Best route to Naga

[landlord]

My wife and I were supposed to ride in a friends van tomorrow enroute to Naga for the Penafrancia festivities. Unfortunately plans changed and we are left to bring our own vehicle. This is my first time to travel this far south. (farthest i've drove is Sariaya).

Please direct me to the best possible route, like the major towns and cities that i would be passing through. You may start directions from Lucena. All help would be much appreciated as I am at a loss right now. Cannot back out because accomodations have been fully paid in advance. Thanks in advance.

[juntzo]

Use mapcentral.ph.

As long as you will be traveling during the day, you won't have any problems. Take the Tagkawayan route to bypass Daet. It's faster unless you want the scenic route through Bitukang Manok which I don't really recommend.

Be sure to have a Phil. road map though just to be sure you won't take wrong turns.. I haven't been there though for more than 10 years but I doubt much of the route have changed since then. Happy trip and enjoy the ride. Stay safe!

[juntzo]

Road maps are available even in gas stations, but anyway, here are the towns you will pass:

Lucena
Pagbilao
Atimonan
Plaridel
Gumaca
Lopez
Calauag
Tagkawayan
Del Gallego
Ragay
Sipocot
Libmanan
Pamplona
Milaor
Naga City

If you find yourself in Sta. Elena, that's the way to Daet. hehehe.. you made a wrong turn! Better go back unless you want to pass by Bitukang Manok.

[artpogi]

My wife and I were supposed to ride in a friends van tomorrow enroute to Naga for the Penafrancia festivities. Unfortunately plans changed and we are left to bring our own vehicle. This is my first time to travel this far south. (farthest i've drove is Sariaya).

Please direct me to the best possible route, like the major towns and cities that i would be passing through. You may start directions from Lucena. All help would be much appreciated as I am at a loss right now. Cannot back out because accomodations have been fully paid in advance. Thanks in advance.

landlord,

just follow the buses going to bicol, di ka maliligaw.

but actually you have two options:

first option - pag lagpas mo ng boundary ng Quezon and Camarines Norte, (yung may arko na "welcome to bicolandia") a few kilometers ahead you will come to a junction on your right side. That's the andaya-quirino hiway I think.

you can take that route and it will take you thru Tagkawayan, just follow that hiway and sa pinaka dulo nun you will turn right and you're on your way to Naga, you won't miss it.

second option - once you reach that junction I mentioned above, instead of turning right to that junction, diretso ka lang, just follow the hiway. On this second option it will take you thru the towns of Sta. Elena, Talisay, Labo, Daet, Basud etc. etc. (all towns of Camarines Norte, not necessarily in that order)

I think if you take the 2nd option, the last town of Camarines Norte that you will pass thru is Basud and after that nasa Camarines Sur ka na Sipocot yata yung kasunod.

Don't worry hindi ka mawawala dyan, puro hiway lang yan.

I don't know the condition of the Tagkawayan (andaya-quirino) hiway, but the last time I went thru there it wasn't car friendly as far as road condition is concerned, but if you're bringing an SUV pwede na.

The 2nd option is car friendly as far as road condition is concerned, patag yan all the way to Naga, unless may nasira lately.

Happy trip

[artpogi]

juntzo,

ako naman I prefer to take the scenic route, unless naayos na nila ng husto yung kalye sa Tagkawayan.

Last time I went back home I took the old hiway on my way back to Manila, ang ganda ng kalsada, ang haba nga lang

[juntzo]

*Artpogi Yes mahaba nga kaya nga ayaw ko dumaan via Daet. Kasi last time I did the trip maganda pa yong daan via Tagkawayan.

Kaya kung may masusundan si Landlord na bus papuntang Naga City... ok nga iyon. Kung maiiwasan niyang sa gabi magdrive, mas ok.

