Karangahan Falls: A not-so-familiar waterfalls in Legazpi City.

There are a lot of beautiful places to visit in Legazpi City, however, there is one waterfalls that is often not included in the list of tourist destination in the city. The waterfalls is called as Karangahan Falls and it is located in Barangay Banquerohan, Legazpi City. It is about 30 to 45 minutes jeepney ride from the city center, plus a 15 minute trek going to the waterfalls. From my estimate, Karangahan Falls is about 25 to 30 feet in  height.

Whenever tourists go to Legazpi City, most of them just visit the famous Ligñon Hill Nature Park or Embarcadero or the famous Cagsawa Ruins in nearby Daraga City. Few tourists know Karangahan Falls, and in fact it is not even included in the tourism website of Legazpi City. Konti lang talaga ang pumupunta ng Karangahan Falls, but for adventure-seekers, maganda din puntahan ang lugar na to lalo na kapag madaming tubig na umaagos sa waterfalls.

Karangahan Falls, Brgy. Banquerohan, Legazpi City

Now, how do you go to Karangahan Falls? Medjo mahirap hanapin ang waterfalls na to, there are no road signs going to that waterfalls and if you’re going to ask the Legazpi City locals, most of them doesn’t even know that this waterfalls exist in their city.

Here’s the direction on how to reach Karangahan Falls:

First, if you’re coming from Manila, ride a bus bound for Legazpi City. It is about a 10 to 12 hours bus ride. If you don’t want to ride a bus, then you can ride a plane bound for Legazpi City. It is about an hour plane ride from Manila to Legazpi City. If you’re travelling by bus, get off at Bañag in Daraga City and ride a jeepney bound for Legazpi City via Daraga City. Dadaan sa city proper ng Daraga City ang jeepney via Rizal Street and then get off at Saint Gregory the Great Cathedral. It is about 10 to 15 minutes travel from Bañag and the fare is 10 pesos. And then from the cathedral, just walk to the jeepney stop near the church. It is just a 5 minutes walk. The jeepney stop is where the jeepneys bound for San Francisco, Manito and Banquerohan waits for more passengers. And then you can either ride the jeepney bound for San Francisco or Banquerohan or Manito because all of them will be passing the same road going to Karangahan Falls.

From the jeepney stop near the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral, it is about 30 to 45 minutes ride to the jump-off point to Karangahan Falls. The jeepney fare is 25 pesos. There are no signages or landmarks going to Karangahan Falls from the main road so you really need to tell the driver or conductor that you’re going to Karangahan Falls. The nearest landmark that you should remember in order for you to know that you’re already near Karangahan Falls is Banquerohan National High School, and then after another 5 minutes jeepney travel, you’ll be passing by Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical School. Kapag nakita mo na ang Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical School, mga 5 minutes travel na lang makikita mo na ang isang rough road sa left side ng main road. From that rough road or jump-off point, maglakad ka na going to Karangahan Falls.

Karangahan Falls, Brgy. Banquerohan, Legazpi City

Now, going there from the main road is a little bit tricky since there is no way you’re going to know that there is a waterfalls there. Wala man lang sign. You really need to ask the locals to guide you. Medjo malapit na din sya from the main road. From the main road, lakarin mo na ang rough road going to Karangahan Falls, after I guess 5 minutes walk, may makikita ka na small trail sa right side mo, follow that trail na dadaan sa isang coconut plantation, and then after that makikita mo na ang Karangahan Falls, but you still need to walk down the hill trail for about 5 minutes to reach Karangahan Falls.

Here’s the direction on how to reach Karangahan Falls if you’ll be travelling via plane from Manila:

From Legazpi Airport, ride a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Legazpi Grand Central Terminal. The travel time is 5 to 10 minutes. From Grand Central Terminal, look for the jeepney that is bound for Banquerohan, San Francisco or Manito.  From the Grand Central Terminal, it is about 30 to 45 minutes ride to the jump-off point to Karangahan Falls.

So there, now you know how to reach Karangahan Falls. Medjo mahirap nga lang syang hanapin but if you like the feeling of getting lost or you’re an adventure-seeker, then I think magienjoy kayo sa paghahanap sa waterfalls na to.hehehe! By the way, medjo magkakalayo ang mga bahay papunta sa Karangahan Falls so you need to ask the locals or magtanong kayo sa unang bahay na makikita nyo from the main road. I hope magenjoy din kayo sa paghanap ng waterfalls na ito kagaya ng pagenjoy kong hanapin ang Karangahan Falls.hehehe! Have an adventure-filled vacation in Legazpi City! Byes!

Mayon ATV Adventure and Matnog trip: My 2012 Year-ender.

It has been more than two months since my last post. Grabe, ang tagal ko na palang nawala at mukhang tinubuan na ng mga lumot ang blog ko.hahaha! Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of things for the last few months and kunwari busy busyhan din ako so I wasn’t able to post anything here, and also I’ve encountered a few depressing moments sa buhay ko kaya ayun, tinamad magkwento at magsulat ng kung ano ano.hehehe!

