13 Day Discover Philippines Majestic Mountains & Rice Fields Guided Motorcycle Tour

Overview

The route is mostly on-road, but there will certainly also be several unpaved paths. After the rainy period, there are always many landslides which means you will take unexpected off-road sections to bypass them. Due to the many typhoons that this area experiences every year between June and November, one never knows how much off-roading you can expect. A well-paved road through the mountains can turn into a fun unpaved route. In short, this trip has possible unexpected adventures. During this trip through the north of the Philippines, you ride a lot between altitudes of 1,000 and 2,400 meters and sometimes through reasonably deserted areas. There is not much off roading on this tour but after it rains in the mountains the road can change into a slightly adventurous off-road track. You ride on light motorcycles which makes the trip suitable also for those riders who have never undertaken

Highlights

• Starts and ends in Manila
• Ride along the coastal road into the mountains
• Navigate your bike through mud and sand-covered roads
• Visit the best-preserved Spanish colonial city in the Philippines, Vigan
• Enjoy a stay in popular windsurfing town of Santa Ana
• Admire the five-star view of the rice terraces of Batad
• 12 nights accommodation

Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival - Manila

   You fly to Manila where you will be met by their taxi driver who will take you to the hotel in Manila. Manila is a metropolis of extremes and you want to experience it for a day. Hotel is located in the vibrant area Makati where there are many restaurants and bars.

2. Day 2: Manila - Angeles

   Today, you drive to Angeles after breakfast which takes about 2 hours. You check in early so that you have the rest of the day to explore Angeles. You can explore "walking street" in the evening with its many bars and restaurants. If you want to be physically well-prepared for the trip, many massage parlors can help you with this.

3. Day 3: Angeles - Baguio (210 kilometers / 130 miles)

   To leave Angeles, you have to go through the busy traffic to turn off via the main road and continue on secondary roads. The first part is hilly and has steep roads that are well paved. Then it becomes flat for a while and sometimes drive via small paths through rice fields and small villages. Before you go into the mountains, you will first have lunch, and then drive the winding mountain road to Baguio. The hotel is located on the edge of the city with the possibility to visit the always lively center in the evening.

4. Day 4: Baguio - Sagada (180 kilometers / 112 miles)

   You leave Baguio and soon drive into the high mountains. Here, you get a breathtaking view of the Pulog mountains. The mountain road is quiet, the river sometimes flows along the road, and the landscape becomes rougher. Tonight, you spend the night in the village of Sagada. The guesthouse where you sleep is a simple but clean accommodation.

5. Day 5: Sagada - Vigan (190 kilometers / 118 miles)

   Today, you drive into the mountains of Ilocos to enjoy the views and many winding bends. After a few hours, you descend and drive towards the coastal road to follow it to the town of Vigan. Vigan is the best preserved Spanish colonial city in the Philippines and even in all of Asia. It is like going back in time. The residents are proud of their special history and culture. Actually, the colonial city center of Vigan should no longer exist. It miraculously escaped destruction during the Second World War. Japanese troops fled the city, just before the Americans wanted to cover Vigan with a bomb

6. Day 6: Vigan - Tabuk (240 kilometers / 149 miles)

   Today's route goes inland over the Cordillera mountain range. You drive through this special mountain landscape that has actually had a well-paved road for a few years, but there are still parts that are not finished and sometimes after the rainy season there is still a lot of mud / sand on the road. The more than 100 kilometers through this rugged mountainous area with its many views will sometimes force you to stop to take a picture. Your overnight stay tonight is a new and clean hotel with a swimming pool and a fine restaurant.

