First of all, you need to decide where you will be getting from, simply put, how your full route Moscow / Kiev-Dubai-Manila-Boracay or Moscow / Kiev-Hong Kong-Boracay, Moscow / Kiev-Singapore (or Kuala Lumpur) - Boracay will look like or… there may be an infinite number of these, you can choose both by price and by interesting places of transfer. For example, if you have already been to Hong Kong, why not fly to Boracay via Bangkok / Maoaysia / Singapore and stay there for a day or two, especially since sometimes this may not be reflected in the price at all. And there is something to see - temples and palaces are very beautiful. Even if it costs an extra $ 50-100 for a hotel, but you have already spent money on a flight to Asia, it is definitely worth using it to the fullest. Well it is ... food for thought :-)
In 2016-2017, China Southern Airlines set unrealistically steep fares for the Moscow-Guangzhou-Manila flight. So, for three months now, you can buy these tickets at a price of 350 USD round trip for different dates. It is clear that the longer you think, the harder it is to get such a sweet price, but having tried these airlines I can say that the planes are cool, there is a lot of legroom, the hotel is free if the docking in Guangzhou is more than 8 hours! The hotel, by the way, is 4-5 * .. real, not Egyptian :-) Minus one - transportation of sports equipment, if it's not a snowboard - $ 150 one way, but then as you agree at the airport. Personally, I didn't pay anything ... convinced that I had a snowboard. But about these little things in another article.
Let's pass, now, to Boracay himself. Unfortunately, there is no airport directly on the island itself, the island is small and only professional builders from Moldova and Tajikistan could have slammed a runway into it ... but since there were no such ones here, the island was left without an airport :-) You will have to fly to one of the following airports closest to Boracay - Katilkan, Kalibo or Iloilo. All of them are located on Panay Island. And then the route looks like this - transfer to the boat station, 10 minutes by ferry boat and already directly on Boracay transfer to your hotel. In words, it looks a little scary and difficult, in real life - easy, simple and fast.
Now let's go through in more detail what airport it is more convenient to fly to.
Caticlan airport
On November 21, 2016, Caticlan Airport hosted Philippine Airlines' Airbus A320 jet for the first time. This means that the expansion of the Caticlan runway is complete and starting from November, I am sure all airlines will be relocating their flights from Kalibo (read below) to Caticlan. Accordingly, not only small turbo-propeller aircraft will fly to Caticlan, but also standard jets such as A320 and 737 Boeing - this means that there will be no more problems with carrying kite equipment! We will keep you updated as soon as airlines update their route maps. In the meantime, as of 11/23/2016, only Philippine Airlines announced "large" planes from Manila to Caticlan. A320 (i.e. a large plane) will fly daily on the Manila-Caticlan route at 8-25, 12-00, 14-30. Return flights from Caticlan-Manila will be at 9-45, 13-15, 16-30. So, if you get on these flights, then you will not have any problems with equipment (unless, of course, you pay for everything in advance, read below) and I strongly recommend this method of delivering you to Boracay Island :-) Well, if only the price of the flight Manila-Kalibo will not be significantly cheaper than before Caticlan.
UPDATE 2017. So, now both small turboprop planes and large jets (Boeing 737, Airbus 320) fly directly to Caticlan airport from 3 major airlines of the Philippines - Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia. So when booking a ticket from Manila (or Angeles, read on) directly to Caticlan, look on the airline's website or on third-party websites which plane serves your flight. If this is a jet, then the transportation of oversized equipment will be possible without any problems (of course, under the terms of the airline)
This is the closest airport to Boracay, but there is one inconvenience - only domestic flights fly here, i.e. there is no international communication yet (as of 01.10.2017).
Kalibo airport
Until 2016, when Caticlan did not receive jets, it was the most popular airport. Normal, large planes of the Airbus A320 class arrive here and there are no problems with luggage (there are luggage nuances, which are described below). A huge advantage of this port is the availability of international flights from / to Hong Kong, Khabarovsk, Singapore, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Busan, and, of course, the schedule also includes an internal flight - Manila-Kalibo. Information is constantly changing, so it's best to keep an eye on the current schedule on the Internet.
Now, very important information for those who travel with kite gear or "overweight". When booking any flight, keep in mind that many airlines allow you to expand your baggage allowance when booking through their websites for very little money. If you forget about this option, then the surcharges directly at the airport will be truly cosmic (US $ 9-15 per kg overweight). Therefore, always try to purchase the baggage allowance you are interested in via the Internet, in advance. There you can also choose the option of transporting sports equipment, under which the kite equipment falls, in order not to pay extra at the airport for the large dimensions of the bag.
