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.