Lignon Hill and Embarcadero Mall in Legazpi

Lignon Hill in Legazpi City, Albay offers an elevated and one of the best views of the majestic Mayon volcano. It is very near the airport, and its beside the city's wildlife park. 

However to avoid inconveniencing the joggers, they only allow vehicles to enter the hill's summit between 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and also after 6:00 pm. If you don't want the strenuous walk uphill, you can ask a habal-habal (motorcycle) to take you at the top for Php 20.

Villa Amada Hotel & Colonial Grill in Albay

Hotels and pension houses in Legazpi City are generally more expensive, than their counterparts in Puerto Princesa, Davao, Cebu, and other popular local destinations. Fortunately, I was able to find a nice budget hotel in the neighboring Daraga town. We stayed one night in Villa Amada Hotel along Rizal St., which is less than 10 minutes by car from the airport.

At Php 3,600 nett per night for a 2-bedroom accommodation, its still expensive for a stingy traveller like me. But upon entering our connecting rooms with a double bed and 2 single beds, I think its a good deal compared with the other local hotels in the same category. Even my kids commented that we are like in a de luxe hotel in Manila.

Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga, Albay

The most visited tourist attraction in Albay is the Cagsawa Ruins. It used to be a church on a separate town of Cagsawa, but was buried by Mayon volcano's destructive eruption in 01 February 1814. The whole town was buried with about 15,000 residents, including an estimated 1,200 people who took refuge inside the Cagsawa church. Since that catastrophic year on their town's history, the remaining Cagsawa survivors decided to include Cagsawa as part of the municipality of Daraga.

From Tabaco church, we travelled back on the way to Daraga. Along the way, we saw many "padyak" bicycles ferrying people between Tabaco and Malilipot town. According to our driver, this is the country's padyak capital, where this particular mode of transportation had started before it spread out on Manila and other places.

Waway's Restaurant & Bigg's Diner in Albay

Our first meal in Bicol region, is at their famous Waway's Restaurant along Penaranda St. in Legazpi City. This restaurant is highly recommended on the internet reviews, due to their authentic Bicolano dishes at affordable prices. We arrived at almost 12:00 noon, and it looked like an early lunch wedding function had just ended.

I was expecting a carinderia ambience (open air, cramped dining area, basic furnitures, etc.), but I was surprised that they are like a regular restaurant. The place is air conditioned, nice furnishings, and dining tables even have tablecloths instead of linoleum. Their only difference with a regular restaurant is the "turo-turo" style of ordering, or by pointing your preferred food on what they have prepared on the counter.

Tabaco Church in Tabaco City, Albay

As I like to see century-old churches, we did a quick tour of San Juan Bautista church in Tabaco City, Albay. Its on the main road across the city hall, another evidence of the Spanish colonial governance, wherein the church and the state are one and the same.

Just like the other churches on this region, the church was constructed using volcanic materials between 1864-1879. The first church was constructed in 1616, but was later destroyed by Mayon volcano's most destructive eruption in 1814.

Mayon Planetarium in Tabaco City, Albay

After a heavy lunch in Waways, we proceeded to the Mayon Planetarium in Tabaco, Albay. Its about 1 hour trip from Legazpi City. We passed bridges and residential areas which showed boulders and volcanic debris from previous volcanic eruptions. 

We also passed the town of Malilipot, the main source of nice abaca bags sold in Manila and abroad. After a long climb to the zigzagging road with stations of the cross, we finally saw the signature dome of a planetarium.

The Mayon Planetarium is situated on the "waistline" of the volcano, or midway to its summit. This is the closest thing you can get to the volcano's crater. Near the site is where PAGASA's seismological instruments are installed to monitor the volcano's activity. 

Based on Mayon volcano's known eruption history, the planetarium's site was never hit by lava flows, so its just appropriate to build the complex on this side of the volcano. There used to be a Mayon Skyline Hotel on the same area, but its not operational now.

Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave in Camalig, Albay

After checking the Daraga Church here, we proceeded to Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave in Camalig, Albay. Its about 15 km. from Legazpi City, and 15-20 minutes drive.

We passed well-paved roads with views of rice fields and a lot of trees, mostly the pili trees, where their famous pili nut come from. Our van driver also pointed to us the planned site for the bigger Legazpi airport in a large rice field. A few minutes later, we turned left on this fork on the road.

Daraga Church in Daraga, Albay

After dropping our luggage to the hotel, we proceeded to the nearby Daraga Church, which is situated on a hill with a view of the majestic Mayon Volcano. Unfortunately, it was still cloudy that morning of our arrival, so Mayon's peak is barely visible on the photo below.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Porteria (Our Lady of the Gate) in Daraga was built in 1773. It served as temporary shelter of Cagsawa residents when their church was buried by volcanic debris during the volcano's deadly eruption last 1814.