Backpacking ALBAY on a Budget (DIY Itinerary)

Albay is the home of the WORLD’s most perfect cone-shaped volcano—Mt. Mayon. I know it sounds cliche, but I felt the need to state it as this is one of the reasons why there’s a public perception that staying even a single night here costs an arm and a leg (with Mayon as the only attraction). And as a budget traveler who already experienced Albay, I want to alter that thinking. Albay taught me that “world class” doesn’t always mean “expensive”.

To give you a quick overview on how our trip went, here’s a map pointing to places we visited in Albay. You can click on the icon for each location.

We stayed in Avia Inn as it is very accessible to/from the destinations listed in our itinerary, not to mention that it’s very easy on the pocket. We stayed in a twin sharing fan room with own CR for 3 days and 2 nights for only ₱1,200 in total. It’s a backpacker’s hotel so don’t expect too much. We just needed a decent place to sleep at night since we know we will be out for the whole daytime and I think spending ₱600 each person is very reasonable for that 🙂

Day 0
Travel from Manila to Albay

If you opt to reach Albay by bus, it is advisable to depart from Manila the night before. Only if you don’t mind sleeping on a bus the entire night. It will save you time significantly. If not, you can fly to Legazpi Airport via Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines.

We took a Legazpi-bound bus from DLTB Cubao (near Shopwise). We reserved our bus tickets ahead of time since it was peak season. Fare is ₱800 one way. We left Cubao at around 8PM and reached Albay around 7:30AM the next day. It was almost 12 hours travel time.

We told the bus attendant to drop us off at Avia Inn at Daraga, but he seemed unfamiliar, so he suggested he will just drop us off at the unloading zone in Daraga. Upon getting off the bus, we learned that Avia inn is just a short walk away from the drop off point. Talk about convenience 🙂

Day 1
Kawa-kawa Nature Park  +  Let’s Pinangat  +  Cagsawa Ruins Park  + Sili-Shake Master

Our original plan is to spend our first 2 hours in Cagsawa Park. But after finding out that Mayon was still shy, we decided to leave for Kawa-kawa Nature Park and come back later.

From Daraga, we took a jeepney bound for Ligao City. Fare is ₱25. We told the jeepney driver to drop us off at the intersection to Kawa-kawa Hill. We reached Ligao after 45 minutes.

From the highway, we chartered a tricycle to take us to the park since there were no other passengers to share the tricycle with that time. We all know that chartering a tricycle is more costly than sharing it with other passengers, so we expected around ₱30 fare going to the park. But the driver charged us only ₱9 per person.

Not only that, he even suggested to take us first to the sunflower farm at the base of the park because according to him there were more full-grown sunflowers there, so we agreed.

1st Destination: Kawa-kawa Hill Nature Park, Ligao City, Albay

It’s just amazing to see these sunflowers facing the same direction. It’s as if they were worshipping Mt. Mayon. Haha!

And guess what? The driver even waited for us to finish our photo-op sessions before taking us to the main park without asking for additional charges. How blessed were we to have him?! Looking at his tricycle, I figured why he’s that honest.

Then we’re off to the main park! Etrance fee is ₱20. It consists of 14 stations. The park is called “kawa-kawa” as its shape resembles a cauldron (kawa or kawali in tagalog). And because of that shape, it is also known as a hill without a hilltop. Just imagine a hill with a crater.

Upper left to upper right: Stations 1-3. Lower left to lower right: Stations 4-6

The trail from 1st to 7th station is quite steep so better wear your best comfy shoes. But you will be rewarded of a good view when you reach station 7. The scenery is indeed worth the long walk.

The trail from station 7 through 14 is circular and inside the circle is a lower ground with an open area where you could have an ATV ride. There are sari sari stores in the area where you could buy snacks to refill some energy. It is also advisable to bring lots of water. Exploring the park, I’m pretty sure this place is crowded during holy week.

Upper left to upper right: Stations 7-10. Lower left to lower right: Stations 11-13

Station 14

These images are just illustration of events, so there’s no reason for us* to pray on those images (and in any other images).

It was already 2PM and our tummies started to growl for we haven’t had our lunch yet. We chartered again a tricycle to take us to the highway where we could catch a jeepney going to Camalig.

After about 10 minutes of waiting, the jeepney finally arrived. We told the driver to drop us off at Dad’s Special Pinangat and paid ₱15 each. But a local suggested to try Let’s Pinangat instead because according to her, they serve more authentic Pinangat. Hearing an advice from a local, of course we agreed with no hesitation at all.

2nd Destination: Let’s Pinangat, Camalig, Albay

Camalig is well known for authentic Pinangat which is one of Bicol’s trademark food other than pili nuts and Bicol Express.

