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Stories of town explorations.
Maximize your time in Daraga, Albay. The bustling town is more than just the Cagsawa Ruins. I have made this simple travel guide to give all types of travelers an idea what to do in the town of Daraga.

So whether you are a solo backpacker, glamorized backpacker, traveling in group, budget-packer, spend-all-you-can-packer, BFF-packers, family packers or simply just a mother packer, you can absolutely do this given that there is no typhoon, volcanic eruption and flood happening the day of your visit.

So you want a town-specific tour for Daraga in Albay and you have this style for slow travel covering 1 town at a time? Here are suggested things to do in town without the need to wear a red bikini. It is very D-I-Y and it won't cost you an overnight stay to a lodging house or a 5-star hotel. Get ready to rumble #TownExplorers!

Start Your Day at Cagsawa Ruins

Daraga, Albay Tourist Spots and Things to Do
Yes, you gotta start your Town Tour Itinerary at the Cagsawa Ruins. If you would ask the locals, they would tell you to go here at morning. The reason? To see the Mayon Volcano without thick clouds covering it. 

Ok, that is the theory of these #TownFolks and I bet there are no political and scientific conspiracies over those theories. The volcano's showgirl side peaks at the morning. Ready for the show?

Explore the Ruins

Tourist Spots in Daraga, Albay
Don't just get satisfied of photographing Bicol's most famous man-made landmark seen in HEKASI Books back then in Elementary and High School. Go and explore the ruins! Examine the ruins. Go around the ruins. If you were able to do that, you'll be smart enough to recognize how volcanic stones look like.

This is your chance to touch and feel the famous Cagsawa Ruins and you'll come to realize that there are some more things to know not discussed by your school teacher only if you will observe keenly and examine the ruins with curiosity.

See what's inside the ruined belfry

Tourist spots and things to do in Daraga, Albay
Another suggestion is to go inside the belfry if you are lucky enough. I said if you are lucky enough because I wasn't lucky enough to go inside. However I was able to take a snap shot. There are wooden fences. The reason I can see to this is to ensure the safety of the tourists. There could still be debris you know.

But of course, have you ever wondered what to see inside the belfry? 'Cause you know, we always see the exterior in books but not what inside the belfry right? This is your chance to prove that there is no dragon inside the belfry.

I was really curious, and now, I was able to see that inside the belfry are volcanic stones stuck together. It is massive you know. The holes inside (that used to be the windows of the belfry) were great source of light inside. But during the night, they become non-useful, of course.

Shop for souvenir (optional)

This option is highly recommended for shoppaholics but  not for shoplifters.

Inside the Cagsawa Ruins premises are plenty of local products to choose from. But one inviting commodity that I don't suggest shoppers to buy is the Wild Orchid from Mayon. I am afraid these orchids will run out due to high demand.

Just buy other orchids but not this beautiful wild orchids growing at the slopes of Mayon Volcano.

Travel Back in time at Balay Suanoy

Check out the Balay Suanoy Ancestral Home. It is a restaurant-museum. It is a very elegant house that contains a lot of vintage stuff. It feels like you are not in Albay because of the Intramuros-ish and Vigan-ish ambiance.

Located across the street is the Gazebo, it is recommended for group travelers who want to experience dining in this high-end restaurant.

Food Trip: Recommended Foods to Eat at Balay Suanoy

Yes I know, you are in Bicol and you have to try the Bicol express food. But I just want to make a detour to the Pacific Ocean because the Crispy Pata and Apple + Banana crepes in Balay Suanoy are must-try foods.

I am confident enough to say that it won't disappoint :)

Visit the Daraga Church

Daraga Church is a National Historical Treasure painted with white which actually contains chemicals to preserve the deteriorating facade.

You need to climb the hill where this church is located. If you don't have an idea how this church looks like before it was painted with white, check out the belfry and you'll know how old it looks.

Get inside the Daraga Church

Don't get satisfied just seeing the facade, get inside and check out what to see.

Inside the church was empty when I went here. The facade looks older than what is seen inside based on how I see it.

Dine (again) with the Mayon View

End you Daraga town tour with another food trip at JZOR Restaurant. North of the Daraga Church is a simple, non-touristy yet must-try restaurant because of the experience it brings you dining on an azotea-like setting while viewing the Mayon volcano.

It gives you an outdoor-dining experience because of the vastness of the plains you see below that gradually meet together at the top in unison that is the peak of the almost-perfect cone Mayon Volcano.

I hope this one helps. Go! Explore the town of Daraga!

