Bicol

The Bicol Region is situated in the southern part of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippine archipelago. It is made up of six provinces, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate. The largest city is Legazpi, the capital of Albay.  The Bicol Region is bounded by the Lamon Bay to the north, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf to the west.

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The best tourist spot in Bicol is the majestic Mount Mayon, an active volcano, found in Legazpi City. Mt Mayon is 2,462 metres high and is the world’s most perfectly formed volcano. Most activities in Legazpi revolve around Mayon Volcano, including hiking, zip-lining and quad biking. 

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Donsol is famous for being the whale shark capital of the world, and these huge fish can be seen all year round. It is the best place to swim with the sharks. Boats leave daily from the Donsol Whale Shark Interaction Center. Other popular activities in Donsol include a firefly river tour, and scuba diving fun dives.

The Caramoan Islands are the Philippines secret paradise. You can spend your days island hopping around the peninsula in search of white-sand beaches, caves and limestone rocks and even look out for the filming location of the hit US TV show, Survivor.

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Things to do

• Climb or hike the Mayon Volcano

• Hop on an ATV for a rugged adventure to Mount Mayon

• Visit Cagsawa Ruins, the 18th-century old Franciscan Church established in 1724.

• Swim with the whale sharks in Donsol.

• Dive or swim with manta rays in Ticao Island.

• Delight in some Bicolano dishes

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How to get there

Bicol can be reached by road or air. It has two airports, one in Naga and the other is in Legazpi City. These airports are serviced by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and CebGo Airlines and only one-hour flight away from Manila. The journey by road from Manila to Bicol is about 8 to 10 hours by public transport or 6 to 7 hours by private transport.