With 7000 islands in the Philippines, anybody can fall in love with their beauty over and under water. Different islands have a lot to offer and hopping different islands is one sure thing to do. But we were here to explore some amazing landscapes especially an active volcano.
Now this was something that we usually experience back at home. After a brief stay over in Manila, it was time to head to Legazpi in Alabay province. Mount Mayon is an iconic rock with an amazingly symmetrical shape formed by years of fierce volcanic eruptions.
Luzon airport is the most beautiful airport I have ever seen
When we arrived at the airport we got a glimpse of the massive and beautiful Mount Mayon (behind the airplane, covered in clouds). We reached our homestay in Legaspi by 3 pm and was just beside a black sand beach. The idea was to spend the evening on the beach, rent a scooter and explore the villages around the rock by the morning. The homestay was amazing and it had a horse ranch. It was a quiet and soothing place, unlike the bustling Metro Manila.
The weather was warm and Priya wanted to stay back to take a nap and wait for the lunch. Food in Legazpi is unlike the bland food in any other place across the Philippines and can be really spicy. We had a freshly cooked, wonderful lunch on the porch of our cottage and we had nothing else to do. I was impatient to go to the beach (Viento de Mar) that had unimaginably black sand and was just a walk away. I took out my camera out of the bag and headed straight to the beach.
Getting the best shot of Mayon volcano with the sunrise
It’s ironic that most of the time the giant rock is hidden behind the clouds except some golden hours when the clouds clear. But during the morning that is before 9 am the rock can be seen clearly and if you are lucky like us you can experience a ring of clouds around the mountain.
Many hike up to the mountain to get a closer view of it. The hike is pretty difficult after a certain point with a steep wall of ash. There are ATV rides available that can trail through villages, rivers, and mountains. But I personally feel the landscape is best seen from a distance with a clear field as it is the symmetry of the rock which I was so excited about. We had rented a scooter to go around the rock and to Cagsawa ruins which has an iconic view of the mountain from a distance. By the time we reached the ruins the ring of clouds had disappeared so we decided to hike up the small stream towards the mountain. We waited in the rice field under a tree for several hours admiring the nature’s phenomenal painting and headed back to our rooms when it started to heat up and the big rock went behind clouds.