vanishing island | Fly Me To Mayon!

There is just something special about Small Hotels or Inns in a quiet street, especially those that strive for the comfort of their guests. This is what boutique hotels are known for – small in size but big in offerings and personality.

Enter the Emerald Boutique Hotel in Legazpi City. It is intimate and charming with nicely furnished rooms. What it lacks in luxurious space, it makes up with its unique style, comfort, and service.

The Rooms

The rooms at Emerald Hotel Legazpi have thick, 5-star quality mattresses with anti-bacterial sheets. The toiletries of this small hotel are also beyond the expectations of many people, considering the published rates of its rooms. The toilet and bath are nice and it is complete with rainshower head showers.

IMG_9523_opt copy — Emerald Boutique Hotel’s Standard Room. The comfy mattress says it all. Quality accommodations is here for the price of a budget hotel.

And if it is any consolation, the water that comes out from the faucets (showers too) is treated by the hotel’s own water purification system. Simply put, the water that you take a bath with is safe to drink, comparable to the bottled water you buy from the store.

IMG_9511_opt copy — This is Emerald’s Twin Deluxe Room. Two beds, generous floor space, elegantly furnished toilet and bath, with Cable TV and 24/7 Internet access.

The rooms are all equipped with cable TV and each floor has its own dedicated Internet line. In fact every part of the hotel has a decent WiFi signal, even the lobby, corridors, and outdoor spaces. Some of the third floor rooms have a Mayon view, while some rooms on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors have access to a veranda.

The Location

Untitled — A 3-minute walk to any direction will get you to the very heart of Legazpi City. Restaurants abound and Jeepneys drive through Rizal St.. These can ferry you through almost all routes in the city.

Emerald Boutique hotel is located right in the heart of Legazpi City. It is just a 3-minute walk to the seat of power of the province of Albay and the local government of Legazpi. Restaurants are also near the hotel. If you fancy roaming around the city the hotel is just a few meters away from one of the of main streets of Legazpi (Rizal St.) where public utility jeepneys pass through driving people in and around the major routes in the city.

Diving-in-Donsol-photo-from-Orpheusdive.com_-600x450 — Swimming with Whale Sharks in Donsol Bay is a feasible adventure if you are staying at the Emerald Boutique Hotel. Photo by Q Phia via Flickr

Do you want to visit the famous Cagsawa Ruins? One jeepney ride from the hotel is all you need. Do you want to hike up to the top of Lignon Hill and witness the majestic beauty of Mayon? It is just another jeepney ride away from Emerald Hotel Legazpi. This is one of the most important features of the Hotel – its accessibility to the many tourist attractions in the city and beyond.

4166455_orig — If you fancy visiting the Cagraray EcoPark then Legazpi City is a convenient jump off point. Photo by Sayson Ballesteros

Emerald is in Legazpi and the city is at the very heart of Albay Province making it a convenient jump-off point to many local attractions like the Vanishing Island in Malilipot, The Mayon Rest House in Tabaco, Vera Falls in Malinao, Kawa-Kawa Hill in Ligao, Danao Lake in Polangui, the Japanese Tunnels in Camalig, and the Cagraray EcoPark, even the Misibis Bay Resort and Casino.

314101307dcafe9c40e14e691a4f5ee7 (1) — The Vera Falls in Malinao. This is just a short drive away from Legazpi City. Photo credits to the owner

Everything is within reach of Emerald Boutique Hotel and this includes Donsol Bay where the whale sharks or Butanding show up during the summer months.

Dining and Entertainment

IMG_9525_opt copy — The Emerald Bistro Cafe. This is open all day to serve sumptuous meals to hotel guests. Coffee is also available here.

Emerald Boutique Hotel has its own Bistro-Café in the ground floor which serves the guests with the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. It is open from 6:00AM to 10:00PM. The restaurant also offers mouth-watering Bicol gastronomic treats. Gourmet coffee will also be available soon in the Café.

The Emerald Bistro Café opens up to an outdoor space, to “The Garden” which will soon have live acoustic entertainment on the weekends. With the parasols, the open skies, and the comfortable seating, this area will surely be a new favorite hangout area for guests and Legazpi locals.