There is one more nuance worth remembering! The main airlines in the Philippines are Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, Tiger Air. So, if, for example, you fly to Boracay on the Moscow-Hong Kong route (no matter what), and then Hong Kong-Kalibo with Philippine Airlines, then by someone's idiotic decision within these airlines, you cannot expand the free baggage allowance through the website , precisely because the flight is international ... insanity. The situation is the same with the purchase of a Hong Kong-Manila-Kalibo composite ticket. Also, purchase additional. The baggage allowance through the website will not work, and at the airport you will be stripped naked ... otherwise these draconian overweight fares cannot be named.
For example, my bag with kite gear weighs 30 kg, the allowed weight on a Philippine Airlines flight is 20 kg, for the excess I will pay 150 dollars! 15 dollars for 1 kg of overweight and oversized ... where have you seen a kite bag that fits under "normal" dimensions? :-) And, for example, from the same Cebu Pacific, when ordering a ticket Hong Kong-Kalibo, I can easily select the option "Sports equipment, 30kg" and it will cost me only $ 33 ... The insanity is that on domestic routes (for example, Manila-Kalibo), Philippine Airlines has no such problems, you can also buy options with luggage for ridiculous money ... when I asked why not do this on international flights, the girl at the check-in counter sympathetically informed me that I'm not the first to ask this question ...
But, I will repeat again - the additional allowed weight must always be bought through the airline's website, preferably at the same time as purchasing a ticket, otherwise the money intended for the purchase of gin, whiskey and tequila will go completely in the wrong direction :-)
The transfer from Kalibo to the boat crossing to Boracay takes one and a half to two hours (see below).
UPDATE 2017. Despite the fact that Caticlan airport is much closer to Boracay and already accepts aircraft with normal cargo compartments, this year we are still flying through Kalibo and here's why. Qatar Airways gives very nice tickets Moscow-Kuala Lumpur-Moscow at the price of 520 USD. round trip and Moscow-Singapore-Moscow at a price of 499 dollars. There and back again. At the same time, both from Kuala Lumpur and from Singapore there are direct flights to Kalibo, the price is 150-200 dollars. There and back again. As for me, this is a great opportunity to hang out in Malaysia or Singapore for a couple of three days ... Or do as we did, hang there and there :-) And now, attention, a composite ticket Moscow-Kuala Lumpur, and then Singapore- Moscow, costs only 540 dollars, so we bought it. Thus, we arrive in Kuala Lumpur, hang out there for 3 days, then a direct flight to Kalibo by AirAsia. Well, we fly back with Scoot from Kalibo to Singapore, hang out there for another three days and fly back to Moscow. There is no more ideal travel for such money!
Iloilo airport
The most remote airport. It takes 6 hours to go from it to the boat station in Boracay! Therefore, almost no one uses it to fly to Boracay. When can it come in handy? Then when two or one of the above-mentioned ports are closed ... And sometimes they are closed, for example, when typhoon Yolanda passed through the Philippine islands in November 2013, the airports of Caticlan and Kalibo did not work for a week, and IloIlo only 3 days .. So, sometimes it can come in handy when planning your route, although in truth, rather, in some extreme situation.
Flight to Caticlan / Kalibo via Manila or Angeles.
Probably the most popular routes to Boracay are connecting flights in Manila and then flights to Caticlan / Kalibo. I advise you to always remember that international flights can arrive at one terminal, and domestic flights can depart from another. You can get from one terminal to another either by taxi or by transfer. I don’t know if all airlines organize transfers, but it’s definitely provided by Philippine Airlines. Left the airport, look for signs with a transfer to the desired terminal, or ask at the company counter.
To move from one terminal to another by taxi, I would lay at least half an hour, it all depends on traffic jams, sometimes it is 10 minutes, sometimes half an hour. Thus, the minimum connection between flights should be at least one hour, optimally 2 hours.
If you have one ticket for all segments, accordingly, your baggage can be checked in directly to Kalibo (find out about this possibility at your initial airport of departure to the Philippines, for example, in Moscow). After landing in Manila, you will have to pick up your bag, move away from the carousel (from which it was taken off) to customs control, say, dude, my luggage is going on, get an affirmative nod and take the bag back to the carousel :-))) just don't think of these Filipinos. There is a loader on duty at the carousel who will put your luggage aside and then make sure that it is taken to the desired plane. Well, you are going light for a transfer to another terminal.
Starting in 2016, the Philippines decided to develop an additional airport near Manila - Clark, Clark (CRK) in Angeles City. This modern airport is 115 km from the main airport in Manila. It serves both international flights and domestic ones, so you can easily fly here, for example from Dubai and go directly to Caticlan. Conveniently, while the pricing policy is slightly higher than in Manila, in my experience, I advise you to always check flights here as well as to Manila.
In Clark (as of 01.10.2017) the following airlines are served - Qatar Airlines, Emirates, Cebu, Philippine Airlines, AirAsia, China Eastern Airlines, Jin Air, Scoot.
