Philippines Magic Mountains

Day 1 - Home departure 

Day 2 - Arrival Manila - Angeles City 
You fly to Manila where our taxi rider welcomes you and takes you to Angeles City in about 2 1/2 hours. Tonight in Angeles City, we will stay in a clean 3-star hotel within walking distance of the city centre. Several bars and restaurants are right around the corner where you can eat both local and Western food. 

Day 3 - Angeles - Stay 
After a good night's sleep and breakfast, we will start the day with a safety briefing to go over important information such as local traffic rules. The rest of the day you have the opportunity to explore the city before we pick up the motorbikes in the afternoon. In the evening we can explore the walking street 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. 

Day 4 - Angeles - Subic 
After securing the bags on the bikes, we leave Angeles City and ride south-west towards Bataan National Park. Via a slightly winding road through this park, we arrive at the west coast of Zambales where the town of Subic is located. Subic Bay was a US base that closed in 1992 at the end of the Cold War. However, the Philippine government has reopened this naval base to better monitor Chinese actions in the South China Sea. Tonight, we sleep in Subic. Our hotel has a swimming pool and is located right on the beach, with many small-scale bars right around the corner. 



Day 5 - Subic - Alaminos 
After breakfast with a view of the port of Subic, we ride further north to the town of Alaminos and the Hundred Islands National Park.  We will regularly leave the main road and some parts may be unpaved. Tonight, we sleep in a hotel that is located directly at the harbor where the boats go to the various islands. 

Day 6 - Alaminos – Baguio 
For the first part of the day, we ride along the coastal road until we slowly make our way into the mountains to the tourist city Baguio. For those with guts we can have lunch on the way at a restaurant that can only be reached via a scary bridge. We stop along the way at “The Lion’s Head” and “The Lady of the Way”. Our overnight stay is in Baguio. The hotel is located on theedge of the center with a nice view of the valley. 



Day 7 - Baguio - Cervantes 
We leave Baguio and quickly enter the high mountains. Here we get a breathtaking view over the Pulog mountains. The mountain road is quiet.The river sometimes flows along the road and the landscape becomes rougher. Due to the many landslides in the rainy season, parts of the road are covered with mud and sand. This is good to ride with our Enduro’s. Tonight we spend the night in the village of Cervantes. The guesthouse is simple but clean. There is no other accommodation option as this is a remote area with no internet coverage and minimal telephone service.  

Day 8 - Cervantes - Vigan 
Today we ride into the mountains of Ilocos to enjoy the scenery and many winding bends. After a few hours, we descend and ride towards the coastal road and follow it to the town of Vigan. Vigan is the best-preserved Spanish colonial city in the Philippines and even throughout Asia. It is like going back in time. The residents are proud of their special history and culture. "It is a miracle this city is still standing as it narrowly escaped destruction during the Second World War. Allied forces were moments away from bombing the city when Japanese troops fled, halting the operation." The sixteenth-century Spanish colonial city of Vigan is on the Unesco World Heritage List. The buildings are a mix of Filipino, Chinese and European architecture. In the evening you can enjoy dinner in  the central square of the city. We spend the night in a 4-star hotel - a Spanish colonial building right in the city center with shops and restaurants right around the corner. 

Day 9 - Vigan - Tabuk 
Today's route goes inland over the Cordillera Mountains. Due to the many landslides and mud, this road is frequently damaged and hardly repaired. We ride through this special mountain landscape far away from civilization. We will stop regularly to take in the surroundings or to capture it on camera. Our overnight stay tonight is a simple but clean hotel with a swimming pool and an excellent restaurant. 

Day 10 - Tabuk - Pagudpud 
We ride further north through vast mountainous areas along the Chico River and later the Abulog River. The road is often well paved and has many beautiful bends that go through a remote forested area. When we turn off the engines, the various birds that live here will sing to you. We then leave the mountains behind us to make our way to the coast. Before we reach the northern coastal road, we ride off-road through some villages and rice fields.. The coastal road with its 1300-meter-long viaduct and many bends takes us to the town of Pagudpud. Pagudpud is a  seaside resort for the locals, which means it is often quiet during the week. 

Day 11 - Pagudpud - Santa Anna 
We ride back east via the Patapat viaduct, the coastal road of Pasaleng Bay. We will regularly turn off the main road and ride through various small villages and the vast rice fields.. We leave the Ilicos Region and ride via Portugal and Plampona to Santa Ana, which is located in Cagayan Valley. This region is becoming increasingly popular among kite and wind surfers who live on the very tip of the mainland. Our hotel is located directly on the beach and has a swimming pool to relax in. 

Day 12 - Santa Anna (rest day) 
Today is a day to relax at the beach, wash some clothes, go for a swim, or explore the area. 



Day 13 - Santa Anna - Tuguegarao 
We first ride back a bit on the main road. We will then ride through the vast rice fields via various secondary roads, parts of which are off-road. Parts of the region where we ride are still disadvantaged and this can be seen in the houses in which they live. About 1 hour before Tuguegarao we stop at Quibal where we can visit a 7-room limestone cave with a chapel. Our hotel is located right in the center, so we can walk through the night market in the evening and enjoy the local satay that is barbecued. 

Day 14 - Tuguegarao - Batad 
The route continues south as we ride through the Mountain Province. The mountain road varies from good quality to parts in poor condition. The cause is again landslides that took place during the rainy season. This route has beautiful views with many rice fields and terraces. The town of Banaue in particular is known for its beautiful rice terraces. Then we ride more inland via a mountain road to Batad where we will spend the night. This isolated village is only accessible on foot. We park our motorcycles and continue the last 20 minutes on foot to our guesthouse. The porters can bring our belonging to the guest house. It is a simple guesthouse with a 5-star view of the rice terraces of Batad. Our friendly hostess provides a good dinner and breakfast of your choice. 

Day 15 - Batad - Baler 
After breakfast, we walk back to our bikes and the porters carry our luggage down. We begin riding to the south again and turn off towards the east. The middle part of this stage is flat, but this changes as we approach the mountains again and ride on asphalted roads to and through the Quirino Mountains. We partly follow the coastal road and end today in Baler. At first sight, Baler is an average place, however, when you go to the beach you will find many surfers and nice restaurants. Our hotel is located directly on the sea boulevard. 

Day 16 - Baler - Angeles 
The final leg of the tour back to Angeles passes through the Aurora Mountains. Once again, we ride around many bends until we leave the mountains behind us and are swallowed up by the busy traffic that brings us to Angeles, the end of our motor tour 

Day 17 - Angeles - Manila (taxi) 
We take a 2.5-hour taxi ride back to the capital.  We arrive in Manila at the end of the afternoon and you can spend the rest of the day/evening exploring Manila. Around the corner from our hotel there are several bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a pleasant atmosphere until early in the morning. 

Day 18 - Departure 
Unfortunately, this special adventurous motorcycle trip is over. You will be taken to the airport by our taxi driver, which is approximately 1 hour from our hotel.