Magayon ang Bicol - Day 1

One of the popular tourist destinations in the Philippines is Mt. Mayon, famous for its perfect cone shape. I've seen a lot of this majestic volcano in postcards and magazines, I never thought I'd get the chance to see it up-close and for FREE! When I learned that The Oriental Legazpi was having an online contest and the winner gets a 3D/2N accommodation for two, a complimentary massage and a Mayon adventure package, I just knew I had to give it a try. I couldn't pass up on joining that contest now could I? I quickly worked on a simple painting entitled "I dream of Mayon", posted it on their Facebook page and crossed my fingers that I would win. Luckily, they chose my entry and I won the grand prize. 

Lucky me!

I was thrilled! I excitedly told my mom about it and we were supposed to be there on the weekend Typhoon Ambo passed by the Bicol region. My mom didn't want us to fly out that day because the area was placed under storm signal number 1 so we booked another flight only to find out on the morning we were supposed to leave that Cebu Pacific cancelled our flight due to "aircraft situation". We finally arrived in Legazpi on our third try, this time with a different airline. 

It's true, third time's the charm!

So I thought this was Mayon... LOL!

What was I thinking?

And then I saw this. Breathtaking. This view from the plane left me speechless. I hurried to get my phone and took some photos.

A view of the Mayon volcano from the plane

Window seat and this view. Awesome!

I've seen Mt. Mayon's beauty in postcards and magazines but to see it from this view is just spectacular. When we landed at the Legazpi airport, I still couldn't get over how beautiful and huge this volcano is.

Legazpi Airport

A smiling lady from The Oriental Legazpi greeted us when we arrived. Uhm... over here!

It was just a short uphill drive from the airport going to The Oriental Legazpi. The hotel has a fantastic view of the Mayon volcano and the rest of Legazpi city. I love its glass walls and modern design!

Modern Elegance

Spacious lobby

Executive Suite

My mom and I got really tired traveling from Cebu to Manila then Manila to Legazpi ( yes, there was no direct flight from Cebu to Legazpi that day). We had to catch up on sleep since we've been awake since 1:30am! 

Smiling at the camera before getting some sleep

We woke up just in time for dinner so we got dressed and went down to Jasmine, the hotel's restaurant.

Jasmine at The Oriental Legazpi

My beautiful date, Mommy!

Kinilaw na Isda, Laing, Lasagna and Chocolate Caramel Cake

Because I'm a pasta person, I ordered Lasagna. The serving was huge, I think I just ate half of it! Mom had Kinilaw na Isda and Laing (one of her favorite dishes). The Bicol region is famous for its spicy dishes cooked in coconut milk and Laing (Taro leaves in coconut milk) is one of them. For dessert, we shared a slice of their Chocolate Caramel Cake. It was divine!

After having our dinner, we headed to the spa to get a massage. 

One of my favorite parts of the trip! Got a really good massage at their spa.

Relaxed and ready for day 2!

No better way to end the day with a good and relaxing massage. More of Legazpi and Mt. Mayon on my next post!