Undiscovered Philippines
Mount Mayon is shrouded in mist as I clamber over a bed of hardened lava left over from the volcano’s last eruption. Wisps of steam drift through the gaps between the rocks beneath my feet. I stop on a flat ledge to soak up the volcano’s energy and the views of the sea of palm trees stretching towards Legazpi City and the Gulf of Albay. Although invisible to the eye, the energy of the volcano swirls around me. It feels alive, a force of nature building towards a crescendo. I know for certain Mount Mayon’s moods are not to be taken lightly. If it were to erupt, I would have no hope of outrunning the pyroclastic flows of superheated gas and volcanic debris racing down the slopes.
The flawless, almost perfectly conical volcano is considered the most beautiful in the Philippines but it’s also one of the most active. It has erupted 49 times, incinerating towns, villages and plants as far away as 6km from the crater. A major eruption in 1814 killed more than 1200 people and buried coconut trees to their crowns. More recently, in 2009, 40,000 residents around the volcano were evacuated when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert to level four, which is the highest warning level before a full-blown eruption.
I clamber over the lava bed. The alert warning is at level two and, although there’s little chance it will erupt, being so close to this volatile force of nature is both frightening and thrilling.
It’s not surprising that volcanic rock has shaped the Bicol region, located 330km southeast of Manila. I visit historic buildings built from volcanic rock such as Our Lady of the Gate Church in Daraga (built in 1773) where floral patterns, religious seals and images of saints are carved into the external volcanic walls.
The sights and sounds of the region are unlike those most places in Asia and sometimes I feel like I could be in South America. Buses zoom past with flapping banners marketing Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), a controversial Christian-based organisation. Billboards describe Coca-Cola as the “Gift of God” and different-sized bottles promote “happiness in all sizes”. Colourful jeepneys (a cross between a World War II-era jeep and a bus) with names like Pauline, Sheena and Cheryl rattle past packed with locals.
Eco-tourism and sustainable luxury
Most of the time, Mount Mayon hides behind clouds and, if you’re really keen for a glimpse, it’s best to look for it before dawn. Less bashful are the whale sharks that turn up by the hundreds in the waters around Donsol in Sorsogon to the south. Butanding (as whale sharks are known in the local lingo) of up to 12m long can be spotted in summer between November and May.
Swimming with butanding is an eco adventure not to be missed. Fortunately, the Sorsogon City Provincial Tourism Council has recognised the importance of keeping them safe and there are guidelines on how to interact with the butanding. These include a maximum of six swimmers in each boat, with only one boat at a time allowed near a whale shark. Touching, motorised equipment and flash photography are forbidden. The butanding draw nature-lovers and trekkers from other parts of the Philippines but, as a tourist destination, the area is still fairly new to international travellers.
My villa at Misibis Bay Resort on Cagraray Island in the province of Albay is only a few steps from the beach. I kick off my shoes and walk on the sand, picking up shells and bits of volcanic rock. The resort is designed along environmentally sustainable principles. Rooms have energy-efficient lights, low-flow shower heads and a key card system that shuts off the electricity when it’s removed. Large glass windows allow natural light into the rooms and bottled water is not used unless specifically requested.
Dinner is often held on the beach under the moonlight to conserve energy. The food is exotic but highly palatable and there are mouth-watering local favourites such as ensaymada (blueberry bun with grated cheese) and arrozcaldo (rice porridge with egg, chives and dried onion). Lunch is often fresh fish or crab purchased from a passing fishing boat, seasoned with salt and pepper and washed down with wine from South Africa, Chile or Australia.
Essences Spa offers a menu of international treatments, including a locally inspired Mount Mayon hot stone therapy massage using volcanic stones from Mount Mayon to improve circulation and release toxins. Last year, at the Philippine Real Estate Festival, the JC Leaders International (an organisation of business leaders) awarded Misibis Bay Resort the Most Outstanding Nature Development and Preservation Project.
Through the environmental efforts of Misibis Coastal Care Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving the environment of Bicol and improving the livelihood of the local community, conservation efforts included regular coastal clean-ups, giant clam planting to encourage coral reef growth, the use of solar-powered streetlights, solid waste management and the prevention of illegal fishing. The foundation also provides scholarships for children and technical training for adults in the local community.
Marinduque Island
Just 170km south of Manila and a world away from the city pace is the volcanic island and province of Marinduque. The heart-shaped island is located in the geographical centre of the Philippines and surrounded by Tayabas Bay, Mompoy Bay, Tayabas Strait and the Sibuyan Sea.
The traffic on the road consists mainly of jeepneys and tricycles, which are motorcycles attached to a sidecar on a third wheel. The scenery is soothing: sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, bullocks toiling in rice fields, barangays (villages) where herds of goats and scrawny dogs roam the streets, and neat towns with Spanish-sounding names like Buenavista (meaning “good view”), Santa Cruz and Torrijos.
