1

http://www.thepinaysolobackpacker.com/2011/03/17/batadtravel-guide/

2

Did any of you make this day trip with several changes:
Clark - Dau - Tarlac - San Jose - Solano - Langawe - Banaue? Does it really work and we can be sure to reach Banaue by the dusk?

3

I have done the journey from Banaue to Clark by car. Leaving Banaue around 8am,with a lunch stop in Sta Fe before the Dalton Pass it was late afternoon by the time we we got to Cabanatuan. We decided to abandon our plan of making it through Manila and on to Tagaytay so we headed for the SCTEX and made it to Angeles City and checked into a place next to the Marquis Mall by 7pm.
Reckon it might be a long day from Clark to Banaue,you may have to stay at Solano or Baguio depending on your choice of route

4

+Did any of you make this day trip with several changes:
Clark - Dau - Tarlac - San Jose - Solano - Langawe - Banaue? Does it really work and we can be sure to reach Banaue by the dusk?+

This will involve several transfers and will mostly likely take you about 10-12 hours including waiting time in between transfers. No you won't reach Banaue by dusk unless you are in Lagawe by 4PM.

The easiest way is take the Manila bus from Clark and then take the night bus directly to Banaue.

5

The thing is we have so little time! We cannot waste the whole day waiting for a night bus from Manila. Or maybe we could hire a car with a driver? Any idea how much would it cost? One way from Clark or Dau to Banaue.

6

+Did any of you make this day trip with several changes:
Clark - Dau - Tarlac - San Jose - Solano - Langawe - Banaue? Does it really work and we can be sure to reach Banaue by the dusk?+

I did this trip in 2010, although from Manilla on a bus headed towards to Tuguegarao, as i wanted to see the scenery in the daytime. Leaving Manilla at 7-8am, I made it to Langawe via Solano at 5-6pm, and got one of the last jeepneys to Banaue then, so 10-12 hour all up. So long as you get cracking as soon as you land, you may make it, but it all depends as connection times. I waited an hour for each leaving Manilla, Solano and Lanagawe, as well as 1.5-2 hours stuck in traffic jams in various towns en route, plus general slow-going through the mountains, so add all that in and its hard to tell.

But if you dont make it? So what?!? Spend the night in Solano, you will get at least that far no matter what, and enjoy one night being the only tourist there and lots of smiles from the locals. Or even better, from Langawe take a jeepney to the the Hungduan rice terraces, just as beautiful as Banuaue but few tourists around. If you get really stuck, from Solano hopefully you could find a car who'd take you to Banaue for 2000 pesos at least. From Clark/Dau? Who knows, at least 3 times that, maybe more.