The Great Philippine Road Trip: Manila to Davao by Land & Sea
As “Viber-ed” by Grace to
the Paranoid Traveler
Grace shared her journey with Philippine Flight Network's Paranoid Traveler to provide our readers with an exclusive look at 'The Great Philippine Road Trip,' a journey that perhaps most of us would not even dare consider taking, especially when there is always the option to fly!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Typhoon Butchoy (international name: Nepartak) was making its presence felt in
Metro Manila when our family commenced our migration to the South, but the weather was expected to improve. We were excited for the adventure ahead especially after seeing
the jeepney banner, "God is always with us." This was a sign of assurance as
we headed out to the South
Luzon Expressway (SLEX) for our first stop in Legazpi.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Entering
Quezon Province
From
SLEX, Waze directed us to the Pan-Philippine
(Maharlika) Highway then to Tiaong Diversion Road. The highway spans from
North to South taking you on a very scenic ride of the countryside.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
The
perk of traveling on a rainy day is having the highway all to ourselves.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
As we drove through Atimonan, Quezon, the skies began to clear!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Downpour
at Sipocot, Camarines Sur
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
After
a day of travel, we finally saw someone we know in Pili, Camarines Sur.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
We arrived in Legazpi, Albay where we enjoyed some sili ice cream.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Now
driving to Matnog to catch the ferry to Allen, Samar.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
After
days of rain, the sun came out and the skies were blue. Perfect for crossing the
seas!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
We admired the skill of the bus and truck drivers who could squeeze their vehicles onto the ferry boats neatly. We were last to board.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
This
is how it looks at the bottom of the ship.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Goodbye,
Luzon!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Visayas,
here we come!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Our voyage took us from Luzon (Sorsogon) to Visayas (Samar) cruising through the San Bernardino Strait, which they say can be very rough sailing. Thankfully, our journey was smooth and uneventful.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Penafrancia
is one of many shipping lines at Matnog pier ferrying vehicles and people to
Samar.
Crossing the ferry from Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Samar cost P1,600 for our car freight charges and passenger fare on board Penafrancia Shipping Company which is one of many shipping lines in Matnog pier ferrying vehicles and people to Samar.
Crossing the ferry from Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Samar cost P1,600 for our car freight charges and passenger fare on board Penafrancia Shipping Company which is one of many shipping lines in Matnog pier ferrying vehicles and people to Samar.
The sailing time is only 1.5 hours---faster than driving from Quezon City to Ortigas Center on a Friday night!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
I
don't mind the long drive with this view!
Driving took half a day to
Tacloban. The RORO
trip was smooth with the calm sea and the sun up shining brightly. It was a perfect day to sail. I had more motion sickness driving to the port than on the ferry because my
husband was driving as if he was in a Daytona race.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Entering
San Juanico Bridge, the longest bridge in the country.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
We
paid a visit to McArthur’s landing site
and spent the night in Tacloban. We headed out to Liloan Port early the following morning for
the second ferry boat ride to Surigao (Mindanao), which many people said is longer
and possibly rougher. We'll see.
We had a restroom break at the office of the Dept. of Public Works and Highways atop a hill on the road to the port. Too bad I forgot to take a photo. It’s a good place to stretch and rest. The restrooms are very clean even though it is in the middle of nowhere!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
We reached
the end of the Eastern Visayas after a three-hour drive from Tacloban. The
Pan-Philippine (Maharlika) Highway stretches all the way to the end. The road was
really good!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Our
trusted Avanza on her second RORO ride! Mindanao, here we come!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
This
is how they position the smaller vehicles on the Fast Cat lower deck.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
The
economy accommodation
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
The
premium economy accommodation
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
The
sailing was so smooth that we did our homeschooling onboard tackling, what
else, Philippine geography.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Hello,
Mindanao!
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
The trip lasted for an hour. Crossing from Liloan, Leyte to Lipatan, Surigao on board Fast Cat cost P3,558 covering car freight charges and passenger fares for Premium Economy cabin (air-con bucket seats). Here, you have to buy your snacks whereas they are free in Business class.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Arriving
in Surigao with our welcome banner from heaven.
It
took us eight hours to get to Davao City in spite of my husband’s Formula One
driving due to road constructions that rendered some one-way only. We cruised
along the CARAGA Administrative Region composed of Surigao del Norte, Agusan
del Norte and Agusan del Sur. I had no idea how huge Mindanao was until we made
this trip! As we were in a hurry, we had
to forego photo ops along the way. We reached the area surrounding Butuan City
(the capital of Agusan del Norte) around 5 pm. It would have been an ideal
place to sleep over as there were nice hotels in Butuan and malls in the city proper.