So how are you guys? How’s the weather there? Is there anything else I can help you with? Pang call center na mga tanong lang.hahaha! So heto na nga, magkukwento na ko ng adventure ko. I want to share this adventure story in Mayon and Matnog.

 

the river trail

Last December, me and my friends did a very awesome adventure (opo, ganyan na katagal na nangyari ang adventure na ‘to, December pa. hahaha!) Our adventure was an ATV adventure at Mayon’s lava trail in Legazpi City. A friend of mine invited me to try this ATV ride and then I also invited some of my friends in Manila. We met at Legazpi Grand Central Terminal. Me, our tour guide and one of my friend was at the terminal as early as 8am, and we waited for 3 of our friends to arrive and we ended up waiting for them for almost 3 hours. Our initial plan was to start our ATV ride early in the morning so that we will not be very much exposed to the heat of the sun, however, due to the late arrivals of some of my friends that were coming from Manila, we ended up starting our ATV ride at around 11am. Luckily, it was somewhat a cloudy day kaya hindi naman kami masyadong nasunog sa araw at nagmukhang roasted beef.hahaha!

After my 3 friends arrived from Manila, we ate our brunch at an eatery in Grand Central Terminal. After our brunch, we then proceeded to the ATV ride drop off point, which is also where the ATV tour operator site is located. The rate for the ATV ride is 1,500 pesos per person which is good for almost 3 hour ride. It also includes the transfer from the Legazpi Grand Central Terminal to the drop off point or the ATV site. The tour operator can also pick you up at any location within Legazpi City and  then bring you to the ATV site.

you'll end up wet, muddy and sandy and happy

At the ATV briefing area, our guides informed us about the basics of ATV ride. They also informed us about the rules and what to expect in the adventure. After we paid the fee of 1,500 pesos per head, we then waited for a few minutes and then we finally rode the ATV. The Mayon's ATV adventure is different compared to the ATV ride in other location in the Philippines. The ATV ride in Mayon is actually somewhat a little bit extreme or let me say really off-road-ish. The trail is a river trail and a lava trail so most of the time you’ll end up wet, muddy and dusty.  You’ll cross a river, some large stones, a dusty road, a bumpy trail, a mud pool, a sandy trail, a coconut grove, a pine tree-lined trail, a community, et cetera. There are a lot of different sceneries that you’ll pass by while doing the ATV ride. It is really an adventure. It is an adrenaline ride. The ride ends up at the 2006 lava wall, and you can hike the rocky wall and you’ll be rewarded with the magnificent view of Mayon Volcano, downtown Legazpi and the Albay Gulf. Unluckily, we weren’t able to view the magnificent beauty of Mayon since it was a cloudy day and Mayon was hiding behind the clouds. There is also a zipline at the lava wall so if you don’t want to walk again back to the end point of the ATV trail, you can just ride the zipline, and of course there’s a fee for that zipline, I think it was 300 pesos for the zipline ride.

time out muna. nakakapagod magdrive

We just spend around 1 hour at the lava wall because it was already late in the afternoon and we were already hungry after riding the ATV for almost 2 hours. We then decided to go back to the drop off point and we then rode the ATV for another one hour. We use a different trail to go back to the drop off point and it was a short trail and part of the trail was already a paved road. Pagdating namin sa drop off point, nagbihis na kami at nagpahatid na kami sa tour operator papunta sa First Colonial Grill in Daraga City para makakain na kami at matry ng ibang kaibigan ko ang sili ice cream. At Colonial Grill, we ordered our meal and several flavour of ice creams but the sili ice cream wasn’t available at that time because the waiter informed us na tunaw pa daw yung ice cream. Masyado kaming mapilit kaya kahit tunaw pa yung ice cream sinabi namin na magoorder pa rin kami kahit one scoop lang in order for us to taste the sili ice cream but it was a bad move, hindi pala masarap ang sili ice cream kapag tunaw dahil masyado mong malalasahan ang anghang ng sili. Ayun, hindi nga namin naubos yung one scoop kahit 5 pa kaming tumikim.hehehe!

lava wall

view of Legazpi City and the Albay Gulf

After having our early dinner at First Colonial Grill, we then hurriedly travelled to Grand Central Teminal in Legazpi to catch a bus going to Sorsogon City. We were going to spend the night at Rizal Beach located in Gubat, Sorsogon, which is about 3 hours travel by bus from Legazpi City. We arrived at around 8pm at Sorsogon City and we rode a jeepney bound for Gubat town. From Gubat town proper, we then rented a tricycle to bring us to Rizal Beach Resort. We were so tired from the long travel and from the ATV ride that we just decided to drink a few bottles of beer and then off we went to sleep.

