Home stretch: Completing the 2024 BMW Philippine Loop

Second leg of the BMW Philippine Loop: The Northern Leg

Back in July, we had the pleasure of embarking on a drive of a lifetime: touring around the southern Philippines onboard a BMW. I must admit, it felt a bit weird at first, especially since I usually embark on these travel adventures onboard a motorcycle. But now, I’m driving one of BMW's most luxurious vehicles – the X5 M Sport – and I’m enjoying every second of it.

Ok, so after a few weeks of “back to normal programming”, we were again on the road for the second half of our Philippine Loop with these awesome BMWs, and this time, it was on a more familiar route for me: the North Luzon Loop.

North Loop

_{Quirino, Ilocos Sur}

The North Luzon Loop or simply “North Loop”, is the Luzon leg of the Philippine Loop Adventure Tour. For us, this loop covers Manila, Subic, Alaminos, Baguio, 2nd Highest Point (highway system) in Atok, Laoag, Aparri, Baler, and back to Manila – totaling about 1,800 kilometers.

It was again, kind of a new thing for me at first, since our loop involved a 7-day itinerary. Back when I used to ride a motorcycle (big bike), it would usually only take 3 days, tops. Heck, I’ve even completed the North Loop on numerous occasions in less than 24 hours. Again, onboard a big bike.

But that’s ok, we’re not here for a race. We’re here to enjoy the beautiful places our country has to offer. And the best part? We're very much traveling in relative comfort and luxury inside a BMW.

Feasting on an Ilocano diet

_Sinanglao

One of the best parts of traveling around the country is trying out the different culinary offerings of the regions. For this leg, the dishes we savored were predominantly Ilocano dishes, and it did not disappoint.

In Vigan, for example, we savored dishes like the famous Vigan Longganisa, bagnet, pinakbet, empanada and poqui-poqui – which is an eggplant-based viand that can be eaten with your rice (ulam) or as a side dish to meat or fish.

Then, of course, there’s the sinanglao, which is a soup made from a cow’s innards and some meat. The sinanglao according to Toto Villanueva, who is a Vigan native, is the “official breakfast” of Ilocanos. "Coach Toto" as we call him in the riding community because of his credentials as a Certified BMW Motorrad Instructor, is also our Tour Director.

When we reached Aparri, Cagayan, the hotel we stayed in happened to be owned and operated by Ambo and his daughter Dian Dayag - also avid motorcycle enthusiasts. Mang Ambo as locals call him, treated our group with a feast of the freshest catch from Aparri’s coastal waters. Then of course, there’s the pancit batil-patung in Tuguegarao.

The IG-worthy sights

_{Patapat Viaduct}

The North of Luzon has so many interesting sites to visit, where you can snap your best photo for your social media accounts. In Baguio, of course, there's the Camp John Hay grounds that offer lush greenery with its pine trees that are over a century old.

Then, before going down to Vigan, we took a detour to the town of Quirino, Ilocos Sur for the Skyline View Deck, which offers a stunning view of the Ilocos mountains and valleys. Even the scenic drive on the way to this view deck is equally stunning.

_{Vigan, Ilocos Sur}

Visiting Vigan is pretty mandatory, as it offers a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. In the town of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, drop by at the San Agustin Church, which is famous for being one of the best-preserved Spanish-era churches in the country. The earliest historical record of the area dates back to 1593.

Of course, a trip up North won’t be complete without having a photo op in the windmills of Bangui, Ilocos Norte. The Bangui Wind Farm began its commercial operations in 2005, eventually becoming a major tourist site for this town.

Other interesting sites up north are the Patapat Viaduct, Paoay and Laoag sand dunes; beautiful beaches in Pagudpud, the winding roads of Quirino, and surfing town of Baler.

Reliable and fuel-efficient as ever

_{Casa Villanueva, Bantay, Ilocos Sur}

Like in our Visayas-Mindanao Leg of the Philippine Loop, these gorgeous BMWs – X5 M Sport, X3 (x2), and the 318i Touring – had never encountered any issues that require servicing, even returning excellent fuel mileage for their respective categories.

For example, on the X5 M Sport, it never really had to refuel even after driving the whole day from Greenhills to Baguio via Subic and Alaminos, if not for the availability of the diesel fuel it requires. If I remember correctly, the X5 M Sport only required two or three refills for the whole 1,800+ kilometers of our Northern Loop expedition.

Dream come true

After completing the final leg from Baler to Manila, I can finally check the Philippine Loop on my bucketlist. As I’ve mentioned previously from the South Loop Adventure, it was always a dream of mine to do the Philippine Loop onboard a motorcycle. Now, I’ve done it, albeit slightly different with an extra two wheels.

Some people think that the challenges of long distance touring could be too much for luxury cars, especially in our country with a lot of less than ideal roads. But for us and BMW, we actually proved it's the other way around. The comfort, reliablity, and engaging driving dynamics make it a great companion to long drives. The kilometers will just roll by easily. Trust me.

I wouldn't really mind doing it all again, especially if it's on a BMW.