Manila to Naga

[glenn_duke]

There is an ongoing road widening of FVR highway particularly Minalabac area, its a steep incline impassable to sedans, 4x2 can barely get thru if it rained. Avoid that route(Nabua or Oas exit) instead exit via Pili town proper to bypass Naga traffic.

Last December pagdaan ko diyan on going na widening or slide clearing as I was told , mga 300 meters din yung rough road, dami lang truck, pero passable pa sa starex. Pag balik , sa highway nako dumaan, one week kasing umulan. Mahihirapan ang sedan kahit dry yung stretch.

[gongrhey]

Di ko alam yang bypass road na yan ah, ilang oras ba mababawas sa travel time using that naga-pili-nabua bypass?

[12vdc]

Last December pagdaan ko diyan on going na widening or slide clearing as I was told , mga 300 meters din yung rough road, dami lang truck, pero passable pa sa starex. Pag balik , sa highway nako dumaan, one week kasing umulan. Mahihirapan ang sedan kahit dry yung stretch.

I was trailing a Hi-ace, naka 5 attempts na sya pero hindi parin nakakaahon then sinabihan ko un mga bata na itulak. The innova behind me chickened out. Kakatapos ng ulan kasi.

Di ko alam yang bypass road na yan ah, ilang oras ba mababawas sa travel time using that naga-pili-nabua bypass?

Almost 1hr din dahil from Milaor to Concepcion/Pili na ang traffic tuwing rush hours. Dyan din dadaan afaik yung proposed Bicol Expressway from Pagbilao-Unisan-Libmanan.

[gongrhey]

Almost 1hr din dahil from Milaor to Concepcion/Pili na ang traffic tuwing rush hours. Dyan din dadaan afaik yung proposed Bicol Expressway from Pagbilao-Unisan-Libmanan.[/QUOTE]

1 hour is pretty much significant, usually pagpapasok na ng Naga mabagal na usad, yan pa naman yung sabik ka ng makarating coming from Manila.

[jut703]

Traveled back to Bicol for family matters over the long weekend.

Manila to Nabua (additional 40 km from Naga) was a little less than 9 hours including lunch. Left Manila at 10:30am, stopover for lunch in Lucena at 12:30, arrived in Nabua at 7:15pm.

Took the old-school route (Sto. Tomas - Alaminos - San Pablo - Tiaong - Candelaria - Sariaya - Lucena - and so on) and then Andaya Highway, but skipped Naga and passed through the Minalabac route (GMA Highway). Not recommended to pass GMA Highway at night - no streetlights, lots of sudden unpaved areas and landslides.

Going back, it was 7 hours from Naga to Manila (2pm-9pm). This time passed by Eco Tourism road from Lucena Diversion then exit at Lipa STAR. No street lights for most of Eco Tourism road, and then even at 7pm there was still traffic in San Juan and Lipa.

It was my first time back in Bicol since 2015 - I appreciate the wider roads along Andaya Highway. The Gumaca diversion road is a scam - they say passable to light vehicles but 80% of the road was unpaved.



Despite the generally crappy roads, the scenery is still very relaxing, so I enjoyed the drive a lot.










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[glenn_duke]

Mababa na kasi alert level kaya nagsimula na traffic.

Last Dec 18 bumiyahe kami Manila to Legaspi normal highway route 9 hours. Yung Andaya highway balik sa under 1 hour yung biyahe, dati halos 2 hours yan.
I stop passing the Gumaca, Calauag diversions, pointless mas mabilis pa kung sa highway dadaan., twice lang ako dumaan ng GMA highway diko na inulit, daming uneven asphalt road yung iba may undercut na.

Yeah, sarap ulit mag roadtrip. Lalo na konti pa provincial buses.

[GTcervan]

Napuntahan niyo na ba ung camaligan river park? Sobrang ganda dun. Dati pala riverside lang siya kasi wala pa ung tulay. Tuwing late ng hapon at gabi ang sarap tingnan ng tanawin. Samahan pa ng kakaibang hangin. Dati sa ilocos lang pinakamalayo kong napuntahan pero kahit madaming pwedeng puntahan, hindi ganun naramdaman ko dun. And buti nlng may ss3 na. Mahirap kase if galing camanava or bulacan area pa going to south. Dati ata additional 2-3 hours pa sa edsa pag super traffic.

[jojopad]

Traveled back to Bicol for family matters over the long weekend.

Manila to Nabua (additional 40 km from Naga) was a little less than 9 hours including lunch. Left Manila at 10:30am, stopover for lunch in Lucena at 12:30, arrived in Nabua at 7:15pm.

Took the old-school route (Sto. Tomas - Alaminos - San Pablo - Tiaong - Candelaria - Sariaya - Lucena - and so on) and then Andaya Highway, but skipped Naga and passed through the Minalabac route (GMA Highway). Not recommended to pass GMA Highway at night - no streetlights, lots of sudden unpaved areas and landslides.

Going back, it was 7 hours from Naga to Manila (2pm-9pm). This time passed by Eco Tourism road from Lucena Diversion then exit at Lipa STAR. No street lights for most of Eco Tourism road, and then even at 7pm there was still traffic in San Juan and Lipa.

