When it comes to touring the Philippines on two wheels, it’s almost always about motorcycles. Rarely do we see people embarking on journeys around the archipelago astride bicycles. That being said, bikepacking is gaining popularity here on our roads, especially after more people started picking up cycling during the pandemic.
It’s a healthier and more sustainable way to tour the country, and not to mention cheaper, considering fuel prices these days. It’s also arguably an entirely different and beautiful experience altogether, as recently shared by a certain YouTuber named Belle Toscan.
Toscan is a cyclist from Spain, and she recently visited the Philippines with the intent to go around on two wheels. Her adventure started off in Metro Manila, where she was able to get a glimpse of the life of a cyclist in our city. She likened it to her previous experience in Vietnam. “You just need to go with the flow of the traffic and make sure you don’t put your wheel on a hole.”
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After visits around some historical landmarks in Manila City, Toscan boarded a bus all the way to Baguio City. She took her bike with her, and upon arriving in the City of Pines, she met up with Valerie, a fellow female cyclist who guides bikepacking trips across the Cordilleras.
The two rode together all the way to Bontoc, hitchhiking somewhere in the middle. They got to enjoy the scenery, the communities, and the local cuisine along the way. It was in Bontoc that they parted ways, but not before meeting with a local cyclist named Daryl.
Toscan then hit the road on her own to Batad in Ifugao, where this first part of her journey ended. She did say at the end of the video that she was going to head south next, so we’re guessing she cycled to Bicol Region thereafter.
As of this writing, though, the next episode has yet to be uploaded, so we’ll have to wait and see what it’ll be like. For now, you can enjoy the entirety of the beautiful 37min48sec video below. Absolute cinema, I tell you.
