⌛ some tips for planned Negros/Cebu/Mindanao trip

hello everybody. This is my first post on this forum.

I'm looking for some tips on a forthcoming trip to the Philippines I'm intending to make later this year. I'll give a basic overview of the itinerary, and then ask a few questions about it.

I will be arriving in Dumaguete in early November by plane. There I will meet my girl a couple of days later, who will be arriving by ferry from Ozamiz city, Mindanao.

After a few days in Dumaguete and looking around the immediate area, we intend to start a journey up towards northern Negros, on the eastern coastal road and around, up towards Cadiz. I'm estimating the total distance to be in the region of 250-300km, though I am not 100% sure of this. On a small motorbike, I would anticipate the journey to take, with stops, around 10-12 days, possibly more. We're pretty flexible on time.

Once we get to Cadiz we will take the ferry to Bantayan, where we will stay for a week or so before heading back down through Cebu towards Cebu city, perhaps stopping off somewhere like Compostela for a day or two before spending two or three days in the city, when we will take the weekly ferry from Cebu to Camiguin island, Mindanao.

After a week or so there, we will head to the Mindanao mainland and towards Cagayan de Oro, where my girl has a married sister. Then we will head back towards Ozamiz city.

The only time constraint is that she has to be back in Ozamiz for the standard Filipino family thing at New Year's. That gives us a total of 7 weeks from a November 10 start - plenty of time for a journey like this, I would have thought. I might not be heading to Ozamiz for New Year with her though. I might just put her on the bus to Ozamiz in CDO and hang back in the Cagayan area or Bukidnon for a week or so before proceeding there.

so here are my questions :

1. I want to buy a motor scooter in Dumaguete.

The bike does not have to be fast, and it does not have to be new. It does however need to be mechanically sound and roadworthy enough to cover this journey without mishap though, and it also needs to be relatively inexpensive. I do not anticipate driving for any longer than 100-150km on any day of the trip - I'm a circumspect, careful driver and I can live with an average speed of 60-70km/hr.

I know somebody, a resort owner on Bantayan, who has a fleet of scooters, one of which he would be able to sell me in the 12-18,000 peso range, and this is the kind of price I would be looking for. Unfortunately, Bantayan would be an awkward place to start this journey, bearing in mind the girl has to come from Mindanao and would not want to get on a ferry to Cebu city all by herself (Dumaguete is not a problem for her, as she's been there already many times).

2) Legality.

Though I've hired motorcycles in the Philippines before many times, I've never actually owned one myself. I know I need the ownership documents to get on the ferries, but what about avoiding any potential legal pitfalls. Will my UK driving licence suffice. Will I need to be insured. If I do need insurance, how do I go about sorting it out in Dumaguete city before we leave.

3. Maps.

Are there any decent road maps of particularly the area of Negros where we will be, but also Cebu and northern Mindanao, available online that I can download and print to make life just that little bit easier.

4. Accommodation suggestions and sight-seeing options en route.

Though I already have one or two ideas, a few more won't hurt. I wouldn't want to deviate too far from the Dumaguete-Cadiz route. I already know where I will be staying in Dumaguete city itself, Bantayan, Cebu, Camiguin, and CDO. I'm just not sure of various places on the journey up through Negros

5. ferry option from Cagayan de Oro to Ozamiz city. Does one exist.

This is the only leg of the journey I'm a trifle apprehensive about - but only a trifle. It would probably involve an overnight stop in Illigan before getting to Kolambugan to take the ferry to Ozamiz. But if I could, I would consider a ferry option between CDO and Ozamiz, both of which are quite large ports, to take the bike, if such an option exists. So far, I haven't seen any evidence that one does.

thank you for taking the time and the trouble to read this, and thanks in advance if you have any suggestions to make.

regards, David

Hebden Bridge, UK

 

Hello from Dumaguete!

You have asked an interesting series of questions. I followed your outline itinerary just to add to my knowledge. Thanks for the addition to my education.

I note that you have NOT been overwhelmed to the present time with responses - so I'll start with a modest offering to perhaps encourage other, more knowledgeable posters.

I'll take on #3. Maps.. You will find more suggestions on this one by using the search function here for maps of Dumaguete. Some of the more creative replies will apply to your requirement as well.

Getting good maps in the Philippines seems to be a problem. I'm starting to believe that this basic information is a state secret. Fortunately your proposed route from Dumaguete to Cadiz is a fairly straight forward one, all of which is accomplished along a single "major road". You will encounter fairly dense traffic along most of its length and construction projects which may well be of a "surprise" nature. These are difficult to forecast this far in advance. You should have little difficulty in negotiating these due to a motorbike's inherent maneuverability. The impact of delays is more difficult to guess, but you said that you are not in a hurry.

Commercial maps are available from EZ Maps, at >. I just checked the URL and it works. I have before me their Visayas map (scale 1:970K). There is also a map of Negros, which a family member, in greater need, has obviously nicked.

For a complete travel map of the Philippines Republic on a single sheet (scale 1: 1.2M) I recommend the International Travel Maps version. This is a Canadian company, located in Vancouver at >. This URL also works. There are other commercial products available. This is only a sample.

I have been trying to locate topographic coverage @ 1: 50K or 1:250K, like your Ordnance Survey maps, so far without success. You might also try Google Earth or Google Maps. If you are skilled at either, you can produce and print your requirement. I would recommend doing so at the simplest setting. The quality of the available maps varies with the satellite photos from which they originate. These vary greatly in quality.

There, I hope that helps to get you started. I'll follow this thread with interest.

davfitz