A summer road trip

CEBU, Philippines — One of the most exciting things to do in summer is to take a road trip. For Cebuanos, the long sunny days are a good time to explore their own island. With a dependable vehicle, everyone may go around from north to south and east to west of the province.

Groups of friends and families may go on a road trip. It does not have to be costly; in fact, it can be much cheaper than taking a vacation in another city. A road trip will work just fine with tight travel budgets.

With a little planning and a little creativity, the cost of a summer road trip can even go down further. For example, an overnight stop in a town may be spent in the well-lighted public plaza or near a police station. A secure public beach is also a good place where to set up a tent for the night.

Of course, road trippers need to do some research beforehand. It’s important to at least have an idea on what awaits at every stop. Things like natural attractions, local delicacies, interesting local peculiarities and other features of interest in a place shall be mapped out well, so that the road trippers will know what to look out for.

Having a plan is important, of course. While serendipity has its value, there are certain things that couldn’t be left entirely to chance on a road trip. Things like restrooms and where to freshen up or take meals.

For meals, there are roadside eateries everywhere nowadays. Or the travelers may want to schedule their meal stops to try the known delicacies of certain places, like “Chicharon” in Carcar and “Inasal Manok Bisaya” in Dumanjug in the southern side of the island province. To the north, there’s a lot to choose from at the public market in Liloan, “Tinap-anang Isda” in Danao, and fresh seafood in Bogo.

It helps to plan meal stops ahead of time. Everyone needs a break from the road, especially when hunger strikes, so they might as well make it part of their ‘exploration’ process to discover local treats. Prior planning can lead road trippers to low-cost eateries that offer great food and service.

Gas stations as well as the eateries along the way also provide decent restroom facilities. Wash-ups may be scheduled at places where there are springs or rivers or beaches. If bed-and-breakfast is opted for an overnight stopover, then the morning shower is taken care of, too.

It can take two to four days to fully cover the whole Cebu Island, depending on how swift or slow the trip goes. Well, yes, there will be places to just pass through and places to spend a little more time in. The cost of the entire undertaking will depend on the duration of the trip and how many people are going.

Again, road trippers may cut corners. While they are going to need sustenance to stay alert and ward off fatigue and sluggishness through the long drives in between meal stops, they can pack healthy and nutritious snacks from home, along with clean drinking water. That way they won’t have to pay a premium for snacks at convenience stores or grocery stores by the road.

For the maintenance check on the vehicle, most gas stations have mechanics to do that – often for free for a minimum gas refill. Properly inflated tires, an engine topped up with fresh oil and an overall smooth-running machine are the necessary basics for a safe and stress-free drive. In the first place, getting the vehicle serviced before starting out on the adventure will reduce the risk of any maintenance-related mishaps, which can get expensive when the group is far away from home.

It also helps to find time to stop by the tourism office of every town along the route, for advice on what else is good to check out in the area, aside from what have already been mapped out from the road trippers’ prior research. A road trip is a truly exciting adventure – and it can be made heartwarming as well by the generosity of people that travelers meet along the way. Almost everywhere in the province, people will go out of their way to make visitors feel safe and comfortable.