MANILA, Philippines—Over a month ago, my friend and I hooked up in Naga and began to explore the Bicol region. Nienie Baretto-Buenaflor runs Biggs, a food chain in Bicol that boasts of superb hamburgers, and is now being managed by her son, Carlo.
I researched for my Bicol Hands-On Photo Safari by experiencing its many tourist destinations first-hand. It was the spirit of adventure that drove me. It made me realize that tourism has come alive in this country, and destinations have never been so accessible!
Our first destination: Donsol. The Association of Boatmen and the Department of Tourism worked hand-in-hand in the tourist-whale shark interaction phase of the trip. Within two hours, we saw three whale sharks and interacted with them for 10 minutes per encounter.
Omar, the Butanding officer-in-charge, gave me a “scooter ride” by pulling my vest as we swam ahead of each beautiful creature. We were a foot below the ocean’s surface, and I could see the whale shark’s big, wide mouth. That night, we rode the catarman to watch fireflies illuminate the dark.
Lush forest
On our second day, we visited a lush forest in Bulusan. We trekked for an hour and drove around Bulusan Volcano, past idyllic sceneries. Then, we swam at Masacrot Spring, which is covered with mist in the early morning. We also visited a honey farm. Mount Bulusan, located 600 kilometers south of Manila, is Sorsogon’s main tourist attraction.
On the third day, I experienced the exciting sport of wakeboarding. Among the old churches we visited was the 122-year-old St. Joseph’s Cathedral, whose outer edifice is made of anapog, sea corals patched together by molasses. We visited churches with colonial architecture from the early 1800s.
Majestic backdrop
At the Cagsaua Ruins, the Mayon Volcano provided a majestic backdrop. We visited Daraga Church, St. Michael de Archangel and the National Museum. We checked out the Padang rock fields and lahar-covered areas, and we explored a tunnel that had statues of Japanese soldiers and boxes of ammunition. From Lignon Hills, we saw the full beauty of Mayon. (Unfortunately, we also noticed smoke coming from areas destroyed by kaingeros.)
Bicol is a dream destination. It boasts of a stunningly beautiful coastline. The best thing is, you don’t have to spend a fortune to go on this amazing voyage!
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Join the Bicol Hands-On Photo Safari, May 23-26 and May 30-June 2. Email mandynavasero@yahoo.com, or call 899-1767. And, join the one-day Abstract Photography tour of Quezon’s Pahiyas Fiesta on May 15.