Bailey's ice cream, malunggay, tinutong na bigas and lemon flavor

On the second day of our adventure, we were greeted by a cloudy sky and I was somewhat saddened by the sight of the Rizal Beach. Sobrang iba na ang itsura ng Rizal Beach compared to ten years ago. Kinain na ng dagat ang beach. Wala na yung dating ganda ng Rizal Beach. So hindi na kami nagtagal sa resort kaya we just decided na pumunta na lang sa ibang lugar. We were discussing amongst ourselves on where to go next. We really don’t have a fixed itinerary and that’s why we have a flexible schedule. We can go to any place that we want to go. Pinagpipilian namin ang magwaterfalls hopping, cold spring hopping and going to a beach. And after a careful and thorough reviews and some intellectual debate (parang mga judges lang sa contest.hahaha!) we then decided na pumunta na lang sa Subic Beach na located sa Calintaan Island.

subic beach at Calintaan Island, Matnog

After checking out from the hotel, we then rode a jeepney bound for Sorsogon City and then from Sorsogon City, we then rode a jeepney bound for Matnog. It took us about 1.5 hours before we reach the town of Matnog. After eating our lunch, we then searched for a boat that we could rent going to Calintaan Island. However, the rate was too expensive kaya ang ginawa namin, we just look for a tricycle going to Barangay Poropandan, which is the nearest barangay to Calintaan Island. We rented a tricycle for 150 pesos for a one way trip and the travel time from the town proper to Barangay Poropandan was 30 minutes. From Poropandan, the Calintaan Island is just a 15 minutes boat trip. We rented a boat for 350 pesos for a round trip boat ride. We just stayed in Subic beach at Calintaan Island for 2 hours and after exhausting ourselves from swimming, we then decided to call it a day. Bumalik na kami sa Poropandan and while in the boat, my friend texted the tricycle driver to wait for us at Poropandan. From Poropandan, we then travelled back to Matnog town proper and then we rode a bus to Daraga City. From Daraga City, we rode another bus bound for Naga City. Our travel adventure ended there. Nakauwi na kami sa kanya kanyang bahay at magsisimula na naman na magipon para sa sunod na gala.hehehe!

All in all, it was really an awesome adventure, especially the ATV adventure at Mayon’s lava trail in Legazpi City. Even though it was expensive (I consider 1,500 ATV rental fee as expensive lalo na kuripot ako.hehe!) the ATV ride was really worth it. Sobrang worth it kahit mahal kasi nagenjoy talaga kami. Gusto ko nga ulit ulitin ang pag ATV ride sa Legazpi kung sakaling may manlilibre saken.hehehe! Eh ang kaso, wala naman ata gustong manlibre. But anyway, you guys should try visiting Legazpi City and try the Mayon’s ATV adventure, and then after the ATV ride, visit the pink sand beach of Subic located at Calintaan Island in Matnog town, Sorsogon Province. Masasabi ko na in the Bicol Region, you will never run out of adventure. By the way, here’s the link to the ATV operator in Legazpi City.. http://mayonatvtour.com/  Sya nga pala, hindi po nila ako binayaran para ipromote sila. Kusang loob po ang pagpromote ko sa kanila dahil okay naman ang service nila. Yun lang po. Hehehe! That’s it pansit! Byes!

Why I hate the local buses in the Bicol Region.

I’ve been riding buses in the Bicol Region ever since I was a child and I have to say that how they operate is just getting worst each passing year. There are several kinds of provincial buses in the Bicol Region. You have the airconditioned and non-airconditioned buses plying the Manila to Bicol route, the airconditioned buses plying the Naga City to Legazpi City route and the ordinary buses or non-airconditioned buses connecting the different provinces in Bicol. What I hate most is riding the non-airconditioned buses plying the Naga City to Legazpi City route.

Naga-Lagonoy bound buses

During my elementary and high school years, our family would go to Naga City once in a while para mamasyal at pumunta sa mga pinsan namin and travelling by ordinary bus would take about 1 hour of travel. It was fast then to travel to Naga from our house in Iriga City, which is about more or less 40 kilometers  of travel. During the late 80’s and the 90’s there were only few bus companies operating that route. With too little competition, hindi gaanong naguunahan na makakuha ng pasahero ang mga bus.

When I was in college, I also ride the ordinary bus very often since every week I have to go home to Iriga City but during my college years, nauso na din ang mga passenger van so I also have that option to ride a van. I usually don’t ride a van back then because it takes a while for a van to be in its full seating capacity since the van leaves the terminal only if it is on its full capacity. Another reason I don’t ride the van during my college years is that it is a little bit pricey for a student. I think it was 10 or 20 pesos much expensive than the fare in the ordinary bus. The ordinary bus travel time back in my college years was about an hour sometimes less than an hour or an hour and few minutes more. I also have the option to ride an airconditioned bus bound for Legazpi but it is out of way going to our house since all airconditioned bus plying the Naga-Legazpi route always use the diversion road and it doesn’t pass by Iriga City.

Naga-Legazpi bound buses

After college, I stayed in Manila for more than 5 years and then I decided to go back to Bicol for good since I am now working online. I am now more disappointed than ever when riding a bus kasi lalo na silang lumala to the point na maiinis ka na sa kabagalan ng patakbo nila at sobrang masasayang ang oras mo kung sasakay ka ng ordinary bus plying the Naga-Legazpi route.

