Bicol, the land of the majestic Mount Mayon.
As the only road in the Philippines that is going south, you will definitely pass by this region. Bicol doesn't only offer the beauty of Mount Mayon but it also offers a lot of other tourist spots especially to adventurous lovers out there.
But since we were scrunched in time, we decided to just pay a quick visit to Mayon Volcano. And what better place to view it than in Cagsawa Ruins, right?
Cagsawa Ruins is the location of a church that was ruined during the eruption of Mayon Volcano. It is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area as you will be killing three birds in one stone because you will be able to see the church ruins, have a perfectly clear view of Mayon Volcano, and have all the tour operators of ATV at the tip of your hand.
At one side of the park is a food and shopper lane. Local goods, plants, and foods can be bought here but make sure to walk to the last booth where you will find Cocoys Food Garden.
Cocoys Food Garden has its own al-fresco tables where you can view the Mayon Volcano while eating. They also sell local Bicolanian fares like Laing, Bicol Express, and, of course, the famous sili ice cream.
You would notice that almost all of their food is spicy mixed with coconut cream. This is because Bicolanians are popularly known to love spicy foods with coconut cream. Bicol is coconut country. It supplies the country (and the world) with coconut oil. Its natives are also famous for going crazy over native, super hot chili—munching them raw as a local past-time. Thus, it is known for its coconut- and chili-based cuisine.
After eating our lunch and since the tour operators are offering 50% off on their ATV, we decided to take a 45-minute ATV ride. Doing the ATV with the view of Mayon Volcano is a must if you ever find yourself in Bicol province.
The ATV tour includes a tour guide who will guide you to rough lahr terrain and will require you to cross rivers.
The guides will also take pictures of you so don't forget to give some tips!
Depending on your chosen trail, you will surely end up with a clear view of Mayon Volcano. The best time to take the ATV is in the morning. Mayon Volcano usually takes afternoon naps under a cloud so you won't be able to see it if you do the ATV in the afternoon. But there will be lucky days where Mayon Volcano will decide not to take a nap and show its face!
Before leaving Cocoys Food Garden, we checked out their garden at the back area which is currently filled with purple flowers
The entrance fee is 20 pesos which include feeds for the fish and a hat.
Make sure to take lots of pictures and do try to visit it in the morning to have a very clear view of Mayon Volcano as your perfect background. You can see here that, a few minutes after our ATV, Mayon is already being covered by clouds.
Cocoys garden also has a pond which is full of fish. Throw a handful of feeds to them and they will surely fight and push with each other just to have a small bit.
Cocoys Food Garden Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cocoysfoodgarden
Cocoys Food Garden Contact Number: 0939 212 4677
Cocoys Food Garden Google Map Location: https://goo.gl/maps/aGP95D572HiMrm7z7
Cagsawa Ruins Google Map Location: https://goo.gl/maps/b2NNqUpbj4E3cmUYA
Here is my travel vlog for you to watch the whole experience of Mayon Volcano:
As always, stay safe and travel responsibly!
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