The Philippines is a beautiful country and one of the top popular Asian tourist destinations. When it comes to traveling the country, it’s good to find out about the ferry routes, types and check the available schedules.
Indeed, the Philippines has a huge network of more than 7000 islands that are connected by a large network of ferry transport routes. Frequent connections among top stops like Palawan, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are the driving force of countries tourism. In today’s post, we will provide tips about the most popular transport around the islands.
What Are the Ferry Types in the Philippines?
Generally speaking, there are 4 main types available for passenger booking. The types depend on whether you are traveling with a vehicle, or by foot, level of comfort, and how fast you plan to reach the destination.
Ferries are either transport-passenger when cars and other cargo are transported together with passengers, and exclusively passenger – their speed is significantly higher.
These 4 types are RORO ferries, Fastcafts, Passenger Liners, and Bangka. It’s worth mentioning the most popular company named 2Go Travel, which covers the majority of the passenger routes in the country. In total, there are about 200 regular ferry and high-speed boats, and more than 30 large carrier companies, and a myriad of small private ones.
What Are the Trip durations Between Popular Destinations?
It depends on the route since the Philippines has a huge and long network, passenger ferry rides can take from 1 hour to 45 hours. If you travel by Bangka ferry, these rides are usually short, up to two hours. These boats are used for scuba diving trips and coral reef excursions.
The most popular 2Go trip from Batangas to Caticlan takes from 9 to 10 hours, depending on the weather and route conditions. Another long route from Manila to Bacolod takes around 20 hours. One of the top routes from El Nido to Coron takes around 4 hours in good weather.
Is It Safe to Travel by Ferry in The Philippines?
The short answer is yes, absolutely! Ferry travel is as safe as other types of transport. It’s as safe as driving around your city. Of course, incidents happen sometimes, but nowadays companies are investing more resources in safety and ensuring the ferries are equipped or any scenario.
So don’t make the possibility of the accident interfere with the good spirit of island hopping. Traveling by ferry is a fun and unique way to observe the country.
There are a few common safety rules to follow. When boarding the ferry, make sure the life jackets are in place and remember where they are located. Also, keep an eye on the weather conditions. If there’s a typhoon forecast, it might be smart to postpone a long ferry trip for later.
What Are the Amenities Onboard?
All of the ferries have toilet facilities, TVs and AC. Depending on the ticket class, you can get placement in the general tourism class cabin, or smaller cabins for 4/6 people. The standard baggage allowance is 50kg per passenger, allowing you to bring a large suitcase with all your belongings on board.
Unfortunately, in the Philippines, in all ports, passengers have to pay an addition to the ticket price the so-called Terminal Fee. Depending on the port and route, it ranges from 2 to 100 pesos.
In conclusion, ferries are the most convenient and cheap way to travel around the country. We recommend checking the schedules before departure since due to weather, departure times may vary. Enjoy your travels, and don’t forget to share our tips with your friends and family.