It was my first time back in Bicol since 2015 - I appreciate the wider roads along Andaya Highway. The Gumaca diversion road is a scam - they say passable to light vehicles but 80% of the road was unpaved.



Despite the generally crappy roads, the scenery is still very relaxing, so I enjoyed the drive a lot.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been planning to go back to Polangui Bicol for quite some time. How's the pothole situation at Andaya Highway?

Also, is the Eco Tourism road 100% pavement? Last time I drove there was 2017 Dec. There was a small section that was still unpaved. My car's underchassis scraped some mud tracks.

[dhisky]

yung gumaca diversion road, napaka walang kwenta talaga nun. Pinagka kitaan lang yan.

Binutas yung mga bundok and then now yung mga barangay sa baba na dating hindi bina baha pag tag ulan, hanggang dibdib lagi ang baha.


Dapat sa seaside na lang pinadaan, mas nakamura pa sila + short distance lang para maiwasan traffic sa gumaca bayan.

[jut703]

I've been planning to go back to Polangui Bicol for quite some time. How's the pothole situation at Andaya Highway?

Also, is the Eco Tourism road 100% pavement? Last time I drove there was 2017 Dec. There was a small section that was still unpaved. My car's underchassis scraped some mud tracks.

Andaya is pretty good these days - 4 lane roads on some parts and fewer road works compared to before.

Eco Tourism road is 100% paved now, though minimal street lights at night.


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[c_cube]

Tuwing uwi kami ng Daet, sa Eco tourism road kami dumadaan, less cars and people on the road.

Sa Sto. Tomas, ang gulo, daming tumatawid at tricycle.


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[jojopad]

Andaya is pretty good these days - 4 lane roads on some parts and fewer road works compared to before.

Eco Tourism road is 100% paved now, though minimal street lights at night.


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Thanks for sharing this info [emoji106]

Btw, this is an awesome shot, very beautiful! Was this taken at Bitukang Manok Atimonan Quezon (north or south bound)?

And were there any checkpoints asking for proof of covid vaccine and/or travel pass along the way (similar to going to Northern Luzon)?

[jut703]

Thanks for sharing this info [emoji106]

Btw, this is an awesome shot, very beautiful! Was this taken at Bitukang Manok Atimonan Quezon (north or south bound)?

And were there any checkpoints asking for proof of covid vaccine and/or travel pass along the way (similar to going to Northern Luzon)?

Thanks bro, this was southbound back to Manila na.

At the border between Tagkawayan and Del Gallego, there was a checkpoint that asked for our S-Pass. After talking to them in Bikol ok na, di na binusisi S-Pass hehe.


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[jojopad]

With the recent Kristine rampage at Bicol area, how's the condition of Maharlika and Andaya hiway going to Naga?

[Yatta]

Just got back from a Bicol roadtrip. Could be partly/mostly due to the high gas prices, but road traffic was light, travel time was almost back to pre-2024 levels. What took me 14 hours in 2025, took just 12 hours. Andaya Highway is much improved from last year (there are still some roadworks occurring but its not as bad). Quezon roads however are still crap. Also tried the longer Labo-Daet road and its very good. If you like twisties, try it!

[12vdc]

^ Mostly good paved roads due to temporary asphalt overlaying, pinamadali ni sec Vince in anticipation to the holyweek. As expected come rainy season, wasak yan aspalto sa mga trucks and back to moon crater scenario. But, i can't complain atleast may napuntahan ang pera ng bayan kahit temporary solution.

May portion there na one way due to landslides from previous typhoons - 1 at Sta elena, 3 at Labo. IDK bakit hindi pa ginagawa habang mainit ang panahon, baka isasabay sa road widening? Sana parang Japan derecho lang tumatagos sa bundok ang kalsada iwas sa twisties at body roll, nkakapagod mag drive pero advantage hindi aantukin.

[GTcervan]

Can't help but compare na mas maganda in general ang mga kalsada sa northern luzon (region 1) compared to southern luzon. Still remember going to bicol for the very first time nung 2021. Very memorable pero tªe talaga ang road conditions sa quezon up to libmanan tapos may mga checkpoints pa sa boundaries o unang towns ng cam-sur at albay. Naging mahabang road trip nalang muna during that time habang nahinto ang pag-aabroad dahil sa pandemic lol.

[nagnilagak]

geo yatta,

so taga bulacan ka and bicolano ka?

[12vdc]

^WB Kags.

Bumili knarin ba ng China car at nag roadtrip ng 900kms without range anxiety o worries of vehicle accident or breakdown na walang piyesa?

[nagnilagak]

muntik na byd ev kaso ayoko may hawak ng dealership ayala group. Binitawan nila maxxus , ktm , volkswagen, honda, gogoro. Si ayala pang bpi, lupa , gcash ang expertiise . Sa transportation palpak.


mas type ko yung direct foreign owned now geely. Yung xingyuan target ko rearwheel drive. Subukan ko itest drive magskwala sa intersection ng west avenue at timog.