Flight to Kalibo via Hong Kong.
This flight option is the most optimal, because you will have one less connection, but it is worth noting that it is not always available, there is some seasonality. But if the flight is available, there is no need to fly through Manila, because usually the route looks like this - Moscow-Dubai-Manila-Kalibo. In the case of Hong Kong, it will be Moscow-Hong Kong-Kalibo. The flight is good both in terms of flight time and price, very often a round-trip ticket costs $ 150. Tickets to Hong Kong can be found at very tasty prices, although not always. The main two disadvantages of this flight are that only one airline Cebu Pacific operates flights (therefore, it is better to search for tickets directly through their website). The second minus is because there is only one flight per day, it is not always possible to find a suitable connection from your city further to Kalibo, therefore, you may have to spend the night in Hong Kong, and this can lead to an increase in the cost of the trip. But there is also a plus, there is an opportunity to take a ticket further from Hong Kong not on the same day, but a day or two later, in order to spend these couple of days visiting such interesting places as the Temple of Buddha, Disneyland, Ocean Park, etc. It's up to you to decide, but many people choose this particular flight option.
Airfare to the Philippines.
The cost of flights to the Philippines varies depending on the dates of the flight. On New Year's holidays, the cost is maximum and an air ticket (round trip) to Manila / Angeles from Moscow / Kiev can go up to 2000 US dollars, the average price is usually 1200-1500, but if there is a shortage, then you have to be ready to shell out two kilos of American greenery.
On ordinary days, not holidays, you can buy tickets for $ 500-700, which is a very good price for such a long flight. Sometimes airlines give very indecent super discounts. For example, now (September 2016) you can buy a flight, and for almost any date with a price of $ 340. for round trip and departure from Moscow from China Southern airline. It's just a real ball. The same Turkish Airlines are now offering the same flight for $ 490 - which is also not bad.
Flight Manila / Angeles-Boracay (Kalibo / Caticlan) is best purchased separately, having previously "searched" the websites of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and TigerAir. Asians often have sales, so if the usual one-way price is $ 70-100, then according to the promotion, such a ticket can be purchased for $ 20-30. Do not forget to pay for your sports equipment there :-)
How can you save on tickets. So far, the main way to save money is to buy a ticket with long connections. You may have to somewhere and order a hotel at the transit point, but if you are not running out of time, and you really want to save money, why not. In any case, aviasales and skycanner offer many options, the choice is always yours.
Airport transfers to Boracay.
Let me remind you that the road to Boracay looks like this - by plane to the airport (see above), from the airport by ground transport (bus / minibus / taxi) to the boat station, by boat (of different sizes) to Boracay and there by ground transport (often by trike- tuktuk) to your place of residence.
I have never flown to Caticlan airport, but since it is closest to Boracay, I think the procedure for delivering you to the island is no different from the one that works at Kalibo airport. This is what I will describe.
It's very simple, when you arrive in Kalibo, pick up your luggage, leave the airport and see a lot of tents and barkers with offers of transfer to Boracay. The easiest and most comfortable transfer is provided by Southwest Tours Boracay. Here is a website with all their services //www.southwesttoursboracay.com/transfer/kalibo-airport. By the way, in order to save a little time, you can purchase this transfer on AirAsia aircraft, at least now (01/15/2014), the transfer is offered by flight attendants at the same price as at the exit from the airport.
In general, go to the Southwest tent, at the exit from the airport, say what you need to Boracay, give the name of your hotel, give 600 pessos (US $ 1 \u003d 46.9 pessos), get a sticker on a T-shirt and an indication of which bus you should take. All! You don't need to do anything else :-) On the bus, you will be taken to the boat station in an hour and a half, where the guide takes you inside, pays all tickets and taxes (this is all included in the 600 pessos you paid) and puts you on the boat. Luggage, carry-on luggage and everything, everything, everything goes with you, the boats are large, there are 50-100 people. Upon arrival to Boracay, another guide will lead you to a minibus / tuktuk, sit down and tell the driver where to take you. In the minibus you will, of course, not be alone, but with the same tourists. In general, a regular tourist transfer. Everything is clear, easy and convenient.
The latest flight to Kalibo arrives at 11-10pm (from Cebu Pacific) and Southwest is waiting for passengers on that flight to take them to Boracay. So, if you arrived even so late, don't worry, and you will be able to catch the bus and ferry if you immediately go to Southwest for registration.