[praktikal]

i can only give you a reminder to please, easy lang on the pedals and stick to defensive driving dahil alam naman ng halos lahat na madalas may disgrasya sa lugar na yan. leave earlier than schedule to avoid the rush. enjoy the ride. God bless your trip.

and oh, don't forget to stop once in a while to rest your back even if you're not driving.

[landlord]

Mga sir, juntzo, artpogi, praktikal, mabuhay kayo and thank you.
I guess i'll take the shorter route that bypasses Daet, since we'll leave early morning naman.

Mga ilang hours kaya from Alabang to Naga via that Tagkawayan route?

[rodney]

Mga sir, juntzo, artpogi, praktikal, mabuhay kayo and thank you.
I guess i'll take the shorter route that bypasses Daet, since we'll leave early morning naman.

Mga ilang hours kaya from Alabang to Naga via that Tagkawayan route?

mga 7 to 8 hours depende na yan sa patakbo mo, pero kasama na dyan pahinga , coffee, lunch, dyingle. medyo maraming putol putol na daan sa andya highway kaya alalay lang maneho lalo na kung first timer kayo, madami rin bitak bitak na cemento at lubak. i just went home 2 weeks back from Pili. overall naman ok at passable ang daan lalo na simula sipocot all the way to naga - asphalt road walang lubak. have a nice trip.

[sequoia]

usually 8 hours kasama na pahinga ang travel time namin. dont forget to have bfast-lunch or dinner sa Gumaca, yung turo-turo dun na may pinakamaraming costumer na nakaharap sa dagat.
pagdalawa kayong driver mag-usap kayo na tig 2hours each para hindi antukin. Pag nagdaet ka additional almost 50kms yun. Kung type mo mag drifting, dun ang pinaka perfect na lugar. Wide naman ang road. Mas gusto ko sa andaya high-way, shorter at di nakaka-inip. But huhusay ka sa pag-ilag ng bitak at lubak.

[landlord]

Arrived last night about 11.30, lots of stopover Naga market for Abo beti (intestines or esophagus of Abo fish yata),pili nut products, panutsa lots of daing, dalanghita and rambutan in Tagkawayan, banana chip factory in Gumaca, lolo ompo resto in Calauag, lita's resto in Gumaca, pinagong bread and other stuff in Sariayaya,Quezon (traffic kasi parang fiesta).

Had a fun and hassle free trip and stay for the Penafrancia fiesta. Thanks for all the tips and information that made it possible. Thanks a lot guys!

[artpogi]

landlord, welcome back!

may I know kung saan ka dumaan and the road condition ng dinaanan mo?

I'm planning to bring my dad home sa fiesta sa barrio namin sa October.

thanks

[landlord]

Thanks artp. We left past 7 pm, we were told to pass thru the emme? (they call it sa taas) and experienced the firefly like lites of the guides in the zigzag and my wife a fun time dishing out coins to the volunteer guides. Went thru the short cut Andaya highway, the road was fine but slow paced because there were portions where there were one lane only for use (for curing pa yung cement?) I felt safe though since there were lots of vehicles, though I don't know if it was only because of Penafrancia fiesta. Other than this everything was fine.

The return trip was better because it was daylight and the traffic along the one lane portions were being manned by road workers so it was faster and safer. I was told sa baba ng emme ok din daw yung road.

[artpogi]

okay thanks again Landlord.

[juntzo]

I'm glad your trip was safe and fun! Brings back good memories for me.
I remember the eme too. Actually it is called that because the road is shaped like a "M"... or just a zigzagging road actually. The bitukang manok in Daet is just what it says... the road is shaped like chicken intestines!

[ausmal13]

Hi mga ser, dugtong ko lang itong aking nadaanan (since I also went to Albay recently: 29Oct - 4Nov).
Yung Andaya hi-way medyo konti na lang yung lubak, siguro by January 2008 ok na yong 90% of the roads.
May dinaanan akong alternate route from pagbilao deretso na sa tayabas tapos lucban-pagsanjan-famy- cardona-binangonan (taga binangonan ako).
From Daraga, Albay to Pag-asa, Binangonan = 488 kms.

