Wanderworld

If you’re looking for a place to spend your summer without breaking the bank, Bicol region is a great option as it combines everything you would want in a vacation—exhilarating adventures, amazing sights and untouched beaches.

And since it’s possible to reach Bicol via bus, you can save some money on transportation too, though you have to endure long hours of travel (12-14 hrs, depending on where you’re going.) [Note: a one-hour plane ride is way more convenient, but it’s only cheaper than a bus ride if you score promo tickets in advance.]

Cagsawa Ruins Park

Cagsawa Ruins Park became the first part of our Bicol trip itinerary because there were no available ATV units yet when we arrived in Bicol Adventure ATV, the company where we booked our tour ahead of our trip.

Cagsawa Ruins Park is the famous site of the Cagsawa Church, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mayon Volcano back in 1814. Today, only the topmost part of the church can be seen, as the rest was buried in the ground during the eruption. The park is also one of the best places in Albay where you can enjoy a full view of Mt. Mayon, which is why loads of tourists flock to the site especially on weekends.

Since my father hails from Albay, I’ve been to Cagsawa before when I was still a child. Back then all it had was the church ruins and the beautiful Mt. Mayon, a stark contrast to what it is now – a full-blown tourist spot packed with visitors trying to creatively pose in front of Mayon and the ruins, and a park riddled with numerous souvenir stores and food establishments offering the peculiar sili shake (which Joseph bought and never finished, haha).

Of course, amidst all the chaos is the stunning Mt. Mayon, which successfully steals the show as it stands majestically in its perfect form in the middle of the park.

Note: Cagsawa Ruins Park visitors have to pay an entrance fee of Php 10 each.

Mayon ATV Adventure

One of the popular activities in Daraga, Albay today is riding an ATV through various trails near Mt. Mayon. Besides offering incredible sights of the perfectly shaped volcano, the activity provides an exceptional thrill of driving through rough road and wading through waters that’s perfect for adrenaline junkies.

After exploring Cagsawa Park, our ATV rides were finally ready after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Disappointingly, Bicol Adventure ATV seemed to have overbooked that day, which resulted in us waiting for nearly three hours because there were no available units despite us having reserved for the tour days in advance.

Despite the mishap though, I surprisingly enjoyed the ATV ride via Cagsawa trail, which is best for beginners like us. In fact, I enjoyed it better than the two ATV adventures I’ve tried before, which were both in Mt. Luho in Boracay. 🙂

Here are some helpful info/tips for your first Mayon ATV ride:

• Cagsawa trail, the shortest trail which takes 45 minutes to one hour, is the best for beginners. It costs Php 699 for the smallest ATV unit (the standard size), and the trail is 80% water (wear slippers!). There are also bigger units and longer trails available, which of course are more expensive.

• At the entrance of Cagsawa Ruins Park, you’ll most likely be greeted by several locals offering ATV rides. They’ll bring you to the different ATV companies nearby where there are available units. I don’t think they’re affiliated with any of the companies though; I think they just get a commission from the company for each guest they bring. Though that’s the case, it’s still better to reserve in advance via email or text because the companies prioritize booked guests over walk-in customers. The rates for each trail are almost the same among the various companies.

• Before the actual ATV adventure, you’ll be briefed about your chosen trail and how to operate the ATV. All ATV units are automatic, so you don’t need to know how to drive to operate one. In Bicol Adventure ATV, the gas/accelerator is on the handle, a small button which you have to press to move forward. There are two brakes: one on the handle bar, just like in a motorcycle, and one for your feet. You can use them both at the same time if you wish.

• Besides the briefing, there was also a short practice trail with water and short uphill and downhill curve, which you’re supposed to drive in so you can get a feel of the whole experience. The guides are there to assist you along the way and to assess if you can actually drive on your own or if you need someone to ride with you.

• The practice drive was nerve-wracking, at least for me, because the ATV was different from the ones I’ve driven before in Boracay. It was also difficult for me to steer the “wheel” in any direction because I didn’t have enough muscle power to do so. Haha. The key to it though is to move the wheel exaggeratedly to your preferred direction. 😉

• You’ll get the hang of it after a while and actually enjoy driving faster through the rocky trail and water once you’re comfortable. Just remember to exert more pressure on the accelerator when going through a huge rock (but no to sudden accelerations) and to let go of the accelerator while pressing the brake every now and then when going down. The guides will approach and assist you if you seem to be having trouble in any part of the trail.

• In Cagsawa trail, the last part involves a rather steep climb, which was exciting to drive through. The trail is the same to and from the ATV site, so going back, the steep climb became a rather steep descent along the rocky trail, toward the water (with huge rocks underneath as well), which was even more fun. 😀

**Next post: Firefly river cruise in Donsol and Matnog, Sorsogon island hopping