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Itinerary & Expenses for Bicol Trip

My trip to Bicol was a revelation. There were so many beautiful paces to see and things to do in Sorsogon and Albay. Too bad that I hear of NPAs hiding out in that region which has created a negative image of Bicol. During my stay there I did not encounter a single rebel. Maybe these threats of rebels and uprisings are just caused by fear, fear of the unknown. But there was nothing of that fear when my friend and I got to Bicol. There was a connection between the people that was endearing.

Albay

Sorsogon
Here is a break down of the expenses during my 3 days and 2 nights trip to Bicol:

P200 - Short tour to Cagsawa Ruins, Daraga Church, and ride to the bus terminal
P170 - Round trip van rides to Sorsogon City and back to Legazpi City
P350 - Transportation around Bicol (tricycles, taxis, and jeeps)
P50 - Round trip bus ride to Bacacay and back to Daraga, Albay
P20 - Lignon Hill entrance fee
P190 - Round trip jeep rides to Matnog and back to Sorsogon City
P90 - Round trip jeep rides to Sawanga (Paguriran Beach Resort) and back to Sorsogon City
P690 - Food & water
P500 - Share for boat rental for island hopping in Matnog (Juag Lagoon, Subic Beach & Tikling Island)
P60 - Environmental fee for island hopping in Matnog
P500 - Share of room in Paguriran Beach Resort
P400 - Share for room in Daraga, Albay (Balay de la Rama)
P180 - Pili cake souvenir____________________________________________________
P3400 - Total expenses for 3 days and 2 nights trip to Bicol

P1460 - Round trip airfare to Legazpi (got the promo fare)

P4860 - Total expenses for 3 days and 2 nights trip to Bicol including airfare

*A majority of our expenses were for the transportation. The places I visited were far from each other, hence the huge transportation expense. As always, you can significantly reduce your expenses depending on where you go, how you get from one place to another, where you eat, and where you spend the night.

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Albay via plane
Cagsawa Ruins
Daraga Church
Paguriran Island
Paguriran & Pagol Rock formations

Day 2
Depart from Sawanga to Matnog
Island Hopping in Matnog: Juag Lagoon, Subic Beach, Tikling Island
Depart from Matnog to Daraga, Albay

Day 3 
Lignon Hill
Legazpi Boulevard
Embarcadero
Black Sand Beach of Bacacay
Albay Pili Nut

We could've done more things if we had caught the last trip back to Sorsogon City from Sawanga, but sadly we didn't. We ended up spending 5 hours just to get to Matnog and another 5 hours just to get back to Daraga. That's 10 hours on the road and a total of more than 15 hours just moving from place to place! If you want to try the same itinerary, take note of the distance and long travel time. The jeeps make frequent stops in towns to get passengers, and sometimes they drive slower than you can walk.

Traveling Around Bicol

You can take various buses, jeeps, and tricycles that drive around each town but the fares will depend on how far is your destination. But if you have money and the numbers, I highly suggest you hire a taxi instead. You can contact Sir Jessie through 09273783016 if you want to tour around the spots in Legazpi, his price is ok. You can hire him if you want to go directly to Sorsogon City for P1,500. The price ultimately depends on how far you'll travel.

The best jump-off point to reach the different parts of Sorsogon is in the city. There are several buses and jeeps in the Grand Terminal that goes to the north and south of Sorsogon. The last trips from the northern and southern end of the province back to the city is around 4:00PM to 4:30PM. If you don't catch those, hire a tricycle or wait for the buses from Samar.

Where to stay in Daraga, Albay?

There are other cheaper pension houses and hotels just ask around but we stayed in Balay de la Rama. The room we got was a little over P1,000 but comes with breakfast. They also offer tours that start at around P3,000 and up, but that rate is already for groups. If you're a larger group you get to save more money.

Contact #09183857939

Where to stay in Paguriran?

If you end up spending the night in Paguriran there are cottages there but I'm not exactly sure how much the rent is. We stayed in Paguriran Beach Resort for only P800 air conditioned room. We only spent around P600 including the room, (my friend and I shared the expenses), food (we just bought canned goods in the nearby store), and transportation. Paguriran Beach Resort is owned by a German, his wife, and kids.

Contact #09293007131

Here's a link to my post about Catanduanes and Camarines Sur which can help you plan your Bicol trip:
http://www.thewanderingjuan.net/2014/04/itinerary-expenses-for-catanduanes.html.

38 comments:

  1. I love how you write all the complete lists that a traveller needed in order to be prepared to go in one places! I can never do that in many times of my travel

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  2. P4860 is really great budgeting plus promo fares really work. When I went to Bicol I took a one way promo and took the deluxe bus back just to experience the plane and land route.

