"Hey Joe!" Like the crowing of the (fighting) cocks, this is the noise you will here the whole day whilst cycling the Philippines.

"Sergeant Joe," the Filipinos call all American soldiers, who have been here - after throwing out the Spanish - for several decades. The locals also call all white people "longnoses". But it is never mean; it always comes with a bright smile. The Philippines are a smiling country!!!

More than 7000 islands, lots of volcanoes, excellent beaches, clear blue water and friendly people make you feel like you are visiting paradise. And everywhere you find English speaking people.

I have been in many Asian countries. It is true there are more "exotic" ones, but this is one of the cheapest with a good infrastructure, and outside the big cities it’s very safe with honest and friendly people. We never felt ripped off or had to discuss the prices.

Before we travelled we tried to find out about any reports about cycling the Philippines, but there was almost nothing!!! But I heard something about a German living in Cebu City who wrote a book about biking the Philippines and who is helping to make this sport more popular in the country and to attract tourists as well. His name is Jens Funk and should you ever decide to bike through this wonderful country contact him, buy his book, get brand new information or make guided tours together with him. Contact him at Jens@bugoybikers.de

http://www.bugoybikers.com/
 
There are two international airports on the Philippines, Manila and Cebu City. Try to avoid Manila. It is really no fun to be there. You want to see the rice terraces of Banaue? Book a special trip. I do not recommend the island of Luzon for a cycling trip.

Cebu City is the second largest city of the Philippines. The Airport is close by on the island of Mactan. We arrive here with Qatar airways after a 21 hour flight (incl. 6 hours in Qatar). Here the holiday starts directly in front of the airport. It is an easy 30min ride to our hotel. Ten minutes later we swim in the 28°C warm sea.

Many hotels are in Cebu City and the island of Mactan. Chinese, Koreans and Japanese tourists like it. For one day its o.k., but there are much better places. So do not stay too long.

We meet Jens Funk and he gives us his excellent book "Cycling Philippines" and a lot of information as well. We cross the island of Cebu and have a little cooler night in a mountain resort. From Cebu island we go west. The islands become better and better.

We cross Negros island and have some wonderful days on the Sugar Beach. Isabel is the first lady reaching that beach with a bicycle. We do not meet any other foreign biker all the 1500km through the Philippine islands.

One problem is this year’s heat. Everyone is complaining about this - for February - uncommon heat and the drought. We start early in the morning before dawn and try to finish before noon. So we have enough time for a swim or for strolling through mountains, forests and rice fields.

Everyone has a smile for us. Even the dogs are friendly. And it is an incredibly cheap country for us even though the Euro is weakening. Sometimes we get good food in a small local food stall for something as twenty cents per person. You just look in the pots and order. In some places they just have three, in others twenty. The meals are o.k. but do not have the quality as in other Asian countries as Thailand, Laos, Vietnam or Singapore. It is not as exotic as other countries. But here you easily feel at home. Almost everyone speaks English. There are churches and no Buddhist or Hindu temple. The ferries and buses come and go in time. In the countryside you feel safer than in Europe.

From Negros to Guimaras we come too late to catch the ferry. It is gone. As it is not the nicest spot we charter a small boat. An old man warns us. Outside there is too much wind and too high waves. But our fisherman have the $$ signs in their eyes, so they take us. And it gets tough!

A hundred times we are sure the next wave will break our small boat. Isabel fears for our lives. As I know you can survive quite a long time in the warm water, I’m only worried about our passports and bikes. We survive and start smoking again!!! (But only until the end of the holiday!) One pack of twenty costs ten cents.

Oh - by the way - they also have some good brands of beer. After a long, hot drive we always look forward to (at least) one beer. We are German!!! That can be a problem some days. In the cities and bigger villages not of course. But sometimes there is only one place to eat and drink. When you are lucky they have cold beer, if you are less lucky they have beer, if you are unlucky they have warm coke.

Guimaras is a wonderful island for all kinds of outdoor sports. I feel sorry to leave that island so soon. From Panay, the next island, we take a ferry boat to the last frontier, the best islands of all perhaps. Palawan.

It takes 36 hours with two comfortable nights on board and a six hour stop in Cuyo. Another pearl. I could stay here the rest of my life. Some Englishmen do!!! There were lots of expats. Only men. And not one of them had a white wife.

Palawan is 400km long and max 40km wide. A high percentage of the area is national park. Some tribes still live like in the Stone Age. There are few roads and most of them untarred. This is a real adventure.

We fly back to Cebu. We still have few days left. Everyone asked us to see Bohol. So we take our bikes and go there. Another pearl in the sea. Famous for their so called Chocolate Hills, hundreds of 20-50m high hills, looking like chocolate cones. They are really impressive.

We really loved to bike the Philippines. Easy going country, friendly people, cheap and great landscapes and beaches. I don’t know why the bikers do not come here. It is so easy to travel. You can talk to everyone in English. And if you really don’t want to keep on cycling you can take small boats or ferries, busses or taxis, ox cars or planes. Cycling is by far the best way to see this county. Don’t leave this county to the divers and sex- tourists. Cycle the Philippines!!!!

For another report (in German):

http://radforum.de/showflat/Number/605345/Searchpage/1/Main/46295/Words/Philippinen/Search/true/Hey_Joe_Cycling_Biking_The_Philippines#Post605345
 
For more of Uwe’s Pictures, Part 1:

http://picasaweb.google.com/uweellger/BikingCyclingPhilippines2010Teil1PerFahrradUberDiePhilippinenVisayasUndPalawan#
 
For more of Uwe’s Pictures Part 2:

http://picasaweb.google.com/uweellger/BikingCyclingPhilippines20102TeilPalawanBohol
 
Information about Jens Funk:

http://www.bugoybikers.com/