Road Trip to Bicol Region Philippines (Dec. 26 to 30, 2008)

Our Mode of Transportation: Toyota Revo. (SUV)

Other Options: by Bus from the terminals in Cubao or by Plane from NAIA.

Recommended: Fly there and rent a car when you get there.

Season I Went: Winter

Recommended Season: Spring/Post Holidays (not too hot and almost no chance of rain)

My brother and I left Pasig City at around 930pm the night of the 26th. We stopped by a gas station in Minasag, Bicol at around 400am to take a power nap. (MILEAGE: 308km)

We made it to Daet just in time for breakfast. We took a quick detour to Bagasbas Beach and had Lugaw and Chicken Mami for breakfast. How was the food? It was good, just perfect for our empty bellies! Of course I grew up accustomed to the food so excuse my lack of excitement. (MILEAGE: 355km)

Breakfast by the Bagasbas Beach

The next stop was Pili, home of the tasty Pili Nuts. We picked up my friend Fanny and her cousin (Lyra) and nieces (Inna&Ichi) and nephew (Kingloy). (MILEAGE: 485km) Good thing we brought the big car. Haha. The kids were all very cute and funny and ate a lot more than we did. I must say, if you find yourself disappointed at Bicol, they will definitely make up for it! We then drove back north to Naga City to have lunch at Red Platter. It's supposed to be famous, and it was full when we ate there, but I didn't think it had anything special to offer. I don't even remember what I had. The best I can say is, it's not a bad option if your stomach is shouting at you!

The day ended south with a drive to Legaspi City. This time it was only my brother, Fanny, Lyra and I; it was raining. We spent the night in Sampaguita Tourist Inn. Costing less than $20 per night, it's acceptable if you're not picky. The room was clean and they were able to provide fresh towels as you need them. There is a small convenience store in the lobby, but it doesn't stay open very late. This is my case doesn't make it very convenient. (MILEAGE: 485km)

The group got up at 7ooam and headed further south to Donsol. (MILEAGE: 723km) Their main attraction is the sighting of an endangered specie native to that region, the whale shark or butanding. It is a government ran tourist attraction. It costs PhP 1000 for a boat to take you to the middle of the Philippine Sea and swim with the whale shark (that is if you can spot them and catch them); and another PhP 150 if you want to rent a snorkel. It was still raining. We spent about 2 hours at sea, spotted only 2, and each one disappeared within a second. Guys, its all about timing.

After this disappointment, we faced another one in our return to Legazpi City. Next in our list is the visit to Mt. Mayon. It is known for its perfect shaped cone and the Cagsawa Ruins that makes it not just an attraction but a historical land mark. It is unfortunate however that the rain kept us from seeing its full beauty. We only saw the bottom of the volcano. At the end of the day we returned to the hotel and kicked it with a bottle of wine and a game of Pusoy Dos, which I just found out is also called Big Two.

Cagsawa Ruins. Mt. Mayon is behind it, hiding in the clouds.

This brings us to the final day of the trip. We returned to Pili to pick up the kids and then drove to Mt. Isarog. The sun is finally shining, but Mt. Mayon is still hiding. We hiked the dormant volcano, our destination: the Malabsay Falls. It is gorgeous and roaring with power and my pictures do not do it justice. After a few hours in the mountain our hosts brought us to the CWC or CamSur Watersports Complex. After an amazing one-on-one with mother nature, why would you take anyone do something like this? Hmmm. I do appreciate their time, but come on. Nothing can beat a tiring hike topped with a beautiful waterfall. Get it right! ;)

Malabsay Falls atop Mt. Isarog

We ended our trip with Sinigang sa Buko and Crablets for dinner and a short nap and headed back north to the city. The sinigang was sweet, a nice twist from the usually sour soup that I love. And the crablets were crunchy and a little salty, just like the way I like it!

Disclaimer: Prices mentioned are from 2 years ago. The economy may have caused the prices to go down or up.

Boracay, Philippines (October to November 2001)

Before I got hold of a my very own camera, there was a place called Boracay.

It was one of the most talked about destinations in the Philippines. Everybody fuzzed over the white sand beaches, the island's natural beauty, the good food, and the very welcoming locals. After years of dreaming about it, I finally got to go. It was our semestral break for my final year in HS, and it was a break to look forward to.

We arrived in Katiklan at around noon, nothing too special. A small airport, very country-like, simple and nothing extra-ordinary. We took a 30-minute jeepney ride to the pier, and hopped onto a 2-hour boat ride to our final destination.

We stayed at the Red Coconut Beach Hotel. It has a very soothing nature-look in it. At that time I wondered why my mom had not picked a fancy hotel. Now that I think about it, it was a very good choice, because it matched the beauty of the island.

We went snorkling and had fresh coconut right after. This reminds me of the smile in my grandmother's face as she ate her coconut. I took a banana boat ride with my brother and my cousins. Oh what fun to have salt water splashing into your eyes! We also went island hopping. One of our stops was the Puka Beach. Aside from sand, the ground was covered with puka shells. In the island were several ladies making necklaces from the shells. We were also served lunch as a part of the trip. Grilled Fish always makes my water experience complete.

At the end of each night my brother and I found ourselves either in the hotel pool or in the middle of a party. Probably our most worthy find for an after sunset activity was a reggae bar, BomBom. One of its best features was the wooden lounge between it and the ocean. I sat in the swing and relaxed as my brother introduced me to rum and coke, and reggae.

Another good find is desert, crepe. France has found its way east, and the beach is the place to be! Unfortunately, I can not remember the name of the place. And after a tedious search, I will conclude that there is now more than one crepe place in the island. I will leave you this, it is located a few feet north of the Red Coconut, along the beach. It's a quaint crepe bar, good crepe and very chill.

We always considered Boracay our Hawaii. If you like a good, fun Filipino crowd as you get away from it all, Boracay is the place of choice.

note: I would like to apologize for the lack of details and pictures. This is a recall from eight years ago, and back then I did not have a camera. I hope you find this and my future blogs helpful in choosing your next destination.