Drive from Manila to Davao City

[insite]

 

I am considering driving from Manila to Davao - I have located a few online links with blogs of the trip but none have very comprehensibly covered the details.

Has anyone experience of this trip they would care to share and or could direct to links which cover the experience , the options and the expenses along with recommended routes , places to view and to stop over.

[earthdome]

On 5/15/2017 at 4:42 AM, insite said:

 

I am considering driving from Manila to Davao - I have located a few online links with blogs of the trip but none have very comprehensibly covered the details.

Has anyone experience of this trip they would care to share and or could direct to links which cover the experience , the options and the expenses along with recommended routes , places to view and to stop over.

I know that it is possible to do this trip. I have met someone who did the reverse trip, drove from Davao to Manila. But I don't recall any of the details.

For long trips in unknown areas I recommend you get a real GPS to assist with navigation. Your phone GPS is nice but does not work if you lose your mobile phone data signal.

[Jake]

39 minutes ago, earthdome said:

I know that it is possible to do this trip. I have met someone who did the reverse trip, drove from Davao to Manila. But I don't recall any of the details.

For long trips in unknown areas I recommend you get a real GPS to assist with navigation. Your phone GPS is nice but does not work if you lose your mobile phone data signal.

Hey Earthdome,

What about road maps of the Philippines?  Are they readily available and up to date?  

[earthdome]

4 minutes ago, Jake said:

Hey Earthdome,

What about road maps of the Philippines?  Are they readily available and up to date?  

It has been several years. As I recall maps were not easy to find.

[Sander Martin]

2 hours ago, earthdome said:

I know that it is possible to do this trip. I have met someone who did the reverse trip, drove from Davao to Manila. But I don't recall any of the details.

For long trips in unknown areas I recommend you get a real GPS to assist with navigation. Your phone GPS is nice but does not work if you lose your mobile phone data signal.

There are APPs for your phones with offline maps. Works fine without mobile data. No need to buy a GPS unit ..

I have been using Maps.me app on my ipad. You just need to download the maps for the area your going to visit (download thru the app). So far its been all free.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Sander Martin

[Gator]

9 hours ago, earthdome said:

Your phone GPS is nice but does not work if you lose your mobile phone data signal.

Google maps works without a data connection. I used it last trip when I was in Camotes and northern Bohol - both areas where no data or cell service is the norm. 

But as a back up plan I took screen shots of my route - first an overview and then close ups of the intersections where I had to make turns (both in normal map mode and satellite view). 

[Reboot]

You have to download "offline maps" for the area of your interest. Best done with decent WiFi, since it can be a lot of data for some areas that are heavily populated. I've found the Google maps for the Ph to be relatively accurate.

[Jake]

1 hour ago, Reboot said:

You have to download "offline maps" for the area of your interest. Best done with decent WiFi, since it can be a lot of data for some areas that are heavily populated. I've found the Google maps for the Ph to be relatively accurate.

If the WiFi signal is good while you're on the road, will it update all the traffic conditions along your route?

[Reboot]

11 hours ago, Jake said:

If the WiFi signal is good while you're on the road, will it update all the traffic conditions along your route?

If you have signal, it should be able to do real time stuff like that. But remember, it only is able to collect that data because there are other phones that are connected on the route ahead, reporting to Google. Google knows traffic by how fast they are moving and how many of them there are.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Reboot