Are you heading to the Philippines and not sure how you’re going to manage getting between the islands? Or are you planning a trip and want tips on planning your route and saving money on transport? Well, this guide is for you! In this jam-packed transport guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know to get around the Philippines. This will include suggested travel routes, recommendations for catching ferries, warnings about bus scams, scooter rental tips and general safety tips.
Planning your route in the Philippines
While winging it and being spontaneous is a big part of backpacking culture, having a rough idea of your route in the Philippines can really help you keep transport costs low and avoid having to backtrack. I’m not going to lie to you; the Philippines is one of the trickier Southeast Asian countries to navigate. This is mainly due to the fact that the country is made up of islands, which limits overland travel. Another major factor is the distances between islands, making it time-consuming to catch ferries between islands. Another factor is the price of transport in the Philippines, which is more expensive than other South East Asian countries. This makes it more important to plan your route, as backtracking is much more costly to your wallet and your time.
When planning your Philippines route, it is important to note which island destinations are located on. Ideally, you want to visit multiple destinations on one island before flying or catching a ferry to the next big island.
Here are the five main islands/ regions of the Philippines popular with backpackers:
- Manila and surrounds (including Mt Pinatubo area, Tagaytay Lake area and Banaue rice terraces area)
- Boracay Island (not close to any other destinations)
- Siargao Island (not close to any other destinations)
- Cebu Island and surrounds (including Cebu City, Oslob, Moalboal, Malapascua Island, Bohol Island and Siquijor Island)
- Palawan Island and surrounds (including Puerto Princesa, Port Barton, El Nido and Coron Island)
To help orientate yourself on the different destinations in the Philippines and where the islands are in relation to each other, I’ve created a custom map below:
Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, most travellers do not follow an obvious backpacking route or direction. Most travellers will fly in and out of Cebu City or Manila Airport and then fly between other islands depending on their preferences and the flight prices on certain days.
There are multiple routes you could take, but below is an example of a typical route:
Arrive in Manila- fly to Borocay – fly to Coron – Expedition Boat Tour to El Nido– van to Port Barton – van to Puerto Princesa – fly to Siargao – night ferry to Cebu City – van + ferry to Malapascua – x2 vans (or private transfer) to Moalboal – x2 vans (or private transfer) to Oslob – bus + ferry to Siquijor – ferry to Bohol – ferry back to Cebu City and fly out.
This is just an example of a route (of a pretty jam-packed, fast-paced itinerary), but you can visit these sights in any order. For example, you might visit Siargao after visiting sights around Cebu Island, or you could fly from Manila to Puerto Princesa and travel to the island of Palawan in reverse order.
Depending on your interests, you may want to skip certain destinations and spend longer in others. For example, if you surf, visiting Siargao is a must, and you might spend longer on this island. If scuba diving is more your thing, you can’t miss Malapascua Island, Coron Island and Moalboal. You could visit El Nido, Port Barton, Coron, Moalboal, Malapascua, Siargao, Boracay, Bohol or Siquijor (so basically everywhere) for the best beaches.
Where to book transport
Like many Southeast Asian countries, the website 12GOAsia is one of the most popular and reliable booking sites for transportation. They have buses, vans and ferry transfers between popular backpacking destinations in the Philippines. However, the use of 12GOAsia in the Philippines is fairly new. That means some travel routes and companies won’t use the website to facilitate bookings yet. If you cannot find a certain travel route on 12GOAsia, you must book it through a travel agency, directly at the bus station or through your hostel.
While 12GOAsia is super convenient for looking up timetables and booking transport yourself from your phone, sometimes you can negotiate a better rate booking with travel agencies or hostels. Quite a few times, I booked transport directly through a hostel as they included complimentary hostel pickup for booking buses through them, which was a major convenience and money win.
Getting around the Philippines by Plane
Unfortunately, flying is unavoidable if you want to visit multiple islands in the Philippines. Personally, I’m not a fan of flying due to the environmental impact, having to deal with getting to and from airports and the cost. While it is unavoidable on many routes in the Philippines, you can plan your itinerary to avoid some flights by taking advantage of ferries and van transfers.
