Philippine Loop Adventure Tour
Mark Arthur
4,400 Kilometers Around the Philippines in 22 Days
A personal story of distance, doubt, sickness, mountains, and coming home.
I didn’t fully understand what I was attempting when I rolled out of Cubao at 3:49 in the morning of January 18, 2026.
All I knew was simple:
Ride around the Philippines.
Keep moving forward.
Finish the loop.
Everything else… I would discover on the road.
The First Push: Riding Into Familiar Darkness
The opening days felt almost routine. A friend gladly paced with me until Atimonan to give me moral support for the loop.
I had ridden Bicol before.
I knew the long highways of Quezon, the night roads filled with potholes, the quiet endurance of pedaling while the rest of the country slept.
Day 1 ended in Naga after 382 km—strong legs, steady power, no drama.
Too smooth, almost.
Journeys like this don’t stay easy for long.
By Day 2, Luzon was already ending.
Cagsawa’s bell tower stood under clouds hiding Mayon, a quiet reminder that not everything reveals itself when you want it to.
That lesson would repeat itself many times.
At Matnog, the first ferry carried me away from Luzon.
The real journey was beginning.
Visayas to Mindanao: When Distance Becomes Real
Somewhere between Tacloban and Surigao, fatigue finally arrived.
The closed port in Liloan forced an extra 41 km of coastal climbing—the first moment the ride pushed back.
I remember telling myself:
“Kaya nga Philippine Loop Adventure Tour… part ito ng adventure.”
That became the rule of the road:
Accept first. Solve later. Keep moving.
Mindanao felt different the moment I arrived—
wider highways, unfamiliar towns, names I had only seen in news or maps.
Surigao.
Butuan.
Agusan.
Davao.
General Santos.
Places that once felt distant slowly became real under my tires.
And for the first time, I adjusted the plan.
Not because I cannot ride —
but because I wanted to experience the journey, not just survive it.
That decision mattered more than any kilometer.
Western Mindanao to Visayas: When the Body Breaks
By Day 9, the ride turned harder.
Long climbs through Maguindanao.
Empty roads with no food.
Late lunches of eggs and bagoong rice near kilometer 2000.
Then came the mistakes and mishaps:
- forgotten license
- lost shades (twice)
- three punctures before the port
- ineffective sealant
- a ferry arriving near 2 AM
And then…
the real enemy:
diarrhea.
No power.
No proper food.
Just electrolytes, bread, and stubborn forward motion.
This is the part people don’t see in photos.
But this is where endurance is decided.
Not in strength—
but in refusing to stop.
The Return to Manila: A Quiet Reset
Reaching Cubao again on Day 14 should have felt like a finish.
Instead, it felt like intermission.
Laundry.
Bike service.
Backing up 1.1 TB of memories.
Family meals at Barrio Fiesta.
Catching up on work.
Rest days in long journeys are strange.
Your body stops…
but your mind is still riding.
Soon enough, it was time to leave again.
North Luzon was waiting.
The Mountains: Where the Real Test Begins
The Cordilleras don’t care how far you’ve already ridden.
They only ask one question:
Can you still climb?
Kennon.
Halsema.
Atok.
Bessang Pass.
Endless elevation.
Cold air.
Slow progress measured not in kilometers—
but in willpower per pedal stroke.
Yet this was also the most beautiful part of the loop.
Somewhere descending toward Ilocos Sur, I realized:
This ride was no longer about finishing.
It had become about seeing the country fully—
not from a window, but from the road itself.
The Long Way Home
From Ilocos to Cagayan, from Aparri to Isabela,
the kilometers stretched into quiet, familiar rhythm again.
Night riding returned.
Fatigue stayed.
But something had changed.
The question was no longer:
“Can I finish?”
It became:
“What will it feel like when it’s over?”
I didn’t know.
Day 22: The Finish That Didn’t Feel Like One
The final morning in Baler was cold and rainy.
Nineteen degrees.
Sixty kilometers of climbing still ahead.
I emptied whatever strength remained.
Not because I had to—
but because it was the last time this journey would ask.
Then something unexpected happened.
Friends appeared on the road.
Cycling Chef at Bongabon.
Ian How with a drone at Plaridel.
Papa Fred in Marilao.
After seven days of riding alone,
the final kilometers became shared.
And maybe that’s the real truth of long rides:
You start alone.
You struggle alone.
But somehow…
you never finish alone.
Coming Back to Cubao
The last 24 kilometers were quiet.
I kept wondering what I would feel.
Pride?
Joy?
Relief?
But when I finally stopped where it all began…
I felt nothing.
Just one clear thought:
“Gusto ko na magpahinga.”
Maybe meaning doesn’t arrive at the finish line.
Maybe it arrives later—
while reliving memories,
editing videos,
telling stories like this.
Philippine Loop — Complete
4,400+ km
22 days
~200 km/day average
-
7 days Manila → General Santos (Eastern route)
-
7 days General Santos → Manila (Western route)
-
1 rest day
-
7 days Central & North Luzon
-
All checkpoints completed
-
6 RORO crossings
But numbers don’t explain what really happened.
What stays with me isn’t distance.
It’s the quiet roads.