(L) Pinangat (R) Tinumok

Pinangat and tinumok looks almost the same but they definitely taste different. The recipe is almost the same except that tinumok has crab meat.

I’m not really a fan of spicy dishes, but the experience is definitely worth it! Feeling Bicolana lang. Haha! Though I actually have a Bicolana blood because my grandmother (my mom’s mother) is a Bicolana from Catanduanes.

Sili na sinahugan ng pork meat, este, authentic Bicol Express!

The cold water was ready.

Camalig is not only about Pinangat. It also offers nature parks like Quitinday Hills, Quitinday Falls, Hoyophoyopan Cave, and Sumlang Lake, to name a few. As much as we wanted to visit all of them that time, but we could already see Mayon’s visibility cleary. So after having our late lunch at Let’s Pinangat, we went straight to Cagsawa Ruins Park.

Let’s Pinangat is just along the highway so from there, we just took a jeepney going to Daraga. Fare is around ₱10.

3rd Destination: Cagsawa Ruins Park, Daraga, Albay

It was my childhood dream to witness Mayon’s glory in flesh and not in postcards and history books anymore. Though it wasn’t my first time to see Mayon as I’ve already seen her before when we passed by Tabaco while we were on our way to visit our relatives in Catanduanes way back 2007, but it was my first time to see her from Cagsawa Ruins Park.

Entrance fee: ₱10

Viewing Mt. Mayon from Cagsawa Ruins Park creates a different atmosphere compared to other spots. Once you see the Cagsawa Church’s bell tower, you will automatically imagine how disastrous it became when it erupted more than 200 years ago. The eruption buried the church by rocks and lava, leaving only a potion of the bell tower.

History says the tragedy killed more than 1,200 people. I felt sorry for the lost lives, though we* cannot pray for the dead. We just chose to enjoy the scenery at the park.

It is also the home of Sili Shake Master where you could order different fruit shake flavors with the twist of spiciness of levels 1 to 3. I picked guyabano flavor with level 2 spiciness, while Jeric picked mango level 3.

The shake also comes with a siling labuyo bling bling 😉  The spiciness is actually the after taste. It’s still sweet and fruity when you sip it.

The park has a number of concrete cottages where visitors could have some rest. There are also lots of souvenir shops clustered inside the park.

Feeling mowdel ng sili shake

There were lots of other tourists in the park that time. We looked for a spot where we could own the scenery for ourselves. We walked towards the back of the bell tower without any idea where the path would lead us.

We crossed a stream along the way and saw a local with his carabao friend. We asked him if it is safe to go further since we haven’t seen any other people making their way here. And I think he said yes (he answered in Bicolano language with matching turo-turo 😉 ).

Manong with his carabao baby

Then we saw this breath-taking view…..

And another breath-taking view…..

Feels like viewing Mayon from New Zealand. Haha!

We just spent the whole afternoon here. Just getting more and more astonished by the beauty of Mt. Mayon. A perfect way to end our first day in Albay!

Of course, the experience is not complete without a solo photo with Mayon and Cagsawa Church as background. Haha!

We left the park after sundown and went to our hotel. Avia Inn is just 1 jeepney ride away from Cagsawa. Fare is ₱7. We bought our food from a nearby carinderia, had our dinner, and called it a night. Having not enough decent sleep last night (for we spent the entire night at the bus) plus the exhausting journey the whole day made us fall asleep as early as 7PM.

Day 2
ATV@Mayon Volcano Lava Trail  +  Quitinday Green Hills  + 1st Colonial Grill  +  Ligñon Hill

Feeling adventurous and excited for our first ever ATV ride, we woke up as early as 5AM, had our sandwich breakfast, and went straight to Mayon Volcano Lava Trail near Cagsawa Park with no ligo-ligo at all. Haha!

4th Destination: Mayon Volcano Lava Trail ATV Ride, Daraga, Albay

Before the action, we first had to undergo a briefing and of course, pay some fees. ATV rental is ₱699 per person for Mayon Volcano Lava Trail which takes about 45 minutes to be finished. It is pricier for Green Lava Trail which costs ₱1,500 per person and takes about 2-3 hours to finish the route. Since we were first timers, we chose the former.

It was my first time to drive an actual vehicle ever. I’ve never driven even a bicycle before (like seriously), so it was really a challenge for me at first. Haha! The feeling was a combination of fear (10%), shyness (20%), excitement (70%), and audience impact (0%).