IMG_9459_opt copy — The Garden, an outdoor space that connects the indoor dining area to the elements outside. You can dine here if you want to.

For those who love to sing their hearts out there is the Emerald KTV rooms. The sound proof rooms are fully equipped with high quality audio-visual equipment ready to provide music and vocals even for the most demanding and seasoned karaoke singers.

13510721_10154270485144793_1460532319_n — People are having so much fun in Emerald’s KTV rooms. This room is sound proof and equipped with top of the line audio visual equipment.

The Videoke rooms can be rented out exclusively for three hours for only Php2500. This rate includes a consumable food package that can fill up the appetite of up to 10 people. Not a bad deal at all.

The Ambiance

IMG_9445_opt copy — Emerald Boutique Hotel’s lobby. This intimate and welcoming space represents the very feel of this charming hotel.

Emerald Boutique Hotel offers intimate accommodation with 30 fully air-conditioned rooms. This gives the hotel a homey feel and with its friendly customer service this hotel delights and delivers. Even with the limitations of its size, the hotel has all the amenities that matter most even to a seasoned traveler.

IMG_9422_opt copy — The hotel’s front desk. That green lighting reflects the emerald standard pursued by this up and coming boutique hotel.

With room rates going for as low as Php1500 per night, the Emerald Boutique Hotel is bound to exceed all your expectations.

The millennials are quite familiar with the saying, “travel now, pulubi later”. With the increasing availability and utility of credit cards, travel is becoming a source of debt for many, to the point of begging for food months after a trip. But this does not have to be your reality – if only you travel smart.

Plan your trip in advance

The first sign of trouble for cash-hungry vacations is spur-of-the-moment plans. A good example would be friends in the office are talking about how beautiful Mt. Mayon is. As the conversation unfolds, a raw, “feasible” plan emerge. “Let’s go to Albay next week”! And that my friend is how you travel with huge financial consequences.

If it is possible, go against the trend and book your hotel in the “slow” months.

The problem with spur-of-the-moment travels is that everything costs more from plane tickets to the tours you want to take, even the hotel rooms you need to book. The solution is to plan your trip months before you go. Do your research about your destination, how you can fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the city, find hotels with a view and near to everything you want to experience while in town.

The perfect cone volcano in the Philippines, Mt. Mayon. Majestic, breath-taking, magayon (beautiful in the local dialect). Credits to the owner of this photo.

Know more about the peak season of tourist arrivals in your planned destination. Summer and the Holidays are often when hotels are charging more for their rooms and airlines are cashing in with the influx of vacationers. If it is possible, go against the trend and book your hotel in the “slow” months.

File your leave at work early, start losing weight if you plan to wear that swimsuit, talk about your trip at the office or among your friends, the more the merrier! Plan out your itinerary, book the local tours early, reserve the hotel rooms, and build up the excitement as your departure date draws near!

Nothing beats a well-planned, well-timed vacation.

Book your flights early

Look out for seat sales from budget airlines. You can even call your preferred ticketing office to reserve seats for you as soon as the sale is announced.

Seasoned budget travellers even plan their vacation around the travel dates of their discounted plane tickets. This is also a good way to plot your vacation plans. Seat sales in local airlines are often in harmony with tourist peak seasons.

Wait for seat sales like these. This was a promo by Ceb Pac 2 years ago but you can still secure this low fare in their annual seat promos. — Wait for seat sales like these. This was a promo by Cebu Pacific 2 years ago but you can still secure this low fare in their annual seat promos. Travel period will vary.

There is a huge chance that plane tickets on sale would mean lower local hotel room rates, lower tour fees, lower price of everything plus you get to enjoy your space in the beach more.

Talk to the locals

Vacations are nice when you fully integrate yourself to the local lifestyle. The last thing that you want to happen is to fail to get the real vibe of the city. Do not insulate yourself in the comforts of your hotel room and shuttle service. Get into the local lifestyle.

IslandRunElNido — Engaging locals to small talks often mean a treasure chest of tips on to-do’s and to-eat. (Phot0 by Arnel Banawa)

Talking to locals also give you a deeper experience with your destination.

