Side Trips in Legazpi City: Japanese Tunnel, Ligñon Hill, Daraga Church and Food Wonders

THE CITY OF FUN AND ADVENTURE

I was so excited to finally set foot in this wonderful place, Legazpi City, the "City of Fun and Adventure". Me and my berks enjoyed every moment of our stay here. A marching band was set-up at the airport to greet arriving guests. We really don't have a fixed itinerary when we got there. Good thing a tourist info center was readily available within the vicinity.
Transportation such as vans was also accessible. 

SAMPAGUITA TOURIST INN

We stayed at Sampaguita Tourist Inn. This was the most convenient hotel that we could get with regards to its location. It was just near malls and restaurants. The rate was also cheap and the atmosphere inside was nice and comforting. 

JAPANESE TUNNEL

The Japanese Tunnel and Ligñon Hill were just along the way. We dropped by first the historic Japanese Tunnel also called as Ligñon Hill Tunnel. The tunnel was then used by the Japanese Army during World War II to served as their armory. The location was perfect due to its shape, an L-shape, and its 7 ft deep underground.

The height was too low about 3 ft. high. There were some Japanese military statues inside the tunnel for tourists to take photo. In going out, we had to crawl out of our way into a very small hole. It was too scary for we might not fit in, I might not fit. It was amazing really to experience it knowing that these Japanese military have been here and these very tunnel was their hiding place.

LIGÑON HILL NATURE PARK

The majestic Mount Mayon, dubbed as the perfect cone-shaped volcano, came into view as we headed our way towards Ligñon Hill. It was like a postcard brought to life. The scenery was very wonderful seeing the totality of Legazpi City and the vastness of Mount Mayon.

The air was cool on a hot sunny day. We were all amazed to see the entirety of Mount Mayon. Restaurants and shops were also available near the area. There were other activities like hiking and zipline but we didn't tried it. We just stared and let ourselves be dazzled by the great Mayon.

DARAGA CHURCH

We headed for a quick stop in Daraga Church, a century-old church built by Franciscan missionaries and was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. Since the church was situated up on a hill, the majestic Mount Mayon can be viewed and its beauty was indeed astonishing from afar.

BALAY CENA UNA

I saw this place under food section in a magazine and I was drawn to it because the place looked amazing. This was an ancestral house turned into restaurant. When we got here they didn't served food anymore so we just explored the place and took photos.

Cena Una served tasteful dishes as what all the food reviews stated. Even if we didn't get the chance to dine with the place, our eyes were already full with all the wonderful interiors of the place. 

SMALL TALK CAFE

This fine place was just around the corner from our hotel. We actually didn't know where to go and we found this restaurant. The place was so inviting and the list of eats on their menu was so "Bicolano". We did want to try out the best of Bicolano foods and we found it here!

The Paella, Chicken Croquet, and Bicol Express were very delicious. We did waited a long time for the paella but it was worth it and the service was excellent. 

DJC HALO-HALO

This was the tastiest and flavorful Halo-Halo that I've ever eaten in my lifetime! All the ingredients were perfectly combined. I never really thought Halo-Halo, the all-time Filipino dessert, would taste this good.

PASALUBONG

Before we headed back home to Cebu, we dropped by at the pasalubong center located at the bus terminal. I bought affordable delicacies and souvenir items here and all were of good quality.

I just love going into souvenir shops! It makes me feel like a tourist from other planet. Different kinds of shirts, bags, key chains, and magnets were displayed here and almost all stores were selling the exact same thing. It all boils down to getting the lowest priced item as possible since not all sellers would really take your "tawad" or "discount".

We also head to the famous Pilinut Candy Store. I bought several for my family and friends. The store also offers free taste which was good.

I did enjoyed my time in the city. It was so humbling to be able to visit the place ones in my life! It was a great tour.



Ciao!