There are no fast-food chains or large shopping malls and it’s refreshing not to be harassed by hawkers while wandering around the eclectic collection of local stores. The sign outside one local supermarket says “Glory to God, Sioland Supermarket, Gasan Branch”. Next door, beneath a stairwell, is makeshift stall selling fruit and Western-style bridal gowns.
Although Marinduque is one of the poorer provinces in the Philippines, the people look happy, the streets are clean, homes are tidy and children play outdoors with carefree abandon. The island’s electricity supply is switched on for a few hours each night and the inhabitants are accustomed to doing their chores by candle light.
Foreigners seem to be a rare spectacle. As I walk through the streets of the island’s capital, Boac, tricycle drivers and shopkeepers stare at me and children smile shyly but are bashful when I try to photograph them. Most of people who live there are farmers or fishermen but there are also a few enterprising villagers.
Near Gasan, there’s a family enterprise that ships pupae along with framed, dried and live butterflies around the world. I wander through the WHS Butterfly Farm, loving the colourful and delicate butterflies that flutter among the flowers in a netted conservatory.
A short hike through the rainforest takes me to Paadyao Cascades, where plunging into the pool beneath the waterfall is wonderfully refreshing. Other nature activities include hiking Mount Malindig, soaking in the hot springs at Malbog and exploring the caves in Santa Cruz and Mogpog.
Reinventing history
The Spanish arrived in the 17th century and Jesuit missionaries built grand churches. Boac’s main historic drawcard is its Gothic Cathedral, which was built in 1666 and rises majestically above the low-lying homes around it. Outside the cathedral, I come across a local woman selling banana que (deep-fried bananas dipped in caramelised sugar), turon (banana jackfruit) and carioca (local donuts). She looks at me optimistically and I relent, buying one of each, forking out the princely sum of 21 pesos (50 cents) for the lot.
One of the inspiring things about travelling is the opportunity to experience how culture has evolved. In Marinduque, Catholicism has developed around the tale of Longinus, the one-eyed Roman centurion who stabbed Jesus Christ while he was on the cross. Each year, the Mariones Festival is a celebration of singing, chanting and street theatre that culminates in the Via Crucis, or way of the cross, where a Jesus figure carrying a wooden cross is trailed by a group of barefoot devotees who whip themselves as penance for their sins. The festivities end with the dramatic beheading of Longinus.
Bellarocca
Two years ago, the province received a boost when a Manila-based hotel developer chose a small private island off Marinduque’s coast as the site for a new luxury resort and spa. Local people were employed to build roads and work in the resort, which partly opened in 2009 but is set for completion in the first half of 2012.
Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa is a little patch of the Mediterranean in the Philippines, where white-washed walls stand in stark contrast to the greenery of Mount Malindig and the turquoise ocean. Grecian-inspired stone villas have dreamy names like Xanadu, Valhalla, Zeus and Neptune.
Facilities include a nine-hole golf course, cigar room, gym and fitness centre, swimming pools and a spa. The rooms and villas are luxurious and accessorised with L’Occitane and Aveda cosmetics, plasma TVs and iPod docks. My villa has its own pool where I cool off while gazing at views of the Sibuyan Sea.
The newly completed Spa and Wellness Centre has 16 rooms and will offer wellness services (fitness, nutrition, personal development consultations and programs) along with spa treatments. Back at my villa, the sky is washed in liquid gold and the sun is beaming rays of light that polish the ocean with a golden hue. I lift my face towards the sky, savouring every moment of this magical sunset in the Philippines.
Travel file
How to get there: Philippine Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com) flies from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to Manila. Philippine Airlines, Zest Air (www.zestair.com.ph) and Cebu Pacific fly from Manila to Legazpi City. Zest Air flies from Manila to Marinduque.
Getting around: Jeepneys and tricycles are fun, inexpensive but bumpy ways to get around. The journey from Buenavista to the airport in a jeepney costs 20 pesos (50 cents); Gasan to Buenavista in a tricycle costs 120 pesos ($3). Both resorts organise guided daytrips in air-conditioned vehicles.
Where to stay: Misibis Bay Raintree (Cagraray Island, Bacacay, Albay Province, Bicol Region, www.misibisbay.com) offers two-night stays with full board, scuba diving trial, transfers and activities from US$571 per person (twin share). Activities include water sports, a city tour, a 30-minute ATV tour to the eco park and sunset cruise.
Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa www.bellaroccaresorts.com has rooms from US$680 a night. The price includes transfers from Marinduque Airport, breakfast and WiFi.
Spas: Essences Spa’s Mount Mayon Stone Therapy Massage lasts for 90 minutes and costs PhP5600 ($126).
Festival: Marinduque’s Mariones Festival week runs from March 29 to April 4.
More information: www.philippinetourism.com.au.
Information correct as of 2012
Christina Pfeiffer is a Sunshine Coast-based freelance writer and photographer who has found her niche exploring, photographing and writing about the world.
