Malinao

Day Trips

Arrive at Bicol International Airport and transfer to Malinao by jeepney. Upon arrival, savor the aroma of freshly baked kakanin at the local bakery. Settle into your cozy homestay overlooking the town plaza.

Stroll through the historic church grounds and colorful market stalls, greeting friendly vendors as you explore. Sip a single-origin Bicol coffee at an open-air café, absorbing the laid-back pace of town life. Capture candid portraits of locals weaving buri baskets beside their homes.

As daylight fades, make your way to the Albay Gulf shoreline to watch fishermen haul in their nets. Dine at a family-run eatery serving spicy Bicol Express and sinantol, savoring each fiery bite. End the evening with live acoustic music under flickering lanterns in the town plaza.

Wake up with the sun and head to the Malinao hot springs for a pre-breakfast soak in naturally heated pools. Feel the mineral-rich waters ease your muscles as birds call overhead. Dry off and enjoy fresh fruit juice served on bamboo trays by the springside.

Continue your pampering with a traditional hilot massage using locally pressed coconut oil. Lounge beside the warm spring pools while sipping lemongrass tea. Browse a small roadside stall selling handmade herbal salves.

Return to town for grilled tilapia with tangy sawsawan sauce at a riverside carinderia. Watch fireflies blink to life above the slow-moving water. Drift to sleep listening to crickets and distant frog calls.

Rise early for a guided tour of a hilltop coffee plantation framed by views of Mount Mayon. Pluck ripe coffee cherries and learn how farmers sort and roast them. Inhale the deep, earthy aroma as beans roast over a charcoal fire.

Mount your rented bicycle and pedal along narrow paths past vegetable plots of eggplant, okra, and tomatoes. Sample crisp heirloom cherry tomatoes straight from the vine. Chat with farmers about organic growing methods and crop rotation.

Gather around a crackling bonfire at the farm hut for a simple dinner of freshly harvested salad greens and grilled corn. Roast pili nuts over the coals for dessert while sharing stories with your host family. Drift off in a hammock under a star-studded sky.

Join a local guide at first light for a nature walk in the Malinao Protected Landscape. Watch out for the azure-breasted pitta, Philippine honey-eater, and other endemic birds flitting through the canopy. Use provided binoculars to spot their vibrant plumage among mossy branches.

Settle beside a cool forest stream for a picnic lunch of rice cakes and native fruit. Listen to kingfishers calling as they dart above the water. Take a refreshing dip to chase away midday heat.

Return to your guesthouse and freshen up before dinner at a nearby eatery. Try pinangat, a tangy dish wrapped in gabi leaves, paired with steamed rice. Sleep early to rest for tomorrow’s adventures.

Visit a Bicolano matriarch’s kitchen where the scent of coconut simmering with gabi leaves fills the air. Learn step-by-step how to prepare laing and ginataang santol under her patient guidance. Watch as pili nuts are candied for dessert using centuries-old family recipes.

Sit down to feast on the dishes you helped cook, accompanied by fragrant ginger tea. Exchange recipes, laughter, and stories with your hosts around a low wooden table. Savor each bite of creamy coconut stew and tangy fruit salad.

Stroll along the riverbank illuminated by handmade bamboo lanterns. Try local halo-halo topped with shredded coconut and rice krispies. Pause to observe fireflies dancing above the water’s surface.

Set off on a guided trek through rice terraces and forest trails toward a hidden waterfall. Wade through cool streams, listening to the rhythm of flowing water and chirping cicadas. Feel the mist kiss your skin as you approach the falls.

Spread a woven mat beneath the towering cascade and enjoy a picnic of grilled fish and banana fritters. Swim in the crystalline plunge pool and explore nearby caves draped in vines. Photograph orchids blooming on moss-covered rocks.

Return along a moonlit trail guided by lantern light. Enjoy a simple dinner served at a hillside cottage overlooking firefly-lit fields. Drift to sleep to the distant roar of the waterfall.

Depart before dawn for a sunrise trek to a nearby Mount Mayon viewpoint. Hike along narrow ridges and breathe in crisp mountain air. Watch the sky glow pink as the perfect cone of Mayon emerges from morning mist.

Descend to a small roadside magkmart for fresh peanut brittle and cold coconut water. Photograph terraced hillsides dotted with nipa huts below the volcano’s shadow. Reflect on local folklore as told by your guide who grew up in the shadow of Mayon.

Gather at a community hall in Barangay Tabaco for an evening of storytelling and folk songs. Sip hot salabat (ginger tea) and snack on sweet camote chips. Let the melodic voices and rhythmic guitars lull you to sleep.

Travel to Barangay Cabangan for a traditional weaving workshop. Learn to weave buri palm into mats and baskets under the guidance of local artisans. Feel the intricate patterns come to life beneath your fingers.

Join farmers in planting rice seedlings by hand in flooded paddies. Sample freshly tapped tuba (palm wine) straight from the bamboo container. Participate in coconut harvest and admire the views over endless green fields.

Attend a lively barangay dance rehearsal in the village square. Practice the Tinikling bamboo steps alongside grinning children. Share light snacks of bibingka and sweetened coconut milk.

Depart early for the white-sand shores of Bacacay Beach. Don snorkel gear and explore vibrant coral gardens teeming with tropical fish. Feel the warm sun and gentle breeze on your skin.

Enjoy lunch at a beachfront grill, savoring spicy squid and fresh mango salsa. Walk along the shoreline to collect polished seashells and sea glass. Relax in a shaded cottage with a cold calamansi juice.

Return to Malinao under a pastel sky, watching fishing boats drift across the horizon. Treat yourself to grilled pili nut ice cream at a roadside stall. Unwind to the strumming of an acoustic guitar on the beach.

Pack your bags and head to the bustling Malinao public market. Browse stalls selling dried pili nuts, handcrafted buri souvenirs, and homemade vinegars. Haggle good-naturedly with vendors as you stock up on last-minute gifts.

Enjoy a final Bicol Express lunch at your favorite carinderia, savoring the familiar heat and tang of coconut with chili. Say heartfelt farewells to your host family and new friends over sweet sips of barako coffee. Load your luggage onto the waiting van.

Transfer to Bicol International Airport under a sky painted in sunset hues. Reflect on your ten-day journey over a cold soft drink at the airport café. Promise yourself and your hosts that you will return soon.