It already seemed like we had been driving forever as we made our way through Agusan del Sur! By
8 pm, we stopped at a roadside restaurant and resort called Hillview Resort for
dinner and a half-hour respite. We knew we were already far from Manila
because the names of food were a bit different, like "pututoy" which
is like halo-halo except that it is partnered with puto.
We
hit the road again determined to be in Davao before midnight. Waze was telling
us we could make it by 11:30 pm. Incidentally, Waze was our very reliable guide
throughout this journey. Local radio station signals were already out but our
Waze was still active.
Except
for gas refilling, we did not have any other stops. We kept filling up our gas
tank to full every time we saw a Petron gas station, which was strategically
located all over the country.
The
roads were smooth, winding through the mountains of Agusan del Sur and onto
Compostela Valley. Some parts were dimly lit which concerned my dad in Davao who
phoned around 9 pm telling us to just break the journey and stay the night in
Butuan. Too late as we were already miles away. We later found out that the
areas we passed by were not very safe late at night.
For most of the night driving, we saw quite a number of trucks and SUVs
speeding ahead. Our trusty Avanza couldn't go as fast but we managed to hit town
after town, noticing that the highways were well-lit once nearing the town/city
proper. When we hit Nabunturan, the capital of Compostela Valley, I knew we
were closer to home so I phoned my mom who warned us about a speed limit “once
you pass Panabo. Our traffic enforcers in Davao are strict. You best slow down.”
By
this time, I could no longer take photos due to travel exhaustion and everything
was already enveloped by the darkness of the night.
Tagum was well-lit with malls
along the main highway lined with palm trees. Panabo comes after Tagum which
was signaled by a strict military check point.
We were finally entering Davao Del Sur and going towards the city. One of the
first things that welcomed us was an electronic speed monitor that told my
husband that his current speed was 45 kph. That was a good reminder because the
maximum speed limit in the highway was 60 kph and only 30 kph in the city
proper. The smell of durian was somewhat faint but strong enough for us to know
we had reached Davao. By 12 midnight, my parents were thrilled to see their
grandchildren and we were able to breathe a sigh of relief. We were home.
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
 |
| Copyright photo: Grace Dousel/PFN |
Thanks for the excellent article. I was planning to do the drive from Manila to Davao and this will be a big help for reference.
ReplyDeleteNow, how can a bullet train proposed to run from luzon to Mindanao make way through San Bernardino (Sorsogon) and Surigao Straits? There is a news that the European Economic Community will help the Duterte government with funding this project?t
ReplyDeletethank you! my daughter and i have been planning to do this for a while now. big help :D God bless
ReplyDeleteI have done some of this route through Samar by bus. It is very scenic.
ReplyDeleteThe missed to mention the following, bituka ng manok in Quezon, Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga, cities of Calbayog and Catbalogan, Agas-Agas bridge in Sogod, So. Leyte (tallest bridge in the country)
ReplyDeleteMay i ask how much is the total fuel cost and ferry cost? Thank u plano po kasi magbyahe from mindanao to naga
ReplyDeleteHow much cost you in all including ferry fees, hotels, food and the gas? Planning to get mirage at manila and be driven all the way to davao in similar route.
ReplyDeleteMore or less 15k
DeleteGreat! SAlamat po sa pag share nyo...
ReplyDeleteGreat article Grace. I've done round trip Manila Cebu (via Bicol-Samar-Leyte and via Mindoro-Panay-Negros and vice versa) in early 2000 and in 2007 with my family, and this article relives that amazing experience. Glad to find out that Leyte to Surigao takes only 1 hour on the Fast Cat.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Inspiring!
ReplyDeletei wonder how tiring was the travel
ReplyDeleteHi, I read your travel diary,It was great that you were able to document your trip with your family. Those memories are priceless. My wife anf I are also driving to Tagum, Davao and your article is helpful in planning our road trip. Thank you. Joseph Cintron
ReplyDeleteVery good account of your travel. But I wanted to see how much did it cost you all in all including hotels, food, fuel, roro and other incidental expenses. We are planning to do this by the end of this month
ReplyDeleteThis is very informative and I admire how your family is bonded thru travelling. I wanted to do this and travel my 86yr old grandmom to Legazpi before she reaches her dawn of life and let her see her siblings and family.
ReplyDeletehi. were there check points?
ReplyDeleteGreat Article, Inspired me to do it again one more time, while I still can. But instead of driving a truck like I used to, I'm planning on using my motorcycle, just not sure if it would endure long travels.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this article, I will be following your time table excluding the R&R though.
ReplyDeleteI am planning to do the trip next month (on my own). I've almost gone to all the places in Mindanao by land and this will be a first for me.
Well done on this article, God bless you and your family!
Great Article, we're planning to do the same..thank you for sharing..God Bless!!
