Boracay to the capital: Caticlan to Manila off the beaten track
Ever wondered whether it's possible to get from Aklan to Manila via the scattered islands off the coast of Mindoro? The answer is yes. The reason it's not done often? Because a flight from Aklan to Manila takes an hour and is relatively economic. My trip took 11 days and was filled with delays.
The following blog posts are my notes, stories and travel tips I picked up on an 11-day strictly sea and land journey through cities and islands which had caught my
attention during my stint in Boracay.
(left: Caticlan Jetty Port, near Boracay island, Aklan)
I started my trip in Boracay, where I'd spent four months living above a boxing gym (Legacy Gym Boracay - I greatly recommend). My original route began with hopes of taking a FastCat Ferry (slogan: Ferry Fast, Ferry Safe, Ferry Convenient... I am instantly sold) from Caticlan to Bulalacao, a new route I'd seen advertised in a Filipino newspaper.
From Bulalacao, (sometimes spelled with a k), a town in eastern Mindoro, it's relatively easy to get down to Tambaran Island, and a great blog I'd been following told me the area had a lot to offer. Unfortunately this plan went swiftly down the drain when I went to catch my first ferry at 2am, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, only to be told it was cancelled.
Sympathetic security guards invited me to wait 12 hours in the ferry waiting room for the next ferry at 2pm. That one might come, they said. "What does it depend on?" I asked. "It depends on whether the ferry comes or not," they answered.
[ FYI, anyone wondering whether the ferries from Boracay to Caticlan Jetty Port are 24 hours - the answer (as of 2015) is yes. Even if the official ferries stop around 10 pm, there are plenty of boats that make the 15 minute journey throughout the night. These are actually bigger and more comfortable boats than the official ones. From Boracay, I took a boat at half past midnight without any waiting time. It costs a set 100 PHP (no terminal or environmental fees at night).
I crashed in the jetty port waiting hall for a few hours attempting to tune out a vintage work-out video that was blaring out to three rooms of sleeping passengers. I awoke the sound of people boarding a 6am ferry to Roxas. I weighed my options - I could wait close to 9 hours for a ferry that might not come, or I could hop the ferry to Roxas, which is also in Mindoro (but should not be mistaken with the indefinite number of other cities named Roxas in the Philippines) and go from there. I ran to buy a ticket and hopped the ferry, deciding to revise my route as soon as I could find an internet cafe.
Caticlan - Dangay Port, Roxas (Mindoro)
The Caticlan - Roxas (pronounced Rohas) route is run by Montenegro Shipping Lines. The ferry I took was supposed to leave Thursday at 6am (left at 7 or 7:30), although MN's website shows it scheduled to leave at 4am. The ticket window at the port you plan to leave from is the most reliable way to get the actual schedule and any information - do not rely on online information. In Caticlan, it's on the left side of the entrance to the ferries that take you to Boracay. This is where you'll find 2GO and Starlite's ticket windows as well (other ferry companies).
Cost: 450 PHP regular, 408 for students + 50 terminal fee
Length: ~4 hours
I suppose the journey could have been more chaotic. Benches are laid out on an open floor with the exception of the roof, which has no seats. Passengers included loud children, smokers, roosters, and about 200 live goats. There are toilets for the willing adventurer. A cafeteria room serves snacks, instant noodles, and 3-in-1 coffee. The ferry was busy but the ride was comfortable. Upon arrival in Dangay Port, I looked for an internet cafe' so I could figure out where in the world Roxas was and revise my route.
