A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal is a favorite weekend destination for mountain bikers based in Manila. Situated in the 360-meter high Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge, a water gap in the Sierra Madre Mountains, these headwaters of the Marikina River used to be the primary water source of Manila before La Mesa Watershed. The scenic destination is roughly just an hour’s drive away (depending on the traffic) from the big cities in the East of Manila.
The town of Tanay in Rizal province is one of my favorite destinations near the metro for motorcycling road trips. Its proximity to Manila, refreshing mountain scenery, cooler climate, and generally uncrowded destinations makes it a good alternative to Tagaytay on any given weekend. Parts of Tanay pass through portions of the Sierra Madre mountain range, making it a great motorcycling and biking destination.
For weekend warriors and families, Tanay has lots to offer in terms of natural attractions. The resorts and leisure camps in the area also make it a popular destination for team-building activities as well.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Tanay, Rizal”The Philippines is a tropical island, with two major seasons: wet and dry. The months of June to October are generally wet, while September and October are often the typhoon season in the Philippines. While we do get dry days, weather is generally unpredictable, making it difficult to plan travel and vacations, especially if sea travel is involved.
The rainy season can really curb one’s enthusiasm for travel and adventure. But if you’re already in the country during the monsoon season, what can you do?
The Holy Week exodus has started, with thousands of Filipinos heading from Manila to their home provinces and popular vacation destinations around the country this Lenten Break. With the streets in the metro practically empty, this is the perfect excuse for cyclists and riders to gear up and ride to churches and pilgrimage sites.
Here are a few suggestions for religious-themed rides and notable pilgrimage destinations relatively near the metro that you can ride to.
Continue reading “Holy Week Rides & Road Trips near Manila for Bikers”As the temperature rises this summer, it’s important to keep your head cool especially while biking. For those planning their summer rides and bikepacking trips, aside from having a quality bike, one of the most important things you need to invest in is a proper cycling helmet. Travel partner Spyder Philippines just sent over their new Carve S1 Road Helmet for me to test out and use before they officially launch it this April 2019.
Bambike is one of the most popular locally-made bicycle brands in the Philippines. These unique bicycles made from durable and all-natural bamboo and abaca materials are hand-made and crafted by builders from Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based community development organization. Bambike aims to be one of the greenest bikes on the planet.
Baler, the capital town of the province of Aurora, is a haven for surfers and bikers. This laid-back coastal town is known primarily for its waves. Numerous surf shops are situated along Sabang beach catering to novice and the seasoned surfers.
Manila is not the most bike-friendly city in Asia. But if you venture a little further from the metro, you’ll be surprised to find that the Philippines actually has some pretty spectacular mountain biking destinations. Ok, so it may take a little bit of time, effort and resources to get there, but for cyclists looking for bucketlist-worthy places to bike in the country, I think we have a few that we can be proud of.
For riders, cyclists and road trippers clocking in the miles, meals on the road often just consist of quick stops at fast food joints or meet-ups at gas station convenience stores before heading out. Most riders would be satisfied with cup noodles or hot coffee to warm up along the way. A few years ago, this was pretty much all there was along the Marilaque route (also known as Marikina-Infanta or Marcos Highway), the scenic twisting road traversing Marikina, Rizal, Laguna all the way to Infanta, Quezon.
During weekend rides, I’ve noticed a lot of new places to eat and a lot of other establishments being built along the route. Below is a growing list of old favorites and new places where you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy the view along Marilaque. Manila East Road (specially in towns overlooking Laguna de Bay) also has a lot of interesting dining places that makes it great for road trips. This is arranged by distance coming from the Quezon City side.
Continue reading “Road Trip Restaurants along Marilaque”Wondrous and stunning as the centuries-old temples of Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia may be, if you’ve just spent two days straight just looking at nothing but temples, it is possible to get “templed out.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.