Exploring northern Luzon off the beaten track

MANILA, Philippines - I have to start with a disclosure — and an admission. No, I’m not really a travel writer, just trying my luck. And I happily admit that I love to drive, and occasionally do so in a way that gets me a reprimand for caution from my wife. So I used the recent visit of two unsuspecting Australian friends, Paulette and Gary Hay, to hoodwink them into joining me as my co-pilots and travel companions on a road trip “off the beaten track.”

The idea was simple: Paulette and Gary’s visit offered the perfect pretext to embark on a drive up to the north of Luzon, a plan that I have hedged for a long time. I also wanted to see first hand how the Philippine mountains compare to the Swiss Alps. And it was equally clear that the only way to do this was to gas up the Land Rover and to discover the countryside away from the busy roads that are ploughed by heavy traffic, crawling lorries and speeding overland buses. At the end, we pretty much succeeded, except that some of the routes taken were not actually roads, but rather tracks — exactly what we were looking for. But more about that later.

Our itinerary was straightforward: we would first head to Baler, and on the way cross the Aurora Memorial National Park. From there our journey would take us northeast on the Baler-Casiguran road to Dipaculao and then northwest across the Sierra Madre to Cordon. Back on “regular roads” for a short stretch, we would head up to Banaue, Sagada and Bontoc and from there along the Chico River northeast to Lubuagan. The plan was then to take a shortcut along the eastern side of the Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park to connect to the Kalinga-Abra road, which would bring us west across the Cordillera mountains to Bangued and Vigan. From there, we would journey back south to Manila.

Spectacular scenery— and much more

I don’t want to beat around the bush: The sceneries and sights we discovered during our six days on the road were truly spectacular and quite overwhelming in their diversity. From the sweeping beaches along Aurora’s Pacific coast to the stunning vistas of the Cordillera mountains and the Sierra Madre, from the spectacularly sculpted rice terraces in Ifugao and the Mt. Province to the living history in Vigan, we never experienced a dull moment and were constantly inspired. And then there were the unexpected treats: Driving through Bongabon in Nueva Ecija we happened upon the Sibuyasan Festival. With the carabao races just finished, we enjoyed a wonderful selection of local fare in the festively decorated town square — and it was much more than just onions. Traveling across Quirino province, we happened upon a sign that directed us to the Aglipay Caves, which turned out to be a real find. And immersing into vibrant Vigan with its enchanting colonial charm and beautifully refurbished historic city center was a true discovery.

I mentioned the local fare, which was as varied as the places where we stopped. From the incredibly fresh seafood in Baler to the Sagada fruit wines or the Ilocano specialties such as bagnet or longaniza, our trip was as much a gastronomic revelation as it was a touristic discovery. Paulette and Gary were impressed. And to complete their Philippine culinary experience, we stopped at Jollibee in Agoo on our way back to Manila. I’m not sure that they will get hooked on sweet spaghetti, but hungry as we were, we all very much enjoyed our lunch.

Traveling “up North” was not only a mouthwatering experience but also very manageable. Our guidebook for the Philippines in hand and a GPS-enabled mobile phone attached to the car’s dashboard got us around easily — even without any hotel bookings. This actually turned out to be a blessing: In Baler, we chanced upon the recently opened Costa Pacifica Hotel, which is a hip place with trendy rooms and located right on the beach. The staff was extremely friendly and it’s definitely a place I want to return to. The same goes for Vigan. Arriving there at half past 10 on a Sunday night and desperate for a shower and a cold beer after 14 hours on the road, we accidentally happened upon the Hotel Felicidad, which turned out to be a true find: An early 20th century family mansion built in the Spanish colonial tradition, it is very tastefully renovated and fully living up to its name.

And then there were the people! Whether it was Rommel the guard at the Banaue Museum who spontaneously and expertly treated us to an insight into Ifugao culture and history, Letty the farmer from Bayyo who hitched a ride with us to Bontoc, or the staff at Emilia’s Kitchenette in Tabuk whom we distracted with our food order while they were passionately rooting for Manny Pacquiao as he was fighting Timothy Bradley on TV: everywhere we went, the Filipinos we encountered made us feel special with their easy going and genuine friendliness.

The roads — what’s there around the next corner?

Surely, one of the true highlights of our voyage was driving along the roads that led us around northern Luzon. Leading through breathtaking coastal and mountain scenery, we crossed rivers, skidded through mud, cruised along spectacularly engineered highways and maneuvered along miles and miles of winding dirt tracks that promised new stunning vistas around every corner. Our road trip truly extended beyond our expectations for exciting travel with a feeling of adventure. And a tire change after dark in the middle of nowhere somewhere in the Abra mountains, or a rock slide along the Pasil-Dao Angan road that forced us to take a four-hour detour only added to the excitement.

So what are the lasting memories of our trip? Certainly the stunning sceneries, the many amazing sights and the unexpected treats along the way. Obviously the great food, the nice hotels and the proverbially warm Filipino hospitality that we found wherever we went. And naturally the spectacular mountain roads and the thrilling drive over endless ridges and around innumerable curves. Regarding the comparison between the Cordilleras and the Swiss Alps as travel and adventure destinations, my verdict is still out, which evidently calls for further exploration. And as to Paulette and Gary: despite my not so timid driving style and a couple of rash breaking maneuvers, they are ready to sign up for my next Philippine road trip wherever it may take us — on or off the beaten track.

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Ivo Sieber is the ambassador of Switzerland.