It all started with a yes. Yes to climbing mountains together. Yes to taking showers under hidden waterfalls. Yes to getting tanned and chasing sunsets.
It all ended with a no. No to assumptions. No to what-ifs. No to being just an option.
I could ask you a million times for a yes, but I know deep down that you would have a billion reasons to say no.
– Riley, The Dictionary of a Lost Traveler
🇵🇭ALBAY ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈🛳🚌 How to get to Albay:
⏺ Ride a bus from Metro Manila to Legazpi City, Albay (e.g. Philtranco, Cagsawa, Isarog, DLTB, RSL, Raymond and Amihan; travel time is 11 – 13 hours depending on traffic condition and number/duration of stop-overs).
⏺ Alternatively, fly via Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific to get to Legazpi City.
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
⏺ Cagsawa Ruins and ATV
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Camalig or Guinobatan.
📌Alight at Cagsawa Junction.
📌Walk or hire a tricycle to get to the ruins.
📌This is the most famous spot in Albay where you can have a photo of Mt. Mayon.
⏺ Lignon Hill
📌Ride a jeepney in Legazpi with signboard ‘Loop 1’
📌Alight at the foot of Lignon Hill.
📌Hike through the concrete road (30 minutes to 1 hour).
📌This is another view deck where you can have Mt. Mayon as your huge background for your photos.
⏺ Sigpit Falls and Naglaus Underground River of Jovellar
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Guinobatan.
📌Transfer to a jeepney to get to Jovellar.
📌Charter a motorcyle/tricycle to reach the falls and underground river.
📌Alternatively, rent a motorcycle in Guinobatan that will take you directly to Jovellar to save on time.
⏺ Quitinday Green Hills of Camalig
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Camalig.
📌Hire a tricycle to reach the jump-off.
📌Register then trek for a few minutes.
📌It is advisable to go to Quitinday Hills early in the morning, preferably before sunrise, so that Mt. Mayon is still visible and not yet covered with clouds.
☎ Contact: Kuya Marlon (09095247180) – tricycle driver from Camalig
I actually could no longer remember how many times I’ve been to Albay. It has always been a side trip of Bicolandia tours such as trips in Sorsogon and even Northern Samar. 📍Quitinday Green Hills, Camalig
⏺ Sumlang Lake of Camalig
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Camalig.
📌Alight at Agri-Village
📌Walk or ride a tricycle to get to the lake.
⏺ Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave of Camalig
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Camalig.
📌Alight at Camalig town proper.
📌Hire a tricycle to reach the cave.
☎ Contact: Kuya Marlon (09095247180) – tricycle driver from Camalig
⏺ Busay Falls of Malilipot
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Tabaco City.
📌Alight at the jump-off to Busay Falls.
📌Hire a tricycle to reach the falls.
⏺ Pinamuntugan Island and Vanishing Island
📌Charter a tricycle to get to the terminal of buses or vans in Legazpi City.
📌Take the bus or van to reach Bacacay (travel time: 1 – 1.5 hours).
📌Walk or ride a tricycle to get to Bacacay Port.
📌Hire a boat that will take you to the islands.
***Expect rain and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
⏺ Cagraray Eco-Energy Park Amphitheater of Bacacay
📌Contact Misibis Bay Resort so they can arrange the tour for you.
📌There are no available modes of public transportation yet so if you have your own vehicle, you can drive from Manila to Misibis Bay, Bacacay for 10 – 12 hrs.
⏺ Mt. Masaraga
📌Ride a jeepney from Legazpi bound for Ligao City.
📌Transfer to a jeepney bound for Tabaco City via Sabluyon.
📌Alight at Sitio Sabluyon, Barangay Amtic.
📌If you are coming from Alabang, Cubao or Pasay, ride a bus bound for Tabaco City Albay via Sabluyon Road then alight at Sitio Sabluyon, Barangay Amtic (travel time: 10 – 12 hours depending on traffic condition and number/duration of stop-overs).
📜✏ Tips/Reminders if you will be scaling Mt. Masaraga:
📌The hike takes about 4 – 5 hours to summit depending on your pace.
📌This mountain is not advisable for beginners. Expect rope segments and unlimited assault.
📌Bring enough hydration.
📌It is recommended to wear gloves as grasses along the trail are sharp.
📌Don’t forget your raincoats and windbreakers in case it rains.
📌This mountain is infested with leeches (limatik) especially during rainy season.
📌Contact the tour guide/s first beforehand if you plan on climbing Mt. Masaraga.