[landlord]

Yes, that alternate route is good if you're eastbound. That's where we pass whenever we go to Lucban. The Cavinti - Louisiana portion is like a mini Kennon Road. There's also lots of greenery and very little traffic starting from Pagsanjan.

[landlord]

It's Penafrancia festival again and we will be on our yearly pilgrimmage again. With all the typhoons that have passed thru, I was wondering about the road condition of the route going to Naga. Would anyone have any idea so we would know what to expect. Thanks in advance.

[fast lane]

ok naman ang road to naga,

except ung sa quirino (andaya) hi way but it was better now compare to last year

there are some portion with asphalt overlay but with no road markers yet

yung sa pagpasok lang na part ng quirino (tagkawayan area) medyo may bugbog ung daan, pero the rest ok naman

ang problem mo na lang is the volume of traffic since sigurado dagsa na naman mga bibisita

ingat na lang sa byahe

[jatcos]

[SIZE=2]From manila isa lang daan nyan just follow road signs hangang makalampas ka sa Calaug Quezon, doon may intersection-the old road is via Camarines Norte the new road via Tagkawayan-Andaya highway..Ang bagsak ng new road ay sa Sipocot Cam Sur. If you will use the new road, mga 100kms matitipid mo going to Naga..[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]If you dont know the road, better travel on daytime..madami bumubulaga sa gabi especially blind curves, poor marker signs on intersections, mga railroad crossing sa part ng Quezon..dami sceneries sa umaga amoy province..freshh n fresh..Pero i prefer travelling at night kasi less stressful, wala kasi mashado makulit sa daan..Alis ka sa Manila mga alanganin oras - yon sa palagaymo hindimo mkakasabay mga bus at trucks-around 11PM to 2AM..Darating ka Naga early morning na. [/SIZE]

At night travel, i do 5-6 hrs from Manila to Naga via Tagkawayan. Via camarines norte alternate route naman- Manila to Daet in 4.5hrs, Daet to Sipocot around 90kms yun ay less than one hour, then Sipocot to Naga is less than an hour also. Nasa Basud ang Bicol National Park and bitukang manok- great scenery, nasa Sipocot naman yung intersection from Tagkawayan..both ay overlayed asphalt at maganda road condition dyan -hindi kasi daanan ng mabigat na truck.

Tips-
[SIZE=2]Bring maps if necessary, alternate driver to lessen stop-overs, pull-over and take a nap if you feel sleepy, eat at Gumaca Quezon dami doon 24hrs kainan ng fresh seafoods along the sea.., check condition of car and assess if it can run 400+ kms to avoid trouble along the way[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Road conditions-[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]- Manila to gateway to Bicolandia Marker oknaman at almost overlayed asphalt Ma-traffic sa SLEX, mga bayan sa Tiong, Pagbilao during rush hours[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]- Atimonan Emy (Quezon National Park) - mas madami descending kung going south, hindi maki gas pero ingat sa brakes alalay engine..Kung pabalik naman mas madami ascending at maki-gas. Kung.sa ilalim naman, daanan ng truck at bus dami lubak pero tolerable naman..[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]- Slow down lang sa Tagkawayan may rough area, Yong papasok ng Daet smooth pero may mga pailan-ilan malalim lubak at ongoing bridge construction sa Labo area- dami din winding roads na kelangan slowdown kasi parang hinihigop at kung hindi kakainin mo ang other lane or magddrifitng ka. Be alert also around 3-4 AM jan bumababa most of the time ang fog along the road sa part ng Sta elena at Bagong Silang.. . [/SIZE]
- From Sipocot to Naga deretso na yun walang intersection na pwedeka maligaw. Overlayed asphalt konti lang ang potholes..


[SIZE=2]Ingat and Happy Motoring! Viva La Virgen![/SIZE]