Phillippines | Sept 25-26 2024 |
Sector 3 of my north Luzon journey. Another epic ride in the mountains, with one unexpected seriously stunning scene. And Vigan proved to be a highlight of the Philippines, as expected.
Farewell Sagada, hello world-class ride
After 2 nights in Sagada that could easily haver been much longer, I packed up for Vigan. Had a quick breakfast at the Bana's - check it out if you are there, it seemed to be the best coffee shop in town.
A few snaps around Sagada the morning I departed
Twin waterfalls
Right out of Sagada, the views got world-class and stayed that way for the next few hours. Along with great roads, and little traffic. Weeeeeee.
About halfway into the journey (2 hours or so), a spectacular sight came into view in the distance: a stunning double waterfall dropping off a mountaintop. Now, as previously stated numerous times, waterfalls are not high on my must-see attractions list (along with caves and temples). But this sight was truly one of the best I have seen in my travels. And as I got closer the view just got better. Apparently, this area is called Mankayan - and there is surprisingly little info available about it. The video below doesn't do much justice to the actual scene ("better in person", like on Tinder....sometimes). but it does give you some perspective into the scene.
Skyline
After another hour or so of riding, the road turned west up a seriously steep mountain through the Kankantuban Eco Park. Apparently, the road is called the Skyline, and for good reason - it's just the kind of road a moto enthusiast aspires to ride, up, down, left, right
After the Skyline, Google Maps took me through some crazy local roads, and then I arrived at the coast, back onto the busy main highway for the last hour or so to Vigan.
Vigan
Vigan is a renowned place, one of the only remaining Spanish-era old towns in the Philippines. Similar to Georgetown, Penang, it's a UNESCO site full of old building and is geared toward mass tourism. I stayed one night, in a prime location downtown. Could have easily stayed another day.
Ride: 170 km / 5 hrs
Stay: Metro Vigan Inn - Annex $25/ ** (not recommended!)
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