The second major transport company that provides similar services, usually for a little less money, but also a little simpler transport - Island Star Exprerss. All information is on their website - //www.islandstarexpress.com/rates/
Another option, if you are traveling in your own company and would not like to sit in a big bus with other tourists - take a taxi (minibus) yourself. The price of a taxi will be inversely proportional to your bargaining ability :-) I took a minibus for 800 pessos. If divided by 5 people, 160 pessos per brother-sister. But in this case, you will have to buy your own boat tickets to Boracay and then pay for the transfer directly around Boracay. There are absolutely no difficulties in this, you can save a little. This option will also work if, for example, your luggage does not fit on a large bus ... I was once refused to transport surfboards ... I took a taxi and there were no problems.
Rules of entry to the Philippines.
I think it will be useful to remind that Russian citizens do not need a visa to visit the Philippines, everything is processed at the airport, but for Ukrainian citizens it is necessary to obtain a visa in advance at the Philippine consulate.
Another nuance to be aware of. As in most countries, upon entering the Philippines, you may be checked for a return ticket. And if there is no such ticket, they will either return it back or force them to buy it. Moreover, the availability of a return ticket can be checked at the departure airport, for example, in Hong Kong ... Many of our compatriots know how to use photoshop and before the trick with drawn tickets passed (well, for example, when you go for the winter and do not know when you want to go back), but once at times is not necessary. As a result, my invalid ticket, when flying to Manila from Ho Chi Minh, was checked and forced to buy a new one right at the airport. Fortunately, I bought the most expensive ticket with a 100% money back ... but anything can happen.
P.S. When asking the airline for a refund, Philippine Airlines demanded to show them any other return ticket to fly out of the country. So - like this :-)
Some useful information.
Where to change money The exchange of money is not a problem either in Boracay or in the Philippines in general. Usually the course at Manila airport is slightly more profitable than the average for Boracay. So you can change in Manila (if you fly through it)
Transportation in Boracay. The two most common modes of transport on the island are the tricycle (tuktuk) and the moped. Both work like taxis. For example, I'm scared to be driven by some puny and reckless Filipino on a two-wheeled vehicle, so I use a tricycle. The fare depends on the distance, from 40 to 100 pessos. There are also tricycles that work like minibuses :-) but would you like to squeeze into a small mountain of Filipinos in a cramped three-wheeled carriage !?
Telephone and internet. The Philippines has 2 main operators Globe and Smart. SIM cards are sold freely at airports, you can buy both for calls only and with 4G Internet. The cost of the Internet, for example, "Unlimited for 7 days" - 500 pessos (33 dollars), 1000 pessos per month. You can take it with traffic limitation for a week, two, a month. In general, there are a lot of options, the Internet is not that superb, but sometimes Facebook, Viber, Skype and YouTube, in general, are enough :-)
Force Majeure
What you should definitely remember is the weather! Sometimes storms and typhoons pass through the Philippine Islands. Probably, they do not threaten your life (unless you live in some completely "killed" bamboo hotel, which will be transferred to the open sea with the first hurricane), but the weather can easily correct your schedule of stay here. Typhoons do not come suddenly, they go long enough, so we are waiting for the last one already on day 4. One day before the typhoon, the boat station and airports will close. Therefore, you should take into account and take into account that until the typhoon leaves, you will not leave the island :-) Or until the communications damaged by the typhoon are restored (the maximum was delayed, in November 2013, for 7 days). Either you have to leave early so as not to miss your international flight ... or be ready to sunbathe on the island some more time. The typhoon itself takes place in a day, the main problem is damage to communications, on which the operation of airports, boat stations, transfers, etc. depends.
Well, that's probably all about how to get to Boracay and not spend too much. And do not forget, if we are on the island and you have any questions, you will need advice, we will always be happy to help you. Write to us by mail and we will be happy to advise you everything.
There are several ways to get to Boracay from Manila - by plane and by bus with a transfer to the ferry.
When traveling on your own, keep in mind that there is no transport from Manila to Boracay directly, as well as from other places in the Philippines. Whichever way tourists get to the paradise beaches of this island, they will have to do this with a transfer on the neighboring, larger island of Panay. You can view suitable travel options and purchase tickets for the selected mode of transport on the website.
Google Maps / google.ru
This specificity is due to the fact that Boracay is an ecological zone. This is the second point to which those who prefer to travel on their own should be prepared - they will have to pay an environmental fee before leaving for the island, it is 75 pesos.
The money goes to maintain the unique natural environment in the form as close as possible to the pristine, that is, to keep Boracay beaches clean, no exhaust gases hung in the air, and local monkeys continued to walk among tourists, begging for something tasty from them.
On water
Traveling from Manila by ocean is the most romantic and most comfortable way to travel. Ferries run from the pier in Manila to the northern pier of Panay in Dumagit city. Here you will need to take a bus and take it to the neighboring city of Caticlan, where you have to transfer to a boat, which will take you to the beaches of Boracay.
