Luzon Island on a motorbike

Starting from Angeles City

A Philippine Adventure

After my solo tour in Sumatra, Flying from Medan in Sumatra to Angeles City in the Philippines, just north of Manila, marked the start of my next adventure.

Angeles is where I’d be meeting up with my riding buddies for our Luzon loop. The plan was simple: rent bikes in Angeles and tour mainly the northern parts of Luzon. My mates would arrive in a week, but I wanted to inspect the bikes beforehand and make sure everything was dialled in.

Why start from Angeles and not Manila?

Pure practicality. Manila traffic is the kind that turns grown riders into broken men. Getting out of downtown Manila can take most of the day. By starting from Angeles, we save a full day on each end and get to the open roads, mountains, and coastline much faster.

For central and northern Luzon, it is convenient to fly to the Clark International Airport, just outside Angeles. The airport was once the giant U.S. Clark Air Base until its closure in 1991. Today it’s a freeport zone dotted with casinos and commercial areas.

Not that I needed any of the casinos, it was much more fun to stay in Angeles City and to explore the walking street and local (night)life. Enough to make one dizzy and not for the narrow-minded, if you catch my drift.

Before the team arrived, I also wanted to check out some island life and world-famous beaches. The hotel travel desk arranged a last-minute trip to Boracay, and the two ladies running the desk were so determined to send me there that resistance would have been pointless. It turned out to be a great way to burn the week before the others arrived – soaking in the sun and sea.

Overview

Continue reading Roads of Rice and Rain: Luzon, the Philippines →