3 Days in Misibis Bay, Albay

Travel Blog by Jen
June 3, 2011

Their brochure says that it is a "Your Luxury Island Playground."  Well, indeed it was mine!  Just spent 3 fabulous days in Cagraray Island in Albay, Philippines, where we were blessed with clear skies and warm sunshine in the beginning of June (considered a rainy month in the Philippines).

Misibis Bay can be reached by taking an hour's flight from Manila to Legazpi City.  Everybody who has been to Legazpi knows that the famous Mayon Volcano can be seen upon arrival at the airport.  We were thrilled to see her in all her glory, without the usual cloud cover at the peak.

Perfect Mayon!

Upon arrival, we were greeted and escorted by the resort staff to the private van that will take us to the wharf.  Estimated travel time is an hour, passing along the countryside and small villages.  Along the way, we stopped at this memorial for the victims of Super Typhoon Reming so we can take a photo of Mayon Volcano again.

The Resort is currently building a bridge that would connect to the island of Cagraray.  So until this is finished, all vehicles will have to get onto the barge and cross the river to the Island.  The crossing just takes about 10 minutes and the barge can fit a total of 6 vans.  Then, there is another 15 minutes of land travel before reaching the Resort.

Our van on the barge

When we arrived at the Resort, we were greeted with welcome leis and cold towels to freshen up.  There were three people dancing a Bicol folk dance too called Ibalong.  A brief orientation of the Resort's facilities and activities was given after the check-in process was done.  Golf carts were on standby to whisk us to our rooms. 

First impression of Misibis?  FIRST CLASS.  The lay-out is clean and beautiful.  The grounds were well-groomed.  The villas look luxurious even just from the outside.  The lagoon and infinity pools look so inviting for a quick dip.  Attendants were on hand in almost every place, offering a beach towel or a drink or assistance with whatever you may need.  The staff were courteous and very accommodating---a major asset in any resort, whether or not it markets itself as a luxury island playground.

There was never a dull moment here for Misibis Bay offers a lot of activities for everyone.  I ticked off a lot of items in my Bucket List with my one stay here!

There was windsurfing, which I was really determined to learn. The marine sports guides were so patient in teaching me.  Kudos to them!

So happy that I got the hang of this by Day 2 :)

The other sports activities were Hobie Cat sailing, kayak, jetski, banana boat and the pedal boat.  A must-try is also the Segway. 

Hobie Cat sailing is such a thrill!

Before the hilarious banana boat ride...

Even the kids can handle the Segway

A good thing the Recreation staff did was to prepare an itinerary for us.  It made scheduling activities easier and we, as a group, were able to discuss who does what and who stays to watch over the kids :)   One of my best experiences here was riding the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) at dawn to catch the sunrise.  We started riding at 5:00 AM from the Resort to the nearby Eco Park, and then up and down the rocky trail to the look-out point.  The sun has already risen by the time we got there but the views all around was amazing.  Mayon Volcano can be seen from a distance; the blue bay  off Batan Island and the smaller ones surrounded us all.  Our guides brought a pot of coffee for everyone to share.  Cool, isn't it? This is really a must-do in your list!

Pit Stop at the Ampitheatre in Eco Park (feautred as a pit stop in The Amazing Race - Asia)

My trusty ATV with Mayon Volcano in the background

We made it!

View from the top

Another Bucket List moment for me was the Zipline.  It was just 200 meters but because I have a huge fear of heights, this was a major accomplishment.  The guides say that even small children can do this.  The Resort is building a 450-meter zipline, which for sure would be more exciting!

For the adventurous, try exploring Pototan Cave.  It is about 20-minutes by speedboat from the Resort.  The mouth of the cave can be reached by climbing 115 steps and rapelling down to its bottom.  You can hear the cool running water.  Inside, you can see stalactites and other rock formations.  The cave has three chambers but we only reached the second one as getting to the third requires swimming into chest-high water.

Did I mention that the food is also great?  The buffet spread is international and always includes dishes popular to Bicolanos who love spicy food, such as Laing, Binagoongang Baboy, Bicol Express, and Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk.  Ala carte is also available.  The food attendants were also very kind and efficient.  Two of us in our party were celebrating their birthdays so they accommodated our request for a special treat for them.  I was only thinking of a candle on a cupcake, but the Chef made for each of them a whole chocolate cake!  The waiters, staff and the band then all joined in singing a birthday song for them.  We appreciated that very much :)

Cakes for the Birthday Celebrants!

My breakfast:  Mango Crepe and Coffee with Choc-Nut :)

Parents also need not worry about their kids getting bored.  Aside from the beach and pool, Misibis Bay has a kiddie room equipped with toys and computer games.  My niece and nephew loved staying here--- a welcome respite from staying under the hot sun.

This really is a Luxury Island Playground.  They really do all they can to treat guests like royalty here.  Everyone is armed with a smile.  Service was excellent and personal, such that we've become friends with the staff.  Their goal is really to make guests happy and entertained, which they superbly achieved with my family. Thank you, Misibis, for an unforgettable summer!  We will definitely go back :)

Misibis Bay's beachfront

Special thanks to Arlie Juarez and Jeff Angeles of the Recreation Team.

For Misibis packages, please call or send us an  e-mail.

* All pictures are the writer's own.



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