Ted Brown / flickr.com
There is also a slightly different route. From Manila, you can take a regular shuttle bus to Batagans. Here you need to take a ferry to Caticlan. The main advantage of this particular route is that you can sail the ocean at night. Ferries leave Batagans' berths not only in the morning and during the day, but also in the evening and even at night.
The ferries themselves are quite comfortable, with a cafe area, a bar with karaoke in several languages \u200b\u200band a small souvenir shop. Although, the main advantage is the ability to admire the ocean expanses at night not from the shore and, of course, capture them with a photographic lens.
By air
Of course, there are no direct flights from Manila to Boracay. You need to fly to Caticlan, the flight starts at the Manila airport. You will have to move from its international sector to the internal one, it is impossible to get lost, there are signs everywhere.
Marc van der Chijs / flickr.com
Local domestic flights depart several times a day, but there is a small peculiarity - a flight-transfer is offered to tourists on small private propeller planes, that is, you can fly from Manila to Caticlan at almost any time, and tickets can be purchased directly on the spot, at the airport ticket offices ...
The only inconvenience that travelers will have to face when choosing such an air route is significant restrictions on the weight of luggage. You can fly to Caticlan with your luggage, not exceeding 20 kg. Private jets usually limit weight even further - up to 10 kg in the hold and up to 5 kg in carry-on baggage.
But, unlike "official" planes, you can negotiate with the owners of private planes and pay for the transportation of luggage that exceeds the weight limits, as a rule, it costs from 180 to 220 pesos for each kg, and, of course, by agreeing to take oversized luggage, the private owner or takes less the number of passengers, or even only one client is carrying.
Fabio Achilli / flickr.com
There are other routes for the flight - through the airports of Kalibo and Iloilo.
However, from Kalibo you will have to fly by plane to Caticlan or get to it in another way, so this route is popular when flying from other countries, and not from Manila. From the quays of Kalibo, you can go directly to the marinas of Boracay, but not always. The point is that there are frequent sea waves in this area, so boats may not go to Boracay every day, and tourists have to go to Caticlan.
As for Iloilo, you will have to take a ferry at the local pier and sail to the same Caticlan for 6-7 hours. This route takes a long time and is practically not in demand among travelers arriving at the international airports of Manila and Kalibo.
What else do you need to know?
From Kalibo airport, with no boats departing typical for local marinas, you can get to the Caticlan marinas by land by bus or taxi, it will take from 2 to 3 hours to go.
Taxi drivers in the Philippines charge double the price at night, so it makes sense to use the transit lounge for travelers, located 50 meters from the exit from the international terminal. Finding it is not difficult - just follow the signs, the stay in the recreation area itself does not require payment, except for drinks and snacks in the bar, of course.
Rick McCharles / flickr.com
There is also the opposite situation, in which it is not possible to sail from the port of Caticlan to the desired island, and you have to go to the quays of Kalibo. But that doesn't happen often.
After leaving the small plane at the Caticlan airport, you need to get from the building of the local airport terminal to the marinas. The marina is less than 3 km away and those traveling light can easily reach the boats on foot. A leisurely walk will take about half an hour, if you walk quickly, you can walk in 15-20 minutes.
It is impossible to get lost, the road starts right from the exit from the airport and ends at a dead end in front of the entrance to the terminals of the boat pier. There is only one turn, a couple of tens of meters after the airport, and there are no intersections at all, that is, you will not have to cross the road if you immediately follow the sidewalk on the right side. Everywhere there are direction signs for motorists, and a pedestrian can easily find their way along them.
You can take a taxi and drive to the berths, of course, it will be faster, but not much. The car travels from 10 to 15 minutes, this duration is due to the speed limit, numerous traffic lights and traffic on a rather narrow road. In addition to taxis, "tricycles" offer their services at the exit from the airport, which will take you to the port in just 3-5 minutes.
About prices
To travel by boat to the beaches of Boracay from the pier in Caticlan, you need to pay:
- The cost of a boarding ticket is from 150 pesos, if you have a lot of luggage, you will need a small surcharge for it.
- The cost of fees - environmental and terminal, together it costs 175 pesos.
The boats are on the way no more than 15-20 minutes.
A taxi ride to the Caticlan marinas from the local airport costs 250 pesos and a tricycle costs 50 pesos.
You can get from Kalibo directly to the pier in Caticlan by taxi or by a minivan for 10 passengers, somewhat reminiscent of domestic minibuses. A taxi ride in the daytime will cost 2,000 - 2,500 pesos, depending on the weight and amount of luggage, and a minivan ticket costs 250 pesos, but there are significant restrictions on luggage volumes.
Rick McCharles / flickr.com
You can get to the pier in Caticlan from Manila by bus. It stops right outside the international terminal and outside the ticket office where local flights are sold. The stop in Caticlan is located next to the entrance to the boat terminal, you don't have to look for anything. The cost of the trip is 2000 pesos. Similarly, you can get to the pier in Batagans, a trip there will cost 2500 pesos.