The vehicle is not actually difficult to operate. And since it’s an All-Terrain-Vehicle, you won’t need to worry too much about the rocky trail. All you need to remember always is the brake. It is also worth noting that it’s quite painful in the hands so better wear gloves.

While we were undergoing a briefing, a kid offered to be our “official photographer” for the tour, of course for a fee. It’s really up to you how much you’re willing to pay. In our case, we agreed to pay him ₱100 for 45 minutes 😉

Looking at our photos, you would notice that the kid has a talent 😉

The adventure lasted for almost an hour. I must confess, I was the cause of the delay because I was such a bummer. Haha!

It was a great warm up indeed. What a great way to start our day! We finished the tour at around 7AM. We went straight to Camalig after the tour to visit the chocolate hills of Bicol situated at Quitinday, Camalig. They call it Quitinday Green Hills.

From Daraga, we took a jeepney bound for Camalig and told the driver to drop us off at the intersection going to Quitinday Green Hills. Fare is around ₱12 and travel time is 30 minutes.

From highway, we chartered a habal-habal to take us to Quitinday Green Hills for ₱300 round trip, so we paid ₱150 each. But before that, by the way, we first bought some steamed sweet corn from the market nearby as our filling snack since we knew this is going to be a jam-packed journey again 😉

5th Destination: Quitinday Green Hills, Camalig, Albay

We reached the park after around 30-min habal-habal ride. Entrance fee is ₱20. No need to hire a guide as the trail is just easy to navigate. Take note though that the trail is steep and could be muddy. But since you’re taking an information from a non-climber like me, and I survived, then you’re good to go.

Quitinday Green Hills is the Bicol’s own version of chocolate hills. But unlike Bohol’s chocolate hills, the hills here do not turn brown during summer. They might not as perfectly shaped as Bohol’s, but it’s still a wonderful view especially when there’s a clear visibility of Mt. Mayon. Sadly, it was cloudy during our visit. Mayon was hiding her beauty again, which left us a reason to come back again.

Quitinday Green Hills I can say is more of like a combination of Bohol’s Chocolate Hills and Cebu’s Osmena Peak.

We just spent a few moments of relaxation at the hill top. There were very few people there, maybe because of the weather. We decided to leave when the rain suddenly poured down. It was around 10AM.

Since the weather wasn’t being very cooperative that time, we decided to go back to our hotel which gave us an opportunity to take a shower (at last!). Maybe that’s a sign that we need to take a bath already. LOL.

What to do when it’s raining? My answer to that question is to go to a mall. From Avia Inn, we rode a jeepney going to Pacific Mall. Fare is ₱12. What’s with Pacific Mall you ask? 1st Colonial Grill is situated there. If there’s Sili Shake, there’s also Sili Ice Cream, and 1st Colonial Grill is famous for that. The rain did not stop us from eating an ice cream (but with a twist of spiciness).

6th Destination: 1st Colonial Grill, Legazpi City, Albay

We ordered our lunch and told the waiter to serve the sili ice cream later. Since we’re in the province, we wanted to try their specialties. We ordered Tinutungang Manok, Bicol Express, Pinangat, and Chicken Fillet. But why Chicken Fillet? Because it has unlimited tinapa rice that was interestingly served in Mayon’s shape.

About the food, Tinutungang Manok is sooo delicious while Pinangat tastes really great! Bicol Express was the best and Chicken Fillet was sooo yummy! Seriously guys, I’m not a foodie here. I literally eat almost everything. But their Pinangat and Bicol Express is not that spicy compared to authentic ones we’ve tried in Camalig.

Our Sili ice cream level 2

The sili ice cream actually tastes like a vanilla ice cream, but with an after taste of siling labuyo. Sweet at first and then all the fiery hotness bursts at the last part. It’s definitely a must try when you visit Albay 🙂

Feeling recharged and ready for another voyage, we headed our way to Ligñon Hill. We took a jeepney (₱7) to the intersection and we chartered a tricycle (₱20) to take us to the park entrance. Entrance fee is ₱20. From the entrance gate, you have an option to ride a habal-habal, or walk to the park. It was an uphill road so we opted to ride a habal-habal (₱100).

7th Destination: Lignon Hill, Legazpi City, Albay

It was cloudy and Mayon was still hiding her beauty. People’s silence and the cool breeze added to the gloomy vibe. We chose to enjoy the moment despite the dull colors around us.

And then we heard people screaming like they saw a celebrity. They all had their camera gadgets raised up in the air pointing to Mayon. The show has already started!

Viewing Mayon from Ligñon Hill is another unique experience. It gives visitors an excellent viewing angle towards Mayon. You will also be able to see the neighboring barangays since the area is elevated.