There are two international airports in the Philippines: Manila and Cebu City. If you can, try to fly into one and out of the other to avoid backtracking/ having to fly between these cities. There are also many smaller airports with domestic flights in the Philippines such as Siargao Airport, Coron Airport (called Busuanga), El Nido Airport, Puerto Princesa Airport and Borocay Airport. These airports are serviced by local airlines such as Philippines Airways, Cebu Pacific, Cebgo and Air Asia.
You can get budget fares between airports in the Philippines for as low as 1100 PHP Philippine Pesos ($20 USD). However, these low prices often require you to book flights weeks or months in advance, which means you won’t have much flexibility to change your travel plans as you backpack the Philippines. It’s also important to note that most flights do not include checked luggage and have quite strict weight limits on carry on bags. That means getting flights around the Philippines can be quite costly, but in most cases, it’s an unavoidable cost.
Getting Around the Philippines by Ferry
Given how many islands there are in the Philippines, you would think that getting around by ferry would be a common method of transport. But, due to the distances between popular islands, there are only a few ferry routes. Common ferry routes include Coron to El Nido, Cebu City to Bohol, Siquijor to Bohol, Siquijor to Dumaguete, Maya Port to Malapascua and Siargao to Cebu City (night ferry). For all of the above routes (except getting to Malapascua Island), I strongly recommend booking at least 24 hours in advance to avoid disappointment. There are usually only a few ferries a day on these routes, and places can fill fast. You can book ferries through travel agencies, hostels or online through the 12GOAsia website. Some hostels also organise ferry bookings and include transfers to the ports, which can be more affordable than booking it yourself.
The only ferry you can’t book online is the ferry from Malapascua Island to Maya Port, as they do not run on a schedule but instead run on demand. The ferries run regularly, though, and usually time up with when the buses arrive from Cebu City to Maya Port. The ferries will never be booked out because of how small Malapascua is.
Tips for catching ferries in the Philippines
- Expect delays! Most boats I got on in South East Asia did not depart or arrive on time. If you are making onward travel connections, allow plenty of time. Alternatively, booking it as a combined ticket on 12GOAsia will guarantee all connections, so you don’t need to worry if the boat is delayed.
- Usually, you will not carry your luggage across the gangplank onto the ferry. They will ask you to leave it in a pile on the pier. This is the standard process! Follow all instructions from the people who work on the boat. They will load all luggage into a luggage compartment.
- It takes ages to disembark! Similarly, with planes, everyone immediately stands up and starts queuing, filling the aisles to collect their luggage. It can be chaos!
Rideshare apps in the Philippines
There is no Uber in the Philippines, but Grab is essentially the same. Grab is super user-friendly and easy to use. However, you will need a sim card to set up Grab, as they need to text you to verify your number. Grab is available in bigger cities in the Philippines, but smaller towns still rely on taxis and tricycles. Even though some smaller towns have Grab, there are virtually no drivers, so using the app is pretty useless. Cities with Grab include Manila, Cebu City, and Puerto Princesa.
Like Uber, Grab is fairly safe and will show you driver reviews and keep track of your journey. There is an option to report a driver or make an emergency call should anything happen. I prefer to use Grab instead of taxis or tricycles as there is a record of the driver and journey, which deters the driver from doing anything untoward. There is also a Grab Food option using the same app, which is the same as Uber Eats (perfect for hungover bed days).
Tricycles and Taxis in the Philippines
Tricycles are the main method of transport for getting around in cities and towns in the Philippines. They are automated three-wheeled vehicles with open sides (basically the Filipino version of a Tuk Tuk). Riding in a tricycle is an experience and something everyone should try at least once! Similar to taxis, prices are negotiable, so agree on a price before you get in. In a standard tricycle, you can usually squeeze in 4 people at most (not including the driver).
Most tricycles have a cover or tarp over the back, which protects them from the wind and elements to a certain degree. Tricycles will generally only drive you around a city and cannot be used as transport for longer day trips out of the city or between cities. For day trips outside a city, taxis and or a car with a private driver may be a better option. You can book these through your accommodation or travel agencies in your destination.