ReplyDeleteHi! I will be doing the same po on last week of may. Ask ko lang po, masyado bang steep ang mga daan? Is it advisable for new driver na idrive manila to davao? Salamat po!
ReplyDeleteGreat! How much the cost po? Thanks
ReplyDeletehi there. how much was your total expenses from manila to davao by land? we plan to travel next week. can you please help me with the breakdown of your expenses? 2 persons will travel
ReplyDeleteHi! How much is the cost of fuel and ferry boat going to davao? We are planning a trip next month. Thank you for sharing. Godbless!
ReplyDeletehello magkanu lahat nagasto niyo sa travel?
ReplyDeleteThis is very informative, I would like to do the same someday. Thanks for sharing your journey and experience.
ReplyDeleteThank you for publishing this article. It give us courage to pursue our road trip to mindanao.
ReplyDeleteRegarding safety, may maidadagdag po kayong mga tips. Salamat.
ReplyDeleteGuys ano ba pinaka matarik na daan passing Maharlika Road Davao to Manila? baka mahirapan kotse. .8hp lang power ng kotse ko. Sa alam ko, San Ricardo, Benit matarik din. Aside from Benit meron pa ba?
ReplyDeletehi. also a family of 4... same configuration as grace's... done this 'adventure' 2x from pampanga to Davao. she is right, it's a heck of an experience and i'll gladly do it over and over again as long as we can. our first trip was on a Nissan sedan but way back 2002. it was one of my worst driving experience as the roads were truly bad. 2nd trip was again on a sedan (Honda accord) and surprisingly, it was the exact opposite of our first experience. those asking how much fuel it cost for the trip, 15k is good enough (and that excludes 2 hotel accommodation costs however).
ReplyDeleteso if you're planning to hit the road, budget at least 30k for a round trip adventure! I tell ya, it's truly a great experience.
before summer ends, we'll travel anew but this time I have decided to drive out on our van for the best comfort level for my family and myself.
love to hear from the others... maybe we can start a caravan this year! cheers!
I am planning to hit the road round trip from laguna to davao city on the month of april. Maybe we can have a caravan and i am willing to re sched my travel date...
DeleteHi, were planning to do the same on April 13. Maybe we can do a convoy.
Delete@Nowell, I would assume the the 15k is for 4 person right?
hello..your article inspires me more to have this road trip with my 3 kids..i am planning to do this.on Dec 2018.. your detailed article is a big help.. thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your adventure. That was indeed very thrilling. How much did you spend all in all to reach Davao City? I want to try this for myself too.
ReplyDeleteHow bout going back to Las Pinas? Did you use the same route?
ReplyDeleteDaniel Jacobs, 32, (35-2, 29 KOs), of New York City, is putting his IBF title belt on the line. But despite being the American in the ring, he may still find that the Vegas crowd gets behind the awesome Canelo.Read on to find out how to live stream the Alvarez vs Jacobs fight from absolutely anywhere. In the US, UK or Canada tonight? Then scroll just a little further down this page and we'll tell you who's broadcasting the boxing from where you are.
ReplyDeleteCanelo Alvarez vs Daniel Jacobs Press Conference
The year in boxing thus far has been really all may fans could ask for after 2018 gave us a lot to remember. We're not even halfway through 2019, though, so there's still plenty of action still to come with some of the most notable champions in the Canelo Alvarez vs Daniel Jacobs Fight Time sweet science still yet to hit the ring. Plenty of the boxing action that we crave is headed our way as the summer months quickly creep up. We started 2019 with a bit of business in the welterweight division as Manny Pacquiao dominated Adrien Broner for an easy decision win that could set up a Floyd Mayweather rematch.
ReplyDeleteThe 2019 Daytime Emmy nominees include household names such as Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest, and O's very own Gayle King. And while watching the show sounds like it'd be easy, 46th Daytime Emmy Awards How to Watch things get somewhat tricky. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) also sub-divides the daytime ceremonies into regular and Creative Arts Awards. Confused yet? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
ReplyDelete“Ellen” resumed its winning streak with victories in 2010 and 2011, but lost again in 2012 to “Live with Regis and Kelly” after Regis Philbin retired from daytime television. “Ellen” resumed winning after that for another three consecutive years (2013-2015), which brought its total to nine, tying “Oprah.” But in 2016 CBS’s “The Talk” pulled off an upset by winning the award How Many Daytime Emmy Awards has Ellen DeGeneres Won for the first time after six years on the air. However, as we had seen before, you can’t keep “Ellen” down for long: the series claimed its record-breaking 10th prize in 2017 and is the defending champion in the race.