Ferry tickets cost from 100 pesos to 250 pesos, the cheapest flights are from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm, regardless of where you leave.
Air tickets for domestic flights have different prices, it ranges from 1,600 pesos to 3,000 pesos, private air carriers charge an average of 2,000-2,500 pesos.
There are no difficulties in how to get to Boracay from Manila, and travelers do not have any confusion about finding the right stops, terminals and flights. However, you should take care of some small things in advance, for example, exchanging the available money for local pesos. The best way to do this is after arrival and baggage claim directly at the airport, and do not forget to withdraw cash.
Cash will be needed to pay for taxi services, travel on the bus or other expenses, the payment of which does not provide for cashless payment options. Non-cash payments for any tickets can only be made at the airport ticket offices and at the boat terminal ticket offices; everything else can be paid only in cash.
Video: how to get to the paradise island of Boracay?
As for convenience, it is more rational to take a bus from Manila to Batagans, and then take a ferry. Financially, such a trip will not be more expensive than any other options, but this route has an advantage - ferries from the Batagans pier leave around the clock.
That is, you can sail to Boracay from here at any time, you do not need to guess your travel according to the schedule or look for where to spend the night if the plane in Manila landed after 18:00. And an evening or night trip by ferry among the endless ocean waves is in itself an undeniable advantage.
The only thing that can prevent you from taking this or any other route is weather conditions, so you need to look at the weather forecast on the scoreboard at Manila airport and choose the option for onward travel, on which natural disasters are not expected.
And so we landed in the capital of the Philippines at 22:50 local time in Terminal 1. Customs formalities passed quickly. No fees were paid. We stamped our passport, got our luggage and went out of the airport onto the street. And then the orgy began ... At first we wandered with suitcases in search of an exchanger. Found. Changed $ 100. And so it began ... a taxi, a taxi, a taxi need ?!
In Manila, at the airport, taxi drivers are a definite gang. We read about it and were ready for it. They looked on the map that there was nothing to go to our hotel. Official taxi drivers requested 950 pesos !!! (multiply by 1.5 to count in rubles). We smiled, said, "Quarrel, senk yu," and went on. We crossed the road and began to look for some private traders there. But they also stuck to us with proposals with cosmic prices. To be honest, we were tired and worn out, we didn't want to wander further with our suitcases in search of cheaper options. Bargained for 500 pesos. Although all you had to do was walk along the parking lot, get out of the airport area, and catch a white taxi along the road. This is what we recommend you do. The price tag will be at 12 !!! times lower. Catch a white taxi, tell the taxi driver to turn on the taximeter and go! Although, the Filipinos, seeing white people with suitcases, immediately turn on the armor and do not agree to take it over the counter (we realized this on the day of our departure). In general, do whatever is more convenient for you - take an official taxi, bargain with private traders, or catch a city taxi (white cars). Official airport taxis with unrealistic prices are yellow. Or the best option - book the Go Hotels Manila Airport Road for the night. We stayed in it on the day of departure and very much regretted that we had not forgotten it for the first night. Very passable hotel, no complaints, simple but clean and tidy. And this hotel has a free pick-up from Terminal 1. At the exit from the baggage claim area, we saw an employee with a sign from this hotel. That is, the headache with finding a taxi will automatically disappear. We will tell you more about this hotel a little further.
For now, let's continue. We loaded into a taxi with our luggage and rushed to our hotel. The road took about 10 minutes, and here we are at the reception. I would like to dwell on this point here - many on the Internet write that it is very dangerous in Manila, that people are evil there and everything else. Yes, it may seem like that when you bargain with taxi drivers. But such a story happened to us. We got out of the taxi at the hotel, paid off with the driver, said goodbye, went to the lobby for a check-in. We stand, draw up documents. And our taxi driver comes up to us and gives us a backpack with a laptop, documents and other equipment forgotten in the car. Like this. There are good people in Manila. Not without them. For an overnight stay, we booked the 88 Courtyard Hotel. Located very close to the airport. Booked through Agoda. The Superior room category with breakfast cost us 3,500 rubles. The hotel left positive emotions. Registration and check-in is fast. The number is fully consistent with the photo and description. Clean and fairly spacious. Quiet air conditioning, helpful staff. Complete shower set: gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush and paste. Clean towels. Disposable slippers. The room itself is quiet - no noise from the road prevented us from sleeping. In the lobby, you can ask to be woken up.
Boracay is a miniature island in the middle of the ocean. There is no port here, nor is there a runway for landing aircraft. The length of this modest piece of land is only 7 km. The width of the island in some places ranges from 1 to 4 km. It is located at a distance of 350 km from the capital of the Philippines - the city of Manila.
