Albay Province, Bicol Region

Aerial view of Mt. Mayon

Before we end this year, Paul and I thought to continue our journey to witness the breathtaking entries of our country to the new 7 wonders of nature. After our recent tours of Palawan and Bohol, where we were amazingly mesmerized by the Underground River and Chocolate Hills respectively, we decided to visit Albay, this time, to view the majestic Mayon Volcano.

Albay is a Philippine province located in the Bicol region, about 538 kilometers southeast of Manila. The entire Bicol region is composed of the neighboring provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, and the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate.

I tell you, this is probably one of our most budgeted yet most enjoyable tour this year. As usual, we took advantage of Cebu Pacific’s Zero All-in Fare and we did not rented any tour company to guide us, since my dear friend Joanne, who is an Albay local, volunteered to be our tour guide.

The author, happy to be in Albay.

Paul and I arrived at the Legazpi Airport last December 7 at around 7:00 am (local time). Unfortunately, there were strong wind and rain shower brought by the tail end of the cold front. I thought I would never enjoy my first time tour of Albay because of the bad weather. Thank God, my friend Joanne and her family made it very pleasant and convenient for the two of us. It was without a doubt an experience of a genuine Filipino hospitality.

Whoever thought that there’s basically nothing to see in Albay aside from Mt. Mayon could be making a huge mistake. The province is really blessed with stunning attractions to spot, luscious cuisine to taste, and wonderful people to meet.

Legazpi City, capital of Albay

To give you an idea, here’s a preview of my upcoming posts about the wonderful province of Albay.

Albay Tour Part 1 – Majestic Mayon Volcano
Albay Tour Part 2 – Cagsawa Ruins Park
Albay Tour Part 3 – Lingñon Hills and Mayon Skyline(Resthouse)
Albay Tour Part 4 – Busay Falls and Black Sand Beaches
Albay Tour Part 5 – Hoyop-hoyopan Cave
Albay Tour Part 6 - Albay Churches

Aside from the above, I will also be featuring our temporary home in Albay, the very cozy Pepperland Hotel, which is just few minutes walk from Legazpi Airport. Of course, my Albay chronicle won’t be completed without mentioning my unforgettable taste of Albay’s exotic and delectable cuisine. Gosh, I'm so missing the most spicy Bicol Express I have ever tasted even while I'm writing this. Hmmm, I'm getting hungry now. So till my next post!