The ongoing financial crises is not excuse enough to stay home this summer. Bicol is definitely a great place to travel on a budget. Discover and explore Bicol’s hidden treasures; from Camarines Norte’s surfing paradise, Camarines Sur’s wakeboard park and virgin islands to Sorsogon’s majestic whale sharks. And of course, Bicol’s most awe-inspiring Mayon Volcano!
HOW TO GET THERE
If you’ve got time, you may want to take a six hour drive from Manila to Daet, Camarines Norte’s capital. The stopover for Lucena’s famous chami and Candelaria’s crispy pata will make this a road trip for foodies. But if driving doesn’t appeal to you, the improved road conditions and the extra comfy “Lazy boy†seats should make the eight hour bus trip to Naga, Camarines Sur a good choice. Bicol-bound buses take off from the Cubao bus terminal and costs a reasonable P700. But, a 45-minute plane ride to Pili, Camarines Sur (via Air Philippines or Cebu Pacific) or to Legazpi city, Albay (via Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines) can get you there in a jiffy.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Start your road trip from Bicol’s northernmost province of Camarines Norte, known to locals for the surfing hotspot Bagasbas. Then minutes from Daet, bagasbas has beginner-friendly waves, a pool and helpful surfing instructors. An hour surf session and board rental will cost you P400. For a quiet retreat, take a trip to the untouched Calaguas Islands where powdery while sand and crystal clear waters await you. To get there take a 45-minute jeep or van ride to the town of Mercedes and then a two hour ride by pump boat to Calaguas Islands.
For an adrenalin fix, jump off to Pili in Camarines Sur where you will find the world-class cable wakeboard park, CWC. Get that rush as you go on the kickers or even as you watch thrill seeking riders do their raleys and 360s. Surely your muscles will be sore after, so go chill and relax at the Caramoan Islands, Camarines Sur’s hidden paradise. From the Naga City terminal, take a 45-minute van or jeepney ride to Sagnay port where you jump off to Caramoan Island via a two-hour pump boat ride. Explore these white sand islands surrounded by limestone cliffs and endless sea.
Cap off your trip with a truly breathtaking experience as you swim with the whalesharks in Donsol, Sorsogon (best between February and May). Swimming an arm’s length away from these friendly giants is probably as close as it gets to being on the Discovery Channel!
DINING SPECIALTIES
What better way to satisfy those cravings than a food trip to Albay, home of the breathtaking Mayon Volcano and the best of Bicolano cooking. First stop is Let’s in Camalig, home of Bicol’s famous pinangat (or laing). To get a taste of the real Bicol Express and set your mouth (and your appetite) on fire, drop by Gemma’s in Legazpi City. And for modern Bicolano cooking and unforgettable thin crust pizza, check our Small Talk Café’ near Rizal Street in Legazpi City.
WHERE TO STAY
Reasonably priced accommodations dot the region, like Bagasbas’ seaside surfer accommodations where aircon rooms for two cost only P600. Similarly, a comfortable single room stay in Naga Land Hotel in Naga city will fit a P750 budget, while a cabana for two in CWC costs P1250. In Caramoan, Rex Hotel should suit backpackers’s budget with a room for six (P1200); while those seeking resort comforts can head to Gota Beach. In Legazpi, luxury seekers can head to Pepperland Hotel while those happy with the basics can stay in Neuhaus Hotel near the airport. In Donsol, the Woodland Resort should be a good stopover.
So what are you waiting for? Stop wishing for that perfect vacation and go on a trip guaranteed to be legendary!