Phillippines | Sept 22-23 2024 |
Sector 1 of my north Luzon journey. It was pretty grim riding, but ultimately worth it as Baguio proved to be an awesome place.
Angeles & Nice Motorcycle Rental
Initially, I booked a Honda ADV 150 rental in Manila. But when I saw it was going to take 5 hours to ride secondary roads to get north to Angelese or Subic I canceled that and booked a Honda XR 150 with Nicebike Rental in Angeles - it made more sense to ride the bus from NAIA to Angeles (took 2 hours on a Sunday morning) and collect the bike there. [Note: 400cc and above bikes can ride the expressway, smaller bikes no-go]. I chose Nice because Warren at Motorcycle Paradise had done so previously (and anything he does appears to be a wise decision, blog-wise, anyway). The booking process with Nice was great, with fast and clear communication on Whatsapp.
The bus trip was a breeze to SM Clark, then into a trike from there for a 100 peso ride to Nice. The reg process took about 10 minutes. I went with the XR 150, though I wanted an NMax, which they said are not suitable/available for extended journies out site of Clark. The only negative with Nice was that I needed me to leave my passport - something I don't like to ever do. Fortunately, I have more than one passport, so I didn't leave the one I entered the country with, so technically I could still easily easily get out of the country if required. I mounted my Rockstraps on the bike, strapped on bag, and headed out for huevos rancheros at Tequila Reef Angeles City, an excellent Mexican restaurant and long-time favorite of mine. While I mulled staying the night in Angeles - a world-class den of ill repute - I proudly did a surprisingly level-headed thing and rode straight out of town towards Bagiuo. Message to self: well done!
The Road to Bagiuo
In a nutshell, the 3-hour ride from Angeles to Kennan Road (up the mountain to Baguio) on secondary roads is awful - traffic filled, stop-start, noxious fumes. Indeed, if you are planning a north Luzon ride, you may want to explore taking a much faster expressway bus from Manila or Angeles to Bagiuo then rent a bike there and start your trip. Even Kennan Road was pretty grim, with snaking traffic stuck behind buses and trucks, and maniac drivers passing on the wrong side of the road on blind corners coming towards you.
Bagiuo
Regardless of the meh 4-hour ride to get there, the final destination is so worth it. This was my first visit to Bagiuo and I can state with authority that it's f'n awesome! The setting is incredible, on the top of a mountain range with epic views of the different areas of the city. After having been in a dead downtown Manila the night before, I arrived in Bagiuo on a Sunday, and surprisingly, the place was buzzing with masses of people out and about. While I am not big on malls, the SM Mall there is superb, offering multiple "sunset" platforms that give incredible views of the city. The two meals I had there were excellent, at Central Park Chinese and Good Taste Restaurant just around the corner from my hotel, both really good. Good Taste seems to be a legendary place and has robot servers in addition to a mass of staff. I stayed right in middle of town, near the park. Accommodation at Metro Pines Inn was decent and location superb. Another highlight was the great haircut I got for 150 pesos. I only stayed one night in Baguio, but could have easily stayed longer (and will be back).
Ride: 181 km / 4 hrs
Stay: Metro Pines Inn $40/ ****
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