It only takes exactly two minutes to leave behind the noisy concrete edges of the city and enter a mountain range so vast that it seems to swallow the entire northern horizon of Bukidnon. Most travelers who visit the highland province stay within the safe and predictable limits of the paved national highways and the…
Most travelers believe that the highest point of the Philippine highway system is still found in Atok, Benguet. For decades, the Halsema Highway held the crown at a dizzying 7,400 feet above sea level. Recent geographical findings have shifted the coordinates to a rugged stretch of road in Tinoc, Ifugao. This new peak sits at…
The air changes so fast on Route 955 that you might think you have crossed a border into another country. I was used to the humid heat of the coastal roads back home in Negros. Northern Mindanao has a secret that is finally getting the attention it deserves. This is the story of two days…
Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the usual travel maps of Mindanao? Most travelers hesitate when they hear about the Zamboanga Peninsula because of old stories and deep-seated fears. But for those of us with a motorcycle and a sense of wonder, it is a land of untouched beauty. I recently took my bike…
There is a specific rhythm to life in the Visayas that you only notice once you trade the noisy comfort of four wheels for the raw freedom of a motorcycle. I sat on my bike at the edge of the Dumaguete port and felt the humid sea air mixing with the intoxicating smell of roasting…
Some places feel like they are waiting for you to find them among the waves. I stood at the pier in Padre Burgos and watched the morning sun hit the blue water of Southern Leyte. My motorcycle was already strapped to the deck of the boat because I knew the roads on the other side…
The engine heat was the only thing I could feel as I crawled through the thick, suffocating gray traffic of Carcar on my way south. I was desperate to trade the smell of exhaust and the noise of city horns for the scent of salt air and wet earth. My birthday was just around the…
Most travelers believe the true soul of a place is found in the busy city centers but I have always found that the best stories are written on the winding roads that lead away from the noise. I sat on my motorcycle at the edge of the strait and watched the sun highlight the rust…
Most travelers think they have truly conquered the island of Bohol once they have snapped a photo of the Chocolate Hills and seen a tiny tarsier clinging to a branch in the forest. But if you are like me, and you prefer the rhythmic vibration of a motorcycle under your seat and the smell of…
Have you ever noticed how the air seems to change the very second you leave the concrete limits of the city? The noise of Roxas City begins to fade into a gentle hum as I twist the throttle of my favorite motorcycle and feel the engine come alive beneath me. I can feel the weight…