PH · Sorsogon · 12.91°N 123.60°E

donsol

Wild whale-shark encounters and evening fireflies on the rivers of Bicol.

Best time
February to May is the main whale-shark season, within a wider window from about November to early June. July to October is wet and stormy, with no shark trips worth planning around.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly to Manila (about 4 hours from KL) and connect to Bicol International Airport near Legazpi, about 1 hour. Donsol is about 1.5–2 hours by road from there. The Philippines is on the same time as KL.
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PH · Sorsogondonsol12.91°N 123.60°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Wild whale-shark encounters and evening fireflies on the rivers of Bicol.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingDonsolPH, Sorsogon
KLdonsol
≈ 2,643 km from KL, as the crow flies
donsol -Philippines

Photo: jackylim · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A small fishing town in Bicol where whale sharks come to feed in the bay. Boats go out each morning with a spotter, and when a shark is found you slip in to swim alongside it. Sightings have become much rarer than they were a decade ago, so treat it as a chance, not a promise.

Makan

  1. KinunotFlaked stingray cooked in coconut milk with chilli and malunggay leaves, a Bicol classic.Map ↗
  2. LaingTaro leaves stewed in coconut milk and chilli, often with shrimp paste and sometimes pork.Map ↗
  3. Pili nutsBicol's buttery native nut, sold roasted, candied or in sweet pastries.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Whale-shark interactionAccredited boats with a trained guide search the bay; when a shark is spotted, you snorkel with it for a few minutes.Map ↗
  2. Firefly river tripAn evening boat ride up the Ogod River, where fireflies light up the mangroves.Map ↗
  3. The waterfrontFishing boats, nets drying and village lanes, the town beyond its sharks.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Give yourself two or three mornings for the sharks, and only book through the official interaction centre's accredited boats.
  • Never touch, chase or block a whale shark, and keep the distance your guide sets.
  • Halal food is very limited and pork turns up in many Bicol dishes. Fish and seafood are the easy fallback.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.