Do you remember that first time you got a hold of your driver’s license? Oh it’s not just a piece of PVC plastic with your pretty/handsome face on it (so you tell yourself). It represents FREEDOM! It’s your key to new adventures on the road! Well that’s how it feels until you drive out on the road and then get stuck in traffic on the Sta. Rosa-Nuvali road for five hours on your way up to Tagaytay for what was supposed to be a quick getaway and then you start to question if this what freedom really feels like.
Patience is not the only thing you need to have when driving. You also need to be a good defensive driver when you’re on the road so that you’re not filing an auto insurance claim every other week.
Drivers who have been on the road for several years eventually get used to the dangers on the road. Driving is a life skill and it becomes automatic how you just open your turn signals, look at your side and rear-view mirrors before turning and then change lanes.
At this point you tell yourself you’re a “good” driver. Driving 500 kms down south to Albay is chicken feed even if you haven’t been there before (hey that’s what a GPS is for, right?). But no matter how good you are, there are just some places not just here in the Philippines but also in other countries that are a great test for any driver’s skill. Here are 7 of these places:
Nigeria
Can you imagine “driving” (crawling would be a better word here) 12 hours to cover the 65-kilometer distance from Manila to Tagaytay? Nope? I thought so, nobody wants to be stuck in traffic for that long, but taking a 12-hour trip to travel just 40 miles (65 kms) is what The Atlantic reporter had to endure when he took a trip in Nigeria. Apparently, you need to be a Buddhist Zen master to endure the traffic in the said country.
Madagascar’s National Road 5
This road stretches for 200 kms from North to South. The BBC says that this road has sections of sand and solid rock which makes it impassable during the rainy section. Another danger that faces drivers on this road is the worn-down bridges along the way. Yikes!
Rohtang Pass, India
Tell a friend that you’re inviting them to drive on a road that translates literally to “pile of corpses” and your less-adventurous friends will probably decline your invitation and promptly unfriend you on Facebook. What has prompted the locals to call this road as such are the deadly mudslides on this Himalayan pass.
China’s Guoliang Tunnel
The drive to Sagada from Baguio can be scary enough with cliffs at almost every turn, but drivng through China’s Guoliang Tunnel can prove to be an even scarier ride. The tunnel is carved on the rock face of a mountain and cars have to negotiate through the tight tunnels to get through. The “windows” on the tunnel give drivers a peak at the steep drop below.
Karakoram Highway, Pakistan to China
The world’s highest paved road stretches 808 miles (1,300 kms) and connects Tibet (claimed by China) and Pakistan. If you do plan to drive on this road, you’ll have to acclimatize first as you could suffer from altitude sickness as this road sits at an elevation of 4,700 meters.
Trans-Sahara Highway, Africa
Fail to plan properly and you could get stuck in the Sahara waiting for another vehicle to rescue you. Bring enough spare gas and provisions with you if you plan to undertake this journey as you might not see a gas station for much of its sections. This highway spans three countries and you’ll have to travel 2,800 miles (4,500 kms) to cover the whole thing.
North Yungas Road, Bolivia
Its other name is “Road of Death.” Need I say more?
Contributed by: MoneyMax.ph is the Philippines’ leading financial comparison site where you can save money by comparing financial and car insurance products and services – fast, comprehensive, and free. We aim to give the power of smart purchase decisions back to Filipino consumers by providing everything they need to become financially savvy. Like us on Facebook to get the latest tips on how to save.
Contributed by: MoneyMax.ph is the Philippines’ leading financial comparison site where you can save money by comparing financial and car insurance products and services – fast, comprehensive, and free. We aim to give the power of smart purchase decisions back to Filipino consumers by providing everything they need to become financially savvy. Like us on Facebook to get the latest tips on how to save.
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