OUR four-day media familiarization tour to Albay ushered us into a world of luxury mixed with adventure. We also got there in style via a one-hour Philippine Airlines flight, foregoing the tiring and backbreaking 11-hour land trip. Our first and only night in the city was to be spent at the four-star, six-story The Oriental Legazpi on the top of Taysan Hill.
Formerly the Mayon Imperial Hotel which dates back to the 1970s, it has been upgraded and its name changed to The Oriental in 2009. From its infinity pool deck and each room’s balcony, we were offered spectacular views of Mayon Volcano. After a late lunch at Small Talk Café (where we sampled some Filipino and Bicolano cuisine with a touch of fusion), we spent the rest of our afternoon exploring the Cagsawa Ruins, Daraga’s Church of Our Lady of the Gate, Lignon Hill Nature Park and Legazpi Boulevard.
The next day, after a filling buffet breakfast at the hotel’s Jasmine Restaurant, the adventure truly began as were driven to Your Brother Travel and Tours ATV Amusement Center in Barangay Pawa, the original all-terrain vehicle (ATV) service provider in Bicol. Here, we were welcomed by founder Cerilo B. Chan. Started in 2008 with just one ATV, it has now grown into a fleet of over 80, including three Can-Ams, with an 800 CC engine, each worth over P1 million. Zac Efron, Manny Pacquiao, Venus Raj and Aga Muhlach are just some of the many celebrities who’ve done the ATV tour.
There were different trails to choose from. We chose the 18-kilometer Mayon to base-camp tour, using three fully automatic, 350 CC ATVs that can seat up to two people. They have no gears but are very easy to operate, as they just have a thumb accelerator and hand brakes. A guide on another ATV was assigned to us to take our pictures. After attending a briefing by Chan, signing a waiver and donning helmets and gloves, we began our bumpy drive along a route that took us along boulders and shallow streams.
Upon arrival at the base camp, we parked our ATVs, paid the P50 environmental fee and, with another guide, hiked and climbed up the lava flow from the 2006 eruption.
Photo-ops included one on a helipad built right on top of the lava front. On our way back, two of our compatriots chose to take, for an additional P300 per head, the zipline back to base camp. Back at the camp, we hopped back onto the ATVs and drove back to the main site to conclude the tour.
Back in Legazpi City, we had a late lunch at the 1st Colonial Grill (where we tried out its signature sili ice cream), then proceeded to Embarcadero, where a van awaited us to take us to Misibis Bay on Cagraray Island in Bacacay. The trip took all of an hour, with a stopover at a viewpoint overlooking the islands of Lagonoy Gulf. Upon arrival at the resort, we were welcomed by the resort staff, led by General Manager Sasha Zakharka. The resort currently has 90 well-appointed, luxurious suites and Asian-inspired villas, but another 60 are currently being built. All overlooking the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by mountains, they have large floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the sea or pool views.
All villas have a terrace or sundeck to relax and enjoy the sun, while the Luxury Villa has a plunge pool overlooking the sea. Our meals at the superb in-house Spice Market Restaurant featured a variety of local, Asian and Western favorites.
Sasha invited us to try out the resort’s must-try activities. Early in the morning, we tried out their own ATV ride (there are 10 ATVs available, plus two-seater buggy and single-seater motorcycles). This was to be no ordinary ATV ride, as our 6.72-km route was now uphill. From the sandy beach and asphalted road of the resort, we then drove on a rocky and muddy trail to the highest point of the island, located 863 feet above sea level. Upon reaching our destination, we took time out to rest, eat bread with butter, sip coffee, breathe the fresh air and take photos of all the breathtaking beauty that we saw. Come noontime, we hopped on the resort’s speedboat for a private picnic lunch of grilled delights at nearby Luyang Beach.
This was not the end of our adventures as, come afternoon, we tried out the resort’s other fun activities along the beach—jetskiing, kayaking and standup paddleboarding. We also observed the making of hats from coconut palm fronds. Come evening, after a delicious dinner by the beach, the ladies capped their day with a full-body massage. n