📌You can join organized hiking events online to save on time and cut on costs.
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
☎ Contact: Ulayao Brothers (09393862565 / 09092031979) – tour guides
I was able to visit this island of Bacacay called Pinamuntugan when I joined an over-the-weekend trip in Albay organized by my friends in 2015. The rainy weather almost ruined our trip but we still pushed through with our plan.It was drizzling when we reached the jump-off port to this beach. We were asked by the coast guard to wear our life jackets before leaving the wharf. It was a smooth ride at first. But it didn’t last that long.I’ve read in some blogs that it would only take approximately an hour to reach this island. After 45 minutes, I asked one of the boatmen if we’re almost there. He blurted out that we still had to face gigantic monsoon waves of the Pacific before we get to Pinamuntugan. I guess the travel time would be much shorter if we visited during summer when the sea is much calmer. The chaos started the moment we were greeted by the open sea of Lagonoy Gulf connected to the Pacific Ocean.Waves. All I could see were waves. Huge waves or swell rather, rocking our boat on our way to the island. It was also cold and raining since it was November. The northeast monsoon is at its peak in Bicol during this time. Yet I didn’t let the weather ruin my mood. Our beachineering was still fun. After all, things like this spice up the experience. It’s all part of the adventure.We feasted on our lunch when we arrived here at Pinamuntugan Island. The rough boat ride really made us hungry.After swimming and taking photos with drizzling and sunshine in between, it was time to bid goodbye to the island. The swell proved to be much bigger on our way back. At some point, I even thought that we won’t make it and our boat would capsize. After less than an hour, we finally made it to this sandbar before returning to the town proper of Bacacay. 📍Vanishing Island, MalilipotVanishing Island may be part of the municipality of Malilipot but this is accessible via Bacacay Port. So what should you expect once you set foot on its sand? The majectic Mt. Mayon should have been visible from here. But due to the overcast sky, I didn’t see the volcano.Our wake-up call the next morning was early as it’s a long ride to get to our first destination that day. We hopped on our rented van and off we went to another picturesque side of Albay. 📍Cagraray Eco-Energy Park Amphitheater, BacacayThere are no public vehicles that ply this route which can take you directly to this place so we took advantage of having our own van service that would bring us to this eco-park.We were just in time for sunrise when we stopped by this spot overlooking the islands of Albay Gulf on our way to the eco-park.We parked our vehicle upon arrival and excitedly went to this amphitheater right away which is the most photographed spot in the eco-park.We took our time taking photos of this Instagrammable place. It really is a nice place to chill out. It may not be accessible to public vehicles but I’m glad we included this in our itinerary.We also got to see this view from Stella Maris Chapel just a stone’s throw away from the amphitheater.We only had one side trip left so there was no need to rush. Even though it would be a long drive to Legazpi City, we still got ample time before departing for Manila.Even if the skies rained on us at Pinamuntugan Island, at least we were blessed with perfect sunny weather that day. Mt. Mayon showed herself in this photo when we reached Cagsawa Ruins from Cagraray. And even if it was a Sunday, I was lucky that there were no other people in my frame. This was our last stop before going back to Manila and we were glad that we caught a glimpse of Mayon’s perfect cone.
⏰⏳ SAMPLE ITINERARY
Day 0
7:00 PM ETD for Legazpi City, Albay
DAY 1
6:00 AM ETA Legazpi / breakfast / travel to Bacacay
9:00 AM ETD for Pinamuntugan Island and Vanishing Island
11:00 AM ETA Pinamuntugan Island
3:00 PM ETA Vanishing Island
4:30 PM Head back to Bacacay Port
6:00 PM Check-in
7:00 PM Dinner
DAY 2
5:00 AM Wake-up call / check-out / breakfast
6:00 AM ETD for Malilipot
7:30 AM ETA Busay Falls
9:30 AM ETD for Guinobatan
12:00 AM ETD for Jovellar
1:30 PM ETA Sigpit Falls and Naglaus Underground River
4:00 PM ETD for Camalig
6:00 PM Check-in
7:00 PM Dinner
DAY 3
4:00 AM Wake-up call / check-out
4:30 AM ETD for Quitinday Hills
5:30 ETA Quitinday Hills
8:00 AM ETD for Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave
10:00 AM ETA Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave
1:00 PM ETA Sumlang Lake
3:00 PM ETD for Cagsawa Ruins
4:00 PM Cagsawa Ruins / ATV Ride / Buy pasalubong and souvenirs
6:00 PM Travel to Legazpi / check-in
7:00 PM Dinner
DAY 4
6:00 AM Wake-up call
7:00 AM ETD for Lignon Hill
8:00 AM ETA Lignon Hill
10:00 AM Head back to accommodation
11:00 AM Check-out
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM ETD for Manila
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 8,000 – Php 10,000
***Expenses may vary depending on the type of accommodation you will avail and personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees, boat rental fees and tricycle/motorcycle transfer rates.
