By Nathan Allen

Imagine swimming in an infinity pool overlooking a tropical city…and one placed in the shadow of the most “perfect cone” volcano in the world. 

Yes, that’s something to dream about. 

The hotel is always working to dial in the best experience for its guests, but pay close attention to my recommendations here, and you are bound to have an incredible experience at the Oriental!

The Oriental comes with a free breakfast buffet, and this is great, because I actually prefer the breakfast options to the ones at dinner.  I am a big fan of pancakes…and here, along with a custom-made omelette and bacon (if you request), you can eat to heart’s content.  Coffee is unlimited, and there are pineapple, mango, and calamansi juice options as well.

For lunch and dinner, I recommend ordering off the menu.  At dinner time, I believe you can do this by ordering in the lounge / cafe next door to Jasmine Restaurant.  The “monster burger” is appropriately named…it’s huge!  It’s quite good, and at just 250 pesos, a great value for such an upscale place.  The grilled panini and chicken wrap (healthier) are also solid options.  Don’t forget to try the crispy and delicious calamares as well!

Now For The Main Course…Dessert!

In my opinion, dessert is where the cuisine at the Oriental really shines.  There is an impressive assortment of treats like puto kutsinta, cheesecake, maja blanca, halo-halo, brownies, and mouth-watering banana bread.  If you truly are a dessert lover,  the dinner buffet will provide you all of these options…

Good Luck Getting Out Of Bed…

The other place the hotel really shines is the comfort of the bedding.  I’m not sure if all rooms have the same options mine did, but I will say that here I had the most luxurious and comfortable rest in all of my time in the Philippines.  The quality of the mattress, the silky sheets, and the down comforter + pillows make all of the difference in the world! 

General Tips For Your Stay – Oriental Hotel Review

I was fortunate to stay long enough to really experience everything the hotel has to offer, so you could consider me somewhat of an expert at this point!  Haha.  I just want to mention a few helpful things:

Wifi – While not all rooms have this problem, on the 5th floor I had a weak wifi connection.  I was able to solve this by bringing my computer to the balcony, where the signal was strong.  Truly an elegant solution, when you consider the views from my new “office”!  Sometimes I needed the connection needs to be reset by the staff, but along with any other requests, they gladly took care of this. Keep in mind this review was written 5 years ago, and the connectivity could be no problem by now)

Elevator – The hotel is equipped with some cutting-edge technology, but for me it took some getting used to.  The elevator has touch-screen buttons, but unlike a standard elevator, they don’t work when push them with your fingertips. Instead, just press your thumb against them and it will work fine.

Aircon – Of course the rooms have cold aircon, but the massive lobby and restaurant downstairs is cooled naturally.  The cost to both the hotel and the environment would be astronomical otherwise.  If you find that you are too warm, you can sit close to the windows where the breeze is .  They will also be happy to bring you a fan if you need. 

Promos: From time to time there’s a promo for 2 nights + airfare from Manila for under 5k pesos ($125 USD)…keep an eye out for that, because for a hotel like this, it’s a great deal.  I also hear you can get rooms without a Mayon view for half the price.  Since the volcano may be covered by clouds anyway, you might consider saving some money. 

Getting There / Booking a Room

The Oriental is located high on a hill in Legazpi City, and all trike and taxi drivers know how to get there.  You can fly to Legazpi airport from Manila or Cebu, but the good news is that a new international airport should be ready by 2016. 

The Oriental would be a great place to experience while in Albay sightseeing or ATV riding up Mayon volcano.  Afterward, you can keep the adventure going by heading to Donsol, Sorsogon to swim with the “gentle giants”…the whale sharks!

In closing, I would like to thank sir Marlon and the staff at the Oriental…and of course Governor Salceda and Bicolano Man for showing me the warmth and beauty of Albay!

You can book your stay with The Oriental HERE

– Nathan Allen

(photo by BM Snapshots…taken @ Vera Falls, Albay)

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 By Nathan Allen

After the positive response from my recent series “Manila in Black and White“, I decided to use the B&W format to capture the beauty of life in the Philippine countryside.

In my mind, it’s perfect. A timeless format for these timeless landscapes.

I captured the following images with my little Sony RX100III.

A Story in Pictures – Life In The Provinces.

As I walked toward the sea, I noticed these 3 men…and wondered how many generations their families have been fishing here.

This is one of my favorite shots. A few fishing boats have been pulled off the beach, and I found this one resting on the pavement under some dramatic storm clouds.

Sto. Domingo is known for it’s black sand beaches, and here I found a local fisherman casting his line directly from the shore. A black sand beach lends itself perfectly to striking black and white photography, I realized.

These regions of Bicol are often hit by typhoons coming in from the open waters of the Pacific. In fact, I was near here, in Legazpi, when typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines. I volunteered for repacking relief goods afterward.

(continued below)

Farms, Rice Fields & The Countryside

I found this little guy while walking through a rice field. He is already black and white, so I suppose he feels perfectly at home without color:)

There are so many beautiful tropical plants and fruits in the Philippines. Here I captured some bright young papaya contrasted against the dark rice seedlings growing behind it.

Around the Barangay

In the Philippines, a neighborhood is called a “barangay”. The community is quite tight-knit, and for the most part, everybody looks out for each other.

This picture of an old Spanish church was actually taken from a moving car. I guess I was pretty lucky. With a fast lens and the right shutter speed settings, you can also capture some truly candid photos this way!

Here is a nice slice of everyday provincial life. I assume this is a lola (grandmother) walking with her grandson in the rain. Small pathways like this often lead through barangays in the provinces.

As a photographer, I am always fascinated by the colorful clothes hanging out to dry in the Philippine sun. I guess I love the splash of color against the lush green background of coconut trees. Of course, the shot below is black and white, but the shirts were all white anyway, so it was perfect…

(Again, all of these photos were taken with a Sony RX100III pocket camera. That link above is for Amazon, but you can find it in the Philippines and Singapore HERE. I am not partnered with Sony, but using those links will help me create more content like this)

Home In Time For Dinner

There is nothing like real home cooked food in the Philippines. For me, the deeper in the provinces I go, the better the food tastes. Family is expected to eat meals together whenever possible…I always enjoy seeing how these traditions are preserved.

The image above shows a typical indoor kitchen, but I think meals are generally cooked in a connecting outdoor or “open air” kitchen (pictured below).

In this series, I tried to provide a unique and artistic glimpse into provincial Filipino life – I hope I achieved this, and I certainly hope you enjoyed. Please feel free to share, and join me for more adventures on FB!

– Nathan Allen

(Updated January 18, 2021)

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Click the camera image below to read more about the Sony RX100III featured in this article…

Goodbye, Gopro…I Finally Review the TG-4 Underwater Camera in the Philippines

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By Nathan Allen

While staying at incredible Aguas Farm in Albay, Philippines, I noticed a colorful beetle floating inside a fish tank. 

Its head was pushed down in the water, and I knew that before long, it would become fish food if I didn’t rescue it.  I pulled it out and started taking photos.  It barely moved, and I worried that it might not live.  However…

I have to say, I never imagined what would happen next.

After a while, the beetle started coming to life.  It looked like some kind of transformer or robot.  Then, to my amazement, it seemed to bow its head, as if to say “Hey, thanks for the help!” 

That was just the beginning.  Suddenly, I kid you not…the thing actually waved goodbye, then turned and crawled away.  I was so excited at this point that I stopped filming – just as it took off and flew into the rice fields. 

Here is the video..see for yourself:

Umm.   Yeah.  Nature’s kind of awesome.  

-Nathan Allen

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