Two Wheels, One Mission: Our Quest to Conquer Northern Samar

“Long drives are the best way to cleanse your mind and rediscover your passion for life.” – Unknown

We made it to Visayas by riding our motorcycle, and even myself, I can't believe that we traveled over a thousand kilometers by two wheels. Our journey is more than just a trip, it's an unforgettable experience—it's a core memory unlocked!

We began our journey from Manila, just a few hours after we cast our vote in the 2025 national election. While most people are watching the election outcome, we are beginning our journey to Northern Samar on the road.

We started our trip around 11 a.m. Our first stop was in Laguna, where my aunt lives. My mom had planned to stay with her for one night before travelling since we were traveling separately; my boyfriend and I were on a motorcycle, while my mom was traveling with her sister and her sister's family.

On this vacation, my mom was with us along with my aunt and her family. My mom and I decided to meet up in Northern Samar because we had different modes of transportation. We'll simply keep in touch with each other from time to time. In order to ensure safety, we all shared our locations so that I could check my mom's location. Additionally, we shared our locations with our family in Quezon City.

We arrived in Laguna around 1 p.m. We took only 30 minutes to rest and ensure everyone was okay and prepared for their trip. Around 2 p.m. when we found a hotel where we will spend the rest of the day.

At 2 a.m. on May 13th, our trip was officially started. But before that, we first stopped by 7-Eleven to get coffee. After only 30 minutes of travel, the heavy rain started to pour, making it challenging. We took a 15-minute break to put on our raincoats and organize our belongings. After that, we continued on our journey.

We made a continuous trip until 12:30 p.m. This time, we were in Tagkawayan, Quezon province—291 kilometers away from Quezon City, Manila. We took a break for more than an hour at McDonald's, where we also ate. We ensured that we refilled our tumblers, checked the condition of Tibs (our motorcycle, haha), and do other things as needed. Afterwards, we proceeded with our trip and conquered the Bicolandia.

We're in between Naga City and Iriga City at 7 p.m. and made the decision to spend the night there. The inn we stayed at was not ideal. Despite having an air conditioner, there were still a lot of mosquitoes. Given that we were only staying there for a few hours and it was the closest place in the area, we made the decision to stay there.

We woke up at 12:30 a.m. and started traveling again at 1 a.m. Leaving there, we had a 4-hour trip until we reach Matnog, Sorsogon, where we would board a ferry.

We arrived at Matnog port at 6 a.m. Since the ferry trip was scheduled for 9 a.m., we had some time to rest. The process of buying tickets was incredibly time-consuming. The ticket-buying system was organized, but my boyfriend and I were a bit confused about what we still needed to buy besides the ferry ticket. To inform you, you must purchase a port ticket, obtain a stamp from the coast guard, and do other things in addition to the ferry ticket as we initially thought.

By 9 a.m., we had already arrived at the passenger boarding area for the ferry. Unfortunately, we were informed that we were moved to the next boat because the one we were supposed to ride was already full. The ferry boat's arrival time was 11 a.m., so we had to wait for a couple of hours.

At 11:30 a.m., we boarded the ferry, got settled, and rested. The sea trip would take almost two and a half hours.

I was ecstatic at that moment because it was the first time I had been on a ferry boat; it was my first time taking a ferry trip. It's funny because I didn't think my mom would be on the same ferry. Imagine that after a few hours of traveling separately, we would ultimately meet up on the ferry. We thought we would only see each other in Northern Samar, which made it hilarious.

We landed at Allen Port in Northern Samar around 3 p.m. We ate quickly and then traveled again for another almost three hours going to Pambujan, Northern Samar, where we would stay for four days.

We arrived at the apartment where we were staying at 7 p.m. It was a bit small but enough for the two of us. There were also very few people staying there, so it was quiet. That's the province vibe I wanted to experience. The trip was so exhausted that we fell asleep after only three hours.

(This is the inn we stayed):

We went around the City of Pambujan the next day and went swimming at Paninirongan Beach. The road that leads there is so soothing; it is dotted with trees. The water was clear and there weren't many people swimming. We had an amazing time there, that caused us to have a hangover on the beach!

On the second day, we went to the village where my mom was staying with her siblings. The provincial vibe was a factor that made it memorable. We rode a motorcycle for about 30 minutes, and when we reached Barrio San Ramon, we had to walk because the road was impassable for motorcycles or cars—it was muddy, rocky, and not yet cemented since the road had not been developed yet.

The experience of going to that village was truly memorable, especially because we were in a very remote location. The grass was tall, the cell signal was absent, and the road was slick. The absence of streetlights made it unsafe to be out there at night if you weren't familiar with the route. Add to that the fact that I have a fear of snakes. As we were walking through the tall, grassy path, only one thought was running through my mind: 'I hope there are no snakes here.'

Upon arriving at my uncle's house and observing their current living situation, I saw how difficult their lives are; there weren't enough electric fans, there was limited electricity, there was no signal, part of the house was an open area so snakes could potentially enter. Apart from that, my mom also shared to me that the closest market on that area is over an hour away—one of the reasons why I have a much greater appreciation for the small things.

We decided to head back to town around 5 p.m. because we didn't want to be caught in the dark on the road. The return trip was even funnier, because before we left, my cousin told us that there were actually snakes there, and our uncle already encountered a big one. That's why on our way back, I walked faster whenever we passed through the tall grass.