⏰⏳ MT. MASARAGA DAY HIKE ITINERARY
DAY 0
8:00 PM ETD for Ligao City, Albay from Manila
DAY 1
7:00 AM ETA jump-off (Sitio Sabluyon, Barangay Amtic)
8:00 AM Commence hike
12:00 PM ETA Summit / lunch
1:00 PM Start descent
4:00 PM ETA jump-off / wash up
5:00 PM ETD for Manila
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 4,000 – Php 5,000
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees.
I first saw this iconic bell tower of Cagsawa Church when I made my first visit in Albay in 2013. I was traveling with my workmates and we took the train from Metro Manila to Naga City then a van to Legazpi. Back then, the Tutuban-Naga route of Philippine National Railways was still operational. We visited some of the mainstream tourist spots of Albay such as Lignon Hill, Cagsawa Ruins and Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave.It has always been a tradition of mine that every time I visit Cagsawa Ruins, I would dine at the restaurant serving Bicol dishes inside the compound. If facing Mayon and the belfry of the church, the restaurant will be on your left situated at the farthest end of souvenir shops near the public restroom. 📍Cagsawa Ruins, DaragaIf you’re traveling on a weekend in Albay, expect crowded tourist spots such as Cagsawa Ruins. I had to patiently wait for quite a while to get this shot without photobombers.This ATV adventure is one of the things you don’t wanna miss. There are tour agencies in Cagsawa Ruins that offer ATV packages. I have tried it twice and it really is a fun experience for adrenaline junkies.The perfect cone Mayon as the background for your photos is your bonus if you decide to check out this exciting activity.Aside from the ATV adventure and souvenir shops, you may also try out their bestsellers here in Cagsawa Ruins such as chili ice cream, chili shake and delicacies made from pili nuts.If you want to see a clear view of Mt. Mayon, it’s advisable to wake up early in the morning as clouds start to cover the volcano later in the day. This spot inside the compound of Cagsawa Ruins is one of the perfect places offering this unobstructed view of Mayon.This hike which transpired in the first quarter of 2016 is really one of the most memorable among the mountains I have scaled. We started at 4:30 in the morning and I could still remember the screams and frantic movements of my friends as we walked through the trail heavily infested with “limatik” or mountain leeches. It was hard to remove them off our clothes since it was dark and we only had our headlamps. At first, I was really scared of them. They were too many. But desensitization really worked because after a few hours, I already got used to it. Eventually, I realized it was fun, to be honest. By the way, there were leeches from the jump-off all the way to the summit. And since the mountain’s trail is covered by huge trees because it’s a rainforest, there were still leeches even if the sun was already up. 📍Mt. Masaraga, Ligao CityIn case you are planning to climb Mt. Masaraga, make sure you are not a first-time hiker and you can conquer your fear of mountain leeches. The nerve-racking trail of technical ascents is one thing but dealing with a gazillion of leeches is another.Unlimited assault. Unlimited leeches. But for the world’s most perfect cone volcano, it’s all worth it.Fast forward to the end of 2016, I capped off this year when I was given the chance to witness this unforgettable phenomenon. Our guide picked us up from Legazpi City at dawn. Aboard his tricycle, we made our way through the cold December morning to reach Albay’s version of Bohol’s Chocolate Hills. 📍Quitinday Green Hills, CamaligAfter a short trek, we arrived here at the top of Quitinday Hills by 5:30 AM. I was speechless the moment I saw this. All I could hear was the sound created by singing cicadas as the sun was about to rise.Surreal. That’s how I would describe this experience. It felt like I was in a scene of “Kimi no Na wa” or “5 Centimeters per Second” of Makoto Shinkai.I would never ever trade this experience for the world. I was so lucky that Mum Nature gave us the best weather to see Quitinday Hills and Mt. Mayon. It feels so great to be alive, I thought to myself as my eyes feasted on this wonderful creation.
***For other destinations in Bicol, you may visit this link.
