in the water. The sand is pretty pink. The locals cooked our meal pretty well, and we have enjoyed our meal. We took the whole afternoon playing Monopoly Deal cards, and the losers will need to drink a half cup of Tequila Rose as punishment for being a noob!

Jump shot in the sand (You have no idea how many shots we have to take)

SMALL TALK CAFE

For our last supper in Bicol, we were supposed to go to Sibid Sibid Restaurant, but they were unfortunately closed, so the tricycle driver drove us to another restaurant, Small Talk Cafe. The food was outstanding. Everything that we ordered was delicious, considering that they were about to close. We ordered Adobong Manok, Bicol Express, Laing, Ox Tail and Beef. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

From Left Top - Plain Rice in Mt. Mayon shape, Adobong Manok, Bicol Express, Laing, Ox Tail and Beef with Potatoes

LEGAZPI TERMINAL

On our last day in Bicol, we decided to go to Legazpi Terminal to buy souvenirs and goodies to bring home to Manila. Legazpi Terminal is said to be the best place to purchase your souvenirs as they offer a lower and reasonable price. You may bargain with the shop keepers easily.

The best place to buy your souvenirs in Legazpi

BIGGS DINER

Before heading to the airport, we went to Bigg's Diner in Embarcadero to have our last lunch in Bicol. The food was delicious. It did not taste like fast food at all. We hope that Bigg's Diner will open a few branches in Manila in the future.

Overall, our Bicol trip was memorable for all of us. We get to bond and talk about our childhood memories. Since we started this trip, there will be a next one very soon.

CONTACT DETAILS

Bicol ATV Adventure

Email: taikee@bicoladventureatv.com

Contact no. +639228682589 / +639175714357

Trevally Travel and Tours - Ms Jessica Imperial

Email: info@trevallytravel.com

Contact no. +639175263388 (Text or Viber)

BUDGET

(Excluding Daily Food and Tricycle fees)

Air ticket (Cebu Pacific) - P3,237 each

Hotel (Embarcadero) 2 nights - P1,214 each

Sorsogon (Matnog) Tour - P1,665 each

Food for Matnog Tour - P216 each

Cagsawa Ruins entrance fee - P10

Bicol ATV Adventure - P500 (1 hour) discounted and non-peak season price

Lignon Hill: Entrance fee - P20

Lignon Hill: Zipline - P250 (Basic) P350 (Superman)

Lignon Hill: Japanese Tunnel - P20

Total spending: P7,232 (Not including daily food and tricycle ride)

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan

Bicol - Legazpi & Matnog Trip