Expand your Bicol options with the Xpander

Riding the All-Terrain Vehicles en route to the foot of Mayon Volcano

Back in the day when flying to the Bicol region was prohibitive, the overnight bus commute or driving through the Maharlika Highway was the only alternative. For thousands of motorists doing the long drive or commute everyday, it was a taxing ride which many hoped would be over soonest.

But with widened roads in most parts, landscaped roadside, and the emergence of trendy restaurants and gas stations with clean toilets, the trip to the Bicolandia can be as exciting as the destination especially if you’re on the wheel of the Mitsubishi Xpander.

A versatile small multi-purpose vehicle, it can comfortably seat seven persons and boasts of an Internet-capable infotainment system for the long haul. Powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC gas engine with the Mitsubishi Innovative Valve Timing Electronic Control (MIVEC), which can maximize fuel efficiency and produce higher torque for a steady run in any road condition.

Hop in on the Xpander with family or friends, step on the gas pedal and expand your possibilities in exploring the Bicol region, and realize that there is more to the iconic Mayon Volcano.

Pit Stop 1. Atimonan. Take your first break at the Quezon National Park, a scenic mountain zigzag in Atimonan town which the Xpander can maneuver smoothly with its hillstart assist feature for steep terrains. This is a traditional stopover for grizzled motorists for a drink, a biscuit, a toilet break, and a snapshot long before the age of social media. It isn’t exactly a place for binging, but its lush tropical rainforest and the breathtaking sight of the meandering road below can fill your hunger.

The Oriental Hotel Legazpi is another landmark

Pit Stop 2. Naga City. The “Heart of Bicol” in more ways than one, it is the center of religious devotion, being the seat of the Our Lady of Penafrancia, a 300-year old Marian pilgrimage in September, which is the biggest in the country. Swing by the massive Basilica or the Penafrancia Shrine and pray for God’s traveling mercies.

Naga is also the best place for grub because of its vaunted culinary scene which lives up to the Bicolanos’ penchant for food. Feast on the spicy Bicol express, laing, tinotongang manok, toasted siopao, and kinalas, which are standard fare from the carinderia, stand-alone restos, to the hotels.

Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) is an alternative lunch place with its fusion regional dishes served at a sprawling world-class wake park. Located in Pili town, this government facility is credited for making CamSur a hub for sports and adventure tourism. You may also want to get your feet wet in wakeboarding, quite literally, before continuing your journey.

Sumlang Lake is Albay’s newest must-see this nine-hectare farm lagoon with a view of the majestic Mayon Volcano

Pit Stop 3. Sumlang Lake. Albay’s newest must-see this nine-hectare farm lagoon is ideal for a raft cruise, kayaking, water biking and fishing, with the majestic Mayon Volcano in the background. From being a swamp, the area has been magically transformed into a landscaped park with a showroom of souvenirs and export-quality abaca furnishings and the cozy Socorro’s Kitchen which serves heirloom dishes of the 450-year old Camalig town. An early lake cruise dinner is suggested, which is about the time when Mayon’s perfect cone is revealed behind the clouds shrouding it.

Pit Stop 4. Cagsawa Ruins Park. Declared by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure, this is Bicol’s most postcard-pretty (read: Instagram-worthy) spot which perfectly frames the ruins of the Cagsawa Church and the mesmerizing Mayon which destroyed it in the 1814 eruption. Tour guides would gamely coach you and even shoot the obligatory “trick shots” for posterity.

After driving the Xpander for hours given its ergonomic and convenient options, you can shift to the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or buggies where you can reach the volcano’s slopes at about 1,000 feet. There are ATV rentals nearby, with varying lengths, routes, and costs-all filled with fun and adventure.

At the Legazpi Boulevard, the country’s longest baywalk

The Xpander parked near the famed Legazpi Monument in Naga

Pit Stop 5. Legazpi. The provincial capital of Albay, this city is a merry mix of countryside and urban living with a plethora of shopping malls, specialty dining, home-grown cafes, nocturnal colonies, and star-rated boutique hotels which can be your hub in your Bicol sojourn.

Named as among the Philippines’s most livable and competitive cities, its unique topography takes you to the hills and the sea in a quick drive on the Xpander, making you marvel both at the panoramic upland and the serene Albay Gulf viewed from the Legazpi Boulevard, the country’s longest baywalk.

Named after Spanish navigator and conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the city celebrated this week the Ibalong Festival which is based in an epic poem about the mythical heroes of ancient Bicolandia. The festivity concluded yesterday with the pompous street theater presentation which recreated the scenes in the Ibalong legend which are akin to the Greek “Clash of the Titans”.

The Xpander joins the Ibalong Festival in Legazpi City

Due to its strategic location, Legazpi is the gateway to neighboring towns which have their own stories to tell, scenic spots to show, and luscious dishes to offer. Among these are Busay Falls of Malilipot, the fine beaches of Sto. Domingo and Bacacay, and the Mayon Skyline in Tabaco which the Xpander can climb with ease.

With the Mitsubishi Xpander, your travel possibilities in the Bicolandia just keeps on expanding.

Special thanks to Chris Grajo and Mark Samonte of CALEB Motor Corp., the Mitsubishi distributor in Naga, Camarines Sur, for assisting in the photo shoot