Naga City to Legazpi City is, I think, less than 100 kilometers in distance and if you’ll travel by private car, it would only take you 1.5 to 2 hours of travel. If you’ll be travelling by passenger van, it would take you about 2 to 2.5 hours of travel. And if you’ll be travelling by airconditioned bus, it would take you 2.5 to 3.5 hours of travel. But if you’ll be travelling by the non-airconditioned/ordinary bus, it would take you a lifetime and eons maybe!! Hehehe! No, kidding aside, travelling to Legazpi City from Naga City via ordinary/non-airconditioned bus would take you about 3.5 to 5 hours of travel. Just imagine the time you will be wasting by riding these kinds of buses. So if you’re in a hurry and you don’t want to waste your precious time, NEVER EVER EVER EVER RIDE THE ORDINARY BUSES OR EVEN THE AIRCONDITIONED BUSES in Bicol, specifically those buses plying the Naga City to Legazpi City.

Iriga City Bus Terminal

Naga City Bus Terminal

Naga City Central Bus Terminal

I still ride the ordinary bus today because the people living in Iriga only have 2 options. It’s either to ride a van or the ordinary bus. I am not really a passenger van fanatic since most of the time, passengers were cramped inside the van. Medjo naiipit kasi ang tuhod ko sa van kasi medjo matangkad ako. So what I usually do is to ride an ordinary bus to the next town, and then from Baao town, I’ll ride again an airconditioned bus which is a BIT faster compared to the ordinary bus. If I ride an ordinary bus to Naga City from Iriga, it would take me 1.5 hours to 2 hours of travel. By transferring to an airconditioned bus in the neighboring town of Iriga, which is Baao town, I cut my travel time to just 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, therefore I don’t have to waste extra 15 or 30 minutes. Wala kasing aircon bus na dumadaan sa Iriga kasi sa diversion road dumadaan lahat ng aircon bus.

In Metro Manila, naguunahan at nagkakarera ang mga bus para makakuha ng pasahero but in Bicol, it is the opposite. Binabagalan nila ang patakbo nila para makakuha daw ng mas maraming pasahero. The word “bagal” here is equivalent to a travelling speed of 10 to 30 kilometers per hour. Kasing bagal yan ng tricycle at minsan mas mabilis pa ang bicycle. Yung Iriga City to Baao town nga na 7 to 8 kilometers lang ang layo ay inaabot na ng 20 minutes na travel. These buses don’t care much about their passengers. They are more concerned about the income na kikitain nila at wala silang pakiaalam kung nagrereklamo na ang mga pasahero or ma-late sa office ang mga pasahero nila. They just don’t care. And once na nagreklamo ka sa driver or sa bus conductor, sasabihin pa nila sayo na kung gusto mo daw ng mabilis na byahe, bumili ka na lang daw ng sarili mong sasakyan or sumakay ka na lang ng van or sisisihin ka pa nila na alam mo naman daw na mabagal ang bus bakit daw sumakay ka pa sa kanila.

provincial buses in Bicol

Another reason it takes them longer time to reach their destination is the longer waiting time in bus stops. The Iriga City to Naga City route will pass by 3 towns and there are about 4 bus stops, and that doesn’t include the stops being made to pick up every passenger na nakikita nila sa kalsada and yung mga stops every time na may bumababa na pasahero. In every bus stop, the bus waits for about 5 to 15 minutes, and usually ang nangyayari ay hihintayin muna nila na dumating yung isa pang bus na sumusunod sa kanila bago sila umalis sa bus stop and it really doesn’t matter kahit 10 to 15 minutes pa ang layo ng next bus na sumusunod sa kanila. By computing 4 bus stops multiplied by an average of 10 minutes, that means 40 minutes na agad ang nasayang mo sa loob ng bus.

Marami pang mga bad practices ang mga bus companies sa Bicol and I’ve been to some provinces na din sa Pilipinas at masasabi ko na talagang nakakainis din ang service na ibinibigay ng mga bus companies dito sa Bicol lalong lalo na ang mga ordinary/non-airconditioned buses. Okay lang sumakay sa ordinary bus kung short distance lang ang pupuntahan nyo, mga 5 kilometers or less but if you’re travelling for a long distance, NEVER EVER EVER RIDE the local provincial bus kung ayaw nyo masayang ang oras nyo. Better ride a passenger van na lang or kausapin nyo na lang ang mga Manila-bound buses na kung pwede pasakayin kayo para mas mabilis ang byahe nyo.

Tikling Island, Juag Fish Sanctuary and Subic Beach at Calintaan Island, Matnog, Sorsogon.

Matnog is a town located at the southern part of the Bicol Region. This town is part of the Sorsogon Province. Matnog is also the jump-off point to the Visayas area from the mainland Luzon. If you are travelling by land and on your way to Samar or the Visayas or even to Mindanao, you’ll be passing by the Matnog port. There are RORO or ferries plying the Matnog-Allen route. The RORO or ferries operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The port of Matnog is a busy port. Several ferry companies operate the Matnog-Allen ferry route. Most of the ferry leaves the port every 2 hours.

