Editor’s Note: After sharing with KUBO readers a detailed account of his bikepacking adventure to Boracay (one of KUBO’s most popular stories in 2023), Dennis Warren—who has been biking long distances for several years and even participating in cycling events like the Audax 200—this time recounts his recent experience of biking to one of the Philippines’ most popular surfing destinations, La Union, which is an over four-hour car ride away from Metro Manila.
Originally, I was planning to bike to La Union by myself to watch a surfing competition at the town of San Juan, considered the surfing capital of the northern part of the Philippines. I shared my plans with a friend, who’s a long-distance rider like I am, and he expressed interest to join me because he also had friends competing at the event. This would be his first bikepacking experience, so I was happy to introduce the adventure to him. This would also be my first time bikepacking with a companion. We set a date when to go and coordinated with friends we’ll meet when we get to our destination.
I chose the most direct route from Metro Manila to La Union, which was via MacArthur Highway all the way, so we just had to follow the road. The distance from our starting point to La Union is around 287 kilometers. We decided not to do it in one day because we wanted to enjoy our journey, so we split the bike trip into two days. The first day saw us biking from Pasig to Tarlac (135 kilometers), where we stayed in a little hostel; then we proceeded to travel early the next day from Tarlac to La Union (152 kilometers).
Day 1: Pasig to Tarlac (135 kilometers)
We met at Estancia Mall in Pasig at 5AM on a Tuesday. We wanted to start biking really early and on a weekday to avoid the traffic so that after at least an hour or so of biking, we’d already be outside of Metro Manila. We planned stops at 7/11 and McDonald’s for breakfast and bathroom breaks on the way.
The trip was quite smooth. It didn’t rain, but there were no clouds either. That meant the sun hit us directly, and I ended up getting sunburn on my legs and tan lines from my shorts.
My friend brought cool gear for his first bikepacking experience: a helmet with a mic and bluetooth connection that you can link to someone else’s helmet and earpiece for easier communication. It’s very helpful! This saved a lot of time when it came to communicating with each other because we didn’t need to stop just to tell the other person about needing a bathroom break or a pitstop. And if someone gets left behind, it’s easy to ask people to wait.
My friend also bought a new bag for the trip, which was tied to the rear of his bike. At one point, he asked to stop because he could hear something from his wheel making a ringing sound. We stopped and saw that the bag wasn’t secured to the back of his bike and it started to fall and hit the rear wheel. The bag ended up having such a huge hole from the friction. Thankfully, the hole didn’t go completely through because of the bag’s lining, so we had to repack his things and compress the bag well so it wouldn’t happen again.
We were really tired when we got to Tarlac. We didn’t make any hotel reservations, but we did some research prior to the trip so it wasn’t hard to find a place to stay for the night.
What’s great about traveling with a companion is that you can split the bill for everything, so we saved a lot of money. The hotel we stayed in was Asiaten, which cost PHP2,400 per night (that’s PHP1,200 per head).
Google Maps also helped in finding places to eat in Tarlac. We saw a lot of choices because our hotel was located right on the main road. For dinner, we found a place called Lutong Bahay Eat All You Can, which served buffet for PHP350 per head. After spending 10 hours biking, it was a welcome feast for our hungry tummies.
Day 2: Tarlac to La Union (152 kilometers)
We left Tarlac at 6AM to bike to La Union. It was still quite dark but bright enough to bike. The day turned out to be extra hot, and there was a 12-kilometer elevation on the road that made the ride really tiring. We were already sunburned from the day before, so I diligently reapplied sunblock throughout the ride. After that 12KM stretch, it was pretty flat all the way to La Union.
When we took a break for lunch, we talked about how the ride is proving difficult; we dreaded doing it again going back to Metro Manila. That’s when we discussed alternative ways to get home. We couldn’t ride with our friends or take a bus because our bikes wouldn’t fit or they could get damaged, so we decided to extend our stay in La Union by another day, then bike from La Union to Tarlac and get picked up by my friend’s driver there.
On the second leg of our bike trip to La Union, we practiced something I learned from bikepacking to Boracay: When you’re biking against the wind, it gets a more difficult because it feels like there’s a wall in front of you; so we took turns being in front and blocking the wind. This helped both of us to not get too tired from the long ride. The tactic worked out well because he also had the route map, which means he wouldn’t get lost.
We finally got to San Juan, La Union at around 5PM, which was a great time to arrive because it wasn’t so hot anymore and we caught the sunset.
Around La Union
I have a friend who moved from Metro Manila to La Union because he fell in love with surfing. He’s a musician who owns a ramen place in town, so we made sure to eat there when we arrived.
We stayed at a small place called Veronica’s Lodge, which is clean and affordable. We got a PHP200 discount for staying three nights so we paid only PHP7,000 for our entire stay (that’s just PHP3,500 per head for three nights). They also allowed us to put our bikes right in front of our room, resting on the railing. The room had bunk beds that were comfortable enough for both of us.
Throughout our stay in La Union, we had a lot of fun with friends who were kind enough to take us around each day. We watched surf competitions and also joined after-party gatherings around town. We met members of Filipino band The Bloomfields, Wendell Garcia from the Ely Buendia-led band Pupil, and Nique Miller, who won the surf competition. We made a lot of new friends. We also joined an open-mic night, where three of our friends went up the stage to sing in front of everyone.
We had several affordable foodie finds, including a branch of Poblacion-favorite Onlypans Taqueria. Here are some of them:
It was a pleasant surprise to find a bike shop while looking for a new pair of shades and bag straps for my friend’s broken bag. The store, which was really nice and well-designed, is a good stop for those who will likewise do a bike trip to La Union.
We ended up deciding to just walk around or take tricycles instead of using our bikes to get around La Union. Thinking about it now, we could have gone biking around (one of our friends had plenty recommendations for where we could go), but I guess we decided not to because we have a long bike trip home to prepare for, too.
And so after three days, we did as planned: We biked back to Tarlac, and that’s where my friend’s driver picked us up. Overall, it was a really good and memorable experience.
Things I Learned During My Manila-La Union Bike Ride
After that bikepacking trip that proved to be challenging, here are some pieces of advice I can offer:
1. Be prepared for the heat. Make sure to wear sunscreen and reapply during every stop. The Philippine sun can be intense, especially when you’re cycling for hours. This routine became crucial, not just for preventing sunburn, but also for avoiding the effects of prolonged sun exposure.
2. Secure your belongings. When you’re packing your things, compress your bag well to keep it from wobbling around, shifting, or even falling, which could be dangerous at high speeds or on rough terrain. A stable load on your back makes a noticeable difference, allowing you to maintain better balance and control over your bike.
3. Only bring the essentials. Everything else, leave it at home. Packing light is always crucial for long rides like this one. This minimalist approach lightened my load and made the ride less taxing. The fewer items I carried, the less I had to worry about, so I could better enjoy the journey itself.
4. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Being able to embrace new experiences was a highlight of this trip. When I mentioned the ride to my friend, he jumped at the chance to join, no questions asked. Trying something new together turned what would have otherwise been a silent solo ride into a shared adventure.
5. Anything is always more fun with good company. This experience was more memorable because I had people to share it with, from my friend who was willing to travel 200+ kilometers with me on a bike to the people we met in La Union, some of whom we might not even see again. Sharing stories, laughter, and even meals with strangers who became friends turned this trip into one filled with unforgettable interactions and memories.