Unexpected kindness.
Mountains that refused to end.
Moments of doubt that slowly turned into belief.
And the simple realization that:
The Philippines is even more beautiful when you cross it slowly,
one pedal stroke at a time.
I Shall Return
This journey is finished.
But something tells me
this story isn’t.
This is Mark Arthur.
Philippine Looper.
And someday…
I shall return. 🇵🇭
Complete Day-by-Day Journal (22 Days • 4,400+ km)
This is the full daily account of my Philippine Loop Adventure Tour—
a 22-day solo ride across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, finishing where it all began: Cubao.
SOUTH LUZON PUSH
Day 1 — Cubao to Naga (382 km | 3,201 m climbing)
A familiar but demanding opening.
Riding through Quezon’s rough roads, night riding in Camarines Sur, steady Zone 2–3 pacing, and a strong arrival in Naga after 18.5 hours.
No drama yet—just forward motion.
Day 2 — Naga to Allen (223 km + ferry | 1,498 m)
Quick detour to Cagsawa Ruins, Mayon hidden by clouds.
Reached Matnog, first PLAT checkpoint, then crossed to Northern Samar.
Luzon complete.
Day 3 — Allen to Tacloban (250 km | 2,217 m)
Endless rollers across Samar with stunning coastal views.
Crossed San Juanico Bridge in darkness—lights broken, no view.
Fatigue begins to whisper.
Day 4 — Tacloban to Surigao (197 km + ferry | 1,907 m)
Closed Liloan Port forced extra coastal climbing to San Ricardo.
Rough seas turned a 1-hour ferry into 3 hours.
Arrived late in Mindanao—tired, but moving.
ENTERING MINDANAO
Day 5 — Surigao to San Francisco, Agusan del Sur (205 km | 1,595 m)
First adjustment of the plan.
Chose experience over distance, arriving earlier and finally breathing.
Recovery begins.
Day 6 — San Francisco to Davao (195 km | 1,099 m)
Most pleasant ride so far.
Arrived before sunset, serviced the bike, bought SD cards.
Rhythm found.
Day 7 — Davao to General Santos (148 km | 1,214 m)
Relaxed coastal riding, climbs in Sarangani, warm welcome from friends.
Another checkpoint complete.
WESTERN MINDANAO TO VISAYAS
Day 8 — General Santos to Cotabato (186 km | 1,257 m)
Surreal passage through places once only seen in news and vlogs.
Mindanao becomes real under the tires.
Day 9 — Cotabato to Pagadian (180 km • 1,880 m)
Long, heavy climbs and empty roads.
Late lunch at km 2000.
Hard day—worth every meter.
Day 10 — Pagadian to Dumaguete (159 km + ferry | 2,035 m)
Forgotten license, lost shades, three punctures, failing sealant.
Arrived near 2 AM.
Exhaustion deepens.
Day 11 — Dumaguete to Bacolod (220 km | 1,545 m)
Only 3 hours of sleep.
Missed ferry to Iloilo—plans broken.
Mental fatigue stronger than physical.
Day 12 — Iloilo Mini Rest Day (111 km | 567m)
Family visits, city riding, good food.
Body resets… but stomach trouble begins.
Day 13 — Passi to Caticlan (172 km | 1,139m)
Diarrhea.
No food, no power—just persistence.
Reached Caticlan before sunset.
Sometimes finishing the day is victory enough.
Day 14 — Caticlan to Cubao One-Shot
Emergency tire search across Mindoro.
Perfectly timed ferries.
Returned to Manila after two weeks.
South Loop complete.
RESET AND NORTH LUZON
Day 15 — Rest Day
Backups, bike service, chores, family meal.
Not rest—preparation.
Day 16 — Cubao to Dagupan (372 km | 1,921m)
Big mileage push before the mountains.
Checkpoints: Subic and Alaminos.
Momentum regained.
THE CORDILLERA TEST
Day 17 — Dagupan to Atok (102 km | 2,378 m)
Relentless climbing into the Cordilleras.
Cold air, slow progress, quiet beauty.
Real test begins.
Day 18 — Atok to Narvacan via Bessang Pass (201 km | 3,016 m)
Most scenic leg of the entire loop.
Long ascent, breathtaking descent.
Mountains finally behind me.
THE LONG WAY HOME
Day 19 — Narvacan to Sanchez Mira (255 km | 1,938m)
Chasing sunset to Pagudpud, climbing into Cagayan at night.
Homesickness grows.
Finish line feels near.
Day 20 — Sanchez Mira to Aurora, Isabela (248 km | 1,222m)
Wide, smooth northern roads.
Quiet efficiency.
Calm before the final storm.
Day 21 — Aurora, Isabela to Baler (200 km | 2,518m)
First time through Quirino—relentless climbs, stunning views.
Arrival in Baler marks the final night.
Celebration: sugpo instead of lobster.
Simple, perfect ending.
FINAL DAY
Day 22 — Baler to Manila One-Shot (226 km | 1,651 m)
Cold rain.
Last Sierra Madre climbs.
Friends appear on the road after 7 days solo.
Quiet final kilometers back to Cubao.
Philippine Loop complete.