Above, under & beyond the rainbow

Albay is one province with so many hidden and known beauties. Like the people in the said area, it bears beauty that is pure, basic and grand. Albay has a certain charm that will sweep you off your feet and bring you the time that was or give you majesty that is simply indescribable. With 15 municipalities and 3 cities, Albay bears so many things to see and experience.

Gov. Al Francis Bichara

Governor Al Francis Bichara was such a gracious host as he welcomed us to his place and this was reflected by the people of the various local government units (Dept of Tourism and Dept of Agriculture) and that of Human Explore Travel and Tours. The tour given to us was both informative and time worthy. Tiring it may be BUT truly worth every moment. Thank you to Ms. Dorothy Colle and her people from the Department of Tourism Provincial Division Region V – Albay, Ms. Che of the Provincial Agriculture Department, management and staffs of Human Explore Travel and Tours and Ms. Farah Sobremisana – owner partner of Pepperland Hotel. They truly made our visit such a wonder thru their efforts and time generosity.

Legazpi Marker - Boardwalk - Embarcadero Area

The whole of Albay is filled with old churches, old craft making, worthy place to go to, old houses, natural beauties and beautiful festivities. With 15 municipalities around the majestic Mayon Volcano, if you do a whole 360 tour like ours, you get to see this natural wonder in all its beauty. Try to learn also the story behind this volcano and the insider tease of its behavior.

From the ruins of Cagsawa (with a average guest of 150pax per day) to the churches in Camalig, Ligao, Sto. Domingo and Daraga, to the calm Sumlang Lake and the historic Japanese caves in Quituinan Hills, to the traditional way of metal smiting in Tabaco, farms and various beautiful parks and landmarks all over Albay, you will never have a dull moment when you decide to do a full exploration of the province. It is also filled of noteworthy food places that you could and should try out (story and review in another write-up). Albay also has spring resorts with water source coming from near the volcano or underneath the ground making it cool or even cold depending on the time of the year – such resort is D’ Hacienda Spring and Nature Resort in Guinobatan, Albay.

For active people, I would highly recommend for you to try out the Japanese tunnels/caves in Quituinan Hills. The trek is not that stressful but the crawling (should you be adventurous enough) is like having an archeological dig. For historical buffs, try seeing the various churches of the different municipalities and compare notes in terms of its style and story behind it. Should you wish to see various craftsmanship of the place, go to Sumlang Lake to see the woven beauties of Albay, the metal smiting of Tabaco, pottery shops in Tiwi and pili delicacy making in Legazpi. Don’t forget to visit the various farms in the province that show the resiliency of the people as reflected in their farms – some of them are IG worthy too.

The beauty of this trip is the fact that we were able to try out some of the crafting process in Albay, such as smiting. You should give it a try also. It is a good way to let go of some tension inside you. hehehe

Since they have 15 municipalities around majestic Mayon, you get to see this natural beauty in all its grandeur. With clouds or without, Mayon will surely captivate you may it be morning, noon, mid afternoon or sunset. With its romantic yet tragic story behind this beauty, you will definitely want to be welcomed by it every time you are in the said province.

Albay is truly beautiful! The people reflect their place and the place live through its people.

Photos used were personally taken by the writer during the tour given by the DOT and Human Expore Travel and Tours.

Here are some of the pictures during our Albay 360 Tour

Lignon Hills