Southern Luzon - The Rough Guide to the Philippines - page 225

the Philippine Sea and Masbate to the west, the Pacific to the east, and as far afield
as the Visayas to the south. Although it is possible to climb the volcano year round,
the best months are April and May. If you're feeling really energetic, you can join the
Sky Run , a yearly race to the volcano's peak that starts in Bulusan town , 8km from Lake
Bulusan - the record holder is a Kenyan who raced to the peak and back in 3hr 47min
in June 2013.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION BULUSAN VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK

To Lake Bulusan You can take a jeepney to the town of
Irosin from Sorsogon City (every 15min; 45min; P45) or Bulan
(15min; 30min; P25) and then another towards Bulusan
town (hourly; 30min; P20) - you'll need to jump off at the
junction to the volcano, so ask the driver where to get off.
Guides and information Hikers will be refused access
by rangers if an eruption warning is up; for guides and

up-to-date details about the state of the volcano, contact
the environmental organization AGAP, who can also provide
accredited guides (P350 registration fee; guides P1000/
group of five; T 0919 223 1536, E agapbulusan@yahoo
.com). You should also consult the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology website ( W phivolcs.dost
.gov.ph).

ACCOMMODATION
Balay Buhay Bee Farm 5km south of Lake Bulusan
T 0912 790 7046, E [e-mail].
A lovely bee farm offering accommodation in pleasant
grounds with one thousand bee colonies, a tilapia pond
and a freshwater shrimp hatchery. There's also a pretty

stone swimming pool with fresh water flowing directly
from a spring. Simple rooms have bunks and shared bath;
at the time of research, more co mfortable duplex cottages
were under construction. P1200

4

Masbate province
The province of Masbate (“Maz-bah-tee”) lies in the centre of the Philippine
archipelago. It comprises the island of Masbate , site of the small capital of Masbate
City , plus two secondary islands - Burias and Ticao - and numerous smaller islands.
here are a number of attractions here - exceptional beaches on Masbate island, such
as Bituon , for example, along with immense caves in thick jungle such as Kalanay and
Batongan - but it's the infrastructure that's lacking. This is slowly changing, however,
with an increased emphasis on tourism and an anticipated new ferry route to Manila
via Caticlan (and Boracay).
The position of Masbate at the heart of the Philippines leads to some complicated
cultural blending , with a mix of languages including Cebuano, Bicolano, Waray,
Ilonggo, Tagalog and Masbateño. The province has long had something of a reputation
for violence, with an image throughout the Philippines as a lawless “Wild East”
frontier. Like many isolated areas of the archipelago, Masbate does seem a law unto
itself and political killings are certainly not unheard of, but its reputation for unfettered
goonish violence is mostly unfair. It is highly unlikely that tourists will feel any less
safe here than in most other parts of the country.
The Wild East moniker is, however, apt for reasons other than lawlessness: Masbate
ranks second only to the landlocked province of Bukidnon, Mindanao, in raising
cattle . There's even an annual rodeo in Masbate City in May, where cowpokes do battle
for big prize money. If you're on the island on a Thursday, take the time to visit the
Uson Livestock Auction Market , 42km southwest of Masbate City. It is one of the
country's largest, with traders from various islands selling carabao, pigs, horses,
chickens and goats.

Masbate City
The provincial capital of MASBATE CITY is attractively situated, nestling between the sea
and the hills, but spoiled slightly by unstructured development. The best time to come