Matnog Port, Sorsogon Province

Subic Beach at Calintaan Island, Matnog, Sorsogon

Aside from being known as the jump-off point to the Visayas area, Matnog is also beginning to gain popularity in the tourism industry. Many tourists are now visiting this town because of its beautiful islands. One of them is Calintaan Island, which is just a 30-minute boat ride from the town’s public market. The island has a barangay or a community and they also have 24 hours electricity coming from the mainland. Calintaan Island is just near the mainland that a long electrical wire connects the island’s electric supply from the mainland. This island also has a beach that has fine white sand with crushed red corals, therefore giving its sand a different hue. The beach is famously called as the Subic Beach. Yes, you read it right, the town of Matnog also has its own Subic, and it is much better compared to the other famous Subic Beach in Zambales province.  The Subic Beach is not that commercialized compared to other beaches in the Philippines. There is a resort in Subic Beach but they don’t have big facilities or accommodation. They only have open cottages for rent and these are nipa huts. If you are planning for an overnight stay and you want a more comfortable accommodation, better bring a tent and a sleeping bag.  Also, you need to bring an insect repellent.

The sand at Subic Beach is a mixture of white sand and crushed red corals

Subic Beach, Calintaan Island, Matnog

The other attraction near the Subic Beach and near the port of Matnog is the Juag Fish Sanctuary. There are lots of fish in this sanctuary. Just pay the entrance fee and then you can now swim and snorkel with the fish. This sanctuary is on a lagoon so it’s just on the shallow part of the sea near Calintaan Island. You can also visit the Parola. This is the old lighthouse in Calintaan and it is located in the middle of the sea.

The Parola or the old lighthouse near the Calintaan Island

The other island near the Matnog port is the Tikling Island. This is just a 20 to 30-minute boat ride from the Matnog’s public market and also it is just a mere 30-minute boat ride from Subic Beach, Calintaan Island. This island is just a small island. There is no resort in the area but there are some open cottages in the island. The small island is a private island and you need to ask permission from the caretaker. The island boasts a fine white sand beach but the beach is not that kid-friendly because there’s a sudden drop in depth by the shore. From the island, you can visibly see the passing ferries from the Matnog port.

Tikling Island, Matnog, Sorsogon

If you want to visit these destinations, you can rent a boat from the port near the public market. Don’t go to Matnog port because that port only serves the ferries that ply the Matnog to Allen, Samar route. The smaller port near the public market is where you can rent a boat for island hopping. The price for the boat depends on the capacity of the boat. The usual price for the boat rental ranges from 1500 to 3000 pesos. The small port near the town’s public market is also where most of the small and large pumpboats and fishing boats are docked. There are also several large boats that ply the Matnog-Capul route. Capul is an island municipality of Northern Samar. There are also passenger boats that ply the route Matnog-San Vicente. The town of San Vicente is also an island municipality of Northern Samar.

entrance gate of Matnog Port

the location of Tikling Island and Calintaan Island, Matnog town, Sorsogon

Location of Matnog, Sorsogon

How to get to Matnog:

By plane:

Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Philippine Airlines and Zest Airways have several daily flights to Legazpi Airport. From Legazpi Airport, you can ride a taxi or a tricycle to the central terminal. From the central terminal, you can ride a bus bound for Sorsogon City. The travel time from Legazpi City to Sorsogon City is about an hour. And then from Sorsogon City, ride a jeepney going to Matnog. There are also passenger vans in Legazpi City that are bound for Matnog, Sorsogon. The travel time is about 1 to 2 hours.

By Bus:

From Manila, there are several buses bound for Bicol region. Ride a bus that is bound directly for Matnog or you can ride a bus that is bound for Samar. There are a number of bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City, that have buses bound for Matnog and Samar. There are also bus terminals in Pasay City, near Pasay Rotonda. The usual travel time from Metro Manila to Matnog is 11 to 13 hours. Most of the buses that are bound for Matnog are ordinary buses or non-airconditioned buses. If you want a more comfortable bus ride, then you can ride an airconditioned bus bound for Legazpi City and then from Legazpi City central terminal, transfer to a bus bound for Matnog or bound for Sorsogon City and then from Sorsogon City, ride a jeepney bound for Matnog. You can also ride a passenger van from Legazpi City to Matnog, Sorsogon. I already forgot how much the fare was for the jeepneys and buses. But the fare for the airconditioned buses from Manila to Legazpi City ranges from 600 to 1000 pesos.

By Train:

The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. And then from Ligao City, you can ride a bus bound for Matnog, Sorsogon. Usually these buses are coming from Manila and most of these buses pass by the town of Ligao mostly in the morning. From Ligao City, you can also ride a jeepney to Legazpi City and then at Legazpi City central terminal, ride a bus bound for Matnog or you can ride a bus bound for Sorsogon City and then ride another jeepney bound for Matnog. You can also ride a van from Legazpi City to Matnog. 

