Staying on Boracay Island, Philippines 🇵🇭 [How to get there from Japan]
I started a four-month trip around Southeast Asia on November 3, 2024!
Since I'm here, I'll be writing about my daily life, both as a diary and to help those who might be traveling here in the future.
This time, I'm sharing [How to get there from Japan]!
Boracay is an island that's a bit ★★high difficulty★★ because you can't get there by plane alone!
〜Here's how I got there〜
① Narita Airport → Manila Airport ✈️ ZIPAIR
② Manila Airport → Caticlan Airport ✈️ Cebu Pacific
③ Caticlan Jetty → Boracay Island 🚤
★★High Difficulty Point★★
① Moving between terminals at Manila Airport🚌
Since the flight from Manila to Caticlan is a domestic flight, you almost always have to change terminals.
There is a free airport shuttle bus, but it only runs about once every 30 minutes, so it's best to leave plenty of time for your transfer.
I heard that if you take a taxi, you're likely to get ripped off. Also, since you have to go out onto public roads and use the highway to move between terminals, you might get caught in traffic depending on the time of day.
By the way, to use the free airport shuttle bus, just show your connecting flight ticket or e-ticket receipt plus your passport to the staff standing in front of the shuttle bus stop!
We had a 4-hour transit time...
Inside the boarding gate area for Caticlan Airport, there are about 5 or 6 small shops, including a cafe, convenience store, pizza place, and a shop selling Filipino deli food, so you can grab a light meal! Other than that, I was super bored, so I recommend downloading videos in advance.
② How to take the ferry🚤the ferry
First, you need to get from Caticlan Airport to the Caticlan Jetty! Taking a tricycle (a kind of open-air taxi) is cheap, but you can't even ride it if you don't have local currency!
Also, to board the ferry, you need to pay not just the ferry fare, but also an environmental tax and various other fees. It seems they also check where you are staying.
Traveling on my own with a large suitcase and having to pay for various things on the spot... I thought, 'This is a hassle!', so I went with a tour that covered [Caticlan Airport → Boracay accommodation]!
Once you find the sign with your name on it at the exit of Caticlan Airport, all you have to do is follow the staff!
It's a bit more expensive than traveling on your own, but it's only about 2,900 yen per person! It's really easy, so I highly recommend it!!
I went with the one my Airbnb host introduced ✨, but you can also book through tour sites online, and of course, you can also arrange it locally!
③ When boarding the ferry, people will carry your luggage without asking and demand a tip! lol
I knew this information beforehand, but since I was on a tour this time, I thought it wouldn't apply to us!
It totally applied! lol
We had a car transfer from the airport to the jetty, and when we arrived, there was someone very aggressively carrying our suitcases. I thought they were from the tour company, but they were completely different! Once they carried our luggage onto the boat, they firmly demanded a tip, and I screamed in my heart, 'So it has nothing to do with the tour!' lol
However, the ferry to Boracay—or should I say boat?—is surprisingly small, and it's almost impossible for women to board while carrying large, heavy suitcases!
So I think it's better to just ask them to do it and give them a tip! 100 pesos for two people (about 260 yen).
If you're a man and think you can do it yourself, you can just decline the people who try to carry your luggage at lightning speed (lol) by saying things like 'Are you a tour guide?' or 'No thank you, I'll do it myself!'
〜Summary〜
・A transfer time of at least 3 hours in Manila is essential
・A tour from Caticlan Airport to your accommodation is safe, secure, and comfortable
・Be careful of the luggage carriers