Map of Daraga, Albay
Do you want to explore more the town of Daraga? Hint: Click the map. Happy #TownExploring!
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Stories of town explorations.
"...it would be a better way to just hide the real face of the church's history than to lose it forever."

In contrast with the adjacent belfry, the distinction is really that clear from old to new. But this structure is in fact 238 years old. Obliterating the Old World feel, tourists and visitors might be wondering why the church's façade has turned so white. Well this time, I must say, don't judge a church by it's paint.

The secret travelers' pose in front of the white Daraga Church
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Location Highlighted in Red
At first, as I climb the hill called the Santa Maria Hill where the church is situated plus a bonus view of the slopes of the majestic Mayon volcano, my first reaction was WOW!

What a wonderful church atop a hill but later on my mind transfigured and I suddenly reacted with WHY? Why it was in white?

What the heck they have done in here? Well, those were the questions of an ignorant person who happened to see the church for the first time.

It was in fact a major makeover for the Daraga Church. Trying to explore more about it, you'll have to see that even at the side, the purity of white is glowing. Although it has been painted with white, the architectural details are still visible and the sculptures at the façade is evident.

The new look or makeover of the church looks elegant however. But for a conservationist who happens to visit the church for the first time without any knowledge what is going on might be disappointed.

But that should not be the case because the makeover is for the good of the church. The 17th century historical landmark needed to undergo a major makeover and this makeover is to paint the façade with white.

According to the architects of the National Museum, it has to undergo a real makeover and that is because the church's present condition is deteriorating. So in what way? The solution is to paint it with white.

Nuestra Señora de la Porteria, Daraga Church's full name, has been exposed to natural elements such as rain and the sun which contributed to the deterioration of the structure thus eroding the façade and even the architectural design.

To note, the white paint is in fact a lime coating with chemical ingredients that has turned white. This method was in fact done in other countries as a manner of preserving their heritage structures too.

The restoration of the church was actually not an instant process that it has to undergo consultations and a lot of  referrals from government agencies, the mayor, the parishioners and others. 

Painted with all the purity of white, the façade is glowing with a touch of modernity but the real identity is situated beneath the superficial painting which was hidden for a good reason.

Since the church is situated atop a hill, you have to take several stairs that will lead you to this massive structure of our history.

The church has been declared in 2007 by the National Museum as a national cultural treasure. The impressively rich Baroque architectural design of the church is carved carefully through volcanic rocks which makes the church earn a unique distinction from any other churches in the Philippines.



Experts and historians strongly believe that the church must be preserved and protected as an important cultural property of our country and with this, there is a need to apply the protective coating under the approval of several agencies and organizations.










For those who haven't seen the original facade of the church like me, don't you regret and be disappointed because it would be a better way to just hide the real face of the church's history than to lose it forever. It is a treasure that we can not afford to lose.

Tags: Daraga Church | Church in Daraga | Church in Albay | Church in Daraga, Albay | Old Church in Daraga, Albay | White Church | Historical Landmark in Daraga | Historical Landmark in Albay | Historical Landmark in Bicol | Places to visit in Daraga, Albay | Places to Visit in Albay | Places in visit in Bicol | What to see in Daraga Albay, Bicol | Tourist Spot in Daraga | Tourist Spot in Albay | Tourist Spots in Bicol | Daraga Heritage | Albay Heritage | Bicol Heritage
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Stories of town explorations.
"The lampshades, the flooring, the walls, the table, the chairs, the furnishing, the furniture, the ceiling fan and everything - there is nothing new in sight, they all look old!"

It is a very comforting discovery to tell that in the Philippines, the clamor to preserve our heritage structures is however taking effect into a certain degree. In Daraga, Albay in Bicol, we found out the Balay Suanoy, a place for fine dining in a Bicol soil with a vintage feel and a museum in one.

Inside the Balay Suanoy, a fine dining restaurant offering the best dishes from Bicol with a vintage feel

Maps by Wikipedia
Location Highlighted in Red
Balay Suanoy is a part of Daraga, Albay's heritage and it is an old or an ancestral house that has been restored.

Although the facade of the house doesn't look to be very old because of the recent renovation or restoration of the house, what was very notable to me was inside the house wherein everything is vintage. The lampshades, the flooring, the walls, the table, the chairs, the furnishing, the furniture, the ceiling fan and everything - there is nothing new in sight, they all look old!





It was like going back in time. This ancestral house and a restaurant in one gives me a chance to travel to the past and experience a once luxurious form of dining practiced by the elite during the olden times.