The closest island to Boracay is Panay. In its northern part there is a boat station where you can rent a boat or a small boat. However, you still need to get here somehow. Let's find out how to get from Manila to Boracay? How to get to the island?
Force majeure circumstances
In search of a solution to the question "how to get to Boracay", you need to pay attention to a possible force majeure. It is about unforeseen weather conditions. Quite often they are exposed to serious typhoons and storms. They do not pose any danger to the lives of tourists who stay in modern hotels. However, those who are on the way, on the outskirts of Boracay, can be taken by surprise.
When there are reports of the onset of storms, tourists sometimes have to sit in one place for several days. During this time, absolutely all airports and boat stations can be closed in the Philippines. Therefore, when going here, you must first plan your vacation with some "reserve" of several days, because until the weather improves, no one will give permission to fly or go to sea.
Even the largest typhoons and storms take place on local islands throughout the day. But the main problem is damage to communications. After all, it is on them that the possibility of flying, ensuring the operation of boat stations depends.
Ferry ride
So let's discuss what are the ways to get to Boracay. The first of them is by sea, that is, the ocean.
The ferry allows you to sail from Manila to Panay Island, the nearest island to Boracay. Water transport arrives at the town of Dumagit, which is located in the north of the specified territory. Once there, you can change to a bus that goes to Caticlan. Then you will have to rent any suitable water transport that goes to Boracay.
How else to get from Manila to Boracay on the same ferry? From the capital, you can travel 110 km to Batagans by regular bus. In the evening, ferries leave from here to Caticlan. The specified transport has everything for the entertainment of tourists: a small restaurant, a shop, even a karaoke bar. Thus, on the way you will not have to be bored and you can sail to Caticlan in high spirits. However, it is still better to have a good rest, because the ferry arrives at the indicated settlement at about 6 am. Further, it remains only to find out about the availability of free boats that go to Boracay, and correctly plan the remaining free time.
Flight to Caticlan
How to get from Manila to Boracay if traveling on the waves does not appeal to you? The nearest settlement to the island is Caticlan. You can arrive here by plane from the capital. However, there is a rather modest airport, where only small planes can land, due to the presence of an insignificant runway. What is the risk for travelers? If you plan to go to Boracay with a whole bunch of bulky heavy luggage, the latter may simply not be accepted on board the aircraft. There are clear limits on the weight of hand luggage for each passenger. Thus, suitcases heavier than 20 kg will most likely not be able to transport.
Another comparative disadvantage of traveling to Boracay via Caticlan is the extremely limited number of flights to the local airport. But if you agree in advance with the owner of a small propeller aircraft about the flight, this option will be one of the fastest and most convenient. As for the travel time from the town airport to the local boat station, it will take no more than 15 minutes. Once on the spot, you can quickly find free water transport that will take you to Boracay.
Drive through Kalibo
How to get from Manila airport to Boracay? All you need to do is take a plane ticket to Kalibo. The airport located in this city is very popular among tourists. The largest international liners fly here. In the case of a flight from Manila, there will be absolutely no problems with the weight and dimensions of the baggage carried. If you wish, you can fly to the local airport from Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and even our Khabarovsk.
Once in Kalibo, it will be enough to use the services of Philippine Airlines, whose planes make domestic flights. It is on such transport that it will be possible to get to the same Caticlan, from where later to cross to Boracay.
There is also another option. If you don't mind spending more than two hours on the road, you can get to the island using a ferry, boat or boat. To do this, you will need to find in advance public transport or a taxi, the driver of which goes to the local boat ferry.
Travel through Iloilo
The town is the most remote of all the routes available. How to get to Boracay Island from Manila via Iloilo? To do this, you will have to use the services of local airlines in the capital of the country.
As for the trip to Boracay from Iloilo itself, the journey from the local port by ferry will take as long as 6 hours. Therefore, tourists rarely arrive at the local airport. And who, then, will benefit from traveling along such a route? Consideration of this option is recommended in situations where both airports in Kalibo and Caticlan are closed. And this happens regularly, for example, when all the same force majeure circumstances arise in the form of worsening weather conditions.
Currency exchange
When deciding how to get from Manila to Boracay, it is recommended to take care of exchanging the available currency for local money. This can be done both in the capital of the country and directly on the island. However, in the latter case, the course will not be very profitable, since there is a special policy towards tourists. Therefore, it is worth exchanging currency in advance, using the services of the relevant organizations during your stay in Manila.
Features of entry to the Philippines
Before choosing the best answer to the question of how to get to Manila, you need to understand the procedure for entering the country for foreign citizens. To fly to the Philippines, Russians do not need a visa. All documents that are needed to stay on the territory of the state, in this case, can be obtained directly upon arrival by filling in the appropriate forms at the airport.
