Destinations: Bicol (Region V)

As Philippine tourist destinations go, Region V, more commonly referred to as the ‘Bicol’ region of the Philippines, is a bit of an enigma. This said, the warm and welcoming, the Bicol region is a Philippine tourist destination worth exploring by any traveler. Although the Bicol region is traversed by many moving along the Pan-Philippine highway, many travelers simply drive through Bicol on their way to the ferry ports and on to Samar and other Philippine islands in the Visayas. This means that although the Bicol region has many travelers and tourists, outside of the extremely and ever popular Bicol tourist hot spots; such as, Mayon Volcano, Legazpi city, black sand beaches and diving with whale sharks, few tourists and travelers take the opportunity or time to discover all that Bicol really has to offer.

Located at the south east corner of Luzon Island, the Bicol region boasts mountain ranges, flatlands and two coastlines stretching across the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and the offshore island provinces of Masbate and Catanduanes. The Bicol region’s east facing coast is generally quiet and calm, making it a tourist hot spot destination ideal for swimming, while the west facing coast of Bicol is regularly pounded by raging waves rolling in from the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, making many of the Pacific facing beaches a popular tourist hot spot for surfers.

Bicol’s many tourist destinations and attractions include the majestic, though sometimes angrily lava-spewing Mt. Mayon, the jet-black volcanic sand beaches around Legazpi City, the lush greenery of high canopied wild forests, thriving city nightlife in locations such as Naga, Pili, Daet and Lagazpi, and of course, the regions famous and mouthwateringly delicious and spicy coconut and chili-based cuisine.

Travel By Road

Road travel into the Bicol region is via the well surfaced National Highway from Quezon Province. This is an extremely pleasant drive through low mountains and high-canopied forests, with a number of small roadside eateries and resorts available as you need them. Just after entering Camarines Norte, you can either take the southern route along the Quirino Highway, or take the slightly longer northern route through Camarines Norte.

The southern route along the Quirino Highway to Bicol is part of the Pan Pacific Highway. This is the most heavily used travel route for most of the trucks and buses traversing through the Bicol region and onward, via RoRo ferries, to the Visayas. Although this highway is wide, you should note care is needed as long lines of slow moving trucks can be frustratingly difficult to overtake. In addition, the highway’s road surface has some rather severe cracks, potholes, and rough patches which tend to appear without warning when you least expect.

By comparison, the more northerly route into Bicol is less congested, better surfaced, and has by far the best scenery. The only real drawback in taking the northerly route is the extra milage. Whichever route you take, both roads rejoin at Sipocot in Camarines Sur, but the northerly route is considerably longer (141 kilometers as opposed to 93 kilometers).

In regard to road conditions, Bicol is often the landing area for typhoons - and here in the Philippines everyone is aware that road surfaces can degrade quite badly with severe typhoons damage - and repairs sometimes takes months to be completed. 

Travel by Air

If traveling by air, the Bicol region is serviced by five domestic airports. These are located at Daet, Pili, Legazpi, Sorsogon, and Virac. Most of these airports are serviced from Manila, with some also having flights from the airline hub in Cebu.

Travel by Sea

If arriving via sea to Bicol, as part of the Pan Pacific Highway, there is a RoRo ferry port in Matnog in Sorsogon. There are also a number of passenger ferry and banca boat piers at small ports throughout the Bicol region, and a major port in Lagaspi.

Bicolano Cuisine

All visitors to the region must try out at least some Bicolano cuisine – justifiably famous for its many rich and oh-so-spicy dishes. Most Bicolano cuisine recipes call for locally made coconut milk called “gata” and, of course, the local, very hot variety of small chili called “siling labuyo.”

Of the many local Bicolano cuisine dishes visitors must sample, three really stand out: Pinangat is a delicious Bicolano dish in which bundles of taro leaves are filled with meat or shrimp, chilies, ginger, garlic and onion, and then slow cooked in coconut cream. In another Bicolano dish, Kinunot, stingray meat, locally called “pagi,” and kalunggay a local tree leaf, are simmered slowly together in coconut cream with onion, garlic, and of course, Bicolano chilies. Of all the local Bicolano cuisine, the most famous and an absolute must for visitors to try is Bicol Express. This exotic mix of shredded pork and shrimp paste sautéed in tomatoes and onions – with lots and lots of chili – all simmered together in a smooth, thick, coconut cream is the quintessential Bicolano cuisine.

After sampling these somewhat fiery local Bicol dishes, remember to neutralize that mouth-burning chili fire with a sweet dish made of the famous local “pili” nuts. They really round of an evening’s meal nicely.

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