Tips for using taxis and tricycles in the Philippines:
- Always haggle! Their initial price will always be much higher than the standard going rate for the journey. Feel free to walk away if they won’t lower the price. A few times, I told drivers, “It’s only 20 minutes. I’ll just walk,” they chased me and offered me a much lower price, which I accepted.
- Make sure you agree on the price before you get in the car or put your luggage in the boot!
- Use Google Translate to communicate the address. Don’t be afraid to show them on a map or point out a nearby landmark like a pagoda. So many hostels and hotels have similar names, so it is not uncommon to get accidentally dropped at the wrong address.
- In cities with traffic jams, like Cebu City and Manila, tricycles can be better than Taxis. Due to their size, tricycles can manoeuvre around traffic (sometimes even up on the sidewalk) and will get you there faster.
- Try to avoid tricycles if it is raining. They have a cover around them, but if it is raining heavily or the rain is coming in at an angle- you will get wet.
Renting a scooter in the Philippines
Renting a scooter to get around the Philippines is by far one of the most convenient and cost-effective ways to get around. Many hostels will assist with scooter rentals on-site or recommend reliable rental companies. Otherwise, you can google scooter rental companies and choose the most reliable based on reviews. Some companies have bad reputations for scamming travellers, renting faulty scooters or claiming tourists damaged scooters when actually the scratches were pre-existing. Make sure you do your research to avoid being scammed! Renting scooters up-front for a few days is usually more cost-effective than renting daily. You can generally rent a scooter everywhere for around 300 PHP Philippine Pesos ($5.50 USD) per day.
Scooters are pretty dangerous, and many (and I mean a lot) of travellers have accidents. Every second backpacker in South East Asia has a scooter accident story. It is THAT common. While people often end up with minor cuts, grazes, gravel rash and a bit of a bruised ego, I met many people with serious scooter accident stories. Broken legs, fractured collarbones, and people having to return home and cut their trip short to recover from serious injuries. Also, not to be morbid, backpackers do die in scooter accidents. When I was in Canggu, another traveller died on the back of a motorbike as a drunk tourist hit her. It was tragic and shook many people in the backpacking/ex-pat community in Canggu- a stern reminder of the dangers of scooters.
A warning about scooters in South East Asia!
You need an international driver’s license to ride a scooter in Asia. I’ve heard that it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to apply for one in most travellers’ home countries. However, most travellers either aren’t aware of this or don’t bother to get one before they leave home. The scooter companies will still rent a scooter to you regardless of whether you have a proper license. Driving without an international license, you can be fined a fair bit of money or face prison if you refuse to pay.
Even worse, if you are in a severe accident and were driving without an international license at the time, it is highly likely your travel insurance will not pay for your medical expenses. Most travel insurers have a clause stating they will not pay for medical bills that result from you committing an illegal activity. As driving without an international license (while commonplace) is technically illegal, insurance companies will not cover you for scooter accidents.
Here are my top tips if you’re planning on driving a scooter in the Philippines
- Take a scooter lesson when you arrive to learn about road rules and safety from a local. I did one for less than $5 USD, which made me more confident.
- Get an international license from your home country before you travel. It’s cheap and easy in most countries, so you won’t be fined excess money in the Philippines.
- Don’t drive drunk. You’d think it would be common sense, but there’s something about the scene in many parts of South East Asia where it’s normalised. By all means, drive your scooter during the day sober. At night, jump in a grab. They are literally so cheap.
- Make sure you always lock your scooter and keep the key somewhere safe. You’d be surprised how often someone is tearing apart the dorm looking for a scooter key.
- Take photos and videos of the scooter’s condition before you rent it. Otherwise, you will be charged for scratches or dents already on the vehicle.
- Be mindful of using your phone or any passengers using their phones while driving. Phone grabbing from other vehicles is not uncommon and can cause serious accidents. For directions, get the back passenger to discretely use their phone from their lap or have Google Maps directions playing on your AirPods, so you don’t need your phone out.
