nomad4ever

This post actually should’ve been about the fine roads of Panay Island.

Following the National Highway, you can enjoy marked middle lines, clear sidelines, an abundance of street and road direction signs and a smooth asphalt/bitumen surface, not the cheaper concrete surface, that only lasts a year or so.

It’s really a pleasure to drive on these roads - until you decide to leave them and take a smaller road. That’s what we decided to do, coming from Iloilo, to visit a Hot Spring along the way. Big mistake!

Bumpy Adventure

written by Chris

Fuel prices in Indonesia are fixed by the government and don’t float according to market conditions. This leads to unbelievably cheap costs of fuel of Rp 4.500 per liter (app. USD 0.50).

While that was basically great for the population and led to an increased use of fuel - making oil-rich Indonesia basically an Oil Importer instead of an Exporter a few years back - it did cost the country an ‘arm and a leg’ in fuel subsidies.

Changing that policy caused national unrest and riots the last time they tried in 2005. Now things look a bit more calmer; but still fuel prices have to go up to save the country from sliding into bankruptcy in the mid-term:

written by Chris

Getting from Negros to Panay Island had us first use the RoRo service which connects the major islands here in the Philippines.

It’s actually an easy and straight-forward process. You arrive at the RoRo terminal, buy a ticket for your vehicle, pay departure or port tax and off you go.

Drive your car, bike, tricycle or whatever vehicle you paid for onto a RoRo ship and you are set to make it to the next big island. From Bacolod on Negros there are several routes, but the most popular one is to get to the neighboring island Panay:

written by Chris

Just a daytrip from provincial capital Bacolod on Northern Negros in the middle of the Philippines is an idyllic resort in the mountains.

It’s called Mambukal and offers 7 (!) cascading waterfalls, a nice climb through jungle forest along the waters, treetop climbing in the canopy, a sulfur spring basin to rest your aching bones and much more.

Besides those water and jungle activities, you can also have massage (and manicure/pedicure) here, watch gigantic fruit bats flying around in the area and hanging in the trees.

written by Chris

If you chose a base in a host country you basically explore the surrounding area only in a certain radius. That means, even if you have a rented motorcycle, you always have to return to your point of origin.

Of course you can do a daytrip or even multiple daytrips, but still you are limited to an area of close proximity for exploration.

written by Chris

I first heard of Siquijor island back in 2002 from a Dive Buddy when visiting Alona Beach on Bohol. Sitting in the ‘Safety Stop Bar’ on Panglao, drinking a few San Miguel, he told me especially about the exciting Coral Gardens and abundant Marine Life - truly a paradise for divers!

The beaches were said to be of the purest and whitest sands, yet still undeveloped - surely the next Boracay in the making. At that time I was hesitating to visit, as Siquijor was something like a 2-day trip from Bohol away and I was just getting acquainted with Bohol.

written by Chris

John Bardos asked me recently to answer some questions for his website JetSetCitizen.com. The site is about people who live a nomadic lifestyle; the modern gypsies of this world who create the lifestyles they want to live. So it was a no-brainer for me to comply. You can find the interview here.

If you liked that one, but don’t know how Lee Kuan Yew, Naomi Campbell or Egyptian queen Hatshepsut fit in the picture; you might want to check out also this earlier Q&A session with Epicurienne.

Meanwhile, ‘Mission Triycle’ is developing and will kick start probably this coming week. Stay tuned!

written by Chris

Negros is one of the larger islands in the Philippines. It features 4 volcanoes and is divided by a high mountain range, thus almost completely separating the western part - Negros Occidental - from the eastern part - Negros Oriental.

Dumaguete is the largest city almost at the south-eastern tip of Negros. You can drive around the island via a main road, which closely follows the coastal line. There are a few roads going right through the island also.

Driving around with a rental bike over the last 3 days - here is what we figured out so far:

written by Chris