Masbate City in Four Hours

I only had very limited time left for Masbate City as I spent for time spending time with relatives in Mandaon. I tried to make use of the few hours I had before my flight left for Manila to try and see what the city has to offer. Fortunately, the province’s capital is quite compact and can even be explored by foot. This is a mini guide for some of the well-known landmarks and tourist spots that you can see if you only have 3-5 hours like me!

Back Home in Mandaon, Masbate

I admit it. I was actually born in Manila. For some years now, I have been claiming that I am Bisaya and was born in my mother’s province, Masbate. Growing up, I have always thought I was Masbateno. It is not a rare sight that people from my mother’s hometown of Tumalaytay would visit and often stay at our house that I somehow associated myself with their culture, even picking up Minasbate, the local dialect, unconsciously, which surprised a lot of my relatives. I have only been there once when I was five years old and thanks to seat sales that I was finally able to grab cheap fares to Masbate this year.

5 Days Around Sorsogon, Albay and Camarines Sur: Itinerary, Bicol Travel Guide, and Expenses

I have always been curious about Bicol. I have only been to Masbate, which is my mother’s hometown, but have yet to explore its sister provinces. During gradeschool, we were always taught of how beautiful Bicol is, with my teachers boasting of Mt. Mayon. I have no idea if they have even seen it up close or only in pictures, but when I had some free time before I start with a new company, I decided it was finally my turn to see it for myself.  My sister was also about to commence with her university studies, so as a gift for her for passing the entrance exams and also an initiation (college is hard!), I decided that she also tag along on this trip. Off to new beginnings and new adventures!

Charming Churches of Camarines Sur and Exploring Naga City

Last from our Bicol itinerary is a visit to the province of Camarines Sur. We originally planned to go to Caramoan and explore the beaches there, but since it was only me and my sister, I did the math and it seems like our budget would not be able to hold up if ever we pushed through. The province is also famous for water sports but it looks like it will be another expensive activity for the both of us.

Modern Eats Around Albay

I don’t normally look up good restaurants or must-eat delicacies when I go on trips to new places, something I think I must do on my next travels because I miss a lot of opportunities to try out good food. Most of the time, I usually just eat at places nearby places tourists spots, and this is what we did when we went to Albay. I later found out after the trip that some of the places that we went to were quite popular. This would be sort of a mini review of some of the places we dined at and interesting grubs we sampled.

Playing Hide and Seek with Albay's Mayon Volcano

Seeing Mayon Volcano is probably one of the highlights for tourists visiting Albay, it would be a lie to say that we did not put this on our top agenda for this trip. All throughout Grade School, we’ve been told that Mayon is one of the country’s most beautiful landscapes, known for its “perfect cone”, so we wanted to see it with our own eyes. Unfortunately, some things just don’t go as planned.

"Mayon, where na u? Dito na us!"

Lost No More at Ligao City's Kawa-Kawa Hill and Natural Park

We thought Albay was only all about Mayon Volcano. Turns out, there was so much more to see.
First, there was Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave that kept us occupied for half a day with its amusing history. Our next destination the following day was a breath of fresh air, figuratively and literally, since we got to travel away from the city center.

Cooling Off at Hoyop Hoyopan Cave, Albay

It has been amazingly hot at Bicol, most especially in Albay, and we realized that we cannot endure this weather with our bodies that were probably designed to enjoy strong blows of wind. I hoped for that refreshing summer breeze, that’s why we went here during first week of June, but it seemed like we will never achieve that. We only planned to see attractions that concentrated around Mt. Mayon, Bicol’s pride and glory, but one friendly local suggested that if we were looking for a place to cool off, we probably should head to Hoyop Hoyopan Cave.

at Hoyop Hoyopan Cave with a birdie photobomber.

A Swift Journey to Paguriran Island and Sorsogon City

We did not really have an itinerary or places to see when we risked this trip to Bicol, well of course, we knew we had to see Mt. Mayon, but we mostly relied on my phone’s lousy internet capability and the trustworthy locals whom we met on the road for their best recommendations and cheap ways on how to reach those places. The province might be not be known for its beaches, but Sorsogon also takes pride for the beauty of Subic Beach at Matnog, Sorsogon known for its white sand reminiscent of Boracay but with less crowd, less pollution and less commercialization. We were supposed to go there as we were enticed by the pictures we saw at the internet but due to budget constraints, I opted to scrap this plan and look for another place where we can still enjoy an affordable beach escapade. So we were told to take ourselves to this quaint town of Bacon. To all the meat lovers out there (like me), this is not a town that prides itself for selling bacon. Our main purpose here was to see Paguriran Island. I was worried because if it is an island then definitely we would need more money to charter a boat, just like at Subic Beach, but she assured we will have no problems so we went off and followed her advice.

The rocky lagoon that is Paguriran Island

First Day High at Sorsogon - Bulusan Lake and Irosin Hot Springs

June. It was the start of summer for our Westerner friends, but for us who live in the tropical islands of the Philippines, this month marks the start of the sometimes dreadful rainy season. Living in Manila for 24 years of my life, I am pretty certain the gloomy weather won't permit me to travel to various provinces in the PH, most especially during the third quarter of the year where the most awful typhoons pave their way to enter the country. It was the first Wednesday of June, and I needed to take this break. With no itinerary planned at the time, I asked my younger sister if she wanted to join me for a quick impromptu trip, and without a bat of an eye, she said yes. Of course, given that I will shoulder all her expenses #ateproblems! The following Friday afternoon, we were on our feet getting ready for a crowded commute by LRT to DLTB Bus Station. I have traveled solo for a couple of times already, but this is the first time I will be traveling with a minor. My mom would kill me if something happens to this kid. Saying a silent prayer, we got ready as we boarded the bus to our destination, the province of Sorsogon, our first destination for our Bicolandia Escapade.

Welcome to Bulusan, Sorsogon! So peaceful and so green!