On our third day, we decided to go far north. I had mixed emotions on the way there because the trip was so spontaneous—we didn't have an exact destination. The beautiful scenery: mountains and a view of the sky made me feel very happy. At around 4:30 p.m., I suggested that we shouldn't go any further as it was already raining. In addition to that, as we were driving on the roads we took, I noticed there weren't many streetlights, so I thought we shouldn't be caught on the road at night—it would be dangerous because it was dark and you know, since we're not from there, we need to be cautious (better safe than sorry). At that time, we were already in Mapanas, about 85 kilometers away from where we were staying. We only took some pictures there and rested for a bit, then we started our trip back.

On our fourth and final day, we didn't do much except rest and pack our things. Due to our lack of knowledge about the ferry's regular schedule, we had to leave early. At 1 p.m, we began our journey to Allen Port and arrived at 5 p.m. Luck was on our side because a trip was scheduled just 30 minutes after we got our tickets, allowing us to depart from Allen Port at 5:30 p.m. and travel to Matnog Port.

We were already in the sea when the sunset began. Since I'm an opacarophile, my heart was filled with joy as I watched the beautiful sunset from the ship.

After a sea journey that lasted more than two hours, we finally reached Matnog port around 8 p.m.

When we got to Matnog, Sorsogon, our first plan was to wait in the terminal until 2 a.m. However, since we couldn't rest properly, we decided to leave at midnight instead and just look for a place to sleep along the way. Despite being sleepy, we traveled for over six hours until we finally found a place to stay in Legazpi, Albay. During our drive from midnight to 6 a.m., we inquired at many transients or motels, but unfortunately, the prices were either too high or they were fully booked, so we ended up getting our rest in Albay. We passed by the famous Mount Mayon—beautiful and majestic!

We only slept for six hours, then we ate and left around 2 p.m. to shorten the distance we had to travel. From Albay, we drove for over six hours to Tagkawayan, where we spent the night.

You might be asking why we didn't just continue the trip all the way to a closer city. We opted out of driving straight through because we wanted to avoid being on the road after dark, particularly since we would be passing through Bitukang Manok in Atimonan, Quezon.

The next day, May 22nd, we started the final leg of our trip around 11 a.m. From Tagkawayan, we drove non-stop all the way home to Quezon City, only stopping for a bathroom break or to get a drink. We went through uphill, downhill, and winding roads that were slippery and rocky—it was extremely challenging, but so memorable!

From Northern Samar, the very first stoplight we saw was already in Laguna, near Antipolo. So when we saw it, we just said, "Oh, we're really in Manila now."

At 8 p.m., we reached Quezon City, marking the formal conclusion of our Manila-Northern Samar and Northern Samar-Manila trip with Tibs, our most dependable travel companion.

This trip was a great learning experience for us. We discovered so much, not only about each other but also about ourselves. We were able to explore and see the beauty of the Visayas. The beauty of Northern Samar has already caught us by surprise, even though we haven't fully explored it yet. Maybe if we had been able to go around there, we might have stayed there for one month.

The fact that we traveled over a thousand kilometers on two wheels remains an amazement to us every time we think about it. Moreover, the deep realization hit me: traveling to new places and exploring multiple cities plays a significant role in one's life. There's something about travelling that makes you want to do it often.

Our trip to Northern Samar was a trip that I will always remember. Not only because we conquered the journey using our motorcycle, but it was also our first time visiting the province. My mom's return to her hometown, which she had wanted to do for a long time, was something she had wanted to do after almost 37 years, making this vacation even more special.

My mom was only 16 years old when the last time she went back to her hometown—she's 53 now. Imagine how long she waited to go back to her province. The fact that I was able to fulfill my mother's dream of vacationing in her hometown makes me extremely happy. I'm also happy that all of us got there and came back home safely.

I asked my boyfriend about his realization on this trip. He answered:

"Narealize ko na kapag sobra mong na-enjoy yung biyahe, hindi mo pala mamamalayan na nakarating ka na sa destination. We encountered a lot of challenging things along-the-way, nagkaroon pa tayo ng maliit na tampuhan sa biyahe, but we never let our egos and pride take over, and masaya ako na napagdesisyunan nating ituloy yung magandang trip natin na yun—yan yung top one sa lahat ng maraming bagay na natutunan ko sa bakasyon natin na yun."

"Ang takeaway ko is to enjoy every minute na kasama kita sa rides, lalo na kapag sobrang haba ng biyahe. To make you laugh even while I'm driving, kasi pag masaya ka, masaya rin ako, at mas mae-enjoy ko yung pagda-drive kahit gaano pa yan kahaba at katagal, basta masaya ka", he added.

If you were to ask me about my realization on this trip, this would be my answer:

I've always said that I enjoy the journey more than the arriving at the destination. But on this trip, I learned that I enjoyed both, especially because the place is truly beautiful. Because of this, I realized that it doesn't matter which is more important to you—the journey or the trip—as long as you enjoy where you are, you're happy with the people you're with, and you learn a lot along the way.

My takeaway from this special vacation trip is to explore as many places as you can. For years, my world was a comfortable cage. I used to be a homebody, completely uninterested in hitting the road. Wandering wasn't my lifestyle; the thought of packing a bag held zero appeal. I used to think exploring was sightseeing. Now I know the truth: it’s about going deep inside yourself and finding the answer to the essential question: "What do I want?". As for me? This journey has simply ignited the fuel for the next ten.

Have you had a similar moment of self-discovery while traveling? Drop a comment and tell me: What did exploring teach you about yourself?

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Next up, I'm diving into the details you need: our full expense breakdown, budgeting tips, and honest reviews of where we stayed. Don't miss it!

Thank you for reading! Keep exploring! :)