Mindanao used to be a vast mass of uncharted territory for me. I was, however, determined to see more and experience for myself, the many alluring charms of this often misunderstood island. Thanks to a (relatively) new route serviced by Cebu Pacific, I was able to fly direct from Iloilo to Davao City. The plan was to spend three days in Davao and another three days in Zamboanga City. My first-time visit to these two Southern Mindanao cities was one of my most surprising trips of the year. I did not expect so see such beautiful places in both cities (even without venturing too far from urban comforts). I also liked how different these two cities are from each other. The distinct experiences definitely kept my interest throughout the whole trip up.
Last year, I went on the most butt numbing trip of my life. The experience was quite rigorous yet the rewards of visiting some of the most alluring places I’ve ever visited were also very gratifying.
It all started smoothly enough when I flew to Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province from Manila.
It was very exciting for me since it was my first time to visit the northernmost parts of Luzon.
Malaysia and Singapore are definitely way up my list of places to visit in South East Asia. I’ve always considered these places as the two most progressive countries in this part of the world.
Being a self confessed “urban development crosjunkie,” sparks of excitement come out from inside me whenever I think about getting to visit iconic places in person, especially those I usually see in NatGeo’s “Mega Structures” or read about in SkyscraperCity.
After months of planning, me and my siblings were off to another bonding session … a five day do-it-yourself trip to Singapore and Malaysia.
Bicol, for me, has one of the most diverse set of tourist attractions in the Philippines. It has alluring natural features, remarkable historical structures, lively festivals, great food, and sought after adventure destinations. Since it was my first time to step foot this part of the Philippines, I didn’t want to miss out on the best the region had to offer. It’s a shame I only had a week to explore Bicol … there’s just a lot of interesting places to visit. My plan for this trip was to visit as much of Albay and Camarines Sur Provinces and then squeeze in a quick side-trip to Sorsogon before heading back to Manila.
Bicol Region Itinerary Map
Ligñon Hill is the go to place among many travelers in Legazpi City to see great 360 degree views of Mayon Volcano and surrounding areas in Daraga and Legazpi. Aside from the view deck there are also many attractions at the Ligñon Hill Nature Park such as a zipline, paintball grounds, and nature trail among others. Although it is best to go there during early morning or late afternoon hours to avoid the sweltering heat, I went to Ligñon Hill around 9:30am as a stopover on my overland trip from Legazpi to Naga City, Camarines Sur. Indeed, Ligñon Hill shouldn’t be missed for its overlooking views and easy accessibility.
View of Mayon Volcano from the 159-meter (511 feet) high Ligñon Hill Nature Park
It’s a very rare occurrence that I wake up early during my travels. When I went to Legazpi City, however, I couldn’t just pass of the opportunity to view the beautiful sunrise along the coast of Albay Gulf and the clear view of Mayon during the early morning hours. The experience also got me a first hand encounter of everyday activities along the seawall of Legazpi like fishermen waking up early to tend to their catch and joggers, also taking advantage of the cool morning breeze.
Early morning fishing activities in Albay Bay
I’ve been using a PLDT MyDSL internet broadband service for quite some time now. I made the switch since my previous Smartbro’s Share-it connection deteriorated. Smartbro was running fine at first but I’m guessing their network got overloaded in my area as subscriber numbers base grew too much. Anyways, I’m very satisfied with PLDT MyDSL’s reliable service at the moment and was very excited when they released a new WIFI Modem, which is PLDT’s first modem-and-Wi-Fi router-in-one.
The Mayon Volcano was finally clearing up and just in time for sunset! I rushed to the Cagsawa ruins in Daraga, Albay to get the famous shot of Mayon showing off the ruined bell tower of the ill-fated Cagsawa Church. From the Daraga town proper, I hailed a jeep and dropped off at the highway intersection going to the Cagsawa Ruins (there’s another jeepney route, which goes the other way to Ligñon Hill, so better inform the driver where your headed). There were a lot of tricycles parked at the drop-off point but I chose to walk the way to the Cagsawa ruins since I wanted to take photos along the way. Great thing I did because I wanted to take photos of the Mayon Volcano with Albay’s natural countryside scenery.
A carabao grazing at the grasslands surrounding the iconic Mayon Volcano.
The day was drawing to a close and I was still in pursuit of satisfying my longing to capture a nice photo of the iconic Mayon Volcano. I’ve already spent the day transiting between a few vantage points in Legazpi City, Albay but the elusive Daragang Mayon had covered itself in a veil of clouds, restricting a clear view of its full grandeur. I reserved the sunset hours for my visit to the Cagsawa Church ruins in nearby Daraga town. On my way, I decided to do a quick stop over at the Daraga Church. Many Daraga-bound jeeps can be found plying along the stretch of Rizal Avenue in Legazpi City. I alighted near the municipal hall of Daraga and followed the uphill path to the the church. I was already getting a bit exhausted from the climb but my spirit was instantly invigorated when I caught sight of the church’s beautiful facade and, more so, Daragang Mayon finally clearing up.
Daraga Church (Our Lady of the Gate Parish)
Next destination in Legazpi City, Albay was the Embarcadero de Legazpi, the premiere commercial and recreation center in Bicol Region. Being an enthusiast of urban developments across Philippine towns and cities, I was very excited to visit this grand development, which is HUGE especially by Legazpi’s standard. I was particularly drawn by its towering lighthouse view deck after viewing sweeping panoramas of the Mayon Volcano and Albay Gulf in WOW Legazpi and was hoping to get lucky in taking some decent some myself.
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