The interior is very impressive. The interior designer made the best choice and design of the ancestral house that you don't even notice you're just in Bicol. It feels like you are somewhere in Vigan or in Intramuros.

As I was wandering around Daraga, Albay, I was able to see some old houses still having their spot at the urban center of the progressive town with more than 100, 000 people. In fact, Balay Suanoy is located somewhere else that is not very accessible by public because you have to enter into an "eskinita" just to reach the place. I mean, it is not so exposed and well-noticed based on the location but in spite of the location, the owners preserved the structure.


Well, the long table works just fine. Even the plates, the spoon and the glasses are old looking. It was a bit scary on my part to use them because I am imagining that the utensils have used by the ancestors who are now dead [Just kidding!].

This is actually a one extraordinary place to dine in Bicol if you want to travel back in time. However, there is also a garden setting wherein you can still have a meal and the good thing is, it still has the vintage chill. It is the Balay Suanoy Dining in Garden Version setting.

From a window in the main ancestral house, you can overlook the kubo which likewise offer the best Balay Suanoy specialties only in a garden setting, but the vintage touch is still there.

Below are some extra shots of what one should expect in that kubo.





It is your choice where to stay - at the garden or at the ancestral house. Well, anything could be worth the experience. Aside from the delectable dishes, it also offers a piece of history and heritage.



It was a memorable experience dining in this ancestral house with those great food!

Tags: Ancestral House in Daraga | Ancestral House in Albay | Ancestral House in Bicol | Daraga, Albay | Vintage Restaurant | Fine Dining in Albay | Fine Dining in Bicol | Old House in Albay, Bicol
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Stories of town explorations.
 "A tragic past but that tragic past where many people died and left homeless have sacrificed themselves to give way for a vibrant industry for the future."

I only see it on postcards and history books. Everytime I think about Mayon volcano, this image is what comes to the depth of my brain's capacity to imagine and recall. It is the Cagsawa Ruins. The one with the old ruined belfry and the almost perfect cone Mayon volcano at the background. Nothing else but this is really the set up that I can see at the back of my mind.

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Location Highlighted in Red
The old Cagsawa Church was totally demolished by natural intervention and behind that tragic event was the beautiful Mt Mayon - a vivid beauty that hides a potential threat. 

The belfry stood still. The forceful harm of Mt Mayon wasn't strong enough to knock out the belfry totally. If Mt Mayon thinks that it has defeated the faith of the people, the volcano must be wrong. Because in the contrary, the wrath of the volcano is what made this landmark phenomenal and famous. If the destruction never happened, there will be no Cagsawa Ruins up to date.

Entering the area is not an easy task. You have to take that narrow rough road [but construction of road is on its way] with some muddy parts, worse if it is raining. You also need to cross a river with large volcanic rocks that seemed to hinder us from entering the site. 

As we reached the place, it is different. The once center of the Christian faith of the people of Daraga, Albay until February 1, 1814 when it was erased in the living treasures of history due to the eruption of Mayon is now a ruin. No church goers, no devotees but tourists. It has been ruined but as the time passed, the ruins turned to be the never ruined asset of tourism in Bicol region. A tragic past but that tragic past where many people died and left homeless have sacrificed themselves to give way for a vibrant industry for the future.

The victims of the eruptions surely have no capability to predict what might happen in the future after that 1814 eruption but whenever they are right now, I am pretty sure they'll be happy to see the vibrant economy of Albay and one factor to this is tourism brought by the famed Cagsawa Ruins, a symbol of tragic past where they were once a victim.

Entering the premises of this ruined structure is not free. Whether you're a child or an adult, it doesn't matter, you need to pay 10 pesos as entrance fee.

Inside and outside the premises of Cagsawa Ruins is a thriving industry. Stalls for souvenir items are popping out like a mushroom benefiting some organizations and people making those products sold to tourists.


The set-up is now different. The religious aspect in the area has no room for the tourists because they are not here to pray, there are here to have fun - for leisure and enjoyment. The once religious place has now transformed as a commercialized area taking advantage of the great deals that tourism can bring.

It is very noteworthy that Cagsawa Ruins was never just a ruin. It became an asset of Bicol, a famous landmark frequented by tourists. With this I am very happy aside from the fact that I have seen in person the picture I used to see in postcards back then when I was in elementary but seeing the place being an asset and a great help in the region's tourism, I can now unleash my verdict that Cagsawa Ruins was never ruined!
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