Boracay is a miniature island in the middle of the ocean. There is no port, as well as a runway for landing aircraft. The length of this modest land area is only 7 km. The width of the island in some places is 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
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, the
Philippine Islands are exposed to severe typhoons and storms. They do not pose any danger to the lives of tourists who stay in modern hotels. However, they may take by surprise those who are on the way, on the outskirts of Boracay.
When messages about the onset of storms appear, tourists sometimes have to sit in one place for several days. During this time, in the Philippines, absolutely all airports and boat stations can be closed. Therefore, going here, you must first plan your vacation with some “margin” in a few days, because until the weather improves, no one will give permission to fly or go to sea.
Even the largest typhoons and storms pass on local islands during the day. But the main problem in this case is the damage to communications. After all, the possibility of making flights, ensuring the operation of boat stations, depends on them.
Ferry ride
So, let's discuss what are the ways to get to Boracay. The first of them - by sea, that is, the ocean.
The ferry allows you to sail from Manila to the Panai island nearest to Boracay. Water transport arrives in the town of Dumagit, which is located in the north of this territory. Once in place, you can catch a bus that goes to the Caticlan. Next, you will need to rent any suitable water transport that goes to Boracay.
Still how to get from Manila to Boracay on the same ferry? From the capital, you can drive 110 km to Batagans by bus. In the evening, ferries depart from here to the Caticlan. The indicated transport has everything for tourists' entertainment: a small restaurant, a shop, even a karaoke bar. Thus, you won’t be bored on the road and you can sail to the 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 a.m. Then 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 along 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 here, where only small planes can land, due to the small runway area. What is the danger for travelers? If you plan to go to Boracay with a whole bunch of bulky heavy baggage, 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, it is most likely that it will not be possible to carry suitcases heavier than 20 kg.
Another comparative inconvenience of traveling to Boracay through the 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 plane about the flight, this option will become 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 in place, you can quickly find the free water transport that will deliver to Boracay.
Drive through Kalibo
How to get from Manila Airport to Boracay? For this, it is enough to take a ticket for the plane that follows to Kalibo. An airport located in the specified city is very popular among tourists. The largest international airliners fly here. In the case of a flight from Manila, there will be absolutely no problems with the weight and dimensions of the luggage 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 aircraft operate 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 another option. If it’s not a pity to spend more than two hours on the road, you can sail to the island using a ferry, boat or boat. To do this, you will need to find public transport or a taxi in advance, the driver of which is sent to the local boat crossing.
Travel through Iloilo
The airport of the Philippine town is the most remote of all available routes. 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.
As for the trip to Boracay from Iloilo, a ferry trip from the local port takes as much as 6 hours. Therefore, tourists rarely fly to the local airport. And then who will benefit from a trip on such a route? Considering this option is recommended in situations where both airports in Kalibo and Caticlan are closed. But this happens regularly, for example, when 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 worthwhile to exchange currency in advance, using the services of the relevant organizations during your stay in Manila.
Philippines Entry Features
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, the Russians do not need a visa. All documents that are needed to stay in 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 any extra problems. So, to make a transfer, you will have to take care of purchasing a return ticket for the plane. If, in the event of verification, he is not in his hands, the traveler can be returned back to the airport or forced to immediately spend money on the purchase of such a document.
What about transport on the island of Boracay?
Due to the modest size of the island, most of the locals move on its territory on foot. As for the available transport, here mopeds and tuktuk are available to travelers. The latter are tricycles with a sidecar, which can accommodate up to 3 passengers.
The fare for a moped or tuk-tuk will depend on the desired distance. On average, trips around the island cost tourists from 40 to 100 pesos.
About the cost of a flight to the Philippines
Prices for flights 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 y. e.
Tickets from Manila to Kalibo or Caticlan are recommended to be bought separately. To do this, you should pre-compare the available offers on the websites of the Philippine airlines Cebu Pacific, TigerAir, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia. The latter quite often arrange ticket sales to popular destinations within the country. And if the standard price for a flight from Manila to island airports is usually $ 100, at a discount the cost can be around $ 20-30.
How to save on a flight to Manila? Today, the main option for this is the organization of flights with numerous transfers. In some cases, a long wait between flights can force you to stay at a hotel, which should also be pre-allocated a small reserve amount from the available budget.
Finally
So we found 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 airports. However, if you want to get to the tropical resort, you can directly from the Philippine capital, using the water transport.