Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ships between major ports in the Philippines,
though the sector was substantially reorganized in
2012. Today the major operator is
2GO
(
W
travel
.2go.com.ph), with SuperCat (
W
supercat.com.ph)
part of the same group; the other key players are
Montenegro Shipping Lines
(
W
montenegrolines
.com.ph),
Cokaliong Shipping Lines
(
W
cokaliong
shipping.com) and
TransAsia Shipping Lines
(
W
transasiashipping.com). These companies have
regular sailings on routes between Manila and major
cities throughout the Visayas and Mindanao, and on
secondary routes within the Visayas. Most post
schedules and fares on their websites. On less
popular routes you might have to take your chances
with smaller companies, which rarely operate to
published timetables. In rural areas you may have to
ask around at the harbour or wharf as to what boats
are leaving, for where and when.
while on the longer hauls, even express buses stop
every three or four hours to give passengers a
chance to stretch their legs and buy some food.
There are some downsides. Though the largest
bus companies have fleets of reasonably new
air-conditioned buses for longer routes, they rarely
have toilets. On shorter routes buses can be
dilapidated contraptions with no air conditioning
and, in some cases, no glass in the windows. You'll
also need to develop a high tolerance to loud music
or Tagalog movies played at full blast throughout
the trip.
Bus fares and frequencies
Fares
are low: around P445 from Manila to Baguio
and P550 to Naga. Beyond Manila roads can be
poor, and even when the distances involved aren't
great, the buses will make numerous stops along
the way. Some bus companies advertise express
services, but in reality a bus that goes from A to B
without stopping is unheard of. Buses that have a
“derecho” sign (meaning “straight” or “direct”) in the
window usually make the fewest stops.
Published
timetables
for most bus companies
are nonexistent, but departures on popular routes
such as Manila to Baguio or Manila to Vigan usually
happen every hour or half-hour. The larger
operators - such as Victory Liner (
W
victoryliner
.com) and Philtranco (
W
philtranco.com.ph) - allow
you to book seats in advance on some routes,
either online, by telephone (be warned, the lines
are often engaged) or at the terminal. A list of bus
companies is given in the Manila chapter (see
pp.80-83), and details of bus routes, with local
contact details, appear throughout the Guide. Note,
however, that there are so many bus companies
(many of which go in and out of business on a
regular basis, or have permits suspended), and so
much variation in routes and journey times, that
the information we give in the Guide is just a
guideline and always subject to change.
Fares and tickets
Ferry
fares
are very low by Western standards,
especially if booked in advance, for example
Manila-Cebu (from P480), Manila-Mindanao
(P1000); add on around P500-1000 for a private
cabin.
Tickets
can be bought at the pier up until
departure, though it's often more convenient to
avoid the long queues and buy in advance:
travel agents sell ferry tickets, and the larger ferry
companies have ticket o
ces in cities and towns.
2GO also offers online ticketing.
Accommodation and facilities
The cheapest
accommodation
is in bunk beds in
cavernous dorms either below deck or on a semi-
open deck, with shared toilets and showers. Older
ships might have just a handful of cramped cabins
sharing a tiny shower and toilet. The major operators
generally have newer ships with a range of accom-
modation that includes dorms, straw mats in an
air-conditioned area, shared cabins (usually for four)
with bathrooms. These ferries usually also have a bar,
karaoke lounge and a canteen serving basic meals.
By jeepney
By bus
Bus travel
can be relatively uncomfortable and
slow, but you'll get a real glimpse of rural
Philippines from the window, and meet Filipinos
from all walks of life. Buses are also incredibly
convenient: hundreds of routes spread out like a
web from major cities and even the most isolated
barangay will have a service of some sort. You won't
go hungry either. At most stops local vendors will
jump on and offer you various snacks and drinks,
The
jeepney
is the ultimate Philippine icon (see
box, p.8), and remains an important form of
transport, particularly in Manila, Cebu City, Davao
and Baguio, where there are frequent services
between key locations in each city. In the provinces
jeepneys connect isolated barangays to nearby
towns and towns to cities, but they might run only
two or three times a day, depending on demand,
the weather and the mood of the driver. There are
absolutely no timetables.
