Super 6 island loops that’ll make you go ‘whoopee’!

By Tessa R. Salazar April 01,2015
The Spanish era Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

The Spanish era Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

GOING North offers some of the most scenic and pleasurable sights

GOING North offers some of the most scenic and pleasurable sights

No doubt, by this time you’re either in or out. That is, you’ve either decided to stay in the relative safety of Metro Manila or you’re out braving the provincial roads for that long summer road tour. (Another scenario is that you’re 30,000 feet up, flying to your dream vacation. But that’s a different story.)

 

If you’ve decided to drive out to the country for this long Lenten break, then enjoy what promises to be a long, scenic drive.

 

Remember that the open highways and country roads are quite different from city streets with stoplights at every corner.

 

On the highways, trucks and buses acquire a different driving character altogether—one that isn’t restricted by the limits of city congestion and pedestrian ordinances.

 

Below is a synthesis of two articles. One appeared in AQ Magazine this March 2015 (available to Automobile Association Philippines’ members only) and the other from the author’s blogsite tessdrive.com.

 

Let’s see the best six road tours from Manila to any point in Luzon (or even outside of it), and driving in and out of these routes in one piece.

 

  1. Manila-Laoag City-Pagudpud-Tuguegarao-Manila loop (1,300 kilometers in at least four days)

 

This route takes the driver on some of the best-paved roads and most scenic views in the main island of Luzon.

 

Reaching the northern Luzon provinces has become faster and less stressful with North Luzon Expressway for 90 km, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx)   for 40 km, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), which exits at Urdaneta in Pangasinan as of press time, for 56 km.

 

Be ready to make frequent stops for pictures and worthwhile activities in the northern provinces, e.g., the Spanish-era Calle Crisologo in Vigan, and the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

 

Transport costs: Depending on the vehicle you’re bringing, and your driving style, your fuel mileage will most likely be between 8 and 15 km per liter. For a distance of 1,300 km, you will be burning between 87 and 163 liters of fuel.

 

Based on prevailing pump prices of gasoline and diesel (at P45 and P35 per liter, respectively), be ready to shell out up to P7,400 (for gasoline) or P5,700 (for diesel) for the entire trip.

 

For expressway fees, NLEx charges P214 for the Manila to Dau stretch, P104 for the SCTEx stretch from Mabalacat, Pampanga, to Tarlac City, and P164 for the TPLEx stretch from Tarlac to Urdaneta, Pangasinan, for a total expressway fee of P482 (one way).

 

TYPICAL hut dwellings outside the Dragonfruit farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte

TYPICAL hut dwellings outside the Dragonfruit farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Reminders: Always find time to rest (hopefully, every two hours) and grab the opportunity to stop and appreciate the views, like the Patapat Viaduct in Ilocos Norte—the so-called “Europe of Ilocos”—or the intimidating windmills of Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

 

Though there are designated crossing zones for students and children, these do not mean there’ll be no other humans crossing at any part of the highway at any time. Always slow down in populated areas, especially on Sundays when the entire town is off to church.

 

  1. Manila-Banaue-Bontoc-Tabuk-Manila (980 km in at least four days)

 

There are two ways to go to the landlocked province of Kalinga in north-central Luzon: via the largely uneventful Quirino and Isabela provinces (passing through Santiago City to Tabuk), or the literal cliffhanger mountain province route (passing through Banaue, Ifugao and Bontoc, Mountain Province, onward to Tinglayan). This author decided to do it both ways.

 

A wall of 2,000-meter-high mountains will greet drivers and their passengers once they enter Ifugao and Mountain Province.

 

In that 200-km stretch between Ifugao and Kalinga provinces, drivers will make thousands of life-or-death decisions, because in a very real sense, a wrong turn can cause you to plummet to your doom a thousand or so feet below.

 

Transport costs: Be ready to burn lots of fuel up the mountain routes, so your mileage at the first stretch could go as low as 5 kpl. The fuel run can improve on the relatively less-challenging route on the way back to Manila (8 to 15kpl).

 

Be ready to cough up P5,700 (for diesel) or P7,300 (for gasoline) for the entire trip. The expressway fees are: P214 (NLEx-Dau exit) and P104 (SCTEx-La Paz, Tarlac, exit), for a total of P318 (one way).

 

Reminders: Always be ready to slow down (or stop in some instances) when encountering road repairs and diggings, especially during summer when local governments take the opportunity of less traffic because of the school break.

 

Bring lots of snacks, especially for the mountain stretches where there is a dearth of food stops.

 

WELCOME arch at Peñablanca, Cagayan, where the famous Callao caves can be found. photos by Tessa R. Salazar

WELCOME arch at Peñablanca, Cagayan, where the famous Callao caves can be found. photos by Tessa R. Salazar

We’re a mountainous country and our highway system can’t afford to tunnel its way through mountains to give you a daang matuwid (straight path). The result: endless zigzags and blind curves.

 

Attempting to overtake on a blind curve is a death wish and a homicide-to-be for the vehicle you’ll be smashing head-on.

 

  1. Manila-Caticlan-Manila, aka the “Boracay drive” (560 km in at least three days)

 

Make sure your vehicle is in good shape, and don’t forget to bring copies of your vehicle’s OR (official receipt) and CR (certificate of registration) on this trip. There will be fees to be paid at every port (Batangas port and Roxas in Mindoro on the way to Boracay; Caticlan port and Calapan port on the way back to Manila).

