Our first and last day in Misibis Bay Resort and Casino was filled with exhilarating land actitivies. For our second day, we prepared ourselves to get wet and wild with the resort’s myriad water sports on offer. Again, many of these activities were our firsts.
1. Hobie Cat Sailing
Best time to go: Early morning or in the afternoon when the wind is not at its worst. During lunch time, the wind tends to be calm so it is impossible to sail by this time
Added Value: You will be able to have a view of the beach from afar. This is the best alternative to jetskiing if you find the latter expensive
It was our first time to sail on a hobie cat and the experience was worth a try. At first we thought it was a relaxed activity, but then when the wind started blowing hard, I almost thought we were going to capsize. The guide said that sometimes, when the wind is really strong and they couldn’t control it, the hobie cat turns upside down. So, when the rain started to pour and the wind blew harder, our guide decided to go back to the shore. But it was a fun experience, nonetheless.
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| Before braving the wind |
2. Kayaking
Best time to go: Anytime of the day
Added value: For those who want a non-extraneous activity, kayaking is the best option. Paddle through the calm waters of Misibis Bay and enjoy the views of Sorsogon.
While waiting for our turn on the hobie cat, we decided to go kayaking first. It was a good warm up as it is a good exercise for the arms and the upper body. So, if you are engaging in other water sports, try to find time to go kayaking first.
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| Paddle time |
3. Stand Up and Sit Down Paddle Surfing
Best time to go: Anytime of the day
Added value: At Misibis, the water is calm and steady always because it has the breakwater. So it isn’t difficult to balance yourself on the board.
When we were in Sumilon two years ago, hubby tried stand up paddle surfing. The waves back then were a bit strong, so it was hard to balance and I did not dare try it. When I saw the calm waters of Misibis Bay, I said this time I can do this! So I asked the guide to teach me how to stand up on the board and the next thing I knew was I was already paddling far from the shore, at around 10 feet! Yey! Achievement!
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| Stand Up Paddle Surfing |
And when I realized I was already paddling too far, I paddled back to the shore and sat down at the board. It was fun paddling while sitting too!!!
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| Sit Down Paddle Surfing |
4. Wind Surfing
Best time to go: In the afternoon when the wind blows perfectly
Added value: The guide is part of the Philippine Team for wind surfing and had won awards in different competitions. Need I say more?
Okay, you guessed it right. I did not dare try wind surfing. I am not really into balancing, much more into balancing while trying to figure out the direction of the wind. So hubby tried it and he was so lucky to have a guide who is part of the Philippine team. Hands up to the guide… he really knows his craft! But hubby tried it and fell three times. That’s it. More practice needed!
Curious what wind surfing is? According to Wikipedia:
Windsurfing is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually 2 to 3 metres long, with a volume of about 60 to 250 liters, powered by wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and consists of a mast, 2-sided boom and sail. The sail area generally ranges from 2.5 m2 to 12 m2 depending on the conditions, the skill of the sailor and the type of windsurfing being undertaken.
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| Wind surfing |
5. Jet Ski
Best time to go: anytime of the day
Added value: It’s fun to cruise the waters as if you are just driving a motorcycle
It was also our first time to cruise on a jet ski, so we were both excited and thrilled. We went outside the breakwater, circle around in front of the site where sea view rooms are being built and back again. It was fun and easy to maneuver that even some of the elderly guests at the resort went on a jet ski to explore the calm seas!
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| First time to jet ski |
6. Snorkeling
Best time to go: Mornings at around 9:00 am up to lunch time when it is still low tide. Water can get hazy during high tide
Added value: You don’t have to ride a boat and challenge yourself going down and up the boat to go to the marine sanctuary. A golf cart will bring you at the marina and a sturdy ladder serves as your gateway to the surreal underwater scene in Misibis.
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| En route the marina |
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| The turtle rock near the marina |
On this side of the marina was where the TV5 series “Misibis Bay” was filmed by my TV production and scriptwriting professor, Ms. Faye Martel.
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| A private cove at the marina |
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| The old dock |
The marine sanctuary has three divisions: 10 ft, 15 ft and 20 ft. The deepest has the giant clams garden while the other two is home to a variety of species like batfish, lapu-lapu and a lot more! There were so many!
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| Hubby and I enjoying feeding the fishes |
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| Corals at 10 feet |
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| A small giant clam at 10 feet |
Jomel, our tour guide during the city and Segway tours was also our snorkeling guide. All around! He was so patient to show us where the nice fishes are and he even got these two starfish for photo op.
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| Meet Jomel, our guide |
7. Introductory Diving
Best time to go: Mornings when the water is still calm
Added value: You will be able to see the giant clams up close!
When the guest services officer said we can try intro diving, we were more than happy to oblige. It was our first time to do this so we were so excited. So the divemaster was already waiting for us at the marina when we arrived. he gave us a short briefing on hand signals, breathing and other basic info on intro diving. Hubby was the first to try it and he said its kinda harder than what we initially thought of. While he was doing his thing, I said I’d snorkel first. So, when it was my time to try diving, I was kinda tired already from swimming with the underwater creatures. It turned out that I couldn’t breathe properly through the mouthpiece. After several trials, I surrendered. Perhaps, I am not ready yet. But hopefully, next time, I’ll be able to conquer my fear and do this eventually! I’d really like to try going down the water!!!
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| The cove where the TV5 series “Misibis Bay” was filmed
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Up next: More activities that you can do within Misibis Bay.
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Misibis Bay
Cagraray Island, Bacacay, Albay Province, Bicol Region, Philippines
T:(63 52) 487 1540 / C: (63917) 599 1590 F:(63 52) 487 1540
Manila Sales and Reservations Office
1108 Tektite West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange, Exchange Road,
Ortigas Center,1605 Pasig City, Phillippines
T: (63 2) 661 8888 F: (63 2) 470 3607 E: reservations@misibisbay.com
Legazpi Office
Hotel Venezia
Renaissance Gardens, Washington Drive,
Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines
T: (63 52) 481.0888
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Special thanks to Misibis Bay Resort and Casino’s
General Manager, Mr. Ian Mayer Varona and
Revenue Manager, Ms. Cherry Rodriguez
Travelogues by Matet Garcia-Reyes 