Albay Province. The Quest for Sili Ice Cream

My cousin and I have been doing some travelling for the past few days. My cousin just went home from the US and she missed a lot of things here in the Philippines, from foods, the beaches, friends, et cetera. She wanted to eat a lot of Pinoy foods, yung mga foods na madalas nyang kainin dito sa Pilipinas and she wants to visit those places na madalas nyang puntuhan nung nasa Pilipinas pa sya nakatira. So one lazy morning, we decided to hit the road at nagjoyride papuntang Albay. One of our plans for the day is to try the Sili Ice Cream at 1^st Colonial Grill in Daraga and to swim at Busay Falls.

So off we go to Albay. We are using our uncle’s old car and we are hoping that it can go for a long distance drive. We are crossing our fingers. Mahirap kasi magtulak ng sasakyan.heheh! We left our house at around 10 in the morning and we did a running tour or should I call it a moving tour of some of the towns that we were passing by. Our first stop was in Guinobatan. This town is famous for putong bigas with macapuno fillings. Masarap sya and we bought several puto and ate it. We plan to buy several more but we decided that we will buy later na lang na paguwi namin para medyo mainit pa at bagong luto.

Guinobatan's specialty, the putong bigas with macapuno

the rice puto with macapuno fillings

After eating several puto, we then continued our trip. Our next stop was Camalig. We visited the old church of Camalig and took some pictures, nagpictorial muna kami ng konti lang, mga adik kasi kami sa pagpapapicture.hehehe! So after doing some photoshoot, we then hit the road again. Palitan kami ng pinsan ko sa pagdrive ng kotse kya hindi naman masyado nakakapagod sa pagdadrive.

St. John the Baptist Church, Camalig, Albay

Our next stop is in the town of Daraga. We visited the Cagsawa ruins and of course, we also have our photoshoot. Malas namin natabunan ng ulap ang Mt. Mayon so we weren’t able to admire its beauty and we don’t have a shot with the Mt. Mayon and the Cagsawa Ruins as a backdrop. After doing some photoshoot, my cousin did some shopping for souvenirs. I think she spent around more than an hour just doing some shopping for shirts and other items. At ng nasatisfy na ang pinsan ko sa pagbili ng mga souvenirs, we then left the place and proceeded to 1^st Colonial Grill in Daraga to have a taste of the Sili Ice Cream and also to take our lunch. Upon arrival at the restaurant, we immediately ordered the Sili Ice Cream but according to the waiter, tunaw pa daw ang Sili Ice Cream nila and not yet available. We travelled for several kilometers for that ice cream tapos wala palang available. So we just ordered the Malunggay Ice Cream and the Tinutong na Bigas Ice Cream (roasted rice flavoured ice cream) and informed the waiter that we will be drop by later in the evening to check kung matigas na yung Sili Ice Cream at pwede ng maiserve.

Cagsawa Ruins, Daraga, Albay

1st Colonial Grill, Daraga City Branch, Rizal St. 

We ordered our lunch, and since we were craving for the dessert and not for the main meal, we just ordered simple lunch, and after eating our main meal, we informed the waiter to serve the ice cream. They brought the Tinutong na Bigas Ice Cream and the Malunggay Ice Cream at siempre, before eating those ice cream, nagkaroon ulit kami ng pictorial, at ang bida sa pictorial na yun ay ang ice cream. Inabot din siguro ng 10 minutes yung pictorial namin, buti na lang hindi pa naman natunaw agad yung ice cream at hindi pa naman naging soup.hahaha! The Malunggay Ice Cream tasted like an avocado ice cream and I think it was something leafy in taste. I really don’t like the taste of it. The Tinutong na Bigas ice cream tasted better. It tasted like a coffee or a coffee mocha ice cream. It has a tinutong na bigas toppings but I would suggest na huwag nyo ng kainin yung toppings kasi mapait yun.

Grilled Liempo and Tinapa Rice

the colonial ice cream

Tinutong na Bigas Ice Cream

After na masatisfy na ang curiosity naming sa mga kakaibang flavour, we then left the restaurant and travelled to Malilipot town of Albay. This town is famous for the multi-tiered waterfalls called the Busay Falls. Malilipot town is about 20 to 30 minutes travel from Daraga City, that is via a private car. But if you will be using the public transport, it could take you about 45 minutes to an hour travel.

We arrived at Busay Falls at around 5 in the afternoon, and since it was already late in the afternoon, we then agreed that we will just spend an hour swimming in the waterfalls. It was my second time to be at Busay Falls and I’ve been to several of its other falls too. Gusto ko sana ipagmalaki sa pinsan ko kung gaano kadami ang falls sa Busay pero kulang na ang oras namin para mapuntahan pa ang ibang mga falls kya sa main waterfalls na lang kami nagenjoy sa paglangoy. We enjoyed the cool water of Busay and even though we still want to stay much longer at that place, kailangan na din namin magbyahe na papunta ng Legazpi City. So by around 6pm, we then left Busay Falls and went to Legazpi City.