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  3. This is really good for the budget traveler like me.

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  4. Great info for those who are planning to go to Bicol. Your itemization can help a lot for sure.

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  5. What beautiful those pictures are Brother :-) I love your idea that you take down all your expenses :-) How I wish that I can do that :-) Being prepare is a must and know our expenses to have a wonderful trip of our lives :-)

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  6. Nice! Haven't been around Bicol yet this is very useful info for me! THanks!

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  7. This is indeed another great budget idea for travelers. I wish I could visit Bicol one day. I heard there are lots of interesting spots to see there.

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  8. Thanks for sharing with us your expenses list. Now I can start to make some economy and visit Bocol as soon as posible :)

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  9. Mayon Volcano is so lovely. Too bad I've never been there yet. There's a truth in the saying "Huwag kang maging dayuhan sa sarili mong bayan" so I think I have to visit Philippine places first before planning to overseas. Thanks for sharing your experiences and relevant info:)

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  10. i have been planing to go there ever since college days but since I thought the expenses is sky rocket I postpone that until I forgot about it... well now that I know how much it will cost then I will try to go there late this year...
    one question though.. what's the best month of the year to visit the place?

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  11. It's also nice to see that there are cheap accommodations in Bicol.

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  12. to think that the expenses is very cheap perfect for a traveller for a whole lifetime experience seeing the beauty of nature why not! i would love to explore philippines with that price as well hehe

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  13. @fina jenny: during summer time of course

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  14. This is just the post we're looking for. My grandmother's family is from Bicol and my aunt just asked us to tour there maybe next time. So now we have something to start planning from. :)

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  15. Helpful post bro! will bookmark this page for possible Bicol trip thanks :)

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  16. The only place I was able to visit in Bicol was my mother's own hometown. It's a pity I wasn't very much interested yet in seeing places then. Any way, there is still a next time.

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  17. Hmmm... maybe it's better for me just to travel in known areas like Cagsawa Ruins, Mayon Volcano and CamSur. But I would love to have to explore Legaspi and Naga City.. :D

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  18. I haven't been to Bicol but if ever I had a bucket list, this would be included there. The Mayon Volcano has always fascinated me. It would be nice to visit it in person.

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  19. 4,860 pesos expenses for a 3 days-2nights trip is not bad at all, may Pili nuts pang pasalubong.

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  20. just like here in Mindanao , the news about the NPA is being sensationalized affecting the tourism of the locals. your expenses for a 3 day trip is quite a revelation . I will sure bookmark this for my future trip in Bicol region.

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  21. P800 for an airconditioned room at the beach resort is really a good deal.

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  22. At 4,860, that doesn't sound like a bad deal, which is good because we're heading there next week. I'm glad you posted this. Thanks :)

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  23. Would love to go back there one day.

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  24. Your expense sheet was pretty impressive! I'll surely check your site and itinerary again when I do push for a visit in Legazpi. I was supposed to go this May but I accidentally fractured my 5th metatarsal. Anyhow, Balay de la Rama was also our choice of lodging. :)

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  25. Nice package tour nga. Ang part ng bicol lang na napuntahan ko pa is Caramoan Island. Daraga, Albay.. dyan ba ang Mayon if so., I'll the trip.

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  26. Now that's a jampacked IT for Bicol. I haven't been to Bicol yet but hopefully will go there someday.

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  27. Honestly I have never been to Sorsogon being a true Bicolana but I have been hearing alot of wonderful places there. This is a must visit when I get back home.

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  28. This is really a good trip to plan, not to mention all the detailed information you listed a traveler has to know. Makes me think now when would be the next long weekend. haha :)

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  29. Even though my dad had lived in Bicol for most of his life, I still haven't been to any parts of the province >.< Thanks for this guide though! I think I'll have to plan a trip soon :)

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  30. Thanks for the great effort pal!

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  31. How bout the so.called manananggal/aswang @ night?

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  32. I don't believe in any, until I see one haha

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  33. Thank you for putting in some contact numbers.. I hope we can still contact them when we go there next month..

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  34. hello thewandering juan. i can offer a ride using a mitsubishi mirage for a couple traveler in albay and neighboring towns. contact me at 09277448873. i'm mond. tnx.

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  35. would like to ask if the roads in bicol were ok. is there a lot of rough roads? Would like to bring our own ride but worried about the conditions of roads.

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  36. This is a great article! Very detailed!

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  37. Using your own car while travelling to bicol is ok only few rough roads. We are always using our car when we are visiting bicol.
    -=Bicolana here-

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  38. Thanks so much for this very helpful article. 😁

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