 

Set aside cash to pay for terminal fees, arrastre (which roughly pertains to the service done to load and unload your vehicle and cargo from the ship to the dock, and vice versa), and the Roro (roll-on, roll-off) fees for the vehicle and the passengers (the driver boards for free).

 

Now, the exciting part: Would you believe that world-class Boracay Island is only 230 km from Manila by land?

 

If you take the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) that runs from Manila to Batangas City port, to Calapan in Oriental Mindoro, down to Roxas, and then finally to Caticlan in Panay island, it all makes sense.

 

Virtually half of the entire trip is done while the car is aboard a Roro vessel.

 

Transport costs: The last time this author went on a trip to Boracay via the SRNH, her Roro fees rang up to a tad over P6,000 one way, excluding fuel expenses.

 

As far as fuel is concerned, the 560-km trip is done on relatively flat lands, so expect good fuel mileages of between 8 to 15 kpl. Be ready with about P2,500 (diesel) or P3,150 (gasoline).

 

  1. Manila-Marinduque-Manila (440 km, including a 100-km Roro trip, in at least three days)

 

There are two routes from Manila to Dalahican Port in Lucena City, Quezon, where the Roro vessels bound for Cawit port in Marinduque island depart. One is via the slightly shorter South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), then straight to San Pablo City, Laguna, to Lucena City.

 

The other route is the more scenic Manila East Road that takes the driver and passengers on a hilly ride from Rizal province, to Pagsanjan-Cavinti in Laguna, to Tayabas in Quezon, and finally to Dalahican port in Lucena City.

 

Marinduque has charms beyond its famous Moriones Festival. The island is great for a mountain-biking tour.

 

There are natural attractions, too, such as spelunking and island-hopping tours.

 

Along the coastal road, the prominent Elephant Island and its ultra-exclusive, Mediterranean-themed Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa can serve as picture-perfect backdrops.

 

Dining options: Except in Boac, the province’s capitol, there aren’t that many well-known dining establishments (or vegetarian options) on the island. So it’s better if you arrange your meals to be prepared in the capitol before heading out to other parts of the island.

 

Transport costs: The Roro fees for a Class 1 vehicle (3.1 to 4 meters long) was P1,700, one way, as of 2011.

 

The actual drive from Manila to Marinduque and back is short, around 340 km, and perhaps another 100-km tour around the island. So, at the usual fuel mileage range of 8 to 15 km per hour, expect to spend about P2,000 (diesel) or P2,500 (gasoline).

 

  1. Manila-Donsol-Caramoan

 

-Manila (1,250 km in at least four days)

 

The constantly under construction Pan-Philippine Highway that passes through Bicolandia is no deterrent to the intrepid road-tripper. And this author has made numerous trips to Bicol and back, and each time, there is a different driving story to tell.

 

If you can stomach the seemingly interminable 510-km highway run from SLEx to Sorsogon province all the way to the coastal town of Donsol, the jump off point to viewing the whale sharks (butanding in the vernacular), the gentle giants of the sea, then that alone is worth it.

 

Stay until it’s dark near the mangroves and you will witness thousands upon thousands of fireflies converging in the trees—a living Christmas tree in summer!

 

If the Mayon Volcano weren’t so frighteningly restive lately, you could drive all the way to the foot of probably the world’s most perfectly coned active volcano via Tabaco City. Right now, the view in Cagsawa would do.

 

Caramoan town and its island group have been the choice location settings for the long-running “Survivor” reality TV show franchise. Lucky island hoppers will see for themselves why foreigners, especially sun-deprived Europeans, would love to be marooned on any of the islands.

 

Dining options: For vegetarians and vegans, the Bicolano “gata” culture would sit well with their tastes. Just specify to the waiters and cooks that you’d want your coconut milk purely with vegetables, and nothing else (well, the sili or hot pepper is optional).

 

Transport costs: SLEx fees from Makati to Calamba are P214 (runs up to P260 if you use the Skyway), then it’s P25 for the expressway extension, for a total expressway fee of P239 (one way).

 

The driving conditions on this route vary widely, from rolling to flatlands, and from well-paved highways to rugged dirt roads, so the mileage will range from 7 to 15 kpl. At prevailing pump prices of fuel (P35/liter for diesel and P45 for gasoline), this epic trip will cost you anywhere from P6,250 (diesel) to P8,000 (gasoline).

 

  1. Manila to Anilao, Batangas, and back (252 km in at least one-and-a-half days)

 

What makes a road trip to the southernmost tip of Balayan Bay in Mabini worth it is the incredibly picturesque drive along the Mabini-Anilao coastal road, which comprises the final 15 km or so of the drive. There, the ocean to the right is counterbalanced by a hilly view to the left. Throw in a fiery red sunset—priceless!

 

Make sure your DSLRs have been fully charged. Oh, and by the way, Anilao is the best scuba diving spot nearest to Manila.

 

Dining options: The numerous resorts, dive spots, and restaurants along the stretch of Anilao cater to foreigners from all over the world. Vegetarians, and other famished customers of various dietary restrictions won’t find it hard to dine here.

 

Transport costs: The expressways fees are P214 (P260 if you take the Skyway), P25 for the SLEx extension, and P67 for the Star Tollway, for a one-way total of P306.

 

The fuel mileage is high (9 to 15 kpl), owing to the fact that much of your drive will be on even, expressway speeds, so expect to consume only between 16 to 28 liters of fuel two-way, for a fuel cost of P980 (diesel) or P1,260 (gasoline) at the most.

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