Busay Falls, Malilipot, Albay

I have been to Legazpi City for several times but I’ve never been to one of its new attraction, which is the Embarcadero. Actually hindi na nga sya new attraction kasi medjo matagal na din sya nageexist. Mga more than a year na din ata but I’ve never been there so icoconsider ko na lang sya as new.hehehe! So we arrived at Embarcadero a few minutes before 7pm. Nawala kasi kami because I don’t know the street going to that place. Nagtanong tanong na lang kami para makarating sa Embarcadero.

When we arrived at Embarcadero, we toured the area, naglakad lakad at siempre, nagpictorial ulet. Buti na lang digital na ang mga camera dahil kung kailangan pa ng film ng camera namin, malamang ilang roll ng film na ang naubos namin.hehehe! After we toured the mall, we then travelled back again to 1^st Colonial Grill to check if the Sili Ice Cream is now available. Binalikan talaga namin yung restaurant kasi yun naman talaga ang gusto namin na matry. Buti na lang sa pagbalik namin medjo matigas na ng konti yung ice cream so we were able to ordered one. We also ordered a meal for our dinner and since our main reason for going back to that restaurant is the Sili ice cream, konti lang yung kinain namin for dinner. After namin makain yung main meal, pinaserve na namin yung sili ice cream plus we also ordered the pili nut ice cream. At dahil first time namin kakain ng kakaibang food, hindi mawawala ang picture taking. We again spent about several minutes taking pictures of the ice cream and of course kasama na din ang mga mukha namin sa pagpicture taking. When we tasted the sili ice cream, my cousin was somewhat disappointed because she was expecting that the ice cream has that kind of taste where you will have the chili effect in your throat. Hindi namin nalasahan ang anghang ng sili, or maybe because we were Bicolanos and Bicolanas at sanay na ang mga dila namin sa anghang kaya parang walang wala lang yung sili flavour. But the sili ice cream still has that sili effect but just a so very much slight anghang effect.  Anyway, it still fulfilled our curiosity and we were still a happy traveller. Mas maisusuggest ko pa din na tikman nyo na lang yung tinutong na bigas ice cream because it tasted much better.

Sili Ice Cream of 1st Colonial Grill

And because it’s getting late in the evening already, we then decided to start driving back home because it would be difficult if masiraan ang kotse na gamit namin. We weren’t able to buy the putong bigas in Guinobatan on our way back because the putong bigas stalls are already closed when we passed by the Guinobatan town. We arrived at our house at around past 11 in the evening. It was such an awesome travel. Both I and my cousin had so much fun doing the joy ride and dropping by on the same restaurant twice on a single day just to taste the Sili Ice cream. We did a lot for a day. Ang layo ng natravel namin. But we didn’t spend that much kasi minimal lang naman yung gastos namin sa mga lugar na pinuntahan namin. I hope you would also travel sa probinsya nyo or sa ibang katabing probinsya para naman madiscover nyo ang mga ganda at mga kakaibang bagay sa lugar nyo. Happy travelling! Woooot!

Waterfalls hopping in Albay

2 cities, 2 municipalities, and 2 waterfalls for the amount of less than 400 pesos. It has been raining for two weeks now at my hometown and this summer season has a rainy start. A day before our waterfalls hopping trip, I asked my sister if she wants to go with me to Legazpi City to try the go-cart at Embarcadero and she said yes, so that means this is one of those “biglaang lakad moments”. Me and my sister haven’t traveled together on any major lakwatsa so this would be our first time to travel together for an adventure.

PNR train fare table

My initial plan was to go to Legazpi City and visit Embarcadero, however, a more adventurous plan popped through my head. So I texted my friend who is based in Tabaco City and asked her if she’s available for a weekend getaway. And just my luck, it’s her day off from work. Me and my sister now have a free beautiful tour guide.hehehe! So my friend texted me the information that I needed to know on how to get to Tabaco City and I also informed her about our estimated time of arrival at Tabaco City.

Since I will be travelling with my sister and I don’t want to pay all the travel expenses, I told her that we will be travelling the cheapest way possible. (kuripot na kuya.haha!) I told her that we will only be spending 300 pesos each for this waterfalls hopping. I named it the 300 pesos challenge.heheh!

The next morning, the adventure day, we headed out to PNR Iriga City Station to catch the train going to Ligao City. By the way, PNR has a trip from Naga City to Ligao City but this is every Saturday and Sunday only. For weekdays, the train route is Naga City to Sipocot. PNR also has a daily trip from Manila to Naga City and PNR also have a 3x a week trip from Manila Tutuban Station to Ligao City. The travel time is 10 hours for Manila to Naga route and 12 hours for Manila to Ligao route. They have a sleeper coach, reclining seat coach and an ordinary or economy coach.

