The Road Less Traveled: Experiencing Cebu's Scenic Transcentral Highway

There is a bittersweet feeling we experience when we find ourselves on a road somewhere around our town. I used to experience it, especially on our town's roads that have already carried many footsteps and shared walks with me over the past 20 years. Especially on the corners that hold the homes of people I have loved and am still loving, where memorable friendships were spent, and the boulevard where I used to wait for my mother's yearly arrival since she had to work against poverty. I have always felt this way on roads, but little did I know there is poetry, too, in roads I haven't passed and have finally passed. I didn't expect I'll be talking about roads in this community since I always talk about beaches, mountains, and cafés. Maybe this is how I find myself in this travel community—to write for the hidden and valuable gems covered in nothing in this world. So, I'll be sharing with you my thoughtful experience on TCH of Cebu.

Transcentral Highway is what TCH means. It is a very long road that connects Cebu City to Balamban, and the other way around, onward to the city of Toledo. But it was not only built for Balamban. TCH was provided to the people to give easy access to the western municipalities of Cebu from the city, which makes sense for the transportation of goods, tourist travel, and agricultural exchanges. It was at first recognized merely as a highway that made transport easier, but as time passed, it became recognized as one of the most scenic roads on the island of Cebu, with its mountain ranges and perfect landscapes for drivers to enjoy.

In the early 2000s, TCH was built as part of the island's road expansion. I was just a kid at that time, so I am sharing this based on information I gathered from the internet. It connected Cebu and Balamban, which previously required more coastal travel that was hard to do. The government established this highway to reduce travel time and provide easy access to municipalities. Little did they know that what was built solely for easy travel and transport would become an attraction for the city when cafés, watch spots, and restaurants were built for tourists visiting this long road. It later contributed to the tourism image of Cebu.

For context, TCH starts in the upland areas of Cebu City, stretches through western municipalities like Busay, and continues until the city of Balamban, where roads to Toledo City are located. What makes TCH a perfect road is what you can see beside it while you travel. Along the way, as we experienced, you can see mountain ranges that stretch with the highway until it reaches the west. Mountains, forests, local houses, valleys, farms, and green landscapes are highlighted more on this road than the infrastructures built to commercialize it. Imagine how perfect it is to witness this natural and stunning landscape if you come from a city full of buildings and noise, and an hour later, you find yourself looking at this unforgettable slice of nature.

I will be honest: we didn't stop along the road from time to time, so I really didn't familiarize myself with the places. We were rushing to the city for emergency reasons, but still, I was able to feel the places we passed, which helped ease the anxiety I felt awaiting in the city. My niece had just passed away at 8 months of my sister-in-law’s pregnancy.

Going back, panoramic viewpoints and watch spots where you can see a 360° view of the surrounding municipalities can be found at corners. Higher elevations mean clearer viewpoints and clearer skylines. Sea views and Mactan Island can also be seen from above, inclined with valleys and clouds—so heavenly to witness. Our route was from Balamban to the city, but regardless, you can still find cafés, stalls, restaurants, parks, footholds, and small shops along the road as you travel. You can stop by these places if you want to pause for a moment and experience life in Busay—one of the places TCH passes.

Since TCH has these panoramic viewpoints, its sunsets and sunrises, and the fog on cold weather, it shouldn’t be missed by tourists. Mist-covered mountain greens and the road itself are touched by warm light at sunrise, and on clear afternoons, you can witness sunsets if you look on the right side.

Now, I know the road is long, but I don’t want you to have the impression that it would take a whole day to reach the other side. On non-busy days, it would take you 1–2 hours from the city to Balamban by personal vehicle. I’m not really sure if there are buses that pass here, as I didn’t see any during our ride. Although the trip is short, your travel can possibly take longer if you stop from time to time when a corner attracts you. Cafés or tourist spots, or even the road itself when it is squeezed between hills and fog, can make you pause for a moment and take photo opportunities. Don’t forget that the best destination is TCH itself, so if you are not in a rush, stop for a moment and feel the stories written by the people who passed by here before you.

Busay is one of the earliest towns you encounter when traveling from the city. I have talked about Busay through my Tops Busay blogs. It carries the majestic mountain ranges of Cebu perfectly and is a tourist spot that also preserves the natural identity of the island. The photos with fog are the Busay corners I saw. It has this signature fog that I use to know we are in, or have already passed, Busay. It serves as a landmark and a doorway to other municipalities. Surrounded by forested and misty hills, fresh mountain breezes, and changing weather patterns, the Busay part of this road transforms the journey into a scenic passage through Cebu’s highlands.

There are still many places to discover along this road, and I hope to explore more when my family uses it again on another trip. The photos tell another perfect story beyond my words, and I am writing only for context. The real image and experience can be imagined through the photos I shared, which transition from foggy to vibrant landscapes, from misted mountains to bright and sunny views. Busay and other towns along the road have different weather, and this is what I like most when traveling here. It gives you different perspectives and experiences. It doesn’t stay with one weather or one perfect view—it gives as many as it can for a complete road trip experience. TCH, a road built for transport not so long ago, has become a scenic driveway for tourists and the people of Cebu.

Traveling this road reminded me that sometimes, the journey itself holds more stories and emotions than the destination we rush to reach.