ReplyDeleteAs we reported on September 18, 2018, it seems as though awards season just wrapped up, but even so, Soaps.com has the date for next year’s 2019 46th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. To clarify to fans, in regards to last night’s 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) tweeted, “My yearly response tweet! NATAS does the @DaytimeEmmys , @sportsemmys , @newsemmys When is the Daytime Emmy Awards Show but not the Primetime Emmys. They are done by the other @TelevisionAcad in Los Angeles. News & Doc Emmys coming up on 10/1,” then went on to announce the date for the annual daytime ceremony, “Next Daytime Emmys on May 5th, 2019!”
ReplyDeleteIt's almost time for Canelo to meet the Golden Child. Saul Alvarez's WBA and WBC middleweight titles are on the line against Daniel Jacobs' IBF championsip. That's right...it's a title unification fight and we'll tell you how to get a Canelo Alvarez vs Jacobs live stream, no matter where on Earth you are.
ReplyDeleteThe Saul 'How to Watch Danny Jacobs vs Canelo Alvarez Live Boxing Full Fight Canelo' Alvarez vs Daniel Jacobs fight will take place on Saturday, May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main fight is set to start at somewhere around 11.30pm ET / 8.30pm PT (so 4.30am BST and 2.30pm AET on Sunday).
At the risk of making a massive understatement, this is a fight worth getting excited about. It sees 28-year-old Mexican Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) make a return to the middleweight division after heading up a class to defeat Rocky Fielding for his super middleweight WBA crown. Alvarez - clearly one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter - currently stands to lose his WBA and WBC middleweight titles.Daniel Jacobs, 32, (35-2, 29 KOs), of New York City, is putting his IBF title belt on the line. But despite being the American in the ring, he may still find that the Vegas crowd gets behind the awesome Canelo.
Boxing’s biggest star will take a step closer to becoming undisputed champion as Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) defends his WBC, WBA,
ReplyDeleteLineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Titles in a 12-round unification fight against IBF Middleweight World Champion Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs
(35-2, 29 KOs) during the celebratory weekend of Cinco de Mayo. The champion-vs.-champion event will take place Saturday, May 4, 2019 and will be streamed
exclusively live on DAZN.Canelo is a 28-year-old native of Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Mexico who became the top man in the sport by facing the best competition and making the best fights for the fans.
At 154 pounds, Canelo captured several world titles and defeated the likes of Austin “No Doubt” Trout, Sugar Shane Mosley,
Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, Erislandy “The Canelo vs Jacobs Live Stream American Dream” Lara and Liam “Beefy” Smith. However, Canelo scored his most significant
victory yet at 160 pounds, where he defeated Gennady “GGG” Golovkin in their highly anticipated rematch in September 2018 and established himself as
the WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion. Canelo then made history by signing the most lucrative sports contract for an
athlete in history to begin a groundbreaking, exclusive partnership with global sports streaming platform DAZN that saw the last king of pay-per-view boxing step into a new era as the new king of sports streaming.
The short 5’8? Canelo has no choice but to pressure the much taller 5’11 1/2? Jacobs in this fight.
ReplyDeleteThe size difference between the two fighters is extreme. If WBA/WBC middleweight champion Canelo (51-1-2, 35 KOs)
lets Jacobs stand on the outside and jab him all night long, he’s going to get embarrassed worse than he was in his
loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his loss to the boxing great in 2013. It doesn’t matter that Canelo is fighting in his
favorite venue at the T-Mobile Arena. If the https://canelovsjacobsfights.com/canelo-vs-jacobs-ppv-full-fight/ out-boxes Canelo and loses a controversial decision, the Mexican star
is going to be a laughing stock, and the judges are going to be ridiculed even worse than the set of judges that gave Canelo a
draw in his first fight against Gennady Golovkin at the T-Mobile Arena in 2017. Jacobs is in a strong position to get the win on Saturday
based on his size, talent and the scrutiny the judges are going to be under from the boxing public. The set of judges that have been selected for
the Canelo vs. Jacobs fight are the same set of three that worked the Canelo vs. Golovkin rematch last September.
The Pakistan go into the game with their batsmen in fine form, with all of Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam making hundreds in their tour wins. However, they will be without Shoaib Malik, who has been granted leave, and there is an injury cloud over ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Live StreamMohammad Hafeez as well. All eyes will be on Mohammad Amir, who found himself out of the preliminary World Cup squad. In his only game on tour so far, he picked up one wicket.old Trafford in Manchester is in readiness to host the biggest clash of the year.
ReplyDeleteALL LOAN SERVICES AVAILABLE
ReplyDeleteCommercial Loans
Personal Loans
Business Loans
Investments Loans
Development Loans
Acquisition Loans
Construction loans
Business Loans And many More:
Contact Us At : abdullahibrahimlender@gmail.com
whatspp Number +918929490461
Mr Abdullah Ibrahim