Philippines Day 20: Legazpi - Manila

Of course, we were brought to the airport by our driver for the last days. We had a great time in and around Legazpi thanks to his services, but now it was time to leave for Manila. We had booked a flight with Cebu Pacific at 9.30 a.m., and it took just about one hour to get back to Manila. When we arrived at the domestic airport in Manila, I used the opportunity to change my flight with Philippine Airlines at their airport office. I originally had planned to drive by bus northwards from Manila to visit a cousin in Nueva Ecija but decided against it since I was still feeling sick and now wanted to go earlier to Palawan instead and rest. Unfortunately, I had to wait forever to rebook after pulling my number from the waiting list. It was probably a bad idea because rebooking cost about as much as the original flight. I even had to book my baggage allowance for a second time because the airline already forfeited what I paid on my initial flight. It just defies any logic. It didn't really lift my mood.

What lifted my mood, was eating in the restaurant area of the domestic airport after rebooking the flight. I really like the domestic airport - it's clean, huge and there are many restaurants to choose from. We actually split up -  I went to get some Asian food and took my stuff then to my friend, who had ordered pizza. 

Then we took a cab to our hotel for the next three nights, conveniently located beside the Manila Bay, the Microtel Mall of Asia, where we already had stayed before going to Legazpi and on our previous visit in the country. 

After a short rest, we were picked up by friends (the twin sister of a good friend of mine here in Berlin and her husband) for dinner at the Greenbelt in Makati's financial district. The centre has a small park with palm trees and manicured lawn and of course, shopping and dining areas. It has everything your heart might desire. I was really feeling the heat and was sweating profusely, but at the same time, the area was quite relaxing, and we soon found a nice restaurant and had an excellent dinner. Since my friend was very picky about food, we let him decide which kind he likes. Then we needed to sleep because for the next day we had booked a volcano tour, starting at 8 o'clock in the morning.

Philippines Day 19: No Whale Sharks in Donsol

We had to wake up early to leave Legazpi for a day trip to Donsol. We started at 6.30 a.m. with our reliable driver, whose cab we had booked for the third consecutive day. It was a 1,5-hour-drive until we reached Donsol. The main reason to go to Donsol is the waters in front of the village. Actually what's inside the water: Whale Sharks! Not long ago the whale sharks, which mostly feed on plankton, were hunted. Today they are seen as a valuable asset of nature and protected.

We went directly to the Tourist Center where we rented snorkelling equipment, paid and registered for a whale shark interaction. We had to watch a short film in preparation for the trip and then wait until there were enough visitors for another boat to leave. They take six persons in a boat, and the number of boats is limited to seven to prevent too much hassle for the whale sharks. While they can't guarantee a sighting, we were hopeful to snorkel nearby a whale shark, as we were there in the primary season, which is from February to May. 

Soon we left the beach after our group was complete with two girls from California and a young bi-national couple joining us. The boat tour took about three hours. Unfortunately, we weren't lucky. No whale sharks for us. At one point we were told to put on the snorkelling gear and sit ready to enter the water, but it was a false alarm. In the end, we just got a short swim out of it. But that's nature - unpredictable. I just went swimming without my snorkels, which I put it on the boat next to my things. Later as I was looking for it because I thought it was just borrowed, the other Californian girls said that the other girl (from the young couple) was using it. I don't mind that it was borrowed, just that when she returned to the boat, the girl never said a word and seems to want to keep it. Only a bit later, I've realised that she lost her rented snorkels and perhaps wanted to take mine to return it instead. What a piece of work.

Anyway, later on in the journey, when we met a friend, she told us that her son was in Donsol around the same week as us and they saw several whale sharks.

Well, when you have more time at hand, it's also possible to stay at a beach resort in Donsol, to maximise your chances with a potential second tour. This way you can even have a Firefly Tour in the evening, another attraction of Donsol. There's a lot of tour companies to arrange visits in Donsol, but you can also independently rent a cab with a driver or take a jeepney or van from Legazpi to get there.

For us, it was back to Legazpi, as it was our last day in Albay. In the evening we had to pack our bags, to leave the next morning to Manila.