As for travelers from other CIS countries, they will definitely have to take care of obtaining a visa. To do this, you will need to contact the Philippine Consulate in advance for help.
There is another interesting nuance, taking into account which, you can figure out how to get from Manila to Boracay without unnecessary problems. So, to make a transfer, you will have to take care of purchasing a return plane ticket. If, if checked, it is not on hand, the traveler can be returned back to the airport or forced to immediately spend money on the purchase of such a document.
How are things going with transport on Boracay Island?
Due to the modest size of the island, most of the locals move around its territory on foot. As for the available transport, mopeds and tuktuk are available to travelers. The latter are tricycles with a sidecar, which can accommodate up to 3 passengers.
The price for travel on a moped or tuktuk will depend on the required distance. On average, trips around the island cost tourists between 40 and 100 pesos.
About the cost of the flight to the Philippines
Air tickets to Manila from Moscow during the New Year holidays can be about $ 2,000. In the off-season, the average cost of a flight varies from 1200 to 1500 USD. e.
Tickets from Manila to Kalibo or Caticlan are recommended to be purchased separately. To do this, it is necessary to compare in advance the available offers on the websites of the Philippine airlines Cebu Pacific, TigerAir, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia. The latter quite often arrange ticket sales for popular destinations within the country. And if the standard price for a flight from Manila to island airports is usually $ 100, the discounted price can be about $ 20-30.
How to save on flights to Manila? Today, the main option for this is the organization of a flight with multiple transfers. In some cases, long waiting times between flights may force you to stay at a hotel, which also requires a small reserve amount from the available budget in advance.
Finally
So we figured out how to get from Manila to Boracay. The best solution here is to travel by plane of local airlines to one of the island's airports. However, if you wish, you can get to the tropical resort directly from the Philippine capital, using water transport.
There are many different ways to fly to Boracay. In most cases, you need to fly through the capital of the Philippines - Manila, but there are other ways. I will describe all of them below.
Firstly, in order to understand the order of prices for air tickets to Boracay for your dates, as well as to see the possible options for flights, I advise you to use the form below. This is an assistant in the search for Aviasales tickets - just enter the destination of interest and the desired dates, and the system will check what flight options are and what their prices are. I myself always use this system. By the way, Aviasales checks not only tickets directly from airlines, but also from various agencies. It often turns out that it is cheaper to take a ticket through a booking agency than on the airline's website.
- From Russian cities (except for the Far East)
It is convenient to fly to the capital of the Philippines, Manila, from Moscow and St. Petersburg with Emirates (via Dubai), Etihad (via Abu Dhabi) or KLM (via Amsterdam). There is no direct flight. Also, one of the most budgetary and convenient options is to fly to Hong Kong with Aeroflot, and from Hong Kong fly either to Manila, or (which is very convenient!) Take a direct flight to Kalibo (an airport near Boracay). So, the most convenient and inexpensive flight is likely to be Moscow-Hong Kong (Aeroflot), then Hong Kong-Kalibo (Philippine airline cebupacificair.com). If you are not flying from Moscow or St. Petersburg, then another flight to Moscow is added.
There is also an option to fly to Seoul, and from there Air Asia operates direct flights to Kalibo Airport.
- From Vladivostok
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines fly from Vladivostok to Manila with a connection in Seoul. Or, as I wrote above, you can fly to Seoul, and from there take a direct flight to Kalibo and / to Airasia
- From Ukraine
It is convenient to fly from Kiev with a direct flight to Bangkok a / c Aerosvit, and from Bangkok to Manila by Asian a / c.
Below is a list of airlines that fly to the Philippines from other cities in Southeast Asia (from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.)
By the way, in Caticlan (the closest airport to Boracay), planes fly only until 16 00. So if you arrive in Manila in the afternoon and want to get to Boracay on the same day, you will need to fly to Kalibo.
They run from 5 am to 9 pm every 10 minutes, less frequently at night. The boat ride is only 10 minutes.
There are many tricycles (a local type of taxi) in the port on Boracay, they will take you to any hotel.
A little about prices.
Here I will give the average prices:
Main flight from Russia to Manila -600 $ -900 $
Manila - Caticlan - 100 $ -200 $, but you can catch cheap tickets
Manila - Kalibo -70-100 $
All prices are for round trip.
Prices from the airport (one way):
Taxi from Kalibo airport - about $ 50
Minivan from Kalibo airport (as minibus) - $ 5
Tricycle from the port to the center of Boracay 5 $
If you want to get as quickly and conveniently as possible from Caticlan or Kalibo airport to your hotel in Boracay, I can book a transfer for you. You will be met at the airport at any time of the day and escorted to the hotel. You can find out more information and order a transfer.
