Lakbay Loyd Recall - MASBATE In Pictures

It was May 2009, out on my usual Legaspi City trip, I decided to gather some information from the net on how to get to Masbate for another off-the-beaten-path adventure. Simple. I took a van to Port of Pilar in Sorsogon Province. From there I jumped on a ferry which will take me to Masbate.

Masbate Island is a cattle county. It is well known for its week long rodeo competition held each year in the last week in June. Beside cattle, Masbate is also known for its beautiful beaches lined with coral reefs, perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. There are some great waterfalls to visit and the province also has some of the best spring water around.

I only spent a day and a night in the province so I wasn't able to see these great attractions. But I was able to learn some history and add a stamp on my travel map.

CORREGIDOR ISLAND - Philippine History By The Ruins

The story behind the Battle Of Corregidor Island has been written in all history books and has been told from generation to generation. But witnessing the history as it unfolds,  though in ruins, is truly an amazing experience,  and cheap.

A guided tour of the island costs P1,999.00 via Sun Cruises. There is a 7:00 am and 11:00 am ferry schedule from the port in Harbor Square (CCP Complex) that will take tourists to the island and back. Buses with multi-lingual guides (yes there are Japanese and Korean guides, aside from the English-speaking ones) will be waiting to take everyone to the hotel for a buffet lunch and to all the historical locations for a complete four-hour tour before heading back to Manila.

CAGBALETE ISLAND - Beaching On A Rainy Season

I am not, and will never be a beach person. Ask me to go to the beach any summer and I will certainly think a thousand times first before I say yes. But without any hesitation I miraculously agreed to go with a friend when he invited me to visit one of the less frequented vacation spot in the country - the Cagbelete Island - on a rainy season.

Being off the beaten track, we had to exert quite an amount of effort before we finally reached the island. To get there, it's a four-hour ride to Lucena from Manila plus another hour non-aircon bus ride to Mauban, Quezon. Next, an hour or less boat ride from Mauban Port to reach Sabang Port in Cagbalete plus a 20-minute trail hike to the remote and naturally beautiful Villa Cleofas Resort.

Beaching in Cagbalete on a rainy season was truly a unique experience - exactly my definition of a perfect getaway from the hassles of busy city life. The island was like our own piece of paradise, gifted with fine, powder-white sand, peaceful and quiet except for the relaxing sound of the waves - definitely a perfect place for nature lovers like me.

Nueva Viscaya's Heritage Sites

The country's gateway to Cagayan Valley region is Nueva Viscaya. The province may not be any traveller's choice for adventure and site-seeing but one would be surprised to realize that it is worth exploring the province - with it's breathtaking view of the Cordillera and Sierra Madre, plus a number of heritage sites to learn and discover.

Solano - the province's commercial center. Known to travellers as stopover for those who want to break up their journey to Isabela, Cagayan or the Mountain Province, the town indeed is one convenient stop. It has the nicest accomodation facility in the province, natural park resorts, popular fastfood restaurants, supermarkets, and the unique Ayuyang bar with its ethnic theme with nightly live acoustic Ilocano music.

Bayombong - the province's seat of government. One of the quietests and cleanest provincial capital I've ever visited. The capitol site has a large landscaped park with man-made lagoons, surrounded with pine trees and overlooking the picturesque Sierra Madre mountains. The town also houses the Cathedral of St. Dominic De Guzman, which is one the province's heritage sites.

Dupax Del Sur - this quiet town north of Nueva Viscaya was declared by the National Center for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as one of the country's National Cultural Treasure. The Cathedral of St. Vincent Ferrer, built by Dominican friars in 1776 features a baptistery and narthex pillars covered with finely carved stucco, is the town's main attraction. The oldest acacia tree in the Philippines can also be found here.

The Must-See Lanzones Festival

Camiguin, a small island on the northern tip of Mindanao, boasts the beauty of not just its natural wonders but of its friendliness of its people. Peaceful, almost spiritual, the island is the host to one of the most important festivals in the country - the Lanzones Festival - where people are dressed in lanzones leaves, stomping and dancing in the street as a tribute to this humble fruit which is one of the island's major source of income.

Why do I want to experience and join the festival?

It has been a long promise to myself to go back after being there almost eight years ago. And one of the reasons is the Lanzones Festival. That time, I was very eager to see and experience one of the liveliest and most welcoming festivals in the Philippines, but unfortumately I was three days late. Nonetheless, the people of Camiguin never stop welcoming people even after the festival. The warmest and friendliest smile greeted me as they offer the best of what their island has to offer.

The island, the people, the natural wonders, the Lanzones festival plus more - enough reasons to visit Camiguin again, and again, and again.


Experience MassKara Festival, Hermosa Festival and Lanzones Festival this October. Airphil Express flies daily to BACOLOD, ZAMBOANGA and CAGAYAN DE ORO from Cebu and Manila. Visit www.airphilexpress.com to book!