This is also an excellent spot for an exotic sunset viewing. What a very photogenic creation crafted by God’s hands!

The darkness slowly covered Mayon’s beauty which means it’s time to go home and move on. Haha! We opted to walk to the highway since it’s now easier to go down.

There was a huge billboard of Jollibee featuring their all-new Hashbrown burger. We were drooling so we went straight to Jollibee in Pacific Mall. Good job for an effective advertising technique. Haha!

Day 3
Busay Falls  +  Black Sand Beach  +  Travel back to Manila

The last day is always the saddest but we chose to enjoy and make the most out of it. Our first destination for the day is Busay Falls in Malilipot.

From Daraga, we rode a jeepney to Pacific Mall (₱12). From Pacific Mall, we rode another jeepney going to Malilipot (₱25). We reached Malilipot after around 45 minutes. From the highway, we chartered a tricycle to Busay Falls (₱60).

8th Destination: Busay Falls, Malilipot, Albay

Busay Falls is a seven-tiered waterfalls where visitors could trek a fairly steep trail to see all the seven cascades. It was a good sound of a jam-packed adventure again. However, it was raining and visitors were not allowed to trek as the trail could get very slippery that time. Hashtag huhubels.

I was starting to get really disappointed, but then I’ve found a bright side out of this unacceptable occurrence. The bad weather signaled other travelers to just stay inside their dens. Hashtag nangangamoynophotobomber!

There’s an entrance fee of ₱10 and cottages clustered inside the premises are available for rent for ₱100.

There are no shower rooms available, only a makeshift room where you could change your clothes. The makeshift room has no door, but at least the open side is facing the mountain wall. This might be a downside for some, but for me it is relieving to know that the place is not yet developed. I just love makeshift establishments in nature sites like this, I could feel the authenticity of the place being natural.

We just spent a couple of hours swimming and enjoying the cold waters at the catch basin. It’s not that deep, in fact, the deepest part (close to where the water drops) in my estimation, is just a little below 5ft deep.

Since we cannot trek to see the other falls, we decided to leave and hire a habal-habal to take us back to the highway (₱60). From there, we took a Legazpi-bound jeepney and asked the driver to drop us off at the intersection going to black sand beaches in Sto. Domingo (₱12).

From the intersection, we chartered a tricycle and asked the driver to take us to his most recommended resort since we had no idea where to go. But we were not satisfied about the first two resorts that he offered (forgot the names of the resorts) because the black sand beaches are too narrow and rocky.

Until he took us to Villa Acosta Beach Resort (formerly named as Mayon Spring Resort) and left us in awe for it was our first time to experience a black sand beach. Entrance fee is ₱60.

9th Destination: Black Sand Beach at Villa Acosta Resort, Sto. Domingo, Albay

This is one of the most unusual and exotic sights I’ve ever seen. One need not to travel to Hawaii to experience this one of a kind gift of nature.

The sands here are actually volcanic debris. These are tiny fragments of lava that came out from Mt. Mayon. It’s not mud or soil. It doesn’t smudge and stain. The texture is just like any other sands found on most beaches.

Villa Acosta Beach Resort also has swimming pools available for all guests. We just rented a small open cottage (₱300) since we will just be around for a couple of hours.

There’s also a restaurant where we ordered our lunch. We  left the resort right after having our lunch and went straight to Legazpi Grand Terminal to catch a Cubao-bound bus.

We chose a daytime bus schedule because we wanted to experience sight seeing while on the roads of Bicol and it was indeed a relaxing (and dramatic) way to end our Albay trip. Thank you and see you again soon, Albay.

We spent around ₱4,500 per person, including everything. From transportation costs down to unexpected expenses like snacks and tip. It’s not the cheapest, but at least it’s realistic 😉 It could still be lower down depending on how you spend on food, choice of hotel, and how generous you are on tipping.

Now, you see that Albay isn’t only about Mayon. There are also other places awaiting to be explored, like the ones we visited. But there’s a lot more like Vera Falls, Embarcadero, Danao Lake, Japanese Tunnels, Misibis Bay, Cagraray EcoPark, Quitinday Hills, Quitinday Falls, Hoyophoyopan Cave, Sumlang Lake, etc. Yes, it’s true that one time visit here really isn’t enough 🙂

If you know other wonderful places to visit in Albay, I think it would be nice if you won’t just keep it to yourselves. You can share them in the comments below! 🙂

You can now congratulate me for squeezing all those 9 sites in one blog post. Char! 😉

God bless and happy travels!

Love,

 ❤

 

Footnote

* the words “us” and “we” pertain to Jeric and I, and not to people in general. Jeric and I do not belong to any religious group.