Lignon Hill Zip Line, Cagsawa Ruins, Mayon: Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 1

I've been wanting to blog about our awesome Bicol - Caramoan adventure for a long while now. But you know how it is. Other travel posts got prioritized, work got in the way, and life just happened. Before I knew it, such a long time has already passed and now I'm swimming in a ton of pending travel posts. But no worries. By hook or by crook I am going to publish all my pending travel posts before this year ends. LOL!

Anyway, here is the first part of our Bicol - Caramoan adventure. My good friend Koryn was the one who organized everything so basically my hubby and I just paid for everything and we didn't need to worry about anything else except to enjoy the whole trip. And we loved every minute of it!

Here's the breakdown of our expenses. There were 15 of us on this trip (Ainna, Conrad, Rochelle, Fritz, Koryn, Peter, me, Mike, Ami, April, Ces, Roanne, Sheilla, Djong, and Jesus), but two had to leave (for a major European tour I think --> Djong and Jesus) after our second day. Nevertheless, for  5D/4N trip from Legazpi-Donsol-Naga-Caramoan-CWC, spending Php21,330 for two persons (me and my hubby Peter) inclusive of airfare, accommodations, meals, island hopping tours, whale shark watching, and rentals was already affordable enough. 

AIRFARE			2,914
CARAMOAN TAHUB RESORT DOWNPAYMENT			2,500
Total			5,414
JEEP RENTAL	Day 1 (Airport Pick-Up, Tour around Sto. Domingo)	2,500	167
	Day 2 (Sto. Domingo - Donsol - Sto. Domingo)	2,500	167
	Day 3 (Sto. Domingo - Pili, Naga)	3,500	270
STO. DOMINGO ACCOMMODATION	Room Rental (4 Rooms x 2 Nights)	5,950	397
MEALS	Sto. Domingo Meals (D1 Bfast, D1 Dinner, D2 Dinner)	7,500	500
*Other meals will be KKB, please see I.T.	Donsol Lunch	3,000	200
DONSOL RENTALS	Boat Rental (3,500 x 3)	10,500	700
	Registration Fee	1,500	100
	Snorkel, Fins, Mask Rental	3,300	n/a
CARMOAN TAHUB RESORT BALANCE	*Inclusive of 6 meals, boat rentals, and transfers	32,500	2,500
AIRPORT TERMINAL FEES	Manila-Legaspi / Naga-Manila		250
Total			5251

*Miscellaneous expenses (e.g. water, chips, booze) not yet included


Legazpi Airport Touchdown

We took an early morning flight to Legazpi in Bicol. At the airport, we can already see the majestic Mount Mayon from a  distance, more so when we were on our way to Sto. Domingo where we had breakfast at Koryn's Aunt's place. Thank God the flight was uneventful. Like I keep saying, it doesn't matter how many times I've traveled by plane, it still scares me every single time. 

As usual, I didn't have any sleep the night before so I was pretty tired. But the moment we were welcomed by Koryn's aunt and uncle, I felt my fatigue leaving me. Not only were they hospitable, but their house felt so homey, cozy and beautiful. It's like a mini resort! Their place has wooden furniture I love and this wonderful open air pavilion made of bamboo with hammocks inside. Plus, the way we were served with numerous scrumptious Bicol dishes felt like we were homecoming kings and queens. We were so touched and we really felt welcomed! *thought bubble: Can you adopt me please? ... Lol!* 

After having platefuls of breakfast, I went out of the house for a little while, walked on the street and took photos of a nearby old church. It was quite breezy that morning... the sky was clear with bright white cumulus clouds slowly passing us by in the distance. I remember feeling very excited about the things we were abut to enjoy on this trip (swimming with the whale sharks, island hopping in Caramoan, climbing cliffs, etc.)! And I was just smiling to myself the whole time. Ahhh... this is the life!

Zip Line Adventure at Lignon Hill

Our group didn't waste any time that morning. We said our thank you to Koryn's aunt and uncle. We will be coming back that evening for dinner, but for now, we're off to enjoy a zip lining adventure at Lignon Hill. So with our bottles of water and some snacks, we headed out. I was feeling terrified that my knees were starting to shake on our ride back to Legazpi City.

Okay, this is it! There were 15 of us, right? Initially, I wanted to go first just so I can have it done and over with. But the moment we reached Lignon Hill, my resolve to zip line started dwindling that I almost said no to doing the whole thing! However, we already paid for everything (Php200.00 back and forth per person) so I might as well do it. The zip line here at Lignon Hill is 100 meters long and 160 meters from the ground. These numbers alone scared me out of my wits! What if I fall? What if I die? Hahahaha! I was so paranoid and anxious the whole time! To calm my nerves, we had a couple of photo ops first. LOL!

But once I was doing the superman pose while hanging in there with the Mayon Volcano at the backdrop, my fear slowly vanished and I started enjoying the feeling! Wooooohooooo!!!! Aaaaahhhhhh!!!! 

My hubby came next and as usual, he was ecstatic! Peter loves heights and the higher it is, the better for him. 

Lunch at LCC Mall

We were all famished from the zip line rush so we headed to LCC Mall and looked for Bigg's (serving good food since 1983). Every time we're in Bicol, Peter and I make sure we dine in Bigg's. For us, it's the best fastfood in the area offering big servings of delcious meals. 

After lunch, we hung out at the mall for a bit and explored the area. The place is quite big. It's near the harbor so we got a good view of the sea and we got to enjoy the sea breeze as well. It was refreshing to be out in the sun considering that it was high noon at that time. 

Next stop: Cagsawa Ruins

Since we were already in the area, it's impossible not to drop by Cagsawa Ruins. We've been there a few times, the first one was in 2005 when Peter and I did a Bicol tour... a road trip from Manila to Albay to Sorsogon. 

Nothing much has changed. The rustic ruins still look amazing; the usual vendors of native Bicol products were still there and of course, our favorite halo-halo was still being served in one of the stores. ^_^ 

When everyone looked tired from the trip, we all headed back to Sto. Domingo. 

Affordable Accommodations at Kawayan Resort 

This time, we checked in at Kawayan Resort in the town of Sto. Domingo. It is owned by Koryn's uncle. It's a very affordable place with its own pool . It also has its own beach. We got a fan room and for two nights it only cost us less than Php800.00. ^_^ If you're looking for an affordable place to stay in Legazpi, please contact Don Balin at 0919-4805656. ^_^

That late afternoon, we just enjoyed the swimming pool and waited for the sun to set. In the evening, we all headed back to Koryn's Aunt's place for dinner. It was a feast! 

Our first day was jampacked and it was awesome! The second day awaited us when we swam with the huge butandings / Donsol whale sharks (the size of buses!). Til my next post! 



Donsol Whale Shark Adventure: Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 2
Deer Farm in Ocampo, Camarines Sur - Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 3
Aguirangan Island, Caramoan: Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 3

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