A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Cebu is one of the most developed provinces of the Philippines and one of the country’s top tourist destinations. Over the years I’ve traveled back and forth here for various work trips, media tours and solo backpacking trips. While I’m familiar with the main tourist spots within Cebu City, it wasn’t until I had to complete tasks while exploring the island on my own on a motorbike as a finalist for Wrangler’s #TrueWanderer campaign in 2016 that I really fell in love with the place.
UPDATE: The Querocep Bridge along the Marifanta Highway which was damaged by a landslide in December 2015 is still being reconstructed. As of January 2018, what used to be a makeshift wooden bridge is now a steel bridge and is PASSABLE to all types of vehicles. The alternate route to get to Infanta is to pass through Real and Famy.
NEW STEEL BRIDGE (January 2018)
Continue reading “Marifanta Highway: The Road to Infanta, Quezon”
Marinduque is an island province in the Philippines best known for celebrating the Moriones Festival, one of the oldest religious festivals in the country held during Holy Week. Everywhere you go in the province, you can spot references to the icons of the Moriones, men
Cove Manila could be the glittering casino city of Canto Bight in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Or it could be the Capitol in The Hunger Games’s Panem. Imagine an indoor beach and night club with luxury cabanas and private hot tubs housed under a glass-dome where high society are free to revel in lavish and over-the-top celebrations, untouched by the problems of a world descending into chaos and war. You don’t have to imagine it because it actually exists in Manila.
Most tourists are probably familiar with the Mediterranean-style Thunderbird Resorts & Casino in Poro Point, La Union. But did you know that there’s another resort under the same management just an hour away from Metro Manila?
Kaybiang Tunnel is the Philippines’ longest subterranean road tunnel. This tunnel links the towns of Ternate, Cavite and Nasugbu, Batangas through a hole under Mount Palay-Palay (aka Mt. Pico de Loro). It’s a very popular landmark for cyclists and riders based in Manila for weekend rides. This 300-meter tunnel is part of the 6-kilometer Tourism Road in Cavite that cuts travel time from Manila to Nasugbu and Calatagan, Batangas from the usual 4 hours via Tagaytay to just a little over one hour.
My solo ride around Samar Island has been one of the most memorable rides I’ve done this year. I got to traverse through three provinces of (Western) Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar. Since it’s the third largest island in the Philippines, it’s a bit challenging getting around by public transportation.
The main cities are geographically located far from each other and vans and jeeps don’t leave regularly. Usually, you have to wait for public transport vehicles to get filled up with passengers, so getting from one place to another usually requires a lot of waiting time. Since my main purpose was sightseeing and ease of access getting around, I thought I could cover more ground on a motorbike.
Continue reading “Road Trip Guide: North East Samar Loop”Any solo traveler will tell you that one of the most painful parts of traveling alone is the fact that you have no one to share expenses with. After riding around the coastal road of Samar on the way back to Catbalogan City, I decide to squeeze in one last activity. When I passed by the local tourism office in Samar, the three main destinations being promoted were Sohoton Caves Natural Bridge in Basey, the Rock Formations in Marabut and the Ulot River Torpedo Boat Ride in Paranas.
I’ve visited the province of Samar on several caving trips and have written a detailed travel guide about it, but for some reason, I haven’t been to those three main and most popular sites. So while riding back from Borongan to Catbalogan City on my solo ride around Samar Island, I decided to stop and try the Torpedo boat ride at Ulot River since it was along the way.
Continue reading “Endless Samar Part 4: Ulot River Torpedo Boat Adventure”Because Metro Manila and many surrounding towns are highly urbanized and congested, a lot of us are always looking for easy escapes for day trips and weekend getaways. Just a couple of hours from the metro, the nearby provinces of Laguna and Quezon are good choices for those who want to experience the “simple country life.” You can spend the day in a farm or natural resorts, stay in cozy bed & breakfasts, dine in artistic and homey restaurants, and visit artist’s studios.
For those who like nature-tripping, art, culture and food, here are just some of the places you can drive to for an easy countryside getaway relatively near Manila (excluding Nuvali and Tagaytay).
Continue reading “Road Trip Guide: Laguna & Quezon”Over the years, I’ve gone back and forth from Manila to my hometown Naga City in Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region. I’ve also gone on road trips with the family to nearby provinces of mainland Bicol: Camarines Norte, Albay and Sorsogon. The Manila to Bicol route passing the Asian Highway 26 (AH26), also known as the Pan-Philippine Highway or Maharlika Highway, is a major road trip route on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
I’ve been getting inquiries from people planning to drive this route whether by car or motorcycle (and even a few long-distance bikepackers), so I’ve decided to compile a suggested itinerary covering the essentials and some travel tips.
Continue reading “Road Trip Guide: Bicol Highlights”
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