The best way to do that is to talk to locals. Have short walks around your hotel or ride jeepneys to go anywhere. Engage locals into casual conversations, and perhaps ask them what you can do to really enjoy the city. It is often from these conversations popular local hang outs are revealed, something no amount of online research can give you.

Talking to locals also give you a deeper experience with your destination. This can even give you windows of opportunity to go back to the city, but this time with local friends. Now that’s exciting!

Eat where locals eat

The Sili Ice Cream pioneered by a local restaurant in Legazpi City. This is a must try for visitors of the city.

Tired of the same breakfast at the hotel? Try the local gastronomic treats of your destination city! Eat where locals do! It could be a popular carenderia right on the next corner, or a mamihan or lugawan 50 meters from your hotel. Specialty restaurants are also a good idea to have an authentic food experience.

By eating where locals eat you can have a more accurate feel of the city

13508989_10207036770223724_7407141939444779637_n — Lava Bar’s Volcanic Fire Pizza is another must try for Legazpi City visitors. Lava Bar is located at Ayala Malls Legazpi. (Photo by William Ong)

In Legazpi City, the sili ice cream is a must-try and only one restaurant offers that. Go there! Then there is the pinangat, a local dish that has charmed local tourists for decades now. Small Talk Café also offers the pinangat pizza, another must-try for tourists.

Laing_Pinangat — Pinangat, a local delicacy in Bicolandia. You need to try this when in Legazpi City. (Photo by Claire Dee Lim)

By eating where locals eat you can have a more accurate feel of the city. It also makes a good story to friends back at home. Yeah, you ate sili ice cream and you can brag all about it.

Do not be fooled with hotel published rates

Do not settle with the rates you see on the hotel’s website and in their other booking outlets. Always ask for a better deal. At least try.

Published rates in any hotel are not always accurate. These rates are often subjected to discounts especially during the off season. Booking a room in advance can give you more flexible rates. You can even ask the hotel for some tips when to book your room/s.

13467880_10154262552924793_2101207302_o — The Emerald Boutique Hotel, a newly opened small, intimate hotel in Legazpi City. This hotel is bound to exceed your expectations.

Planning to book several rooms? Some hotels give discounts to rooms reserved and paid for in bulk. This is often true in small boutique hotels, or in some little inn or bed and breakfast.

Do not settle with the rates you see on the hotel’s website and in their other booking outlets. Always ask for a better deal. At least try.

13405433_10154243958694793_2091785023_o — Emerald Boutique Hotel’s Double Deluxe Room. Convenient and elegant.

Pursue the tours you really like

Thanks to the Internet and Google it is quite easy today to find something to do in any city in the Philippines. Travel blog abound (like this one) and your friends on Facebook often have experiences in places you want to visit. Reading and asking around is not that hard.

VanishingIsland_Albay2016_ByChristianSangoyo_ARDM_large — Malilipot, Albay’s vanishing island. This is a beach in the middle of the sea. Now that’s interesting! Credits to the owner of the photo.

Plan ahead, be informed, be intentional with your trip, and get into the local lifestyle.

But what do you really want to do? That is the question you must have an answer for especially if you are travelling on a budget. Pursue the tours that have immense personal value to you.

In Legazpi City the Mayon ATV tour is a huge hit. You do not only get to see Mayon up close but drive through its lava path up to the very foot of the majestic volcano.

The-Rocky-Mayon-Trail — The Mayon ATV Tour. Imagine driving through the lava flow from the majestic Mayon Volcano! (Photo by Melo Villareal)

You can also try the vanishing island tour in Malilipot Albay. If you love the beach then this tour should be in your thing-to-do list while in Albay.

So don’t be a “pulubi” after travelling to beautiful cities around the country. Plan ahead, be informed, be intentional with your trip, and get into the local lifestyle. Who said you have to be in debt to enjoy the perks of travel?

Fly Me To Mayon!

Tag Archives: vanishing island

A New Boutique Hotel Opens In Legazpi

Travel Now, Pulubi Later?

Experience Legazpi, Cherish Albay, Love Bicol