1

First question: I get into Manila late at night on the 2nd (11:10). Where can I go to stay the night (economical - as I am on budget), that will let me in that late? And how do I get there?

Sogo Hotel, Pasay. Taxi.

What is the best/cheapest way to get to Puerto Galera from Manila? PG to Boracay? Boracay to El Nido? El Nido to Manila?

Bus and ferry from Batangas to PG.
From PG to Boracay, ferry from Batangas.
Boracay to El Nido, fly to Cebu then fly to PP.

Having said that the weather in June is not going to be ideal for diving in any of those locations.
Much better to head down to Bohol and Negros and dive Panglao and Apo Island or over to Leyte and dive Sogod Bay..

2

Boracay is anything but a remote tropical island. Agree with the above on better destinations.

3

Puerto Galera is fine - there is always the risk of bad weather but diving takes place throughout the year. Most diving is out of sabang beach and neighbouring small and big la laguna beaches.
You can overnight in manila and get a JAM transit bus from their Pasay terminal at Gil Puyat ( taxi drivers know where) to Batangas Pier then a ferry - about every 1 1/2 hours or so or there is a private bus from City State tower hotel at 8 am - more expensive but I think they transport your bags from bus to boat instead of having to carry them 100 metres !.
OR -for the brave only !) and I have done this and if you dont mind the slightly seedy from NAIA go to Pasay then ask to be put on a bus going to Turbina - a bus station 2/3 0f the way to Batangas - you may have to wait up to an hour in the middle of the night. At Turbina 50 metres - next to the Jolibee there is a short time hotel where you can book six hours for about 600 pesos then check out in the morning and if you leave around 9.30 will end up on the same ferry as the 8 am Manila leavers. There are buses about every 10 mins from Turbina but make sure you get one going via the calabazon expressway and not via Lipa City as they are quicker. Owls nest has aircon double rooms Its a bit run down but it avoids having to hang around Manila. To get to Borocay there is a http://travel.2go.com.ph/ ferry at 8 am and an overnight ferry at 8 pm from Batangas to Caticlan then a pump boat to Boracay. suggest the overnight trip where you can either book a berth in aircon dorm for 800p or a stateroom for 1000 p. this will get you into caticlan 5 am. You will need to get an afternoon ferry - I think I.30 pm so therre will be some hanging around at Batangas Pier or you could try leaving your bags at the ferry office and going to the SM Mall for a few hours - maybe catch a movie.
The budget option for Manila is a short time hotel and I would suggest hotel Sogo Harrison plaza next to edsa and about 15 mins from the airport - 200 pesos taxi and six hours similar rate to Owls Nest and then a taxi in the morning to Jam. - the city state option involves going back on yourself - these hotels are geared up for short stays with a 24 our reception and clientelle - mostly couples or unmarrieds who dont have the space at home and in a country where you cant bring a girlfriend/boyfriend back to your house. If you want twin beds forget it !

4

Get a taxi from NAIA to Pasay
There are plenty of hotels in the area.Sogo have 2 branches within a stone's throw of each other
on Edsa at Taft and Harrison.If you want an early start then book a 6 or 12 hour stay
Take a Jam liner to Batangas from LRT/Buendia (a short jeepney ride from Edsa/Taft or 12 minute walk)
You could follow Blossom's suggestion and take a late night bus to Turbina and check in to the Owls nest but unless you are familiar with Philippines I would recommend staying for a night in Manila
From PG to Boracay take a boat from Batangas to Caticlan then transfer to the island
From Boracay to El Nido Fly from Caticlan or Kalibo to Cebu then on to PP
Seems most of the replies so far are similar and I would also add that you could consider Negros or Bohol

5

I would want more variety, sounds like too many beaches to me and give Borocay a miss.

6

Thank you all for the informative responses. After reading these, I realize how little I know as far as the type of travel I am seeking in the Philippines. I am trying my best to plan in advance for a country I have never been to. Normally, I don't have a time limit and can spend some quality time getting to know a country and where the good places to go are. But this is a rare small window of time I have this go around, so I am trying to figure out how to do it best. So, If you had two weeks to spend diving and exploring the best of the Philippines and had to fly into Manila and home from Manila, where would you go and how? I want to maximize my time and not spend all of it traveling, though I am open to flying to other islands. Thank you again for your expertise and advice, it really helps :)

Cheers

7

There's not really a whole lot of remote, its a country of 100 million people, they're everywhere! You may be looking for a less foreigner visited area but with only 2 weeks you really don't have the time to do that as the quieter places involve a more travel. Maybe look at Malapascua island just off Northern Cebu for diving and beach time at the start.

Towards the end of your trip and to bring you closer to Manila for the return flight and if you still want to do more diving, head over to Puerto Galera , dive at Sabang and then transfer over to White beach for a few final days of beach time, you could rent a bike a check it out beforehand, about a half hour from Sabang. All this said, the weather could change for the worse, have an alternate plan!

8

I would want more variety, sounds like too many beaches to me and give Boracay a miss

Just what I was thinking!

The original poster wants to see as much as he can and all he wants to see is beach.

What about the waterfalls, volcanoes, underground river on Palawan, hot springs, cold springs, rice terraces, white water rafting, whales, whale sharks, dolphins, tarsiers etc?

.
Regards: Jim

9

He's got 2 weeks, "as much as he can" isn't much. If he wants diving and beaches, that's reasonable. I'd skip Boracay and PG and concentrate on Palawan or Central Visayas. For better weather in June, lots of different dive sites, and easier getting form one place to another, Visayas might be better.

10

Hi,

Best / cheapest way to get to Puerto Gallera from Manila is by bus.
Take a bus (company : JAM Transit or BLTB, stop in Manila : Cubao) to Batangas pier. It costs less than 200 pesos and takes 3 hours.
Thence, from the pier, take a boat to Puerto Gallera (Most tourists take the boat going direct to Sabang, PG). There is a boat every about 1 and a half hour, I think it cost about 150 pesos. It takes 1 hour. The boat seats 150 passengers. You can take the earliest boat company - buy tickets on the left side ticket counters, and then wait in the large covered waiting area enclosure.

Remember - there are NO boats leaving Batangas after 2 pm. I think the first boat is at 8 am.

There is also a direct service by Swagman tours (from their hotel in Manila) - this bus coach leaves Manila at 9 am and connects you direct to one of the above boats.

11

Remember - there are NO boats leaving Batangas after 2 pm

Huh? Last passenger boat at 4:30. Special trips even arrive at night.

12

Yes - #11 leng 77 is partly right. 2 pm is the time of the last boat from Sabang beach (PG) to Batangas. Yes - the last boat from Batangas is at 4:30... I have never seen a trip at night (risky - the journey is long, and in choppy seas, even the large 150 seater was shipping water) so I would not depend on that.

By the way, boat timings are tricky and not so frequent here - I had to wait at Batangas pier from 9:40 to 11:30 am for my boat to PG (I had just missed the 9:30 boat). By the time they "filled" the boat with us 150 passengers, (they use a small tender to reach the larger boat), it was 12:30. By the time we reached Sabang, it was 1:45 pm. That was some time wasted!

13

There is a boat leaving from batangas to Boracay at 8pm(except Thursday, I think).

14

Last trip: Batangas to Sabang:
Father and Son Lines: 2:20pm (more likely to be 3:30pm - FSL actually stands for Finally Starting Late)
Lady Rhealaine: 4:30pm

Batangas to Puerto Galera:
Minolo Shipping Lines: 5:00pm