Bernese Resort Hotel Review: What to Expect + Our Experience
After welcoming 2026 at PROXY by The Oriental Albay, our South Luzon Loop adventure continued on New Year’s Day. Instead of heading home right away after our Cagsawa adventure, we decided to stay one more night in Albay and make the most of our time in the province. We initially planned to look for a simple budget hotel, but after realizing that we would be spending the evening in a small four-square room with not much else to do, we decided to find a place where we could actually relax and enjoy our last night in Albay. That’s when we found Bernese Resort Hotel in Ligao City. With its spacious…
South Luzon Loop – Day 2: Our New Year’s Day ATV Adventure at Cagsawa Ruins
After celebrating and welcoming the New Year at PROXY by The Oriental Albay the night before, we were greeted on the very first morning of 2026 by the majestic view of Mayon Volcano in Albay, Bicol. I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to begin the year than by waking up to one of God’s most beautiful creations. When we first arrived at the hotel the previous afternoon, the summit was hidden behind thick clouds, almost as if Mayon wasn’t quite ready to reveal itself. So waking up to a perfectly clear view the next morning felt like a little reward after our long journey. I found myself staring…
PROXY by The Oriental Albay Review: Our New Year’s Eve Stay in Legazpi
After spending hours on the road during our unexpected South Luzon Loop road trip from Manila to Albay, we were fortunate to secure a room at PROXY by The Oriental Albay just in time for New Year’s Eve. What we expected to be nothing more than a comfortable place to spend the night turned into one of the most memorable parts of our journey. From welcoming the New Year with fellow guests to watching a spectacular fireworks display, our stay became a celebration we’ll always look back on fondly. In this review, I’m sharing our honest experience staying at PROXY by The Oriental Albay—from our first impressions and the room…
South Luzon Loop Day 1: Manila to Bicol + New Year’s Eve at Proxy by The Oriental Albay
Road trips have always been one of my family’s favorite ways to unwind and escape the busyness of everyday life. My mom, especially, has always loved spontaneous drives and discovering new places. Over the years, celebrating the New Year together as a family has become one of our most treasured traditions, and every year, we make it a point to welcome another chapter side by side. This year, however, our celebration unfolded in a way none of us could have predicted. For months, my mom had been talking about visiting Albay, but it always remained just a plan—one of those trips we’d “hopefully” take someday. Little did we know that…
Calaguas Island: Our Experience in This Hidden Paradise in the Philippines
We held our annual company outing from April 25 to 27 at Calaguas Island in Vinzons, Camarines Norte—also as a way to celebrate my mom’s birthday. It was one of the trips I had been looking forward to the most since our Boracay trip last year. From what we’d seen on Facebook, the beach looked incredibly pristine—almost comparable to the powdery white sands of Boracay—so I found myself wide awake and excited for most of the journey. The powdery white sand beach cove is more specifically known as Mahabang Buhangin (Long Beach), located on Tinaga Island, where the famous Calaguas is found. Its stunning “lime-colored” waters are said to be…