7. Day 7: Tabuk - Pagudpud (290 kilometers / 180 miles)

   You drive further north through vast mountainous area along the Chico river and later Abulog river. The road is often well-paved and has many beautiful bends that go through a remote wooded area. When you turn off the engines, the various birds that live here will sing to you. You leave the mountains behind you and before you reach the northern coastal road, you drive off-road through some villages and the many rice fields that are here. The coastal road with its 1300-meter-long viaduct takes you with its many bends to the town of Pagudpud. You will be staying in a hotel with swimming pool wit

8. Day 8: Pagudpud - Santa Ana (280 kilometers / 174 miles)

   You drive eastwards back via the Patapat viaduct, the coastal road of Pasaleng Bay. You will regularly turn off the main road and drive through various small villages and the vast rice fields on and off-road. You leave Ilocos Region and drive via Portugal and Plampona to Santa Ana which is located in Cagayan Valley. This region is becoming increasingly popular among kite and windsurfers on the very tip of the mainland. Your hotel is located directly on the beach and also has a swimming pool to relax.

9. Day 9: Santa Ana - Tuguegarao (170 kilometers / 106 miles)

   You first drive back a bit on the main road. Then, you will drive via various secondary roads, parts of which are off-road, through the very extensive rice fields. Parts of the region where you drive are still backward and that is reflected in the houses in which they live. About an hour before Tuguegarao, you make a stop at Quibal where you can visit a seven-room limestone cave with chapel. Your hotel is located in the center so that you can walk over the night market in the evening and enjoy the local dishes.

10. Day 10: Tuguegarao - Batad (220 kilometers / 137 miles)

    The route continues south, you drive through the Mountain Province. The mountain road is varied from good quality to parts that are in poor condition. The cause is again landslides that occurred during the rainy season. Beautiful views with mainly many rice fields and terraces. The town of Banaue in particular is known for its beautiful rice terraces. Then you drive further inland via a mountain road to Batad. Here, you will spend the night. This isolated village can only be reached on foot. You park your motorcycles, and for the last 20 minutes, you continue on foot to the guesthouse. Your be

11. Day 11: Batad - Baler (280 kilometers / 174 miles)

    After breakfast, you walk up again. The porters deliver the luggage, then you drive south again and then turn east. The middle part of this stage is flat, but will change again later. The mountains are in front of you again and on well-paved roads, you drive up through the Quirino Mountains, winding with many bends, and then towards the coast. This coastal road with its breathtaking views takes you to Baler. At first glance an average town, but when you go to the beach, you will find many surfers and nice restaurants. Your luxury hotel with a swimming pool is located directly on the boulevard

12. Day 12: Baler - Angeles (210 kilometers / 130 miles)

    The last leg of the tour back to Angeles goes through the Aurora Mountains. Again, you will drive a lot of bends until you leave the mountains behind you and you are swallowed up by the busy traffic that brings you to Angeles. You stay in the same hotel as at the beginning of the trip.

13. Day 13: Angeles - Manila - Departure

    By taxi, you will first drive from Angeles to Manila airport in 2 hours and then fly back to your destination.

Ride Details

Terrain

A mix of asphalt and off-road (10% of the time)

Bike

Rental bike (Honda XR150)

Mileage

2,270 kilometers / 1,411 miles

Daily rides

170 - 290 kilometers / 106 - 180 miles

Riding gear

Not included but mandatory: Helmet, motorcycle jacket with protection, gloves, good sturdy (motorcycle) pants with protection or with loose knee protection, and sturdy high mountain shoes

Meals

All breakfasts

Accommodation

Most overnight stays are in well-maintained and clean hotels, resorts or cottages, some of which are in a special location. A few overnight stays are basic, that is to say simple, as there is no alternative in the area. They try to let you spend the night in good 2 to 4-star hotels or cottages where possible. However, because they want to discover pure adventure and ride to places where tourists rarely visit, it may occasionally happen that the accommodation is not optimal and therefore some adjustment is expected.

Food

The package includes daily breakfast.

Getting There

This tour takes place in Luzon Island, Philippines. Arriving in Manila, you will then head for Angeles City, and continue riding to Baguio, Sagada, Vigan, Tabuk, Pagudpud, Santa Ana, Tuguegarao, Batad, Baler, then back to Angeles and Manila.