Bicol

BICOL REGION Famous for its majestic Mount Mayon volcano, white sand beaches, a dish made from taro leaves called laing and its chilli-hot cousine, Bicol is also where pili, the acknowledged "king of nuts", thrive and are transformed into glazed candies, bars and other sweets that are exported worldwide. Bicol is also where the giant whale sharks (butanding) canbe seen during certain part of the year. Luzon’s backdoor coastal town of Matnog in Sorsogon is where land vehicles using the Eastern Nautical Highway board the ferry that sails across the rough San Bernandino Strait, which the wooden Manila galleons of yore used to sail Acapulco and back during 250-year galleon trade.