Lean forward: Exploring historic Intramuros on a Segway PT

There’s a popular saying that the only difference between men and boys is the size and price of their toys. Indeed, from the scale-sized matchbox vehicles and G.I. Joe action figures of my youth, I have now gotten to experience riding a whizzing go-cart on an urban track and play around with high-tech gadgets such as laptops, tablets and DLSR cameras.

The latest addition to the things that bring out the inner child in me is riding the two-wheeled Segway, a personal transporter capable of reaching 20 kilometers per hour for 31 kilometers or 8 hours. The Segway’s eco-friendly feature is courtesy of its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, while  patented technologies such as the gyroscope and motion sensors ensure that this small electric vehicle (SeV) is always one step ahead of what and how humans think.

Without side mirrors and brake and turn signals, the Segway is not yet road-legal in the traffic-choked streets of Metro Manila; however, it can be used on public sidewalks and on private roads and in select mall establishments.

The Segway PT is also beginning to spark the interest of not only the public but tourism-related government agencies as well. From the established Segway tours in Boracay and Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Segway Philippines has partnered with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and Club Intramuros Golf Course to offer guided tours in Manila.

On the “Navigator Manila: An e-adventure to the past” tour, visitors can hop on Segways for a guided tour of the sites and landmarks outside the walls (extramuros) of Intramuros for either 30 minutes (P1,499) or 1 hour (P1,999).

Pre-ride requisites

Before the actual tour starts, first-time riders must first watch the safety instructional video, apply for a global Segway “license” and be taught the basic controls by expert Segway instructors. The “license” ensures that another orientation is not needed the next time you go to a facility that offers Segway rides.

After participants sign a waiver and put on helmets and elbow and knee pads, the Navigator Manila tour starts at the Intramuros Golf Course Clubhouse and follows the path around the 18 holes.

Stepping on a Segway x2 for the first time

There are two variants currently being sold and rented out by Segway Philippines: the second generation i2 and the heavy-duty x2. Most of the Segways used in the Navigator Manila are x2’s, but the mechanics on how to use all Segways are the same.

I was instructed by the patient instructors to first step on the x2 with my right foot followed by the left and to stand still. The Segway’s sensors and “brains” adjusted to my weight and movement. To move in a forward direction, one only needs to slightly lean forward, and then do the opposite to move in reverse.


The more you lean forward, the faster and more powerful the Segway becomes—a lesson I personally learned going up at an incline at the bridge crossing Soriano Avenue. Challenging as it was instinct-wise, I needed to put my full weight and trust on the Segway as it slowly but surely climbed up and over the top. The handlebars do not have breaks or gears and primarily serve to steer left or right or do a 360° turn.

After going around the fun/beginner’s track beside the Clubhouse, I finally got the hang of things and had enough confidence and, more importantly, eagerness to start the actual tour.

Sights and highlights of the Navigator Manila tour

It can be a balancing act trying to listen to the caddies-turned tour guides, taking selfies and photos and maximizing the cool ride of the Segway x2. The first site on the Navigator tour was the Shrine of Our Lady Guadalupe, followed by the Palacio del Gobernador, the current headquarters of the Commission on Elections. After seeing the upper part of the Manila Cathedral, our group stopped at the monument of Mexican Independence leader Miguel Hidalgo.

Getting off the x2 was just as easy as getting on it: stand still, left foot off towards the ground and then followed by the right foot. To park the Segways, the tires should rest against a ledge, a wall or anything that prevents them from accidentally moving forward.

Our group got to as far as Baluarte de San Andres before Mother Nature cut our tour short and we hurriedly went back the other way. The Segway Philippines staff explained that the reason for going back was not because the x2’s could not handle the rain but because of concern for our cellphones and cameras and lack of rain gear; the Segways are virtually weather- and waterproof and can wade up to an inch of water.

Other things to note regarding riding a Segway are: riders should be at least 14 years old, must weigh at least 100 and at most 270 pounds, and must not be intoxicated or pregnant. A Segway PT can only accommodate one rider.

With a 20% discount promo on all tours until October 2015 and other tours planned for destinations such as Baguio, Cebu and Palawan, there may not be a better time to experience what is possibly the future of tourism. With the Segway x2 retailing for a cool half a million (P515,000 to be exact), these high-tech toys are not exactly cheap; but remember the saying about the difference between men and boys? — BM, GMA News