Anyway, back to my story. So we took the 8:30am train bound for Ligao City. The fare from Iriga City to Ligao City is 27 pesos and the travel time is 45 minutes only. Riding on a train is much cheaper and faster than riding a bus from Iriga to Ligao City. The train plying the Naga-Ligao route are non-airconditioned train. Oh, by the way, another tip, if you will be riding the Naga-Ligao PNR train, make sure you ride the 2^nd coach or the middle coach. Why? Because the 1^st and the 3^rd coach has a bumpy ride. Masyadong matagtag at baka mauntog ka pa sa dingding ng train at magkabukol.hehehe!

PNR Iriga City Train Station

PNR Iriga City Train Station

PNR train

PNR non-airconditioned coach

After arriving at Ligao City, me and my sister did a quick city tour, taking pictures of some of the landmarks in the city. After that, we then boarded a jeepney bound for Tabaco City via Sabloyon road. The jeepney terminal is located across the Novo Store.  The travel time from Ligao to Tabaco is about an hour and the fare is 42 pesos. It was raining when we arrived in Tabaco and we were hoping for a good weather pero masyadong nagpakitang gilas si ginoong ulan kya naging maulan ang lakad namin.

Ligao City Hall

Jeepney bound for Tabaco City

After meeting my friend in Tabaco, we immediately proceeded to Vera Falls. We rented a tricycle going to Vera for 150 pesos but the driver said that the tricycles can only go up to Barangay Soa because the night before our trip, the bridge was washed out by heavy rains. So we agreed and upon arriving at Barangay Soa, we then transferred to a motorcycle. The travel time from Tabaco City to Brgy. Soa is 15 minutes only while the travel time from Brgy. Soa to Vera Falls is another 15 minutes ride. The motorcycle rate is 50 pesos per person and for one-way trip only. There’s also an alternative means of transportation, near the city hall of Tabaco, there are motorcycles bound for Vera falls for only 70 pesos. Hindi kasi namin nahanap agad kya sumakay na lang kami ng tricycle at nagcutting trip. By the way, make sure na sabihan nyo ang driver na balikan kayo sa Vera falls para sa paguwi nyo or else you’ll end up walking several kilometers. The trek to Vera is an easy 10 minutes down the staircase from the parking area. There is no entrance fee at Vera and there are no cottages near Vera Falls. Pagdating namin sa Vera, masyado akong namangha sa ganda nya kasi there are a lot of minifalls that popped out from the side of the main falls. And since it rained hard the night before our trip to Vera, there was a huge volume of water. Naglunch lang kami sa Vera at nagswimming for an hour and then umalis na kami pabalik ng Tabaco City para mapuntahan pa namin yung Busay Falls.

Vera Falls, Malinao, Albay

Vera Falls, Malinao, Albay

From Barangay Comun, Malinao, this is the neighboring barangay of Brgy. Soa, we rented a tricycle for Busay Falls in Malilipot town. We paid the driver 200 pesos to bring us to Busay Falls and then Busay to Tabaco City. If you don’t want to pay that much, you can catch a tricycle bound for Tabaco City at Barangay Comun. The fare is only 12 pesos and then from Tabaco you can ride a tricycle to Busay Falls. So we travelled to Busay from Brgy Comun, and the travel time is roughly about 30 minutes. Upon arriving at Busay falls, we took some pictures and decided to explore the other waterfalls above the main falls. Busay falls is a multi-tiered waterfalls, and the locals told us that Busay is a 7-tiered waterfalls, that means there are 6 more waterfalls to see. We asked around for a guide and a local from the area offered to guide us to the 3 other falls. We want to see all the 7 waterfalls but he said it would take a whole day to explore the 7 falls but since it was already late afternoon when we arrived at Busay, we agreed to just visit the other 3 falls above the main waterfalls. So off we go to the other 3 falls. The 2^nd falls is just a mere 15 minute hike from the main falls. The 3^rd and 4^th falls are just another 15 to 20 minute hike. The 3^rd and 4^th falls are just near to each other but the 5^th, 6^th and 7^th falls would take hours or hike. So after swimming at the other 3 falls, we then trekked back to the parking area. We were rain-soaked since it has been raining the entire afternoon.

Busay Falls, Malilipot, Albay

Busay Falls, 4th falls

Busay Falls, the 3rd falls

Busay Falls, the 2nd falls

We travelled back to Tabaco City and my friend offered her place para makapagpalit na kami ng dry clothes before going home. Nagpaalam na kami at nagpasalamat sa friend ko and then me and my sister did a short city tour around Tabaco City and then after that, we then boarded a bus to Nabua town and then after an hour and a half we arrived at Nabua and rode a multicab bound for Iriga City, and then 15 minutes later, we were at our hometown now and rode again a tricycle at the city center to our house.

Pedicab at Tabaco City

Tabaco Church

Tabaco City Hall

It was a tiring but an awesome day. From the initial plan of just go-karting at Legazpi City, we ended up doing a waterfalls hopping in Albay. We failed on the 300 pesos challenge since we spend more than 300 but less than 400 pesos for the trip. For the amount of less than 400 pesos, we were able to visit 2 cities, 2 municipalities, and 2 waterfalls. Now, isn’t that  a cheap and “sulit adventure”, right?