Getting around the Philippines by bus
There are very few buses in the Philippines, and the quality of buses is generally pretty poor compared to buses in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Mainly, you’ll find buses around Cebu Island, operating on routes connecting Cebu City with Oslob, Moalboal and Maya Port (to get to Malapascua Island). Buses aren’t available to book online at 12GOAsia or through hostels/ travel agencies, as they often don’t run to exact schedules. These buses run roughly every 30-60 minutes, departing on demand, between certain hours (usually 9-5, but some routes are 24/7). You need to show up at the bus terminal and ask where the next bus to your destination is departing, and then you pay for the bus.
You’ll generally have two options for buses: A/C bus and non-A/C bus. The quality and comfort of these two options are basically the same; as they use the same buses, they charge passengers more on the bus where they have switched on the A/C. If you want to save a little bit of money, you may as well go for the non-A/C bus on these routes. While the A/C bus is marginally cooler, the A/C doesn’t work that well and generally, the buses are overcrowded and hot anyway.
The bus seats are hard, and the buses along these routes are generally full. But none of these bus journeys exceed 5 hours, so it’s manageable for such a short journey. They’ll generally have a luggage hold under the bus for larger luggage items, but if that fills up, expect them to place luggage in the aisle. There are no toilets on these buses, but they will usually make one stop per 3-5 hour journey, where you can use the bathroom, buy snacks or stretch your legs.
Important to Note
An important thing to note about these bus journeys is that the conductor will walk down the bus aisle and take payment, with the price depending on where you’re getting off. If you don’t have the exact amount, you won’t get change immediately. I’m not sure why this happens, but the bus conductor takes everyone’s money (and gives you a ticket) and then takes time to count everything (sometimes this can be around 2 hours) and then walks around the bus again, giving everyone who is owed change their money. The first time this happened to me, it really freaked me out as I thought I’d been ripped off. Ideally, if you try to have exact change, you avoid the whole circumstance in the first place.
Beware! A common scam in Cebu City is workers in transport company uniforms patrolling the airport, port or bus station and offering to book you on buses. They’ll often tell you this is the only way to get to wherever you’re going. Other times, they will warn you about how slow, uncomfortable and unreliable the public buses are and that you should book a van transfer through them. Do not believe them! The van transfers operating along routes with a public bus are often four times the price and not much more comfortable, as they overbook them and the vans themselves have poor A/C.
Getting around the Philippines by van transfer
Other than travel routes mentioned in the above section, all other “buses” in the Philippines are actually van transfers. Expect a small van even if the hostel, travel agency, or online website tells you it is a bus. These small van transfers are common in Palawan on routes between Puerto Princesa, Port Barton and El Nido.
Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat it: these van transfers are not comfortable at all. It’s essentially a 12-seater mini-van, where they will squeeze as many people into the transfer as possible. Most likely, this will be on small, uncomfortable pull-out seats. Other times, they even have people sitting on the floor or on small stools. The better seats are the front seats with the driver (if you can get them). The A/C is generally pretty poor, and everyone’s luggage is squeezed around the seats, making it even more cramped.
The vans in Palawan are particularly traumatising as the roads are super windy, and the drivers take the corners pretty fast. If you get car sick, make sure you bring a plastic bag to vomit into or take some medication. Every van transfer I’ve taken in Palawan has resulted in someone throwing up; it’s, unfortunately, pretty common. But it is also the main transport form that can be used to get between destinations affordably. There are no toilets on these vans, but they usually make one stop per 3-5 hour journey, where you can use the bathroom, buy snacks or stretch your legs.
Getting around the Philippines on foot
In most cities in the Philippines, cafes, restaurants, bars, and other sights are close by and walkable on foot. As in much of South East Asia, there are not really footpaths, so you will have to walk on the road. If there are footpaths, they are usually used for scooter parking. Cars drive on the right-hand side of the road in the Philippines. So it is better to walk on the left-hand side of the road so you can see oncoming traffic and navigate around it. Walking around the Philippines feels very safe, particularly as a female at night.
The only real risk is stray dogs. Make sure you keep a fair distance from any dogs, as they are often territorial and used as guard dogs. If you get bitten, make sure you head to a hospital as soon as possible to get a rabies shot! The Philippines has some of the highest incidences of rabies deaths in the world. While many tourist destinations have rabies vaccination programs and have had no reported cases of rabies in years, it is still a major risk.
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