Albay province is located in the Bicol Region, right in the center of the Philippine archipelago. It is famous for Mayon Volcano (the most active volcano in the Philippines) and Bicolano food (very spicy and usually cooked in coconut cream). This was our very first trip to the region and our itinerary entailed an ATV tour at the perimeter of Mayon, a visit to neighboring Donsol to spot a whaleshark and cruise the river to watch fireflies, and lastly a beach trip to Cagraray island. MAYON VOLCANO The view of Mayon volcano as the backdrop of Cagsawa church ruins is a textbook-famous landmark. You will see it printed in travel brochures and books. Daraga town, where the ruins of Cagsawa church is located, is only a short drive from Legazpi city (15-20 mins). It is a heritage site and the church ruins are a remnant from a major eruption of Mayon volcano during the 18th century as well as from Dutch pirates who burned it down back in the 16th century. Nowadays, aside from being one of the most pictured sites in the country, it is also the base of several ATV tour operators offering tours to different trails around Mayon volcano. We went with Bicol Adventure ATV as some travelers recommended and which we too, recommend. They offer a a handful of trails but we chose the Green Lava Wall tour which sounded like a scenic trail compared to the Black Lava tour. We rode through the foliage, villages, farms, rivers and hills and reached the lava bed at a high elevation where the wind was cool and the greenery was lush. During our time at the top, the summit of the volcano was a no-show. However, from what I've learned in our short stay in Albay is that in order to see the full view of Mayon, you really need a lot of patience. At times, the volcano's top is hidden among clouds but a few minute later, clouds do give way and you can see the summit peeping through. And then a few minutes later, the clouds will come back to hide it from view. So you need to look back from time to time, to check the view. I have also read about the Legend of Mayon volcano. Passed through oral tradition and now thanks to google and wiki you can read it on the internet, It is said that the mountain was a princess and the clouds was a warrior and her lover. Their love was forbidden at that time and their story was tragic. Now the clouds would descend on the mountain at a time they are together or whenever he feels jealous that too many eyes are gazing on the beauty of his princess. I think whenever you see clouds covering the mountain, you can learn to appreciate it too since it gives life to the legend. It's a nice story to believe in, in case it's too cloudy to see the summit. On our way downhill, nature obliged and gave us a small window to glimpse the volcano's summit for the very first time. The next few days we were in Albay, the weather had been better and we saw Mayon in it's full glory. BICOLANO FOOD Next thing I was really excited about Bicol, after Mayon volcano, is the food! I love to eat and I love to try local delicacies from different places. 1st Colonial Grill restaurant (Landco Pacific Mall branch) is one of the top recommended places to eat in Albay. They are famous for their Bicolano dishes and award-winning Sili (chili) ice cream. Imagine, a tutti frutti pink-hued gelato that tastes like molten pastillas and a whole lot of fire! The taste of the sili is prominent but is well-balanced with the creaminess of milk and (I'm only guessing) coconut cream and a hint of sweetness. Don't be afraid of the chili because you can choose the level of heat (level 1 -if you want a subtle heat; 2 -if you want it to have a kick; 3 - if you really like it spicy; 4- if you want a challenge). It really was so good and I'm warning you... very addictive! We did come back several times the following day and at the last minute just before our flight back to Manila, just to get our sili ice cream fix. Php89 for three scoops, Other must try best-seller are flavors: Pili nut and Tinutungan na bigas (scorched rice). I especially loved the combination of sili and pili nut ice cream together. Another dish I would like to rave about is another best-seller of theirs - Tinutungang Manok (Chicken in scorched rice). It is chicken and green saba (young plantain) slowly cooked in coconut cream and punctuated by lemongrass, ginger and of course, sili. Exotic, rich and well-balanced in flavor and ingredients, it is a one of a kind dish and a culinary masterpiece not just a Bicolano would be proud of, but a Filipino would be! We paired it with Pinangat (a savory and sharp-flavored vegetable side-dish made from layers of fresh taro leaves slowly simmered in coconut cream and topped with morsels of pork and salted shrimp) and Tinapa rice (salted and smoked fish toppings on white rice). WHALESHARKS AND FIREFLIES Just an hour and half away from Legazpi city is the town of Donsol in Sorsogon province. It is home to the biggest fish in the ocean, the Butanding (whaleshark). Starting December, the whalesharks come back to their usual spot here after the Amihan (season dominated by trade winds). They are prolific during the summer months (March to May) and start to wane by sightings in June. We were in Albay in July (the start of the Amihan) and we only took a chance going to Donsol, hoping we could see at least one whaleshark. However, we did not see any after trying to spot them for two hours at sea. We have seen whalesharks in Oslob, Cebu but we heard the ones in Donsol were bigger. They are magnificent gentle giants and hopefully next time we can come back to Donsol during the summer. For the time being, we just swam and snorkeled at the beach. Also in Donsol, is where you can watch thousands of flickering lights from fireflies at the river banks and mangrove trees. There are two places in Donsol that offer firefly watching tours, one is passing the highway near the tourism center and the other is at Ogod river. We went a little further to the one in Ogod where we heard the fireflies were more in numbers. Starting dusk, small boats take people on a river cruise for an hour. Take a powerful camera and a tripod with you to capture the fireflies at long exposure. BAYS AND BEACHES An hour's drive away from Legazpi city is Cagraray Island. It is where Misibis Bay, the finest beach resort in Albay is located. Passing mountains, gulleys and valleys, mangroves and rivers, fishing villages, farms and the sight of Mayon volcano, the drive to Misibis bay is one of the best scenic routes I have been on. Misibis bay is a private island luxury resort and a perfect hideaway to unwind from all the activities back in Legazpi city. I enjoyed our stay here. The food was exceptional and priced competitively. Our room (ocean view room) was beautiful and comfortable. The only thing not to my liking was that the swimming area at the beach is enclosed in a sea wall (I like a beach that's open and wild and with room to explore). However, they do have a separate snorkeling area called the "Marina" on a different side of the resort. The beach there is better so that's where we went to swim. Other places to explore in the island is Cagraray eco-park. It's just a short hiking distance (20 min) from the resort and has beautiful ocean and mountain views. You can walk (or take the shuttle) and enjoy the view here from the hilltop or from the church. Albay had been fun. Mayon volcano was majestic in real life. Cagraray island's scenery was gorgeous. I will forever crave sili ice cream and will now attempt to cook Tinutungan Manok at home. I hope you get to visit Albay soon and try the sili ice cream!
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AuthorI'm Anna and I will be sharing with you my Love for Three things - Fashion, Travel and Food. I hope you find this blog enjoyable as I feature Archives
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